Press Ctrl + D to bookmark Job Salaries.
Open your browser menu (⋮ or the share icon) and tap Bookmark or Add to Home Screen.
Feedback on Job Salaries
How Much Does a Bartender Make?
A bartender in the US earns a median salary of $34,340 a year, or $16.51 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $40,790, and the middle half earn between $27,400 and $47,570.
Bartender pay range
What bartenders earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.
| Percentile | A year | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest 10%) | $20,110 | $9.67 | |
| 25th | $27,400 | $13.17 | |
| Median (50th) | $34,340 | $16.51 | |
| 75th | $47,570 | $22.87 | |
| 90th (top 10%) | $73,770 | $35.47 |
The median is 33% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 756,390 people work as bartenders in the US.
After tax and by period
- A week
- $660
- Every two weeks
- $1,321
- Twice a month
- $1,431
- A month
- $2,862
At the median salary, before tax.
Bartender salary by state
Sorted by average pay. Hawaii pays bartenders the most, at $76,740 a year on average.
| State | Average | Median | Jobs | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $76,740 | $76,490 | 3,540 | After tax |
| New York | $61,670 | $61,210 | 43,130 | After tax |
| Washington | $60,010 | $55,830 | 16,800 | After tax |
| District of Columbia | $59,210 | $53,920 | 5,760 | After tax |
| Maine | $58,520 | $48,920 | 3,230 | After tax |
| Virgin Islands | $57,820 | $61,380 | 490 | |
| Virginia | $54,200 | $47,070 | 13,370 | After tax |
| Arizona | $54,030 | $45,070 | 14,840 | After tax |
| Vermont | $51,780 | $45,450 | 2,080 | After tax |
| New Jersey | $51,440 | $44,020 | 16,260 | After tax |
| Colorado | $51,250 | $38,170 | 17,000 | After tax |
| Connecticut | $51,020 | $38,780 | 7,680 | After tax |
| Rhode Island | $46,090 | $36,410 | 3,170 | After tax |
| Oregon | $46,080 | $38,900 | 11,950 | After tax |
| Maryland | $45,180 | $37,580 | 13,020 | After tax |
| Massachusetts | $45,120 | $37,440 | 19,850 | After tax |
| California | $44,780 | $36,220 | 71,470 | After tax |
| Michigan | $44,470 | $36,780 | 21,100 | After tax |
| Delaware | $42,890 | $36,840 | 2,820 | After tax |
| Florida | $42,280 | $35,150 | 55,170 | After tax |
| New Mexico | $41,500 | $36,980 | 3,790 | After tax |
| North Carolina | $41,200 | $36,470 | 20,070 | After tax |
| New Hampshire | $40,730 | $28,800 | 3,840 | After tax |
| Utah | $40,430 | $32,150 | 3,350 | After tax |
| Ohio | $39,420 | $30,880 | 27,420 | After tax |
| Nebraska | $38,350 | $30,180 | 7,320 | After tax |
| Missouri | $38,170 | $30,090 | 14,410 | After tax |
| West Virginia | $37,910 | $29,630 | 3,340 | After tax |
| Alaska | $36,560 | $30,460 | 2,280 | After tax |
| Mississippi | $36,510 | $28,320 | 2,770 | After tax |
| Nevada | $36,210 | $27,460 | 16,830 | After tax |
| Kansas | $35,780 | $27,940 | 5,430 | After tax |
| Illinois | $35,550 | $31,200 | 43,010 | After tax |
| Pennsylvania | $35,460 | $28,420 | 37,490 | After tax |
| Kentucky | $34,970 | $28,780 | 6,870 | After tax |
| North Dakota | $33,390 | $29,040 | 3,960 | After tax |
| Arkansas | $32,850 | $25,090 | 3,020 | After tax |
| Idaho | $32,670 | $27,240 | 3,430 | After tax |
| Texas | $32,640 | $22,690 | 59,000 | After tax |
| Alabama | $32,220 | $27,980 | 6,560 | After tax |
| South Dakota | $31,940 | $29,400 | 3,930 | After tax |
| Tennessee | $31,180 | $27,480 | 10,330 | After tax |
| Minnesota | $30,680 | $26,900 | 24,420 | After tax |
| Georgia | $30,330 | $22,830 | 14,600 | After tax |
| Oklahoma | $29,260 | $24,790 | 5,860 | After tax |
| Wyoming | $29,000 | $22,030 | 2,660 | After tax |
| South Carolina | $28,440 | $19,370 | 10,680 | After tax |
| Puerto Rico | $28,160 | $22,630 | 3,480 | |
| Indiana | $27,780 | $22,770 | 12,880 | After tax |
| Montana | $27,210 | $26,010 | 5,370 | After tax |
| Wisconsin | $26,970 | $23,460 | 29,520 | After tax |
| Iowa | $25,620 | $21,720 | 9,560 | After tax |
| Louisiana | $25,250 | $20,850 | 10,140 | After tax |
| Guam | $22,610 | $20,700 | 280 |
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.
Other food preparation and serving jobs
- Fast food worker $31,200 median
- Waiter $35,230 median
- Restaurant cook $37,390 median
- First-line supervisor of food preparation and serving workers $44,080 median
- Food preparation worker $35,320 median
- Fast food cook $30,890 median
- Dining room and cafeteria attendant and bartender helper $33,980 median
- Dishwasher $34,810 median
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Bartenders” (SOC 35-3011). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries
About the Job Salaries
Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.
How to use it
- 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
- 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
- 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
- 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a bartender make an hour?
The median hourly wage for a bartender is $16.51, and the average is $19.61. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $9.67 an hour and the top 10% over $35.47.
How much does a bartender make a month?
At the median salary of $34,340, a bartender earns about $2,862 a month before tax, or $1,321 every two weeks.
Which state pays bartenders the most?
Hawaii has the highest average pay for a bartender, at $76,740 a year. Next are New York and Washington. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.
What is the starting salary for a bartender?
The lowest-paid 10% of bartenders earn less than $20,110 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $27,400. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.
How much do the highest-paid bartenders make?
The top 10% earn more than $73,770 a year, and the top 25% more than $47,570.
Related tools
Take-Home Pay Calculator
Salary after tax in the UK, US (all states), Canada and Australia
Salary Converter
Hourly wage to monthly and yearly salary, and back
Minimum Wage by Country
Minimum wages per hour and month for 33 countries, in local money and US dollars
Percentage Calculator
Calculate percentages
BMI Calculator
Calculate BMI
Date Calculator
Days between dates, add days, and working days with holidays