How Much Do Bartenders Make? Tips, Hour, and Salary

How much do bartenders make? A common question that many people ask. They always wonder how the job of a bartender is like. Is it easy or is it hard? What does it take? How much effort does one have to put in? How is the work schedule? And what skills should you have to get the job of a bartender? These and other frequently asked questions will be discussed in this article.

We will take a deep dive into the life of a bartender and find out answers to some of the most commonly asked questions regarding the job of a bartender. If you are interested to apply for the job of bartender, you might have some questions in mind. Questions like what would I have to do? What would be my working hours? How will I get treated by my boss? What other things will I have to do besides making and serving drinks?

Do I need any experience to get the job of a bartender? We will answer all these questions in this article but you must be aware of the fact that no one source would be able to tell you exactly how much will you be paid if you get the job of a bartender. It is because the salary of a bartender varies from place to place and person to person.

Sometimes it even depends on your shift. You will be paid accordingly. There are some places that will give you good starting pay and there are some places that would not offer you decent pay. It depends on your skills and an element of luck is also involved. Of course, there are some key components that are crucial for the job of a bartender and there are certain eligibility criteria as well. But that is another debate.

Calculating a Bartender Salary

Moreover, it is not easy to determine the amount of money a bartender makes on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. The reason is that the income of a bartender comprises not only wages but tips as well. Oftentimes people tip the bartender and that adds to their income.

It is because of this uncertain element it is hard to figure out the exact amount of money a bartender gets. It varies from person to person. At times people would be generous enough to tip the bartender a 100 dollars. Sometimes they will leave some change as a tip. Other times people won’t even tip the bartender.

Therefore, it is highly unlikely to predict the salary of a bartender unless you have worked in the industry and have plenty of experience. However, we will find out the average salary of a bartender in different regions of the world. That way you will get an idea on the basis of which you might make your future choices. So let’s find out how much do bartenders make on average. 

How Much Do Bartenders Make An Hour?

If you think it is very easy to manage a bar, think again. It is certainly not. As a matter of fact, bartenders do earn a good amount of money. But the job requires some serious effort. If you are wondering how much do bartenders make because you might opt for the role of a bartender in the near future, make sure you are mentally prepared to work hard and put in all your efforts. If you are lazy and are not used to working hard, then you might have to reconsider your decision.

However, if you are passionate about this role and follow all the SOPS, you will enjoy your stay at work and you will have a good work experience if you ever plan to switch your job in future. Hard work and dedication will make you an excellent bartender, you will excel in your career, and you will soon become a millionaire. Success lies in hard work and should be passionate about your job. You should be motivated and your dedication level should be at its highest during your working hours. 

Before we dig a bit deeper and discuss the average salary of a bartender, here are a few things to keep in mind. These include:

• Your shift. The income of a bartender greatly varies from shift to shift.
• The place that they work in. Different places offer different salary packages. For instance, a restaurant’s payout would be different, a cafe would be different, so on and so forth.
• Last but not least, your skillset. If you have all the hard and soft skills required for the job of a bartender, you will definitely make a good bartender. Efficiency matters too.

It is also worth noting that some of these points might not make any sense to you and there isn’t much to do about them either. For instance, you cannot do much about the area or the state you belong to. You might not have the finances to move out to another city or state and start your job as a bartender. However, there are some things that are in your control. For example, you can explore different venues and choose the one that best suits you. You will have to consider a number of things of course, such as the salary package, increment rate, timings, etc. 

A good bartender means getting handsome pay. It means that if you are an excellent bartender, people will start liking you and you will start getting handsome tips. Besides, if your boss is happy with your performance, you might get a raise. If you are lucky enough, you might even get a job at a nightclub where your pay rate will be even better.

In addition, if your performance is extraordinary, you might even get to choose your working hours. Thus, don’t think much about the things that you have no control over. Rather, keep focusing on your career, work hard, be passionate about your job, and in the near future, you will see yourself transformed. 

In the United States of America, the average wage a bartender gets per hour is around $11-12. In areas like Manhattan and Santa Rosa, bartenders even get paid $13-14 per hour. 

Average Salary of a Bartender Per Year

A bartender is a person whose job is to prepare and serve delicious drinks to customers. Bartenders can be found in cafes and restaurants. But mostly, you will find them in nightclubs and casinos where people play games like rummy, gin rummy, poker, etc, and enjoy drinking. That is where they actually belong. Although the job of a bartender is quite interesting and is full of fun and entertainment, it is also without any doubt one of the most difficult jobs in the world.

It is not easy to satisfy each and every single customer. It is not easy to prepare and serve thousands of drinks a day. It certainly is not easy to greet everyone with a smile. It is a job that requires hard work and because of these reasons, bartenders get a good payout as well. 

The average annual income of a bartender working in the United States is around $2400. That is just their own salary that they get paid by their head or boss. When tips get involved, this figure further increases. 

How Much Do Bartenders Make In Tips?

Bartenders around the world earn a good sum of money. Although the pay rate varies from country to country and venue to venue, the salary is still not bad. They do get paid well for their hard work and efforts. Their hard work is worth the pay they get. Generally speaking, of the total earnings a bartender makes on a monthly or yearly basis, 80-85% are tips. On average, a bartender will make around $250-300 in a single night shift.

This amount is inclusive of tips. Tips make a significant portion of a bartender’s salary. For instance, if we say that on average if the earnings of an ordinary bartender working in the United States is around $11, in actuality, the bartender would be making more than $9 in just tips. Now imagine how much do they make annually. A pretty decent sum indeed.

Benefits of Being a Bartender

Apart from getting decent payouts, bartenders also get several other facilities. The job of a bartender is not easy and because of that, bartenders are often given certain privileges. These include:

1. Gym membership
2. Life insurance
3. Flexible working hours
4. Dental insurance
5. Paid leaves
6. Eyecare insurance
7. Health and medical insurance
8. Other employee discounts 

These are some of the most common incentives given to bartenders in different regions around the world. Some even get great bonuses and free food. Some even get free air tickets so that they can go on holiday vacation abroad. That is pretty amazing. 

Working Hours

The job of a bartender is not easy at all. You have to always be on time. If you are late, you will be in hot waters. Not only will you be scolded by your boss, but a specific amount of money will be deducted from your salary as well.

Therefore, you must be punctual and always be on time. You cannot afford to be late at work or else you will have to face the consequences. Bartenders usually work for 8 hours a day. Day shift bartenders work from 9 am to 4 pm.

Sometimes the timing varies from one region to another. So the working hours can be from 10 am to 6 pm as well. On the other hand, night shift bartenders work from 8 pm to 2 am. Interestingly, there are bartenders who work part-time and their working hours are less, so is their salary. Some bartenders even work all night long till dawn. Thus, the working hours vary greatly from place to place.

Conclusion

A dedicated and hard-working bartender is always in need. High-end restaurants and nightclubs actively look for skillful bartenders to manage their bars efficiently and effectively. The job of a bartender is not as easy as it seems to be. The job of a bartender is not only to make and serve drinks.

A bartender is also responsible for cash handling and management of the entire bar. Moreover, established businesses prefer a bartender who has experience in the industry compared to that of a newbie who is looking for career options and is trying out different jobs to find out which one best suits him.

A bartender makes a good amount of money. When tips are involved, the average amount a bartender earns increases drastically, and one of the major reasons is that tips comprise approx 80% of their income which is not a small percentage. They are paid well but they get heavy tips as well.

An efficient and skillful bartender has a high chance of becoming a millionaire in the future. However, luck plays an important role as well. Now that you are completely aware of the job duties of a bartender, it is time to make a decision and try out your luck.

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