For Kennedy Escamilla, a bad tip day could ruin the entire week.
She has been a server for five years, both in Nevada and back home in Michigan. For the past year, she has worked at 1228 Main in the Arts District, as well as on the Strip at the Fogo De Chao in The Venetian.
“With the amount that gets taxed from my check, we completely rely on tips,” said Escamilla. “I don’t see any of the hourly.”
According to a recent study by Toast, a popular restaurant management software company, Nevada tips 18.2 percent on average, making it the fourth lowest tipping state in the country.
The study compiled data from card and digital tip transitions on the Toast platform. For full-service restaurants in Nevada, the average tip is 18.6 percent, whereas the average tip for quick-service restaurants is 15.5 percent.
Cass Shum, an associate professor of hospitality organizational behavior at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, proposes two theories for why Nevada ranked low on this list.
“When customers or travelers come to Las Vegas, they are a bit shocked by the price of a meal,” Shum said. “As a result, it may not be as possible to give a high percentage because they are already getting a sticker shock that they are not used.”
Her second explanation is Nevada’s high volume of tourism.
“Because we are handling a lot of international tourists, that may also lower the average percentage of tipping compared to other states, who usually get customers from within the states,” she said.
In Europe, it is common to tip about 5-10 percent depending on the country, whereas in many Asian countries, tipping is often not customary.
AJ Chock, a server at SoulBelly BBQ, also notices that international tourists tend to tip less, but says she tries not to get discouraged.
“It’s weird to expect someone to tip because it can come from people from different cultures,” said Chock.
Still, Chock said tips cover the majority of her bills.
“Until there is a system-wide change where employees are getting a decent wage instead of relying on tips, we have to ask our tourists to step up and ensure our employees are getting taken care of,” said Shum.
As the owner of the local Las Vegas chain Mothership Coffee Roasters, Juanny Romero understands that tips are essential for her employees.
She acknowledges that there are many people who feel they shouldn’t have to tip and that instead employers should pay their workers higher wages.
“We can’t provide a living wage. It’s not how it works. Tipping culture is very vital to how our business runs and operates,” said Romero. “If we were to pay each employee $24 an hour, the drinks would cost $16 or $17 each. That’s a part of the tipping culture that no one really talks about.”
Romero said she prioritizes customer service training for her employees to ensure that they are able to receive the amount of tips they need to make a living.
Peter Saba, the government affairs and communications manager for the Nevada Restaurant Association, believes that, in contrast to the Toast study, workers are actually outperforming in Nevada because of the state’s minimum wage.
“We are one of the last seven non-tip credit states around. The other 43 states can get away with paying wages as low as $2.13,” said Saba.
Nevada requires employers to pay tipped staff the full $12 minimum wage. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Las Vegas restaurant workers make 3 percent more in hourly wages than the national average. As of May 2025, the Las Vegas average was $18.41, whereas the national mean is $17.86.
“The floor is better for Nevada servers, even with that little percentage off in the tipping study from Toast,” Saba said.
Contact Kalohe Danbara at kdanbara@reviewjournal.com.
