How to Become a Bartender

Bartender & Bar Manager Salaries

How to become a Bartender:   Bars are a pretty much recession-proof business. People will always want to drink and have fun in a bar atmosphere (considering it’s a good bar/atmosphere). Bar managers and bartenders have pretty secure jobs because of this. Looking to get into bartending or bar managing and wondering how much you’d make? Here’s a rundown of typical salaries and incomes of bartenders and bar managers.

Bartenders prepare and serve drinks for bar customers, alcoholic and non-alcoholic. They are expected to have knowledge of drinks and have learned how to make many kinds of drinks, or if one is unknown, make it effectively upon request. They also monitor bar inventory and keep it up as well as maintain quality. Customer service should be a priority and they should have a personality appropriate for the environment. Most jobs require a high school diploma and a couple or more years of experience.

Tips are where most of a bartender’s income comes from. Salary is usually pretty low, averaging about $5-8/hr. On average, a bartender’s tips are usually 2 to 4 times his salary. If a bartender’s base pay is $7 an hour, their tips would be expected to be about $14-28 an hour, so a total of $21-35/hour. In typical bars, a bartender’s average is about $15-30 an hour. By law, bartenders are required to report their tips as income. The range of the average bartender’s salary is $14,000 to $25,000 a year.

A bar manager is in charge of bar operations including staffing, scheduling, staff responsibilities, inventory, money, event planning and more. They must make sure the customers are satisfied and that bar operations run smoothly and efficiently. Also, the bar manager must be familiar with all local, state, and federal regulations for alcohol sales. They should have great communication and people skills and have a neat appearance. Experience with a bar or other food and beverage establishment is important and management experience usually is a plus. There is not usually much educational requirement beyond a high school diploma, depending on the bar.

Bar managers on average make a yearly salary of $18,000-$52,000. Bonuses can range from $200-$10,000. Profit sharing ranges from $100-13,000. Commission averages from $1000 to $16,000. So total, bar managers on average make about $20k-$54k per year.