Bartender earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level bartender earnings begin at:

$15.53 per hour

$32,300 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level bartender earnings begin at:

$11.75 per hour

$24,450 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level bartender earnings begin at:

$10.54 per hour

$21,930 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level bartender earnings begin at:

$8.68 per hour

$18,060 per year

10th percentile

Starting level bartender earnings begin at:

$8.41 per hour

$17,490 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Bartender salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Massachusetts $38,250
Arizona $37,790
Hawaii $36,970
Maine $36,640
Washington $35,700
New York $33,920
District of Columbia $33,250
California $30,560
New Jersey $30,330
Virginia $29,780
Alaska $29,230
Oregon $29,210
Connecticut $28,530
Michigan $28,290
Rhode Island $27,890
Maryland $27,430
Colorado $27,280
Vermont $27,270
Virgin Islands, U.S. $24,310
Minnesota $23,880
South Dakota $23,420
North Dakota $23,410
Missouri $23,350
Delaware $23,230
Illinois $22,930
Arkansas $22,880
Wyoming $22,600
Nevada $22,280
Texas $22,190
Montana $22,080
West Virginia $22,040
Wisconsin $21,930
Nebraska $21,900
New Mexico $21,840
New Hampshire $21,820
Florida $21,760
Utah $21,480
Ohio $21,230
Pennsylvania $20,950
South Carolina $20,850
Indiana $20,540
Iowa $20,530
Kentucky $20,530
Guam $19,640
Oklahoma $19,610
Idaho $19,420
North Carolina $18,970
Kansas $18,870
Georgia $18,790
Tennessee $18,780
Alabama $18,680
Louisiana $18,230
Puerto Rico $18,180
Mississippi $17,840

How do bartender salaries compare to similar careers?

Bartenders earn 11% less than similar careers in Wisconsin. On average, they make less than dietetic technicians.

Career Median Salary
Dietetic technician salary $29K
Restaurant cook salary $29K
Food preparation worker salary $25K
Food server salary $21K
Maitre d' salary $23K
Bartender salary $22K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)