SOC 35-3011.00Bright outlook

    Bartenders

    Mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through waitstaff.

    Median pay
    $34,340
    Growth
    +5.0%
    Faster than average
    Openings a year
    121,200
    Typical education
    No formal credential

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $20,110
    Median
    $34,340
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $73,770
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    756,390 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Bartenders mix and serve beverages to customers in various dining and entertainment venues. The career offers a median annual pay of $34,340, with opportunities for rapid entry into the workforce.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What bartenders do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    Mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through waitstaff.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    What the work is like

    Bartenders spend their shifts working directly with the public, preparing drinks for customers at the bar or filling orders submitted by waitstaff. This role requires strong social orientation, self-control, and stress tolerance to manage busy environments. Daily tasks involve handling and moving objects like glassware and bottles, estimating product quantities, and monitoring bar resources.

    To succeed, workers rely on skills such as active listening, social perceptiveness, and service orientation to ensure customers have a positive experience. They must communicate clearly with patrons and coworkers, resolve complex problems on the fly, and maintain high standards of public safety and security. Knowledge of customer service, basic mathematics, sales, and local laws regarding alcohol service is essential for daily operations.

    How to get there

    Entering this field typically requires no formal educational credentials, though many workers hold a high school diploma. Most preparation occurs through on-the-job training or prior experience in food service roles. Students interested in this path sometimes study culinary arts and related services in college.

    While formal degrees are not standard, professional credentials can be beneficial. Individuals can earn the ServSafe Alcohol certification from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. Additionally, licensing requirements vary by location, as some states list a license for this work.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for bartenders was $34,340. Earnings can vary significantly based on tips, establishment type, and location; the lowest 10 percent of workers earn less than $20,110, while the highest 10 percent earn more than $73,770.

    With 756,390 people employed in this occupation, the field is projected to grow by 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, which is faster than average. This growth, combined with normal staff turnover, is expected to result in approximately 121,200 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    61 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    0 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    22 / 100
    Social (S)
    46 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    48 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    59 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCE. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
    77
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    75
    Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
    69
    Getting Information
    69
    Training and Teaching Others
    67
    Handling and Moving Objects
    66
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    66
    Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
    65
    Monitoring and Controlling Resources
    64
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    62
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Service Orientation
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Coordination
    • Critical Thinking
    • Persuasion
    • Speaking
    • Active Learning
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Instructing

    Knowledge

    • Customer and Personal Service
    • English Language
    • Education and Training
    • Sales and Marketing
    • Administration and Management
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Mathematics
    • Personnel and Human Resources
    • Law and Government
    • Sociology and Anthropology

    Abilities

    • Oral Expression
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Information Ordering
    • Near Vision
    • Speech Recognition
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Speech Clarity
    • Auditory Attention
    • Deductive Reasoning

    Work styles

    • Social Orientation
    • Dependability
    • Self-Control
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Optimism
    • Integrity
    • Cooperation
    • Attention to Detail
    • Adaptability
    • Empathy

    Also called

    Banquet Bartender · Bar Attendant · Bar Captain · Bar Tender · Barkeep · Barkeeper · Barmaid · Barman · Bartender · Catering Bartender

    Career pathway

    From your interests to bartenders

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Bartenders$34,340 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Culinary Institute of America-New York logo
      Culinary Institute of America-New York

      Hyde Park, NY · Culinary Arts and Related Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $48,130
      4 yrs after
      $61,944
      Median debt
      $22,875
    2. 2Johnson & Wales University-Providence logo
      Johnson & Wales University-Providence

      Providence, RI · Culinary Arts and Related Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $45,406
      4 yrs after
      $55,056
      Median debt
      $27,000
    3. 3
      SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

      Delhi, NY · Culinary Arts and Related Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $37,680
      4 yrs after
      $51,716
      Median debt
      $22,199
    4. 4
      Drexel University

      Philadelphia, PA · Culinary Arts and Related Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $48,094
      Median debt
      Not reported
    5. 5Walnut Hill College logo
      Walnut Hill College

      Philadelphia, PA · Culinary Arts and Related Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $37,008
      4 yrs after
      $47,308
      Median debt
      $27,000
    6. 6Nicholls State University-Louisiana logo
      Nicholls State University-Louisiana

      Thibodaux, LA · Culinary Arts and Related Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $32,721
      4 yrs after
      $46,969
      Median debt
      $24,750

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What bartenders may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Bartending/Bartender

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    11 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about bartenders

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What is the typical education required to become a bartender?

    There is no formal educational credential required to enter this career. Many bartenders start with a high school diploma and gain the necessary skills through short-term on-the-job training.

    Are there any certifications or licenses needed for this job?

    Some states list a license for bartenders, and workers can also earn the ServSafe Alcohol certification. Requirements depend on local state and municipal regulations.

    How much do bartenders earn?

    The median annual pay for bartenders is $34,340. The lowest 10 percent of earners make less than $20,110, while the highest 10 percent earn more than $73,770.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.