Bartenders pay in the U.S.
$40,790avg. a year
$19.61 an hour · 756,390 employed
Bartenders in the U.S. earn an average of $40,790 a year and a median of $34,340. Pay is highest in Hawaii ($76,740) and lowest in Louisiana ($25,250).
$34,340Median pay
$19.61Average hourly
+41%Avg. pay since 2020
756,390Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for bartenders
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
13,540 jobs
Hawaii
$76,740
$36.90 an hour
243,130 jobs
New York
$61,670
$29.65 an hour
316,800 jobs
Washington
$60,010
$28.85 an hour
45,760 jobs
District of Columbia
$59,210
$28.47 an hour
53,230 jobs
Maine
$58,520
$28.14 an hour
613,370 jobs
Virginia
$54,200
$26.06 an hour
714,840 jobs
Arizona
$54,030
$25.98 an hour
82,080 jobs
Vermont
$51,780
$24.89 an hour
916,260 jobs
New Jersey
$51,440
$24.73 an hour
1017,000 jobs
Colorado
$51,250
$24.64 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Bartenders pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $32k$32k–$38k$38k–$46k$46k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $91,360 | $43.92 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $72,660 | $34.93 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $63,630 | $30.59 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $62,090 | $29.85 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $60,600 | $29.14 |
| Bellingham, WA | $59,340 | $28.53 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $59,070 | $28.40 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $58,850 | $28.29 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Bartenders pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $32,220 | $27,980 | 6,560 |
| Alaska | $36,560 | $30,460 | 2,280 |
| Arizona | $54,030 | $45,070 | 14,840 |
| Arkansas | $32,850 | $25,090 | 3,020 |
| California | $44,780 | $36,220 | 71,470 |
| Colorado | $51,250 | $38,170 | 17,000 |
| Connecticut | $51,020 | $38,780 | 7,680 |
| Delaware | $42,890 | $36,840 | 2,820 |
| District of Columbia | $59,210 | $53,920 | 5,760 |
| Florida | $42,280 | $35,150 | 55,170 |
| Georgia | $30,330 | $22,830 | 14,600 |
| Hawaii | $76,740 | $76,490 | 3,540 |
| Idaho | $32,670 | $27,240 | 3,430 |
| Illinois | $35,550 | $31,200 | 43,010 |
| Indiana | $27,780 | $22,770 | 12,880 |
| Iowa | $25,620 | $21,720 | 9,560 |
| Kansas | $35,780 | $27,940 | 5,430 |
| Kentucky | $34,970 | $28,780 | 6,870 |
| Louisiana | $25,250 | $20,850 | 10,140 |
| Maine | $58,520 | $48,920 | 3,230 |
| Maryland | $45,180 | $37,580 | 13,020 |
| Massachusetts | $45,120 | $37,440 | 19,850 |
| Michigan | $44,470 | $36,780 | 21,100 |
| Minnesota | $30,680 | $26,900 | 24,420 |
| Mississippi | $36,510 | $28,320 | 2,770 |
| Missouri | $38,170 | $30,090 | 14,410 |
| Montana | $27,210 | $26,010 | 5,370 |
| Nebraska | $38,350 | $30,180 | 7,320 |
| Nevada | $36,210 | $27,460 | 16,830 |
| New Hampshire | $40,730 | $28,800 | 3,840 |
| New Jersey | $51,440 | $44,020 | 16,260 |
| New Mexico | $41,500 | $36,980 | 3,790 |
| New York | $61,670 | $61,210 | 43,130 |
| North Carolina | $41,200 | $36,470 | 20,070 |
| North Dakota | $33,390 | $29,040 | 3,960 |
| Ohio | $39,420 | $30,880 | 27,420 |
| Oklahoma | $29,260 | $24,790 | 5,860 |
| Oregon | $46,080 | $38,900 | 11,950 |
| Pennsylvania | $35,460 | $28,420 | 37,490 |
| Rhode Island | $46,090 | $36,410 | 3,170 |
| South Carolina | $28,440 | $19,370 | 10,680 |
| South Dakota | $31,940 | $29,400 | 3,930 |
| Tennessee | $31,180 | $27,480 | 10,330 |
| Texas | $32,640 | $22,690 | 59,000 |
| Utah | $40,430 | $32,150 | 3,350 |
| Vermont | $51,780 | $45,450 | 2,080 |
| Virginia | $54,200 | $47,070 | 13,370 |
| Washington | $60,010 | $55,830 | 16,800 |
| West Virginia | $37,910 | $29,630 | 3,340 |
| Wisconsin | $26,970 | $23,460 | 29,520 |
| Wyoming | $29,000 | $22,030 | 2,660 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$63,630
38,510 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$35,740
28,750 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$41,510
25,260 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$37,610
18,300 jobs$31,700
15,370 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$46,040
14,840 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$56,200
14,560 jobsMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$41,150
14,510 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do bartenders make?
The average is $40,790 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $34,340 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $19.61, and the median is $16.51 an hour.
Which state pays bartenders the most?
Hawaii, with an average of $76,740 a year. The best-paying metro area is Kahului-Wailuku, HI at $91,360.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $20,110 a year, and the top 10% earn over $73,770.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 35-3011. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.