• Florida ranks third lowest in average tipping among states according to the Restaurant Trends Report by Toast, with an average tip of 18.3% at restaurants. 
• Florida’s ranking may be skewed by the millions of tourists who visit the state each year, and the state’s minimum wage for tipped employees is also lower than some other states. 
• Florida ranks worst among states who don’t pay full minimum wage among tipped workers

Florida may be known for its sun, sand, and surf, but when it comes to tipping, the Sunshine State is not about to win any awards.

According to the Restaurant Trends Report by Toast, a restaurant point of sale and management system, Florida ranks third lowest in average tipping among states behind California and Washington. According to the report, the average tip at restaurants in the Sunshine State is 18.3%, with the average tip at full-service restaurants slightly higher at 18.6% compared to 16.2% at quick-service restaurants. While tipping is not mandatory, most customers do leave a gratuity, and although the majority of customers give higher tips at full-service restaurants, Florida’s tipping still falls short compared to almost all other states.

But before we judge ourselves and our fellow Floridians too harshly, there is more to the story. As a top tourist destination, Florida attracts millions of visitors each year from other states and from all over the world, which could skew the results of the survey. Millions of visitors to Florida restaurants are not necessarily representative of Florida resident tipping habits.

Another factor to consider is are state and federal minimum wage laws.  But that’s not gonna work out well for Florida if you’re looking for an excuse. Florida’s minimum wage for tipped employees is $7.98, which is significantly lower than states like California and Washington, which mandates that tipped workers must be paid full state minimum wage of $15 before tips. That explains why restaurant patrons in those states are a bit more stingy, and puts Florida at the top of the list for truly stingiest states.

The bottom line is that visitors to Florida restaurants could probably be a little more generous when dining out. Restaurant servers rely heavily on tips to make a living, and a small increase in tipping percentage could make a big difference in their earnings.

All data in this story is from the Restaurant Trends Report. Data was collected from about 79,000 locations where a tip was added to the order via a card or digital payment. Cash tips are not included in analysis.