Bartenders

Summary

Bartenders mix and serve drinks to customers at a bar.

Quick Facts: Bartenders
2010 Median Pay	$18,680 per year $8.98 per hour
Entry-Level Education	Less than high school
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	Short-term on-the-job training
Number of Jobs, 2010	503,200
Job Outlook, 2010-20	9% (Slower than average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	45,500

What Bartenders Do

Bartenders mix and serve drinks to customers directly or through wait staff.

Work Environment

Bartenders work at restaurants, bars, clubs, hotels, and other food service establishments. During busy hours, they are under pressure to serve customers quickly and efficiently. About half of all bartenders work full time, and they often must work late evenings, weekends, and holidays.

How to Become a Bartender

Many bartenders are promoted from other jobs at the food service establishments in which they work and receive short-term on-the-job training. Those who wish to work at more upscale establishments usually need previous work experience or vocational training. Most states require workers who serve alcoholic beverages to be at least 18 years old, but many employers prefer to hire people who are 25 or older.

Pay

The median hourly wage (including tips) of bartenders was $8.98 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of bartenders is expected to grow 9 percent from 2010 to 2020, slower than the average for all occupations. High turnover among bartenders is expected to result in good job opportunities overall. Strong competition is expected for bartending jobs in popular restaurants and fine-dining establishments, where potential earnings from tips are greatest.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of bartenders with similar occupations.

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Contacts for More Information

Learn more about bartenders by contacting these additional resources.

What Bartenders Do About this section

Bartenders mix drinks according to customers’ orders.

Bartenders mix and serve drinks to customers directly or through wait staff.

Duties

Bartenders typically do the following:

• Greet customers, inform them about daily specials, and give them menus
• Take drink orders from customers
• Pour wine and serve draft or bottled beer and other alcoholic or nonalcoholic drinks
• Mix drinks according to recipes
• Check identification of customers to ensure they are of legal drinking age
• Clean bars, tables, and work areas
• Operate cash registers, collect payments from customers, and return change
• Manage bar operation and order and maintain liquor and bar supplies

Bartenders fill drink orders either directly from patrons at the bar or through waiters and waitresses who place drink orders for dining room customers. Bartenders must know a wide range of drink recipes and be able to mix drinks accurately, quickly, and without waste.

Bartenders also are responsible for checking the identification of customers seated at the bar to ensure they meet the minimum age requirement to buy alcohol and tobacco products.

Some establishments, especially busy establishments with many customers, use equipment that automatically measures, pours, and mixes drinks at the push of a button. Bartenders who use this equipment, however, still must work quickly to handle a large quantity of drink orders and be familiar with the ingredients for special drink requests.

Bartenders in some establishments also may use carbonated beverage dispensers, cocktail shakers or accessories, commercial strainers, mist or trigger sprayers, and ice shaver machines.

In addition to mixing and serving drinks, bartenders stock and prepare garnishes for drinks and maintain an adequate supply of ice, glasses, and other bar supplies. They also may wash glassware and utensils, and serve food to customers who eat at the bar. Bartenders are usually responsible for ordering and maintaining an inventory of liquor, mixers, and other bar supplies.

Work Environment About this section

Bartenders spend most of their work time on their feet.

Bartenders held about 503,200 jobs in 2010. The industries that employed the most bartenders in 2010 were as follows:

Bartenders work at restaurants, bars, clubs, hotels, and other food service establishments.

During busy hours, they are under pressure to serve customers quickly and efficiently, while ensuring that no alcohol is served to minors or overly intoxicated customers.

Bartenders perform repetitive tasks, and sometimes they lift heavy kegs of beer and cases of liquor. In addition, the work can be stressful because they often deal with heavily intoxicated customers to whom they must deny service.

Many bartenders work full time, and they often must work late evenings, weekends, and holidays. About 40 percent work part time.

How to Become a Bartender About this section

Bartenders usually work evenings and weekends.

Many bartenders are promoted from other jobs at the food service establishments in which they work and receive short-term on-the-job training. However, those who wish to work at more upscale establishments usually need previous work experience or vocational training.

Although most states require workers who serve alcoholic beverages to be at least 18 years old, many employers prefer to hire people who are 25 or older.

There are no specific education requirements.

Training

Most bartenders receive short-term on-the-job training, usually lasting a few weeks, under the guidance of a more experienced bartender. Training programs focus on basic customer service, teamwork, and food safety procedures. Programs also provide an opportunity to discuss proper ways to handle unruly customers and unpleasant situations.

Some employers teach new workers using self-study programs, online programs, audiovisual presentations, or instructional booklets that explain service skills. Such programs communicate the philosophy of the establishment, help new bartenders build personal rapports with other staff, and instill a desire to work as a team.

Work Experience

Some bartenders qualify through work-related experience. They may start as bartender helpers and progress into full-fledged bartenders as they learn basic mixing procedures and recipes. New workers often learn by working with a more experienced bartender.

Education

Some bartenders acquire their skills through formal training, either by attending a school for bartending or a vocational and technical school with bartending classes. These programs often include instruction on state and local laws and regulations, cocktail recipes, proper attire and conduct, and stocking a bar. The lengths of programs vary, but most courses last a few weeks. Some schools help their graduates find jobs.

Advancement

Advancement for bartenders is usually limited to finding a job in a busier or more expensive restaurant or bar where prospects of earning tips are better. Some bartenders advance to supervisory jobs, such as dining room supervisor, maitre d’, assistant manager, or restaurant general manager. A few bartenders open their own bar.

Important Qualities

Customer-service skills. Because establishments that serve alcohol rely on retaining old and attracting new customers, bartenders should have good customer service skills to ensure repeat business.

Decision-making skills. Because of the legal issues that come with serving alcohol, bartenders must make good decisions at all times. For example, they should be able to detect intoxicated customers and deny service to those customers.

People skills. Bartenders should be friendly, tactful, and attentive when dealing with customers. For example, they should be able to tell a joke and laugh with a customer to build rapport.

Stamina. Bartenders work on their feet for long periods of time. Many lift heavy cases of liquor, beer, or other bar supplies.

Teamwork. Bartenders often fill drink orders for waiters and waitresses who are serving dining room customers. As a result, bartenders must work well with their colleagues to ensure that customers receive prompt service.

Pay About this section

The median hourly wage (including tips) of bartenders was $8.98 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $7.60 per hour, and the top 10 percent earned more than $15.14 per hour.

Bartenders' earnings often come from a combination of hourly wages and customers' tips. Earnings vary greatly, depending on the type of establishment. For example, in many full-service restaurants, tips are higher than wages.

Many entry-level or inexperienced workers earn the federal minimum wage. However, many others earn more per hour because they work in states that set minimum wages higher than the federal minimum.

Many bartenders work full time, and they must often work late evenings, weekends, and holidays. About 40 percent work part time.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of bartenders is expected to grow 9 percent from 2010 to 2020, slower than the average for all occupations.

As people continue to dine out and drink at a variety of food and drinking places, many new bars, taverns, and restaurants are expected to open to meet demand. However, the growing popularity of take-out food and the growing number and variety of places that offer self-service or carryout options, including many full-service restaurants, will limit employment growth.

Job Prospects

Job opportunities are expected to be good because of the need to replace workers who leave the occupation. Strong competition is expected for bartending jobs in popular restaurants and fine-dining establishments, where potential earnings from tips are greatest. Those who have graduated from bartending school and those with previous work experience and excellent customer-service skills will have the best job prospects.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For more information on becoming a bartender, visit

National Restaurant Association