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Role hub · Bartenders

Bartender: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of bartenders earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$34,340
Hourly
$16.51
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Bartenders mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through waitstaff. The median pay is $34,340 a year ($16.51 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent (43% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$34,340
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
756,390
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 2 of 5
some preparation
Most common education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
43% of workers
Explore the role

Every page for Bartenders

SalaryBartender salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →How to becomeBartender how to become

Education, training and the skills to build first.

Open →ResumeBartender resume

Keywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.

Open →Interview questionsBartender interview questions

Questions with what they test, plus practice mode.

Open →Free toolCheck your resume

Parsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.

Open →
The work

What bartenders do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Clean glasses, utensils, and bar equipment.
  2. Collect money for drinks served.
  3. Check identification of customers to verify age requirements for purchase of alcohol.
  4. Clean bars, work areas, and tables.
  5. Take beverage orders from serving staff or directly from patrons.
  6. Serve wine, and bottled or draft beer.
  7. Plan, organize, and control the operations of a cocktail lounge or bar.
  8. Stock bar with beer, wine, liquor, and related supplies such as ice, glassware, napkins, or straws.
Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Active ListeningcoreService OrientationcoreSocial PerceptivenesscoreCoordinationPersuasionSpeakingCritical ThinkingInstructingComplex Problem Solving

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Education and Training, Sales and Marketing.

Tools and technology

Software bartenders use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • FacebookWeb page creation and editing softwareHot technology
  • Compris softwarePoint of sale POS software
  • Focus point of sale POS softwarePoint of sale POS software
  • Intuit QuickBooks Point of SalePoint of sale POS software
  • MICROS Systems HSI Profits SeriesPoint of sale POS software
  • NCR Advanced Checkout SolutionPoint of sale POS software
  • NCR NeighborhoodPOSPoint of sale POS software
  • The General StorePoint of sale POS software
  • Microsoft OutlookElectronic mail softwareHot technology
  • AZZ CardFileData base user interface and query software
  • Web browser softwareInternet browser software

Also called: Banquet Bartender, Bar Captain, Mixologist.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).