35
Bartenders is a notable career in the 35 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Bartenders against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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11
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13
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13
| soc | 35-3011 |
| title | Bartenders |
| onet code | 35-3011.00 |
| description | Mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through waitstaff. |
| job zone | 2 |
| major group | 35 |
| tot emp | 745,610 |
| a mean | 39,880 |
| a median | 33,530 |
| a pct10 | 19,930 |
| a pct25 | 25,790 |
| a pct75 | 46,790 |
| a pct90 | 71,920 |
| h mean | 19 |
| h median | 16 |
The day-to-day work of a bartenders typically centers on clean glasses, utensils, and bar equipment. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Active Listening, Service Orientation, and Social Perceptiveness. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.21 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working bartenders, the most common entry qualification is a High School Diploma (43.0%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 1% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in Hawaii at $68,820 and lowest in South Carolina at $18,390 — a 3.7× spread. The top five states (Hawaii, New York, District of Columbia, Vermont, Washington) average $57,426. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $68,820 | $71,570 | $29,120 | $103,190 | 3,640 |
| New York | $60,750 | $62,080 | $32,670 | $92,960 | 42,550 |
| District of Columbia | $54,930 | $60,420 | $35,360 | $95,780 | 4,890 |
| Vermont | $54,310 | $59,680 | $29,260 | $99,350 | 2,210 |
| Washington | $48,320 | $55,450 | $36,130 | $87,130 | 19,140 |
| Maine | $47,630 | $55,650 | $30,050 | $95,840 | 3,060 |
| Virginia | $46,860 | $53,400 | $27,990 | $79,240 | 15,870 |
| New Jersey | $45,660 | $51,880 | $31,740 | $75,300 | 17,500 |
| Arizona | $40,860 | $52,500 | $29,850 | $86,320 | 13,360 |
| Michigan | $39,500 | $46,380 | $26,670 | $73,960 | 19,530 |
| Delaware | $36,420 | $39,530 | $27,560 | $58,720 | 2,380 |
| Massachusetts | $36,000 | $43,670 | $31,520 | $68,170 | 21,080 |
| California | $35,900 | $45,750 | $33,340 | $79,780 | 69,790 |
| Maryland | $35,750 | $43,020 | $31,200 | $66,300 | 13,770 |
| Connecticut | $34,420 | $47,510 | $32,640 | $81,520 | 8,280 |
| Utah | $34,120 | $38,340 | $17,080 | $64,580 | 3,320 |
| Oregon | $33,970 | $40,090 | $29,860 | $56,990 | 11,940 |
| Colorado | $33,780 | $48,010 | $29,990 | $94,150 | 17,670 |
| Rhode Island | $33,700 | $42,390 | $29,120 | $65,350 | 3,560 |
| North Carolina | $32,410 | $37,280 | $16,100 | $64,680 | 19,500 |
| New Mexico | $31,370 | $39,610 | $25,560 | $62,340 | 3,460 |
| Florida | $30,850 | $41,220 | $24,960 | $73,000 | 54,800 |
| Alaska | $29,860 | $37,020 | $24,400 | $58,190 | 2,070 |
| Ohio | $29,850 | $37,440 | $22,080 | $62,160 | 27,530 |
| Nebraska | $29,400 | $36,000 | $24,960 | $56,580 | 6,500 |
| Illinois | $29,120 | $35,340 | $29,120 | $51,270 | 40,520 |
| West Virginia | $29,030 | $36,420 | $18,830 | $61,580 | 3,120 |
| Kentucky | $28,590 | $32,830 | $16,350 | $56,250 | 6,210 |
| South Dakota | $28,530 | $30,990 | $26,140 | $39,110 | 3,520 |
| North Dakota | $28,440 | $32,560 | $18,410 | $51,330 | 3,890 |
| New Hampshire | $28,100 | $38,390 | $17,660 | $75,930 | 3,830 |
| Kansas | $27,760 | $34,310 | $16,430 | $64,270 | 5,740 |
| Texas | $27,750 | $35,120 | $17,280 | $60,260 | 57,990 |
| Pennsylvania | $27,090 | $31,300 | $17,400 | $51,010 | 34,740 |
| Missouri | $27,060 | $32,320 | $25,580 | $49,130 | 14,530 |
| Minnesota | $26,840 | $28,410 | $22,570 | $34,490 | 21,570 |
| Arkansas | $26,030 | $31,570 | $22,880 | $55,070 | 2,630 |
| Nevada | $25,790 | $32,640 | $22,720 | $44,430 | 17,090 |
| Mississippi | $24,700 | $33,910 | $17,390 | $58,510 | 2,800 |
| Georgia | $23,500 | $30,620 | $15,210 | $48,320 | 14,980 |
| Idaho | $22,880 | $29,270 | $17,810 | $47,930 | 3,990 |
| Montana | $22,840 | $26,370 | $21,420 | $34,080 | 5,130 |
| Indiana | $22,790 | $27,690 | $17,410 | $46,870 | 12,830 |
| Alabama | $22,670 | $27,860 | $16,480 | $46,530 | 5,850 |
| Tennessee | $22,660 | $28,470 | $15,970 | $49,040 | 10,380 |
| Wisconsin | $22,520 | $26,210 | $17,200 | $36,520 | 29,340 |
| Iowa | $22,500 | $26,650 | $17,440 | $42,550 | 8,740 |
| Wyoming | $22,010 | $27,320 | $16,980 | $45,560 | 2,740 |
| Oklahoma | $21,620 | $27,100 | $16,280 | $51,940 | 5,580 |
| Louisiana | $19,620 | $25,440 | $15,080 | $46,160 | 8,960 |
| South Carolina | $18,390 | $25,480 | $15,080 | $49,680 | 11,490 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for bartenders. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Banquet Bartender or Bar Attendant frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Bartenders compares to others in the 35 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Bartenders
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
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