Illinois Is The Worst!

Hi, it’s Leslie Harris and I actually really love living in Illinois, but in a new survey, we come in dead last.

That survey is in regards to tipping, and Illinois has the lowest average percentage rate.

The average Illinois diner tips only 14.22%! The national average is 17.94%. people living in California tip the most generously with an average of 22.69%.

I started tipping a higher percentage during the pandemic, and I have continued to tip at about 20%.

In Illinois, the minimum wage for tipped workers is just $7.80, compared with the non-tipped minimum wage of $13 an hour.

The 10 lowest States for tipping are as follows:

Illinois

Mississippi

South Carolina

New Mexico

Tennessee

Oklahoma

Wisconsin

North Dakota

West Virginia

Utah

The 10 highest States for tipping are as follows:

California

Missouri

Florida (this one surprised me a lot because of all the senior citizens on a fixed income)

Arizona

Rhode Island

Washington

Colorado

Pennsylvania

Connecticut

Georgia

Age wise, Millennials are the most generous with an average tip of 18.18%, followed by Baby Boomers at 17.92%, Generation Z at 17.80%, Gen X at 17.53%, and the Silent Generation at 15.16%.

Next time you’re out to dinner, think about the person who is serving you, and that they make less than $8 an hour, and in some States, much less than that. Most of them are supporting themselves, and many are also supporting families. Come on Illinois, we can do better!