Bartender earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level bartender earnings begin at:

$25.93 per hour

$53,940 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level bartender earnings begin at:

$19.90 per hour

$41,400 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level bartender earnings begin at:

$14.34 per hour

$29,820 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level bartender earnings begin at:

$12.13 per hour

$25,230 per year

10th percentile

Starting level bartender earnings begin at:

$11.74 per hour

$24,410 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Bartender salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Hawaii $49,734
California $43,901
District of Columbia $37,250
Vermont $36,010
Alaska $33,728
Indiana $33,511
Iowa $31,978
Washington $29,820
Arkansas $29,704
New York $29,350
Idaho $29,345
New Jersey $27,850
Texas $27,453
Kentucky $27,378
Kansas $27,027
Oregon $26,660
Alabama $26,052
Florida $26,040
Massachusetts $25,660
Rhode Island $24,630
Nevada $24,600
New Hampshire $24,456
Illinois $24,280
Maryland $23,500
Pennsylvania $23,380
Maine $23,280
Virginia $22,980
Connecticut $22,900
Arizona $22,700
Delaware $22,460
Nebraska $22,140
Virgin Islands, U.S. $21,850
Minnesota $21,820
Colorado $21,230
Tennessee $21,180
Wisconsin $21,020
South Dakota $20,910
Montana $20,250
Missouri $20,100
Utah $20,070
North Carolina $19,980
Michigan $19,940
West Virginia $19,930
Guam $19,840
North Dakota $19,760
Wyoming $19,660
Ohio $19,280
South Carolina $18,990
Oklahoma $18,710
Georgia $18,670
New Mexico $18,640
Louisiana $18,510
Mississippi $18,370
Puerto Rico $18,270

How much does a Bartender earn?

How do bartender salaries compare to similar careers?

Bartenders earn 6% less than similar careers in Washington. On average, they make less than culinary chefs but more than food preparation workers.

Career Median Salary
Culinary chef salary $56K
Butcher salary $41K
Brewmaster salary $36K
Dietetic technician salary $36K
Food server salary $28K
Bartender salary $30K
Food batchmaker salary $31K
Baker salary $31K
Restaurant cook salary $32K
Food preparation worker salary $28K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)