NEW JERSEY — New Jersey customers leave an average tip of 18.7%, below the national average of 19.5%, according to tipping data highlighted by personal finance website WalletHub.
The figures, based on first-quarter 2026 data from Toast, show how average tipping percentages vary across the United States.
New Jersey’s average of 18.7% matches New York and Mississippi but falls below neighboring Pennsylvania, where the average tip is 20.2%, and Delaware, where customers leave an average of 22.1%.
Delaware recorded the highest average tipping percentage in the country at 22.1%, while California had the lowest at 17.3%.
Other states with higher average tips included West Virginia at 21%, New Hampshire at 20.9%, Wyoming and Ohio at 20.7%, and Indiana at 20.7%.
Tips are a major source of income for service workers.
Under federal law, the minimum cash wage for tipped employees is $2.13 per hour.
In New Jersey, the minimum cash wage for tipped workers is $6.05 per hour in 2026. Employers must ensure that employees earn at least the state’s minimum wage of $15.92 per hour when wages and tips are combined.
The WalletHub figures highlight differences in tipping habits across the country, with average tips ranging from 17.3% to 22.1%.
