Bartenders Salary in Washington
Bartenders in Washington earn a median $55,830 a year, +63% against the national median of $34,340; they and rank 3rd of 51 states by median. That is 11% less than the median across all occupations in Washington ($62,990). Washington pays more than every neighbouring state: Oregon and Idaho range from $27,240 in Idaho to $38,900 in Oregon. Washington employs 16,800 bartenders, 4.73 per 1,000 jobs, the 15th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.97 is close to the national share.
Washington vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| 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 | ||||
| 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
- 3rd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 15th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.97
- Jobs per 1,000
- 4.73
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Washington'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 Washington
13 metropolitan areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas touching Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $27.97 | $58,180 | $40,340 | $96,230 | 9,640 | 4.62 | 0.95 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $27.23 | $56,640 | $40,370 | $82,440 | 270 | 5.21 | 1.07 |
| Bellingham, WA | $26.98 | $56,110 | $44,060 | $79,690 | 600 | 6.53 | 1.34 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $26.84 | $55,820 | $40,040 | $78,980 | 600 | 4.60 | 0.95 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $25.98 | $54,030 | $44,790 | $76,030 | 120 | 4.66 | 0.96 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $25.87 | $53,810 | $38,070 | $89,430 | 560 | 6.00 | 1.23 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $24.14 | $50,210 | $38,410 | $98,750 | 1,100 | 4.29 | 0.88 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $24.13 | $50,180 | $37,480 | $82,820 | 530 | 4.06 | 0.83 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $24.00 | $49,930 | $41,320 | $72,640 | 210 | 5.01 | 1.03 |
| Yakima, WA | $23.90 | $49,700 | $38,600 | $76,400 | 350 | 3.65 | 0.75 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $23.18 | $48,220 | $39,670 | $75,050 | 390 | 7.68 | 1.58 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $21.92 | $45,590 | $33,470 | $73,600 | 6,980 | 5.78 | 1.19 |
| Lewiston, ID-WA | $14.08 | $29,290 | $17,160 | $61,340 | 130 | 4.43 | 0.91 |
| Western Washington nonmetropolitan area | $24.34 | $50,630 | $37,640 | $76,220 | 930 | 7.13 | 1.46 |
| Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area | $23.70 | $49,290 | $36,200 | $76,370 | 580 | 5.33 | 1.10 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Bartenders (every state ranked) and the Washington 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 Washington 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.