If you’re heading to have your car windows tinted, or perhaps you’ve just had them done, then you might be wondering whether you need to tip the technician and how much.
Deciding whether to tip and how much to offer can be important in managing an effective financial strategy and budget.
In the US tipping is second nature. If you withhold a tip that might be frowned upon, but if you tip too much you may find a significant dent in your finances.
With this in mind, we’ve looked at what the custom is for tipping window tinter technicians, how much you should tip, what an average window tint will cost, the salaries of window tint technicians, and some other key factors.
Keep reading to see what we found out…
Do You Tip Window Tint Technicians? The Short Answer
It is not customary to tip window tinters or any other type of car repair or modification worker. However, car window tinters tend to earn less than some others in the industry such as mechanics so you may feel it is worth tipping them, especially if their workmanship is up to scratch.
See below to see what sums we recommend if you wish to tip.
How Much Do Tinters Earn?
If you’re wondering whether you need to top up a tinter’s income with tips then it’s worth spending a minute looking at the earnings data.
Here’s what we discovered by scouring a few earnings and job websites.
According to Comparably, window tinters earn salaries ranging from $19,390 to $46,440 per annum with a median income of $29,270pa.
This is a fairly modest salary compared to the US average income which is $47,520 according to Zippia.
This is also a lot less than the median income for other types of vehicle technicians.
We discovered that mechanics generally earn $41,521 to $53,650 per annum when we looked at whether you tip for an oil change.
Therefore, it would seem that window tint techs earn fairly low salaries on the basis of this data.
How Much Will a Window Tint Cost?
Another key factor to consider when deciding whether to tip a window tinter is how much the work is going to cost.
Generally speaking, people are more inclined to tip when the purchased goods or services are reasonably priced.
If you’ve been quoted for a tint or have just had your windows done then according to Aptining you should be paying around:
- $189 – $549 for all sides and rear windows
- $99 – $250 for front windows
- $59 – $129 for single windows
- $79 – $259 for the back window
- $119 – $299 for windshield
- $59 – $159 for a sunroof
If your quote or invoice is within this ballpark, you’re probably being charged appropriately.
If not and you’re being charged above these sums then you may well consider that a tip isn’t justified.
How Much to Tip a Window Tinter?
As above, it’s certainly not customary to tip a tinter and there’s unlikely to be any eyes rolled if you don’t produce one.
However, if you do decide to tip then the etiquette in the US is generally 10-20% of the total cost of the goods or services.
That would mean a tip of between $5 – $100 on the basis of the above figures depending on the work you’ve had done.
However, any sum is likely to be well received, and somewhere between $5 – $20 is appropriate if you’d rather pay a fixed sum.
How Should You Tip a Tinter?
We always recommend tipping in cash rather than by credit or debit card.
Most people intend the money to go to the actual employee and not the company they work for and the best way to do that is to pay in notes directly to the worker.
If you pay by other means there is a risk that the intended recipient won’t actually receive the money.
Not good!
What to Tip Instead of Money?
If you’d rather not hand over a monetary tip to your tinter then there are plenty of other ways you can show your gratitude such as:
- With a positive review on Google or on the company’s website
- Thank you card
- A gift such as beers or a voucher
- Tickets to a game
If you don’t want to dip into your wallet, then simply praising the technician or letting his/her manager know will always go down well.
People love being praised at work – it’s great for morale.
When to Tip Your Tinter More or to Withhold a Tip
There will certainly be situations where you decide that you should definitely dip into your pocket and either pay a tip where you usually wouldn’t or increase the amount you offer.
Here’s when we suggest doing this:
- If the workmanship of the tint is of high quality with the correct application, if the work has been done efficiently and for the quoted price;
- If it’s the holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas;
- If the technician has been professional and courteous;
- If the work has been done for lower than the market rate;
- If specific or unique requests have been followed.
We’d suggest holding a tip back if:
- The workmanship wasn’t as expected;
- If the wrong tint has been applied;
- If the technician has been unprofessional or rude;
- If you’ve been charged above the quoted price.
Final Thoughts
It is rare for tips to be offered in the auto repair industry and this generally applies across the board, including tinters.
Unlike other industries such as catering or coffee shops, tips simply aren’t required as mechanics and the like generally earn reasonable incomes to start with.
Tint technicians do earn less than some within the auto industry but they’re hardly on the breadline.
If you do wish to tip then we’d recommend a tip of around $5 – $20 is appropriate.
You may wish to increase this if the job has been done well.
A tint job is already a significant expense to most people so this alone may mean that you decide a tip cannot be justified.
The good news is that you’re unlikely to be frowned upon just because you don’t tip – a tip to a tinter is just an added bonus rather than a requirement.
This is interesting to read about tipping window tinters.