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The national median salary for Bartenders is $34,341 per year ($16.51/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $27,394 and $47,570 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $73,778 per year. There are approximately 756,390 bartenders employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through waitstaff.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+5.9%
Faster than average
Annual openings
130K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
757K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
3% from new growth97% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Restaurants and Other Eating Places
NAICS 722500
337K
$35,400
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
NAICS 722400
188K
$33,300
Traveler Accommodation
NAICS 721100
53K
$36,500
Civic and Social Organizations
NAICS 813400
39K
$28,400
Beverage Manufacturing
NAICS 312100
38K
$36,090
Wage range across top 5 industries: $28,400 to $36,500 (29% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$9.67
$20,114
P25
$13.17
$27,394
P50MEDIAN
$16.51
$34,341
P75
$22.87
$47,570
P90
$35.47
$73,778
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · retail sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.6%
Quits Rate
3.1%
Retail openings rose to 737K (+52K) in March, rate up to 4.6%. Hires increased to 684K (+73K). Frontline turnover persists with quit rate at 3.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average bartenders salary?
The national median salary for Bartenders is $34,341 per year ($16.51/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $27,394 and $47,570 annually.
How much do top-earning bartenders make?
The 90th percentile salary for Bartenders is $73,778 per year ($35.47/hr). The 75th percentile is $47,570 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for bartenders?
Entry-level Bartenders (10th percentile) earn approximately $20,114 per year ($9.67/hr). The 25th percentile is $27,394 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.