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Bartender Salary by State (2026)
Bartenders (Bartenders) hold 756,380 jobs across the US. Typical pay is $34,112 per year, but the median ranges from $19,370 in South Carolina to $76,490 in Hawaii. Pick your state for the full pay range and an estimated take-home after taxes.
Median Bartender salary in every state
| State | Median salary | Jobs |
| Hawaii | $76,490 | 3,540 |
| New York | $61,210 | 43,130 |
| Washington | $55,830 | 16,800 |
| District of Columbia | $53,920 | 5,760 |
| Maine | $48,920 | 3,230 |
| Virginia | $47,070 | 13,370 |
| Vermont | $45,450 | 2,080 |
| Arizona | $45,070 | 14,840 |
| New Jersey | $44,020 | 16,260 |
| Oregon | $38,900 | 11,950 |
| Connecticut | $38,780 | 7,680 |
| Colorado | $38,170 | 17,000 |
| Maryland | $37,580 | 13,020 |
| Massachusetts | $37,440 | 19,850 |
| New Mexico | $36,980 | 3,790 |
| Delaware | $36,840 | 2,820 |
| Michigan | $36,780 | 21,100 |
| North Carolina | $36,470 | 20,070 |
| Rhode Island | $36,410 | 3,170 |
| California | $36,220 | 71,470 |
| Florida | $35,150 | 55,170 |
| Utah | $32,150 | 3,350 |
| Illinois | $31,200 | 43,010 |
| Ohio | $30,880 | 27,420 |
| Alaska | $30,460 | 2,280 |
| Nebraska | $30,180 | 7,320 |
| Missouri | $30,090 | 14,410 |
| West Virginia | $29,630 | 3,340 |
| South Dakota | $29,400 | 3,930 |
| North Dakota | $29,040 | 3,960 |
| New Hampshire | $28,800 | 3,840 |
| Kentucky | $28,780 | 6,870 |
| Pennsylvania | $28,420 | 37,490 |
| Mississippi | $28,320 | 2,770 |
| Alabama | $27,980 | 6,560 |
| Kansas | $27,940 | 5,430 |
| Tennessee | $27,480 | 10,330 |
| Nevada | $27,460 | 16,830 |
| Idaho | $27,240 | 3,430 |
| Minnesota | $26,900 | 24,420 |
| Montana | $26,010 | 5,370 |
| Arkansas | $25,090 | 3,020 |
| Oklahoma | $24,790 | 5,860 |
| Wisconsin | $23,460 | 29,520 |
| Georgia | $22,830 | 14,600 |
| Indiana | $22,770 | 12,880 |
| Texas | $22,690 | 59,000 |
| Wyoming | $22,030 | 2,660 |
| Iowa | $21,720 | 9,560 |
| Louisiana | $20,850 | 10,140 |
| South Carolina | $19,370 | 10,680 |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average Bartender salary in the US?
- The typical (employment-weighted median) Bartender salary in the US is about $34,112 per year, based on the latest BLS data covering 756,380 jobs nationwide.
- Which state pays Bartenders the most?
- Hawaii has the highest median Bartender salary at $76,490 per year. Remember that taxes and cost of living vary — a high gross salary can shrink after state taxes.
- Which state pays Bartenders the least?
- South Carolina has the lowest median at $19,370 per year. Lower-paying states often also have lower living costs and, in some cases, no state income tax.
Sources and methodology
All figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 (state file, released April 2026) (Bartenders, code 35-3011). “Typical pay” is the employment-weighted average of state medians. Take-home estimates on state pages use 2026 federal and verified state tax rules from our PaycheckTally engine.