The most reliable national numbers come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook, which uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey data for May 2025. BLS notes that its bartender wage data include tips.
| Measure (May 2025) | Bartenders |
|---|---|
| Median hourly pay | $16.51 |
| Median annual pay | $34,340 |
| Lowest 10% earned less than | $9.67 an hour |
| Highest 10% earned more than | $35.47 an hour |
| Jobs (2025) | 762,600 |
| Projected growth, 2025 to 2035 | 5% |
| Openings per year, on average | About 121,200 |
The median is the middle: half of bartenders earned more and half earned less. Because most bartenders work part time or variable hours, annual pay often reflects fewer than 2,080 hours, so the hourly figure is usually the better comparison.
BLS also reports median hourly wages by the industries that employ the most bartenders:
| Where they work | Median hourly wage |
|---|---|
| Traveler accommodation (hotels and resorts) | $17.57 |
| Full-service restaurants | $17.07 |
| Drinking places (bars and taverns) | $16.01 |
| Amusement, gambling and recreation | $15.05 |
| Civic and social organizations | $13.65 |
Hotels and full-service restaurants sit at the top of the national range, while clubs, lodges and similar organizations sit at the bottom. Local wages, tipping habits and the state minimum wage also shift the numbers a lot from one city to the next.
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, an employer can pay a tipped employee a cash wage as low as $2.13 an hour and take a tip credit of up to $5.12, as long as wages plus tips reach at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 for every hour in the workweek. If tips fall short, the employer must make up the difference. Many states set a higher cash wage or do not allow a tip credit at all, so the state rule often decides the base rate. Use the tip credit calculator to check a week.
| Busy week | Slow week | |
|---|---|---|
| Hours worked | 30 | 30 |
| Cash wage paid ($2.13 x 30) | $63.90 | $63.90 |
| Tips reported | $450.00 | $120.00 |
| Wages plus tips per hour | $17.13 | $6.13 |
| Federal minimum ($7.25 x 30) | $217.50 | $217.50 |
| Top-up the employer owes | $0 | $33.60 |
In the slow week the bartender averaged $1.12 an hour below the minimum, so the employer owes $1.12 x 30 = $33.60 on top of the cash wage. This is the federal rule only; apply your state’s higher rate where one exists.
Employees who receive $20 or more in tips in a month must report them to the employer, and the employer withholds taxes on reported tips. There is also a temporary federal income tax deduction for qualified tips; see no tax on tips and overtime for employers.
EZTime helps bars track hours with a GPS time clock app or a kiosk, build bartender schedules, handle shift swaps and time-off requests, and send overtime alerts before a shift runs long. When the week closes, export payroll-ready hours to your payroll provider.
The BLS median for bartenders was $16.51 an hour in May 2025, including tips. The lowest 10% earned under $9.67 and the top 10% earned more than $35.47.
Yes. BLS states that its wage data for bartenders include tips.
Under federal law, yes, if tips bring them to at least $7.25 an hour. Many states require a higher cash wage or ban the tip credit.
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Updated November 2026. Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook and OEWS, May 2025. General information only; not legal or tax advice.