Bartenders
Mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through waitstaff.
- Median pay
- $34,340
- Doing it now
- 762,600
- By 2035
- Up 5%
- Usually needs
- No formal educational credential
a year
across the country
121,200 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Collect money for drinks served.
- Check identification of customers to verify age requirements for purchase of alcohol.
- Balance cash receipts.
- Attempt to limit problems and liability related to customers' excessive drinking by taking steps such as persuading customers to stop drinking, or ordering taxis or other transportation for intoxicated patrons.
- Clean glasses, utensils, and bar equipment.
- Take beverage orders from serving staff or directly from patrons.
- Serve wine, and bottled or draft beer.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Culinary Arts and Related ServicesSee 40 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Hands-on and practical
Organised and precise
Leading and persuading
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $34,340 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.