Bartender salary in the United States
Bartenders in the U.S. earned a median of $34,340 a year, or $16.51 an hour, in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The highest-paid 10% earned at least 3.7 times as much as the lowest-paid 10%.
Pay data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Job content: O*NET 31.0. Updated 2026-10-26.
- $34,340median annual wage
- $16.51median hourly wage
- $20,110 to $73,77010th to 90th percentile
- 756,390employed in the U.S.
Pay range
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $9.67 | $20,110 |
| 25th | $13.17 | $27,400 |
| Median (50th) | $16.51 | $34,340 |
| 75th | $22.87 | $47,570 |
| 90th | $35.47 | $73,770 |
| Mean | $19.61 | $40,790 |
BLS wage figures for this occupation include tips reported by employers. Actual take-home pay can vary a lot from shift to shift.
Bartender salary by state
Median wages and employment for every state where BLS published an estimate.
| State | Employed | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th to 90th percentile (annual) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 6,560 | $13.45 | $27,980 | $17,260 to $55,500 |
| Alaska | 2,280 | $14.65 | $30,460 | $24,880 to $61,550 |
| Arizona | 14,840 | $21.67 | $45,070 | $30,650 to $86,720 |
| Arkansas | 3,020 | $12.06 | $25,090 | $22,880 to $56,830 |
| California | 71,470 | $17.41 | $36,220 | $34,320 to $75,130 |
| Colorado | 17,000 | $18.35 | $38,170 | $30,800 to $94,880 |
| Connecticut | 7,680 | $18.64 | $38,780 | $34,010 to $81,760 |
| Delaware | 2,820 | $17.71 | $36,840 | $31,200 to $60,420 |
| District of Columbia | 5,760 | $25.92 | $53,920 | $36,400 to $95,560 |
| Florida | 55,170 | $16.90 | $35,150 | $27,430 to $66,400 |
| Georgia | 14,600 | $10.98 | $22,830 | $15,840 to $53,310 |
| Hawaii | 3,540 | $36.78 | $76,490 | $30,670 to $117,540 |
| Idaho | 3,430 | $13.10 | $27,240 | $16,850 to $61,060 |
| Illinois | 43,010 | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 to $46,520 |
| Indiana | 12,880 | $10.95 | $22,770 | $17,050 to $45,000 |
| Iowa | 9,560 | $10.44 | $21,720 | $16,730 to $39,520 |
| Kansas | 5,430 | $13.43 | $27,940 | $17,150 to $66,010 |
| Kentucky | 6,870 | $13.84 | $28,780 | $16,110 to $63,140 |
| Louisiana | 10,140 | $10.02 | $20,850 | $15,080 to $41,600 |
| Maine | 3,230 | $23.52 | $48,920 | $31,120 to $99,850 |
| Maryland | 13,020 | $18.07 | $37,580 | $31,200 to $69,730 |
| Massachusetts | 19,850 | $18.00 | $37,440 | $31,890 to $70,870 |
| Michigan | 21,100 | $17.68 | $36,780 | $25,960 to $76,090 |
| Minnesota | 24,420 | $12.93 | $26,900 | $23,150 to $38,790 |
| Mississippi | 2,770 | $13.62 | $28,320 | $15,910 to $74,330 |
| Missouri | 14,410 | $14.47 | $30,090 | $28,600 to $54,900 |
| Montana | 5,370 | $12.51 | $26,010 | $21,940 to $32,870 |
| Nebraska | 7,320 | $14.51 | $30,180 | $28,080 to $60,140 |
| Nevada | 16,830 | $13.20 | $27,460 | $24,960 to $47,250 |
| New Hampshire | 3,840 | $13.85 | $28,800 | $17,390 to $78,230 |
| New Jersey | 16,260 | $21.16 | $44,020 | $32,220 to $80,480 |
| New Mexico | 3,790 | $17.78 | $36,980 | $25,720 to $63,570 |
| New York | 43,130 | $29.43 | $61,210 | $33,640 to $93,530 |
| North Carolina | 20,070 | $17.53 | $36,470 | $16,180 to $74,450 |
| North Dakota | 3,960 | $13.96 | $29,040 | $18,850 to $57,050 |
| Ohio | 27,420 | $14.84 | $30,880 | $22,990 to $72,190 |
| Oklahoma | 5,860 | $11.92 | $24,790 | $16,230 to $48,050 |
| Oregon | 11,950 | $18.70 | $38,900 | $31,200 to $68,980 |
| Pennsylvania | 37,490 | $13.66 | $28,420 | $17,460 to $62,830 |
| Rhode Island | 3,170 | $17.51 | $36,410 | $31,200 to $76,320 |
| South Carolina | 10,680 | $9.31 | $19,370 | $15,080 to $59,430 |
| South Dakota | 3,930 | $14.14 | $29,400 | $27,400 to $38,180 |
| Tennessee | 10,330 | $13.21 | $27,480 | $15,970 to $52,740 |
| Texas | 59,000 | $10.91 | $22,690 | $16,200 to $65,300 |
| Utah | 3,350 | $15.46 | $32,150 | $17,640 to $75,080 |
| Vermont | 2,080 | $21.85 | $45,450 | $29,970 to $91,400 |
| Virginia | 13,370 | $22.63 | $47,070 | $27,890 to $90,400 |
| Washington | 16,800 | $26.84 | $55,830 | $39,380 to $90,130 |
| West Virginia | 3,340 | $14.24 | $29,630 | $19,900 to $64,280 |
| Wisconsin | 29,520 | $11.28 | $23,460 | $17,200 to $39,040 |
| Wyoming | 2,660 | $10.59 | $22,030 | $17,620 to $55,070 |
Highest-paying states
- Hawaii: $76,490, 123% above the national median
- New York: $61,210, 78% above the national median
- Washington: $55,830, 63% above the national median
- District of Columbia: $53,920, 57% above the national median
- Maine: $48,920, 42% above the national median
Lowest-paying states
- South Carolina: $19,370
- Louisiana: $20,850
- Iowa: $21,720
- Wyoming: $22,030
- Texas: $22,690
States with the most jobs
- California: 71,470 employed
- Texas: 59,000 employed
- Florida: 55,170 employed
- New York: 43,130 employed
- Illinois: 43,010 employed
Where the job is most concentrated
Jobs per 1,000 jobs in the state, a measure of how common the occupation is locally.
- Nevada: 10.846 per 1,000 jobs
- Montana: 10.5 per 1,000 jobs
- Wisconsin: 10.036 per 1,000 jobs
- Wyoming: 9.482 per 1,000 jobs
- North Dakota: 9.222 per 1,000 jobs
More about this role
Bartender career guide · Bartender job description and interview questions
Salaries for related roles
- Fast Food and Counter Worker salary
- Server salary
- Line Cook salary
- Hotel Front Desk Clerk salary
- Retail Sales Associate salary
- Cashier salary
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Sources and methodology
Wage and employment estimates: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, cross-industry estimates for all ownerships. Figures are as published; BLS does not publish some estimates for some states. As defined by BLS, wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses, and exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and other premium pay. BLS OEWS
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jobder has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET Database
Written and maintained by the Jobder team. Last updated 2026-10-26. Questions or corrections: support@jobder.pro.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average bartender salary?
The mean annual wage for bartenders in the U.S. was $40,790 in May 2025, and the median was $34,340. The median is the middle value: half of workers earned more, half earned less.
How much does a bartender make an hour?
The median hourly wage was $16.51 in May 2025. The 10th percentile was $9.67 and the 90th percentile was $35.47.
Where do bartenders earn the most?
Hawaii had the highest median annual wage, at $76,490, 123% above the national median.
Where do bartenders earn the least?
South Carolina had the lowest median annual wage, at $19,370.
Where does this data come from?
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates, which cover wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments.