Bartenders: Career Profile
Mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through waitstaff.
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The Daily Work of Bartenders Take On?
The core tasks performed by bartenders include:
- Clean glasses, utensils, and bar equipment.
- Collect money for drinks served.
- Balance cash receipts.
- Check identification of customers to verify age requirements for purchase of alcohol.
- Clean bars, work areas, and tables.
- Attempt to limit problems and liability related to customers' excessive drinking by taking steps such as persuading customers to stop drinking, or ordering taxis or other transportation for intoxicated patrons.
- Take beverage orders from serving staff or directly from patrons.
- Serve wine, and bottled or draft beer.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top bartenders combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Bartenders Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Banquet Bartender
- Bar Attendant
- Bar Captain
- Bar Tender
- Barkeep
- Barkeeper
- Barmaid
- Barman
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 523,148 bartenders working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +12.2% over the projection horizon.
Bartenders Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $28,151 |
| Hourly median | $13.53 |
| 10th percentile | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $23,893 |
| 75th percentile | $32,408 |
| 90th percentile | $36,666 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Bartenders Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $68,820 |
| New York | $60,750 |
| District of Columbia | $54,930 |
| Vermont | $54,310 |
| Washington | $48,320 |
| Maine | $47,630 |
| Virginia | $46,860 |
| New Jersey | $45,660 |
| Virgin Islands | $42,630 |
| Arizona | $40,860 |
| Michigan | $39,500 |
| Delaware | $36,420 |
| Massachusetts | $36,000 |
| California | $35,900 |
| Maryland | $35,750 |
| Connecticut | $34,420 |
| Utah | $34,120 |
| Oregon | $33,970 |
| Colorado | $33,780 |
| Rhode Island | $33,700 |
| North Carolina | $32,410 |
| New Mexico | $31,370 |
| Florida | $30,850 |
| Alaska | $29,860 |
| Ohio | $29,850 |
| Nebraska | $29,400 |
| Illinois | $29,120 |
| West Virginia | $29,030 |
| Kentucky | $28,590 |
| South Dakota | $28,530 |
| North Dakota | $28,440 |
| New Hampshire | $28,100 |
| Kansas | $27,760 |
| Texas | $27,750 |
| Pennsylvania | $27,090 |
| Missouri | $27,060 |
| Minnesota | $26,840 |
| Arkansas | $26,030 |
| Nevada | $25,790 |
| Mississippi | $24,700 |
| Georgia | $23,500 |
| Idaho | $22,880 |
| Montana | $22,840 |
| Indiana | $22,790 |
| Alabama | $22,670 |
| Tennessee | $22,660 |
| Wisconsin | $22,520 |
| Iowa | $22,500 |
| Wyoming | $22,010 |
| Oklahoma | $21,620 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,160 |
| Guam | $20,370 |
| Louisiana | $19,620 |
| South Carolina | $18,390 |
Where Bartenders Earn the Most
Earnings for bartenders vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $44,657 | 15.5% | 1.03 |
| Far Western US | $37,106 | 16.5% | 1.12 |
| New England | $36,583 | 5.6% | 1.19 |
| Rocky Mountains | $29,800 | 4.4% | 1.33 |
| Southwest | $29,659 | 10.7% | 0.85 |
| Southeast | $29,241 | 20.9% | 0.91 |
| Great Lakes | $28,718 | 17.3% | 1.34 |
| Plains States | $26,830 | 8.6% | 1.31 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $80,040 | 780 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | HI | $70,300 | 2,210 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | VT | $65,480 | 850 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $59,030 | 37,530 |
| Kingston, NY | NY | $56,070 | 480 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | NY | $51,390 | 1,290 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | ME | $51,180 | 1,760 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $50,070 | 15,110 |
Which Industries Hire Bartenders
The bulk of bartenders are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and Food Services | 588,740 | $34,020 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 55,000 | $31,950 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 42,310 | $27,580 |
| Manufacturing | 38,190 | $35,030 |
| Retail Trade | 5,600 | $34,080 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 4,530 | $39,970 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 3,290 | $31,760 |
| Information | 2,750 | $32,160 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Bartenders Use
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for bartenders reflects the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Spend Time Standing
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Physical Proximity
Education and Training
Entry-level bartenders positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Food Service Managers (Primary-Long)
- Chefs and Head Cooks (Primary-Long)
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers (Primary-Long)
- Cooks, Fast Food (Supplemental)
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria (Supplemental)
- Cooks, Private Household (Supplemental)
- Cooks, Restaurant (Primary-Long)
- Cooks, Short Order (Primary-Long)
Where to Study
Aspiring bartenders commonly pursue programs in:
Personal and Culinary Services
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 35-3011.00 (Bartenders).
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