Bartenders Salary in Texas
In Texas, bartenders earn a median $22,690 a year, well below the national median of $34,340 (−34%); the state ranks 47th of 51 states by median. That is 53% less than the median across all occupations in Texas ($48,620). Among neighbouring states, New Mexico, Arkansas and Oklahoma pay more (up to $36,980 in New Mexico) and Louisiana pays less (down to $20,850 in Louisiana). Texas employs 59,000 bartenders, 4.19 per 1,000 jobs, the 2nd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.86 is close to the national share.
Texas vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| 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 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 47th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 2nd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.86
- Jobs per 1,000
- 4.19
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Texas's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Texas
25 metropolitan areas and 6 nonmetropolitan areas touching Texas publish a row for bartenders, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $11.62 | $24,170 | $17,130 | $79,160 | 18,300 | 4.52 | 0.93 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $11.38 | $23,670 | $16,590 | $64,150 | 7,130 | 5.51 | 1.13 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | $11.00 | $22,880 | $15,080 | $66,700 | 160 | 2.86 | 0.59 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $10.95 | $22,770 | $16,760 | $57,370 | 13,160 | 4.00 | 0.82 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $10.86 | $22,600 | $16,200 | $72,430 | 550 | 3.35 | 0.69 |
| Midland, TX | $10.57 | $21,980 | $16,880 | $59,230 | 430 | 3.56 | 0.73 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $10.57 | $21,980 | $16,380 | $54,500 | 5,610 | 4.98 | 1.02 |
| Abilene, TX | $10.53 | $21,890 | $15,960 | $66,040 | 310 | 4.17 | 0.86 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | $10.32 | $21,460 | $15,260 | $58,230 | 240 | 4.27 | 0.88 |
| Waco, TX | $10.30 | $21,420 | $16,200 | $62,890 | 500 | 3.83 | 0.79 |
| Laredo, TX | $10.28 | $21,380 | $15,080 | $58,960 | 320 | 2.90 | 0.60 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | $10.23 | $21,280 | $15,890 | $57,580 | 450 | 3.02 | 0.62 |
| Tyler, TX | $10.18 | $21,170 | $15,610 | $69,000 | 380 | 3.26 | 0.67 |
| Longview, TX | $10.17 | $21,140 | $15,560 | $63,510 | 280 | 2.37 | 0.49 |
| Amarillo, TX | $10.12 | $21,050 | $15,660 | $64,080 | 540 | 4.34 | 0.89 |
| Lubbock, TX | $10.09 | $20,990 | $15,390 | $62,090 | 790 | 4.77 | 0.98 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $10.08 | $20,970 | $15,760 | $58,210 | 1,100 | 5.73 | 1.18 |
| Victoria, TX | $9.91 | $20,600 | $15,390 | $46,020 | 160 | 4.13 | 0.85 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | $9.84 | $20,460 | $15,870 | $63,870 | 840 | 6.30 | 1.30 |
| San Angelo, TX | $9.83 | $20,440 | $15,080 | $57,250 | 260 | 5.20 | 1.07 |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | $9.82 | $20,420 | $16,070 | $60,860 | 190 | 3.56 | 0.73 |
| Odessa, TX | $9.80 | $20,370 | $16,470 | $65,260 | 380 | 4.70 | 0.97 |
| El Paso, TX | $9.46 | $19,680 | $15,080 | $58,380 | 1,520 | 4.49 | 0.92 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $9.11 | $18,940 | $15,080 | $55,530 | 810 | 2.74 | 0.56 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $8.82 | $18,340 | $15,080 | $51,520 | 630 | 3.98 | 0.82 |
| Northwestern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $12.49 | $25,980 | $16,410 | $59,590 | 470 | 2.46 | 0.51 |
| North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $10.80 | $22,470 | $15,730 | $72,500 | 900 | 3.25 | 0.67 |
| Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $10.75 | $22,350 | $15,870 | $56,840 | 920 | 4.57 | 0.94 |
| Eastern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $10.71 | $22,270 | $15,730 | $61,170 | 370 | 3.23 | 0.66 |
| Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $10.46 | $21,760 | $16,330 | $57,220 | 120 | 2.49 | 0.51 |
| Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $10.35 | $21,540 | $16,110 | $59,590 | 390 | 2.61 | 0.54 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $10.91 | $22,690 | 59,000 | 0.86 |
| Arkansas | $12.06 | $25,090 | 3,020 | 0.48 |
| Louisiana | $10.02 | $20,850 | 10,140 | 1.08 |
| New Mexico | $17.78 | $36,980 | 3,790 | 0.89 |
| Oklahoma | $11.92 | $24,790 | 5,860 | 0.70 |
See the national page for Bartenders (every state ranked) and the Texas wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Texas estimates.
- 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.