Bartender earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level bartender earnings begin at:

$26.68 per hour

$55,500 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level bartender earnings begin at:

$17.07 per hour

$35,510 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level bartender earnings begin at:

$13.45 per hour

$27,980 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level bartender earnings begin at:

$10.33 per hour

$21,480 per year

10th percentile

Starting level bartender earnings begin at:

$8.30 per hour

$17,260 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Bartender salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Hawaii $76,490
New York $61,210
Washington $55,830
District of Columbia $53,920
Maine $48,920
Virginia $47,070
Vermont $45,450
Arizona $45,070
New Jersey $44,020
Oregon $38,900
Connecticut $38,780
Colorado $38,170
Maryland $37,580
Massachusetts $37,440
New Mexico $36,980
Delaware $36,840
Michigan $36,780
North Carolina $36,470
Rhode Island $36,410
California $36,220
Florida $35,150
Utah $32,150
Illinois $31,200
Ohio $30,880
Alaska $30,460
Nebraska $30,180
Missouri $30,090
West Virginia $29,630
South Dakota $29,400
North Dakota $29,040
New Hampshire $28,800
Kentucky $28,780
Pennsylvania $28,420
Mississippi $28,320
Alabama $27,980
Kansas $27,940
Tennessee $27,480
Nevada $27,460
Idaho $27,240
Minnesota $26,900
Montana $26,010
Arkansas $25,090
Oklahoma $24,790
Virgin Islands, U.S. $24,310
Wisconsin $23,460
Georgia $22,830
Indiana $22,770
Texas $22,690
Wyoming $22,030
Iowa $21,720
Louisiana $20,850
Guam $19,640
South Carolina $19,370
Puerto Rico $18,180

How do bartender salaries compare to similar careers?

Bartenders earn about the same as related careers in Alabama. On average, they make less than brewmasters but more than baristas.

Career Median Salary
Brewmaster salary $47K
Food batchmaker salary $37K
Butcher salary $36K
Baker salary $34K
Restaurant cook salary $32K
Bartender salary $28K
Food preparation worker salary $28K
Food server salary $27K
Maitre d' salary $26K
Barista salary $24K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)