NJRHA Tipped Employee Survey
New Jersey Tipped Employees Have Spoken
New Jersey tipped employees overwhelmingly say the current tipping system works for them — and they want to keep it.
In June and July 2025, nearly 400 servers, bartenders and other tipped employees working at restaurants across New Jersey participated in an independent survey prepared by CorCom, Inc.
VIEW FULL SURVEY
Key Findings
What New Jersey Tipped Employees Told Us
79%
Agree the current system works well for them and does not need to be changed
83%
Earn a combined base wage and tips of $20 per hour or more
82%
Believe they would earn less if the tip credit were eliminated
88%
Prefer the current system with a lower base wage plus tips and greater earning potential
Why Employees Value It
Respondents Identified Several Benefits of the Current Tipping System
78%
Ability to maximize tips through excellent customer service
72%
Ability to earn more than minimum wage
67%
Ability to make more money than a job in another sector
56%
Schedule flexibility
Earnings & Impact
What Employees Believe Would Happen if the Tip Credit Were Eliminated
The survey asked employees how they believe eliminating the tip credit would affect their earnings and customer tipping behavior.
Expected Earnings Impact
82%
Believe they would earn less if the tip credit were eliminated.
By comparison, 10% said they believe they would earn more, while 7% said they would earn about the same.
Customer Tipping
79%
Believe customers are unlikely to continue tipping on top of a mandatory service charge.
That includes 62% who said customers would be very unlikely to continue tipping.
88%
Prefer the current compensation system
Compensation Preference
Employees Overwhelmingly Prefer the Current System
When given a choice between two compensation models, 88% selected the current system with a lower base wage plus tips that provides the ability to earn more than minimum wage.
About the Survey
Survey Methodology
An online survey of nearly 400 tipped employees currently working at full-service restaurants in New Jersey was conducted in June and July 2025.
The study was prepared by CorCom, Inc. and reports a 5% margin of error. CorCom, Inc. is a research and consulting firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. It was founded by Dr. Lloyd Corder, who holds faculty appointments at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh.
NJRHA Tipped Employee Survey
New Jersey Tipped Employees Have Spoken
New Jersey tipped employees overwhelmingly say the current tipping system works for them — and they want to keep it.
In June and July 2025, nearly 400 servers, bartenders and other tipped employees working at restaurants across New Jersey participated in an independent survey prepared by CorCom, Inc.
VIEW FULL SURVEYKey Findings
What New Jersey Tipped Employees Told Us
|
79%
Agree the current system works well for them and does not need to be changed |
83%
Earn a combined base wage and tips of $20 per hour or more |
82%
Believe they would earn less if the tip credit were eliminated |
88%
Prefer the current system with a lower base wage plus tips and greater earning potential |
Why Employees Value It
Respondents Identified Several Benefits of the Current Tipping System
|
78%
Ability to maximize tips through excellent customer service |
72%
Ability to earn more than minimum wage |
67%
Ability to make more money than a job in another sector |
56%
Schedule flexibility |
Earnings & Impact
What Employees Believe Would Happen if the Tip Credit Were Eliminated
The survey asked employees how they believe eliminating the tip credit would affect their earnings and customer tipping behavior.
|
Expected Earnings Impact 82%
Believe they would earn less if the tip credit were eliminated. By comparison, 10% said they believe they would earn more, while 7% said they would earn about the same. |
Customer Tipping 79%
Believe customers are unlikely to continue tipping on top of a mandatory service charge. That includes 62% who said customers would be very unlikely to continue tipping. |
|
88%
Prefer the current compensation system |
Compensation Preference Employees Overwhelmingly Prefer the Current SystemWhen given a choice between two compensation models, 88% selected the current system with a lower base wage plus tips that provides the ability to earn more than minimum wage. |
About the Survey
Survey Methodology
An online survey of nearly 400 tipped employees currently working at full-service restaurants in New Jersey was conducted in June and July 2025.
The study was prepared by CorCom, Inc. and reports a 5% margin of error. CorCom, Inc. is a research and consulting firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. It was founded by Dr. Lloyd Corder, who holds faculty appointments at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh.
