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Bartenders

Typical education: High school diplomaLower pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

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

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $34,340 Median per year · $16.51/hr Most earn $20,110–$73,770

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Clean glasses, utensils, and bar equipment.
  • Mix ingredients, such as liquor, soda, water, sugar, and bitters, to prepare cocktails and other drinks.
  • Supervise the work of bar staff and other bartenders.
  • Slice and pit fruit for garnishing drinks.
  • Arrange bottles and glasses to make attractive displays.
  • Ask customers who become loud and obnoxious to leave, or physically remove them.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth; Numerous Job Openings

United States
5% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 121,200 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Full-service restaurants41.0%
  • Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)24.9%
  • Civic and social organizations5.2%
  • Beverage manufacturing4.9%
  • Special food services2.9%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Bartending is an entry-level job. You can start with a high school diploma, but most people spend about 6 months to 1 year in related work, like serving or bar support, before they feel ready to run a bar alone.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school and build basic math, people skills, and customer service habits that bartending depends on.

  2. Waiter/Waitress

    6 months to 1 year

    Serving tables teaches you how to take orders, work a busy floor, handle payments, and learn drink names and menus, which prepares you to work behind the bar.

  3. Bartender

    Ongoing

    You mix and serve drinks, check IDs, keep the bar stocked, and keep guests happy. This is the career itself.

Where it can lead

  1. First-Line Supervisor of Food and Beverage Service

    6 months to 1 year of experience first

    As a supervisor you schedule staff, train new bartenders and servers, and handle shift problems, which means learning leadership and bar operations beyond mixing drinks.

  2. Food Service Manager

    1 to 2 years of experience first

    Managers oversee the whole restaurant or bar, including budgets, ordering, staffing, and food and alcohol safety rules. Many people build this skill set as supervisors first.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math classesStrong math helps with measuring ingredients, counting change, and keeping track of inventory.
  • Take a speech or communication classTalking clearly and confidently with people you have just met is a daily part of bartending.
  • Get a part-time job in food serviceA starter job at a restaurant, cafe, or food counter teaches you how a busy service business runs.
  • Volunteer at community eventsHelping at school dances, church dinners, or local fairs builds experience serving and working as part of a team.
  • Take a health or food safety classKnowing how to keep work areas clean and handle food and drinks safely is valuable in any bar or restaurant.

In college

  • Take courses in hospitality or customer serviceClasses in hospitality management or customer service show you how bars and restaurants are run.
  • Work a part-time serving or barback jobWorking as a server or barback during college gives you real experience close to the 6 months to 1 year most bartenders have before they work the bar.
  • Get a responsible alcohol service certificationMany areas require or recommend a short course on serving alcohol safely, and having it on your resume shows you take the job seriously.
  • Join a hospitality or business student clubClubs often offer networking, event planning practice, and connections to local restaurant and bar owners.
  • Learn cocktail basics through workshops or trainingShort classes on drink making, bar tools, and inventory build skills employers look for when hiring bartenders.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask your local area what rules apply to serving alcohol. Many places have minimum ages and require a short responsible alcohol service course, so look into these early.
  • Get any kind of job where you deal with customers, such as at a food counter or a store. Strong service skills matter as much as drink-making skills.
  • Learn the basics of drinks by ordering different cocktails and watching bartenders at work. Ask questions and practice simple recipes at home, if it is safe and legal for you to do so.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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