Bartenders Salary in Virginia
Bartenders in Virginia earn a median $47,070 a year, +37% against the national median of $34,340; they and rank 6th of 51 states by median. That is 15% less than the median across all occupations in Virginia ($55,690). Among neighbouring states, District of Columbia pays more (up to $53,920 in District of Columbia) and Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee pay less (down to $27,480 in Tennessee). Virginia employs 13,370 bartenders, 3.25 per 1,000 jobs, the 20th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.67 means it is less common in Virginia than nationally.
Virginia vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Virginia | Hourly | $13.41 | $16.66 | $22.63 | $35.26 | $43.46 | $26.06 | 13,370 | 3.25 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $27,890 | $34,640 | $47,070 | $73,340 | $90,400 | $54,200 | ||||
| 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
- 6th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 20th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.67
- Jobs per 1,000
- 3.25
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Virginia'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 Virginia
11 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VA | $23.18 | $48,210 | $30,200 | $82,320 | 650 | 5.68 | 1.17 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $23.09 | $48,030 | $34,480 | $91,510 | 14,560 | 4.64 | 0.95 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $22.45 | $46,700 | $26,910 | $78,840 | 2,860 | 3.74 | 0.77 |
| Roanoke, VA | $22.37 | $46,530 | $26,780 | $76,200 | 520 | 3.36 | 0.69 |
| Richmond, VA | $22.15 | $46,070 | $27,670 | $79,320 | 2,110 | 3.20 | 0.66 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | $21.61 | $44,940 | $26,580 | $77,980 | 280 | 4.21 | 0.87 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | $21.45 | $44,620 | $27,830 | $73,720 | 180 | 3.48 | 0.71 |
| Lynchburg, VA | $21.32 | $44,350 | $26,430 | $75,600 | 290 | 2.98 | 0.61 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | $20.71 | $43,070 | $26,900 | $76,430 | 270 | 3.63 | 0.75 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | $20.02 | $41,640 | $26,480 | $77,540 | 240 | 3.57 | 0.73 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $15.02 | $31,240 | $16,190 | $60,980 | 280 | 2.30 | 0.47 |
| Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $22.66 | $47,130 | $27,800 | $79,610 | 260 | 2.56 | 0.53 |
| Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $22.30 | $46,390 | $26,430 | $77,190 | 200 | 1.72 | 0.35 |
| Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $21.23 | $44,150 | $27,090 | $77,190 | 210 | 3.70 | 0.76 |
| Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $20.80 | $43,270 | $27,400 | $77,260 | 280 | 4.37 | 0.90 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $22.63 | $47,070 | 13,370 | 0.67 |
| District of Columbia | $25.92 | $53,920 | 5,760 | 1.69 |
| Kentucky | $13.84 | $28,780 | 6,870 | 0.71 |
| Maryland | $18.07 | $37,580 | 13,020 | 0.97 |
| North Carolina | $17.53 | $36,470 | 20,070 | 0.83 |
| Tennessee | $13.21 | $27,480 | 10,330 | 0.65 |
| West Virginia | $14.24 | $29,630 | 3,340 | 0.98 |
See the national page for Bartenders (every state ranked) and the Virginia 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 Virginia 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.