Home & pet services tipping guide
Do you tip a summer camp counselor?
It's optional — tipping camp counselors isn't standard in the U.S., but it's a common gesture for good service. Tipping camp counselors is optional and depends on the camp: many don't allow cash tips at all, and where they do, families commonly give about $20–$60 per counselor for the session, with a note or small gift as the alternative.
Based on: The Emily Post Institute, American Camp Association, New York and New Jersey
The short version
It depends on the camp. Many camps — most private sleepaway camps among them — don't allow cash tips, and a note or small gift from your child is the customary thank-you. Where a camp does allow tips, families commonly give about $20–$60 per counselor for the session, more for a full summer, with smaller amounts for bus counselors, drivers and specialists.
Each camp sets its own policy, so the first step is the parent handbook or the office: many camps, especially private sleepaway camps, don't permit cash tips, and etiquette guides suggest a note or a small gift from your child instead. Where tips are allowed, day camps that publish guidance suggest roughly a dollar or two per counselor per day — so a longer session means a higher amount — and parents describe about $40–$60 per counselor for a session, with smaller amounts for bus counselors, drivers and specialists. It is a regional habit, most common in the Northeast.
How it's normally handled
Ask the office or check the parent handbook first, then give during the last few days of the session in an envelope with your child's name, their group and the counselor's name — or hand over a card your kid wrote, which is what counselors say they keep.
What people actually tip camp counselors
Typical U.S. range
$20–$60 per counselor per session, where the camp allows tips
Most common
$40 per counselor
When to go above the range
A full summer rather than a two-week session, two counselors sharing the group, or a counselor who handled something hard — homesickness, an injury, a first time away.
Common mistakes when tipping camp counselors
- Tipping at a camp that has asked families not to
- Assuming what a friend tips at another camp applies to yours
- Forgetting the second counselor in the bunk, or the bus staff who saw your kid every day
Work out your own
How much should you tip a summer camp counselor?
Enter what you actually paid and see where each option lands against the $20–$60 per counselor per session, where the camp allows tips range — then pick the amount that feels right.
Calculate your tipFrequently asked
How much do you tip a summer camp counselor?+
In the U.S., tipping camp counselors is optional and depends on the camp: many don't allow cash tips at all, and where they do, families commonly give about $20–$60 per counselor for the session, with a note or small gift as the alternative. The typical range is $20–$60 per counselor per session, where the camp allows tips, with $40 per counselor the most common reference point.
Is it rude not to tip a summer camp counselor?+
No. Tipping camp counselors is optional in the U.S. — it's a gesture for standout service or extra effort, not a standard part of the price. When people do tip, $40 per counselor is the common reference.
When should you tip more than the usual range?+
A full summer rather than a two-week session, two counselors sharing the group, or a counselor who handled something hard — homesickness, an injury, a first time away. In those situations people commonly go above $40 per counselor.
When is the tip usually given?+
Ask the office or check the parent handbook first, then give during the last few days of the session in an envelope with your child's name, their group and the counselor's name — or hand over a card your kid wrote, which is what counselors say they keep.
What do people most often get wrong when tipping camp counselors?+
Tipping at a camp that has asked families not to. Others include: assuming what a friend tips at another camp applies to yours; forgetting the second counselor in the bunk, or the bus staff who saw your kid every day.
How tippos thinks about it
tippos suggests checking the camp's policy first, then choosing an amount per counselor that fits the session length — or a note from your kid, which is what counselors say they keep.
Sources
Ranges on this page come from these published guides. Sources reviewed .
- The Emily Post Institute — End of Summer Tipping Guide — Advises checking with the camp because most counselors aren't permitted to accept tips, and suggests a small gift from your child instead.
- American Camp Association, NY & NJ — 4 Tips on Camp Tipping (2017) — Each camp sets its own policy; ask for the suggested range and who is included (counselors, bus staff, group leaders); longer sessions warrant more within the range.
- Arrowhead Day Camp — Tipping Policy (parent resources) — A day camp's published guidance: tipping optional; about $2 a day for senior counselors and drivers, $1 a day for junior counselors, bus counselors and CITs.
- Salon — Should you tip your kid's camp counselors? The answer is tricky (2022) — Reports day-camp suggestions of roughly $40–$60 per counselor, $25 for bus or van drivers, $20–$40 for bus counselors and $20 for instructors.