How Much Do Bartenders Make

By Thomas Stilwell


When you consider becoming a bartender you've probably asked yourself- how much do bartenders make? A bartender's salary can vary greatly.

Bartenders make both an hourly wage and money in tips.Most of the cash you make will come from tips. Making bartending into a lucrative profession is done when you get a job in a great location and earn good tips.

Bartender Salary

In addition to tips, bartenders earn an hourly wage. This usually around $8 to $10. Even the hourly wage can vary depending on the local minimum wage laws.

Even though bartender's make a salary wage this won't answer the question-how much do bartenders make? In order to answer that we need to take the earnings from tips into consideration.

Bartender Tips

Generally speaking bartenders aren't concerned with how much their hourly wage is. This is because they make most of their money from tips. This is where location becomes important because tips vary greatly depending on the local of the bar.

It is possible for a bartender to earn $300 a night. It's also not unheard of for them to make up to $500 a shift. These kind of numbers really depend on where they are working. You won't be making that much at an everyday chain restaurant.

A bartender's income depends on a number of factors including- How likeable they are, their skill as a bartender, and of course where they are tending bar.

As a beginning bartender you're not going to land a job that will pay $500 a night. Bartending is a craft that takes time to develop. With that said it is possible to work your way up to the high paying gigs.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated a bartender's salary to be in the $20,000 to $30,000 range. However, the BLS is factoring in bartenders from regular chain restaurants where the wage and tips won't be nearly as high. This in turn brings the average salary for bartenders down.

It's important to remember a bartender's salary can change greatly depending on where they are working. If your tending bar in a five-star restaurant, or a very popular night club, or fancy resort, your income will increase substantially.

The trick to earning a higher wage as a bartender is to try to land high paying jobs. Getting bartending gigs at special events like parties and weddings can also prove to be very lucrative.

Sadly, determine a bartender's salary can be difficult. It really depends on where they are working and their skill as a bartender. In reality the sky is the limit on how much they can earn.




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