How much to tip at nail salons in 2025: A guide to client tipping etiquette

How often do clients wonder how much to tip? They may love the service and want to show their gratitude appropriately but might not know the standard. As a nail salon owner, guiding your clients on tipping etiquette can help clear up confusion while ensuring your team is appreciated for their hard work.

Educate your customers with our guide to nail salon tipping practices and use our nail salon tip calculator for quick and accurate calculations of what you can expect — it’s a great tool to simplify the process for you.

Tipping is a vital part of the U.S. service industry and plays a significant role in supplementing workers' income. In beauty services, including nail salons, tips are often essential, helping technicians reach or exceed minimum wage requirements.

Tipping norms vary by country, but in the U.S., they’re a standard way to show appreciation for services. As a nail salon owner, having a clear tipping etiquette policy ensures your clients understand how to support your team appropriately. Let’s dive into how much clients should tip at your nail salon and how you can guide them in the process.

The standard tip percentage for nail services is generally 20% of the services rendered. This amount can increase if the service is exceptional or decrease if you haven’t met your clients' expectations. Leaving no tip is rare and often considered rude unless the service was extremely poor.

How much to tip at nail salons will depend on the service quality. It’s a way for clients to express gratitude for personalized attention and good service. Conversely, leaving a small or no tip can signal dissatisfaction.

Various factors can affect the tip percentage for nail services. For instance:

Tipping policies can make a big difference in how clients perceive and appreciate your services. As a salon owner or manager, it’s important to educate clients about tipping etiquette. The widely accepted minimum tip in the nail industry is 15%, with 20% being the most common.

Encourage clients to tip based on the skill and effort involved in their service, not just the final look. Whether it’s a quick polish change or a detailed set of acrylic nails with intricate designs, tipping reflects the value of your team’s expertise and hard work. Clear communication about tipping can help foster gratitude and loyalty among your clientele.

Here’s a quick nail salon tipping guide with what you can expect:

The cost of a manicure or pedicure in the U.S. can range from $20 to $50, with the national average being $45. The typical tipping amount for a basic manicure or pedicure service is 17-18%. Of course, clients are welcome to tip more, but the minimum recommended tip is at least $5.

 Other factors that may affect the pricing and consequently the tipping amount are:

The minimum tip clients typically leave at a nail salon is 15%. However, for extra services or specialty designs like gel or acrylic nails, the recommended tip is 20%.

‍The standard tip for nail art is 20–25%. Since nail art requires additional skill and time from technicians, it’s considered standard for clients to tip a bit more. Salons can suggest adding an extra 5-10% to the usual tip as a way to show appreciation for the added effort and expertise.

Related: Opening a nail salon business in 15 easy steps

Providing exceptional service is key to building client loyalty. Ensure your technicians focus on attention to detail, bring their best skills to every appointment, and deliver a blend of creativity and meticulousness. Going above and beyond in service will naturally encourage clients to show their appreciation through tips and positive feedback.

Creating a luxurious and welcoming environment can enhance the overall client experience. Upscale surroundings, expert care, and thoughtful extras can make a big difference. Encourage your team to deliver attentive, personalized service that leaves clients feeling pampered and valued. This kind of experience often leads to generous tips, with clients leaving 20-25% of their total bill in recognition of exceptional care.

Building strong relationships with regular clients is essential. Show consistent appreciation for their loyalty by treating them like VIPs every visit. Ensure your team is attentive to their needs and preferences to keep them coming back.

Additionally, train your staff to handle busy days with grace. If walk-in clients are accommodated during a packed schedule, make sure they receive the same high-quality service as scheduled appointments. Exceptional service in challenging circumstances can inspire clients to tip more generously and leave positive reviews, further enhancing your salon's reputation.Q

Exceptional service – Encourage your staff to aim for top-notch service that inspires customers to tip up to 25%.

What defines exceptional service?

When service falls short – Mistakes happen, but how your salon handles them can make a difference.

If a client expresses dissatisfaction, ensure your staff is trained to address concerns politely and effectively. Resolving minor issues promptly can encourage clients to still tip the standard 15-20%.

For major issues, like damage to nails, professionalism is key. While tipping may decrease in such cases, maintaining good customer service ensures clients feel heard and respected, encouraging them to return in the future.

Make tipping etiquette a part of your salon's culture by supporting and educating your team on delivering outstanding service every time.duce the tip. But tipping etiquette demands that you never withhold it.

Related: Explore effective nail promotion ideas 

Handling tips for multiple technicians – In nail salons, it's common for multiple technicians to work on a single client, especially during simultaneous services like mani-pedis. While this teamwork ensures clients are in and out faster, it presents a unique challenge: how to fairly distribute tips among the technicians.

Here are some approaches to manage tips effectively:

Individual vs. pooled tips – Nail salon owners must decide whether to implement individual tipping or a pooled tip system. Tip pooling can ensure all technicians who contributed to a positive client experience are fairly compensated. However, it may lead to concerns from highly skilled technicians who feel their efforts and higher tips are not fully acknowledged.

To avoid issues, salon owners should:

By managing tips thoughtfully, salon owners can foster teamwork and maintain a positive working environment while ensuring fair compensation for all technicians.

Walk-ins versus appointments – Nail salons often prefer scheduled appointments to better manage their time and resources, but walk-ins are always welcome. To encourage walk-in clients to show appreciation, salons can highlight tipping as a way to thank technicians for accommodating them on short notice, particularly during busy times. This can foster goodwill and increase the likelihood of repeat business.

Group services – When serving groups, nail salons should educate clients on fair tipping practices. Since group visits often involve different services, such as simple nail polish versus intricate nail art, salons can suggest clients tip based on the specific services provided. This ensures fairness for technicians and recognizes the effort and skill required for each service. By promoting clear communication about tipping, salons can create a positive experience for clients and staff alike.

Tipping in the U.S. is seen as a reflection of the service quality. It’s a way for customers to express gratitude for personalized attention and good service. Conversely, leaving a small or no tip can signal dissatisfaction.

It’s also a social norm, with many Americans tipping out of habit, even in situations where tipping is not strictly required, like for takeout or fast-casual dining.

About 41% of Americans say they always tip, while only 4% rarely tip, with the average tip in the U.S. being about 18%. Americans with higher incomes tend to tip more and older adults are more likely to tip 20% or more than younger adults. 

California tips the most at about 23%, while Illinois tips the least at about 14%. Americans tend to tip more during the holidays, with an average tip of about 20%. About 77% of adults say the quality of the service they receive is a major factor in deciding whether and how much to tip at nail salons.

Tips aren’t the only way to help your nail technicians feel valued. As a salon owner or manager, you can foster a culture of recognition that goes beyond monetary rewards. Here are some ideas:

A handwritten thank-you note from management

Regular shoutouts during team meetings

Feature techs in salon marketing or social media posts

Small gifts or incentives for exceptional work

Encourage and share positive client reviews or referrals

These gestures can go a long way in showing your team how much their hard work is appreciated.

Tipping can often be unpredictable, but understanding what to expect makes a big difference. Zenoti’s nail salon tip calculator is a free tool designed to simplify tipping for salons. It provides accurate and customizable calculations, helping salons anticipate fair tip distributions, even for group appointments. Whether it’s for a single nail technician or dividing tips across a team, this tool ensures clarity and saves time, giving salons a clear picture of total earnings per person.

In summary, tipping at nail salons in the U.S. is more than just a reward for good service—it’s a cultural norm and an essential part of many technicians' income. Understanding the complexities of tipping can help nail salons educate clients and ensure fair practices.

As a salon, consider providing clear guidance on tipping norms and even offering tools like a tip calculator at checkout to make the process smooth and transparent for clients. This approach fosters trust while ensuring technicians feel valued for their work.

Check out the Zenoti platform for nail salon management.