Bartenders
Bartenders (SOC 35-3011) earn a median $34,340 a year ($16.51 an hour) in the United States, with 756,390 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Hawaii.
What bartenders do
Bartenders make drinks and hand them to patrons, either across the bar or through waitstaff. They take drink orders from servers or from the customers directly, pour wine and bottled or draft beer, and wash glasses, utensils, and bar equipment. Part of the role is making sure that buyers are old enough to purchase alcohol, so they inspect identification. They also manage risk from heavy drinking and the liability that goes with it, for instance by talking a customer into stopping or calling a taxi or other ride for someone who is intoxicated. Bartenders collect money for drinks, balance the cash they have taken in, and clean the bar, other work areas, and tables. The mix of mixing, cash handling, and care for patrons' safety sets the job apart from servers who bring food to tables.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the usual education level (about 43 percent).
Also called: Banquet Bartender, Bar Attendant, Bar Captain, Bar Tender, Barkeep.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $9.67 | $13.17 | $16.51 | $22.87 | $35.47 | $19.61 | 756,390 |
| Annual | $20,110 | $27,400 | $34,340 | $47,570 | $73,770 | $40,790 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where bartenders earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $14.74 | $27.35 | $36.78 | $47.00 | $56.51 | $36.90 | 3,540 | 5.65 | 1.16 |
| Annual | $30,670 | $56,890 | $76,490 | $97,750 | $117,540 | $76,740 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.18 | $17.83 | $29.43 | $37.38 | $44.96 | $29.65 | 43,130 | 4.45 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $33,640 | $37,090 | $61,210 | $77,750 | $93,530 | $61,670 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $18.93 | $23.04 | $26.84 | $30.24 | $43.33 | $28.85 | 16,800 | 4.73 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $39,380 | $47,930 | $55,830 | $62,900 | $90,130 | $60,010 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $17.50 | $18.64 | $25.92 | $36.12 | $45.94 | $28.47 | 5,760 | 8.21 | 1.69 |
| Annual | $36,400 | $38,780 | $53,920 | $75,140 | $95,560 | $59,210 | ||||
| Maine | Hourly | $14.96 | $16.73 | $23.52 | $36.18 | $48.01 | $28.14 | 3,230 | 5.04 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $31,120 | $34,800 | $48,920 | $75,250 | $99,850 | $58,520 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $16.50 | $16.66 | $17.41 | $19.71 | $36.12 | $21.53 | 71,470 | 3.92 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $34,660 | $36,220 | $40,990 | $75,130 | $44,780 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $7.79 | $8.50 | $10.91 | $19.53 | $31.39 | $15.69 | 59,000 | 4.19 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $16,200 | $17,680 | $22,690 | $40,620 | $65,300 | $32,640 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.19 | $14.01 | $16.90 | $22.52 | $31.92 | $20.33 | 55,170 | 5.56 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $27,430 | $29,140 | $35,150 | $46,850 | $66,400 | $42,280 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.18 | $17.83 | $29.43 | $37.38 | $44.96 | $29.65 | 43,130 | 4.45 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $33,640 | $37,090 | $61,210 | $77,750 | $93,530 | $61,670 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.00 | $15.00 | $15.28 | $22.37 | $17.09 | 43,010 | 7.05 | 1.45 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $31,780 | $46,520 | $35,550 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $18.36 | $29.65 | $41.48 | $50.55 | $63.09 | $43.92 | 800 | 10.79 | 2.22 |
| Annual | $38,180 | $61,670 | $86,280 | $105,150 | $131,230 | $91,360 | ||||
| Urban Honolulu, HI | Hourly | $14.43 | $21.13 | $36.22 | $44.62 | $51.11 | $34.93 | 2,130 | 4.77 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $30,010 | $43,940 | $75,340 | $92,820 | $106,310 | $72,660 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.54 | $19.13 | $29.43 | $38.10 | $45.50 | $30.59 | 38,510 | 4.06 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $34,410 | $39,790 | $61,220 | $79,240 | $94,640 | $63,630 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $19.39 | $23.79 | $27.97 | $33.72 | $46.26 | $29.85 | 9,640 | 4.62 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $40,340 | $49,470 | $58,180 | $70,140 | $96,230 | $62,090 | ||||
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | Hourly | $19.41 | $22.69 | $27.23 | $28.40 | $39.63 | $28.40 | 270 | 5.21 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $40,370 | $47,200 | $56,640 | $59,080 | $82,440 | $59,070 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.54 | $19.13 | $29.43 | $38.10 | $45.50 | $30.59 | 38,510 | 4.06 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $34,410 | $39,790 | $61,220 | $79,240 | $94,640 | $63,630 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.00 | $15.00 | $16.10 | $23.33 | $17.18 | 28,750 | 6.37 | 1.31 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $33,500 | $48,530 | $35,740 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $16.50 | $16.58 | $17.07 | $18.37 | $25.37 | $19.96 | 25,260 | 4.03 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $34,490 | $35,510 | $38,210 | $52,770 | $41,510 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $8.24 | $8.73 | $11.62 | $24.21 | $38.06 | $18.08 | 18,300 | 4.52 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $17,130 | $18,160 | $24,170 | $50,360 | $79,160 | $37,610 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $11.13 | $11.68 | $13.27 | $15.97 | $20.90 | $15.24 | 15,370 | 7.87 | 1.62 |
| Annual | $23,150 | $24,300 | $27,600 | $33,220 | $43,460 | $31,700 | ||||
Top industries employing bartenders
Restaurants and Other Eating Places employ 44.5% of bartenders nationally (336,570 jobs) at a median $35,400 a year ($17.02 an hour), followed by Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (24.8%) and Traveler Accommodation (7.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places NAICS 722500 | 336,570 | 44.5% | $35,400 | $17.02 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) NAICS 722400 | 187,630 | 24.8% | $33,300 | $16.01 |
| Traveler Accommodation NAICS 721100 | 52,990 | 7.0% | $36,500 | $17.55 |
| Civic and Social Organizations NAICS 813400 | 39,060 | 5.2% | $28,400 | $13.65 |
| Beverage Manufacturing NAICS 312100 | 37,800 | 5.0% | $36,090 | $17.35 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (756,390). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $26,350 for bartenders in May 2021 and $34,340 in May 2025, with employment of 485,330 and 756,390.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $26,350 | $12.67 | 485,330 |
| May 2022 | $29,380 | $14.12 | 613,070 |
| May 2023 | $31,510 | $15.15 | 711,140 |
| May 2024 | $33,530 | $16.12 | 745,610 |
| May 2025 | $34,340 | $16.51 | 756,390 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii profile | $36.78 | $76,490 | $30,670 | $117,540 | 3,540 | 5.65 | 1.16 |
| 2 | New York profile | $29.43 | $61,210 | $33,640 | $93,530 | 43,130 | 4.45 | 0.92 |
| 3 | Washington profile | $26.84 | $55,830 | $39,380 | $90,130 | 16,800 | 4.73 | 0.97 |
| 4 | District of Columbia profile | $25.92 | $53,920 | $36,400 | $95,560 | 5,760 | 8.21 | 1.69 |
| 5 | Maine profile | $23.52 | $48,920 | $31,120 | $99,850 | 3,230 | 5.04 | 1.04 |
| 6 | Virginia profile | $22.63 | $47,070 | $27,890 | $90,400 | 13,370 | 3.25 | 0.67 |
| 7 | Vermont profile | $21.85 | $45,450 | $29,970 | $91,400 | 2,080 | 6.83 | 1.40 |
| 8 | Arizona profile | $21.67 | $45,070 | $30,650 | $86,720 | 14,840 | 4.58 | 0.94 |
| 9 | New Jersey profile | $21.16 | $44,020 | $32,220 | $80,480 | 16,260 | 3.79 | 0.78 |
| 10 | Oregon profile | $18.70 | $38,900 | $31,200 | $68,980 | 11,950 | 6.08 | 1.25 |
| 11 | Connecticut profile | $18.64 | $38,780 | $34,010 | $81,760 | 7,680 | 4.53 | 0.93 |
| 12 | Colorado profile | $18.35 | $38,170 | $30,800 | $94,880 | 17,000 | 5.92 | 1.22 |
| 13 | Maryland profile | $18.07 | $37,580 | $31,200 | $69,730 | 13,020 | 4.71 | 0.97 |
| 14 | Massachusetts profile | $18.00 | $37,440 | $31,890 | $70,870 | 19,850 | 5.46 | 1.12 |
| 15 | New Mexico profile | $17.78 | $36,980 | $25,720 | $63,570 | 3,790 | 4.35 | 0.89 |
| 16 | Delaware profile | $17.71 | $36,840 | $31,200 | $60,420 | 2,820 | 5.81 | 1.19 |
| 17 | Michigan profile | $17.68 | $36,780 | $25,960 | $76,090 | 21,100 | 4.79 | 0.98 |
| 18 | North Carolina profile | $17.53 | $36,470 | $16,180 | $74,450 | 20,070 | 4.06 | 0.83 |
| 19 | Rhode Island profile | $17.51 | $36,410 | $31,200 | $76,320 | 3,170 | 6.32 | 1.30 |
| 20 | California profile | $17.41 | $36,220 | $34,320 | $75,130 | 71,470 | 3.92 | 0.81 |
| 21 | Florida profile | $16.90 | $35,150 | $27,430 | $66,400 | 55,170 | 5.56 | 1.14 |
| 22 | Utah profile | $15.46 | $32,150 | $17,640 | $75,080 | 3,350 | 1.93 | 0.40 |
| 23 | Illinois profile | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $46,520 | 43,010 | 7.05 | 1.45 |
| 24 | Ohio profile | $14.84 | $30,880 | $22,990 | $72,190 | 27,420 | 4.94 | 1.02 |
| 25 | Alaska profile | $14.65 | $30,460 | $24,880 | $61,550 | 2,280 | 7.01 | 1.44 |
| 26 | Nebraska profile | $14.51 | $30,180 | $28,080 | $60,140 | 7,320 | 7.14 | 1.47 |
| 27 | Missouri profile | $14.47 | $30,090 | $28,600 | $54,900 | 14,410 | 4.91 | 1.01 |
| 28 | West Virginia profile | $14.24 | $29,630 | $19,900 | $64,280 | 3,340 | 4.75 | 0.98 |
| 29 | South Dakota profile | $14.14 | $29,400 | $27,400 | $38,180 | 3,930 | 8.60 | 1.77 |
| 30 | North Dakota profile | $13.96 | $29,040 | $18,850 | $57,050 | 3,960 | 9.22 | 1.90 |
| 31 | New Hampshire profile | $13.85 | $28,800 | $17,390 | $78,230 | 3,840 | 5.63 | 1.16 |
| 32 | Kentucky profile | $13.84 | $28,780 | $16,110 | $63,140 | 6,870 | 3.43 | 0.71 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania profile | $13.66 | $28,420 | $17,460 | $62,830 | 37,490 | 6.18 | 1.27 |
| 34 | Mississippi profile | $13.62 | $28,320 | $15,910 | $74,330 | 2,770 | 2.38 | 0.49 |
| 35 | Alabama profile | $13.45 | $27,980 | $17,260 | $55,500 | 6,560 | 3.11 | 0.64 |
| 36 | Kansas profile | $13.43 | $27,940 | $17,150 | $66,010 | 5,430 | 3.78 | 0.78 |
| 37 | Tennessee profile | $13.21 | $27,480 | $15,970 | $52,740 | 10,330 | 3.15 | 0.65 |
| 38 | Nevada profile | $13.20 | $27,460 | $24,960 | $47,250 | 16,830 | 10.85 | 2.23 |
| 39 | Idaho profile | $13.10 | $27,240 | $16,850 | $61,060 | 3,430 | 4.00 | 0.82 |
| 40 | Minnesota profile | $12.93 | $26,900 | $23,150 | $38,790 | 24,420 | 8.28 | 1.70 |
| 41 | Montana profile | $12.51 | $26,010 | $21,940 | $32,870 | 5,370 | 10.50 | 2.16 |
| 42 | Arkansas profile | $12.06 | $25,090 | $22,880 | $56,830 | 3,020 | 2.32 | 0.48 |
| 43 | Oklahoma profile | $11.92 | $24,790 | $16,230 | $48,050 | 5,860 | 3.43 | 0.70 |
| 44 | Wisconsin profile | $11.28 | $23,460 | $17,200 | $39,040 | 29,520 | 10.04 | 2.06 |
| 45 | Georgia profile | $10.98 | $22,830 | $15,840 | $53,310 | 14,600 | 2.99 | 0.61 |
| 46 | Indiana profile | $10.95 | $22,770 | $17,050 | $45,000 | 12,880 | 4.02 | 0.83 |
| 47 | Texas profile | $10.91 | $22,690 | $16,200 | $65,300 | 59,000 | 4.19 | 0.86 |
| 48 | Wyoming profile | $10.59 | $22,030 | $17,620 | $55,070 | 2,660 | 9.48 | 1.95 |
| 49 | Iowa profile | $10.44 | $21,720 | $16,730 | $39,520 | 9,560 | 6.13 | 1.26 |
| 50 | Louisiana profile | $10.02 | $20,850 | $15,080 | $41,600 | 10,140 | 5.24 | 1.08 |
| 51 | South Carolina profile | $9.31 | $19,370 | $15,080 | $59,430 | 10,680 | 4.63 | 0.95 |
Part of Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 35-3011 Bartenders.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 35-3011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 35-3011.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.