Bartenders
Also called: Banquet Bartender, Bar Attendant, Bar Captain, Bar Tender, Barkeep, Barkeeper, Barmaid, Barman
Mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through waitstaff.
What bartenders do
Typical tasks
- Clean glasses, utensils, and bar equipment.
- Collect money for drinks served.
- Balance cash receipts.
- Check identification of customers to verify age requirements for purchase of alcohol.
- Clean bars, work areas, and tables.
- Attempt to limit problems and liability related to customers' excessive drinking by taking steps such as persuading customers to stop drinking, or ordering taxis or other transportation for intoxicated patrons.
- Take beverage orders from serving staff or directly from patrons.
- Serve wine, and bottled or draft beer.
- Plan, organize, and control the operations of a cocktail lounge or bar.
- Stock bar with beer, wine, liquor, and related supplies such as ice, glassware, napkins, or straws.
- Serve snacks or food items to customers seated at the bar.
- Mix ingredients, such as liquor, soda, water, sugar, and bitters, to prepare cocktails and other drinks.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Bartenders salary
The median annual wage for bartenders is $34,340 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $20,110 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $73,770. The mean annual wage is $40,790.
The mean hourly wage of $19.00 is 2.6× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Bartenders (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $34,340 → in 3 years $37,800 → in 5 years $40,300 → in 10 years $47,400 (10-year range $40,800–$55,000). The model assumes pay growth of +3.3% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Bartenders
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Bartenders? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Bartenders
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Bartenders United States | バーテンダー Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $34,340 | ¥3.79M ≈ $24,107 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $47,400 | ¥5.35M |
| Outlook score | 58 | 61 |
| AI replacement risk | 20% Very low | 21% Low |
| Workers | 756K | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Bartenders
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★☆☆☆☆ Easy to enter (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become bartenders
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as bartenders
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.