How much do bartenders make?

Bartender salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Bartenders (SOC 35-3011) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Bartenders in the US earned a median of $34,340 a year ($16.51 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $27,400 to $47,570.

Median annual pay: $34,340; Mean $40,790
Median hourly pay: $16.51; Mean $19.61
Typical range (10th–90th): $20.1K–$73.8K; $20,110 to $73,770
US jobs: 756,390; +5.0% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a bartender: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Hawaii

Bartender pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$20,110
25th percentile$27,400
Median$34,340
75th percentile$47,570
90th percentile$73,770

Half of all bartenders earned more than $34,340 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $20,110; the top 10% made over $73,770. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $27,400 to $47,570.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$20,110	$9.67	$1,676
25th	$27,400	$13.17	$2,283
Median (50th)	$34,340	$16.51	$2,862
75th	$47,570	$22.87	$3,964
90th	$73,770	$35.47	$6,148
Mean (average)	$40,790	$19.61	$3,399

Bartender salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for bartenders by state. Darker tiles pay more.

Highest-paying states

1. Hawaii $76,490
2. New York $61,210
3. Washington $55,830
4. District of Columbia $53,920
5. Maine $48,920

Lowest-paying states

51. South Carolina $19,370
50. Louisiana $20,850
49. Iowa $21,720
48. Wyoming $22,030
47. Texas $22,690

Best after cost of living: Hawaii. Its median of $76,490 is worth about $69,567 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$27,980	35	$31,501	31	$13.45	6,560	3.10
Alaska	$30,460	25	$29,758	35	$14.65	2,280	7.01
Arizona	$45,070	8	$44,767	8	$21.67	14,840	4.58
Arkansas	$25,090	42	$28,860	37	$12.06	3,020	2.32
California	$36,220	20	$32,713	26	$17.41	71,470	3.92
Colorado	$38,170	12	$37,040	15	$18.35	17,000	5.92
Connecticut	$38,780	11	$37,429	14	$18.64	7,680	4.53
Delaware	$36,840	16	$36,911	16	$17.71	2,820	5.81
District of Columbia	$53,920	4	$49,062	5	$25.92	5,760	8.21
Florida	$35,150	21	$33,990	20	$16.90	55,170	5.56
Georgia	$22,830	45	$23,709	48	$10.98	14,600	2.99
Hawaii	$76,490	1	$69,567	1	$36.78	3,540	5.65
Idaho	$27,240	39	$28,525	38	$13.10	3,430	4.00
Illinois	$31,200	23	$31,213	32	$15.00	43,010	7.05
Indiana	$22,770	46	$24,398	46	$10.95	12,880	4.02
Iowa	$21,720	49	$24,749	45	$10.44	9,560	6.13
Kansas	$27,940	36	$31,021	33	$13.43	5,430	3.77
Kentucky	$28,780	32	$31,921	30	$13.84	6,870	3.43
Louisiana	$20,850	50	$23,638	49	$10.02	10,140	5.24
Maine	$48,920	5	$50,407	4	$23.52	3,230	5.04
Maryland	$37,580	13	$35,804	17	$18.07	13,020	4.71
Massachusetts	$37,440	14	$35,402	19	$18.00	19,850	5.46
Michigan	$36,780	17	$38,226	12	$17.68	21,100	4.79
Minnesota	$26,900	40	$27,276	43	$12.93	24,420	8.28
Mississippi	$28,320	34	$32,569	28	$13.62	2,770	2.38
Missouri	$30,090	27	$33,133	24	$14.47	14,410	4.91
Montana	$26,010	41	$27,482	41	$12.51	5,370	10.50
Nebraska	$30,180	26	$33,495	21	$14.51	7,320	7.14
Nevada	$27,460	38	$27,466	42	$13.20	16,830	10.85
New Hampshire	$28,800	31	$27,648	40	$13.85	3,840	5.63
New Jersey	$44,020	9	$40,458	9	$21.16	16,260	3.79
New Mexico	$36,980	15	$40,103	10	$17.78	3,790	4.35
New York	$61,210	2	$56,717	2	$29.43	43,130	4.45
North Carolina	$36,470	18	$38,664	11	$17.53	20,070	4.06
North Dakota	$29,040	30	$32,644	27	$13.96	3,960	9.22
Ohio	$30,880	24	$33,285	22	$14.84	27,420	4.94
Oklahoma	$24,790	43	$28,221	39	$11.92	5,860	3.43
Oregon	$38,900	10	$37,635	13	$18.70	11,950	6.08
Pennsylvania	$28,420	33	$29,127	36	$13.66	37,490	6.18
Rhode Island	$36,410	19	$35,598	18	$17.51	3,170	6.32
South Carolina	$19,370	51	$20,662	51	$9.31	10,680	4.63
South Dakota	$29,400	29	$33,188	23	$14.14	3,930	8.60
Tennessee	$27,480	37	$29,912	34	$13.21	10,330	3.15
Texas	$22,690	47	$23,378	50	$10.91	59,000	4.19
Utah	$32,150	22	$32,519	29	$15.46	3,350	1.93
Vermont	$45,450	7	$46,397	7	$21.85	2,080	6.83
Virginia	$47,070	6	$46,556	6	$22.63	13,370	3.25
Washington	$55,830	3	$52,171	3	$26.84	16,800	4.73
West Virginia	$29,630	28	$33,107	25	$14.24	3,340	4.75
Wisconsin	$23,460	44	$24,932	44	$11.28	29,520	10.04
Wyoming	$22,030	48	$23,767	47	$10.59	2,660	9.48

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for bartenders

386 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
Kahului-Wailuku, HI	$86,280	$78,872	800
Urban Honolulu, HI	$75,340	$67,898	2,130
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$61,220	$54,387	38,510
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$58,180	$52,352	9,640
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA	$56,640	$55,289	270
Bellingham, WA	$56,110	$54,300	600
Kennewick-Richland, WA	$55,820	$55,776	600
Portland-South Portland, ME	$54,170	$53,182	1,780
Walla Walla, WA	$54,030	$54,842	120
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA	$53,810	$50,953	560

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	38,510	$61,220	$54,387
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	28,750	$31,200	$30,117
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	25,260	$35,510	$31,268
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	18,300	$24,170	$23,446
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	15,370	$27,600	$26,330
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	14,840	$37,760	$34,877
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	14,560	$48,030	$44,111
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	14,510	$34,700	$30,397
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	14,210	$36,040	$35,142
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	13,730	$33,750	$33,678

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves bartender pay: employers and settings

Tips are a large part of bartender income, and BLS includes reported tips in these wage figures. That is one reason pay swings so widely: the 10th percentile is $20,110, while the 90th is $73,770, more than three and a half times as much. Hours matter too, since many bartenders work part time.

State is the biggest measurable factor. Hawaii has the highest median at $76,490, followed by New York at $61,210, Washington at $55,830, the District of Columbia at $53,920, and Maine at $48,920. Hawaii still leads after living costs, at $69,567. At the bottom are Iowa at $21,720, Louisiana at $20,850, and South Carolina at $19,370. Minimum wage law also differs by state: federal law and many states let employers pay tipped workers a cash wage well below the regular minimum wage, while states such as California, Washington and Oregon require the full minimum wage before tips.

Setting matters less than you might expect. Hotels and motels have a median of $36,500 and restaurants $35,400. Drinking places come in at $33,300 and civic and social clubs at $28,400. The hourly median is $16.51.

Where bartenders work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	44.5%	$35,400
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	24.8%	$33,300
Traveler Accommodation	7%	$36,500
Civic and Social Organizations	5.2%	$28,400
Beverage Manufacturing	5%	$36,090
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries	4.3%	$32,720

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	749,460	$34,330
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	70	$31,200
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	6,870	$35,130

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Bartender pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$34.3K $19.5K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $19,530 in 2015 to $34,340 in 2025, up 76% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $26,401 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay grew 30% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What bartenders do

A bartender takes drink orders, mixes cocktails, pours beer and wine and keeps a bar running smoothly from opening setup to closing count. The job is part craft and part crowd control: you memorize recipes and pour sizes, ring up tabs and run cards, check IDs, keep garnishes, ice and glassware stocked and, when someone has had too much, stop serving them and help them get home safely. In many places you also serve food at the bar and make drinks for the waitstaff's tables.

In our data, 44.5% of bartenders work in restaurants and 24.8% in bars and taverns. Hotels, private clubs and civic organizations, breweries and wineries, and amusement and recreation venues such as golf courses and arenas employ most of the rest. Busy hours are nights, weekends and holidays, so that is when bartenders work, and many work part time. Expect to stand for the whole shift, lift kegs and cases, and deal with loud rooms and the occasional difficult customer.

A typical day

Set up the bar: cut garnishes, fill ice wells, stock bottles and glassware
Take orders and mix cocktails, pour beer and wine at the right measure
Check IDs and refuse service to minors or visibly drunk guests
Run tabs, take payments and count the cash drawer at the end of the shift
Make drinks for servers' tables while keeping bar guests looked after
Wash glasses and clean the bar, sinks and work areas
Track inventory and tell the manager what needs reordering

Also called: bartenders, banquet bartender, bar captain, mixologist.

How to become a bartender

Full guide

You can become a bartender without a degree or license: most people learn on the job in a few weeks, often after starting as a barback or server. You must meet your state's minimum age, often 18 or 21, and many states require a short responsible alcohol service course.

Typical time: 3-12 months; Fastest: A few weeks
Minimum education: No formal education required; some employers prefer a high school diploma
License: No state license for bartenders; many states and cities require a server permit or responsible-service training
Typical training cost: $0–$38; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a bartender: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 3-12 months; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $0–$38; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $34,340; $16,640 below the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 0–0%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

The median for bartenders is below the median for all US jobs, so the case for training rests on the work itself, entry speed and local pay rather than a pay premium. This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for bartenders

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +5.0%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 762,600; 800,500 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 121,200; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 0.2%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects bartender jobs to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, from 762,600 to 800,500, a little faster than the 3.5% for all occupations. The bigger number is turnover: about 121,200 openings a year, because so many people bartend for a few years and then move on.

BLS ties the growth to population and income gains that raise demand for food, drinks and entertainment, with the most new jobs expected in full-service restaurants and breweries and some in expanding entertainment venues.

Related careers and their pay

Chef$62,470
Waiters and Waitresses$35,230
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers$33,980
Fast Food and Counter Workers$31,200
Food Preparation Workers$35,320

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Bartender salary FAQ

How much do bartenders make an hour?

The median hourly wage for bartenders was $16.51 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $9.67 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $35.47. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays bartenders the most?

Hawaii has the highest median pay for bartenders, $76,490 a year, followed by New York ($61,210) and Washington ($55,830). After adjusting for each state's price level, Hawaii comes out ahead at about $69,567 in national-average dollars.

Do bartenders make six figures?

Few do: based on the BLS percentiles, fewer than 10% of bartenders earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $34,340, and the top 10% earn more than $73,770. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

Do bartender pay figures include tips?

Yes. The BLS wage survey behind our figures counts tips as part of pay, along with base wages and commissions. It leaves out overtime and shift differentials. Tips that go unreported to the employer would not show up, so the real total can be higher for some bartenders, especially those who are paid largely in cash.

Has bartender pay kept up with inflation?

It has done better than that. The median rose from $19,530 in 2015 to $34,340 in 2025. In 2025 dollars, the 2015 median was worth $26,401. So the typical bartender earns substantially more in real terms than ten years ago.

Do bartenders make more in restaurants or bars?

Restaurants come out slightly ahead in our data. Bartenders at restaurants and other eating places have a median of $35,400 against $33,300 at drinking places. Hotel and motel bartenders are higher still at $36,500. Within any setting, the specific venue, its prices, its volume and your shifts matter far more than the category.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 35-3011
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (35-3011.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Bartenders: Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
FAQs for Mandatory Alcohol Server Training (MAST), Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board · checked October 28, 2026
TIPS Rhode Island On-Premise Alcohol Server Training, TIPS (360training) · checked October 28, 2026
ServSafe Alcohol, National Restaurant Association · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees, U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division · checked October 28, 2026
Mandatory Alcohol Server Training (MAST), Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board · checked October 28, 2026

Careers and Salaries is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are listed on the editorial policy page.