A Career as a Bartender: What to Expect from Wages to Advancement Opportunities

Interested in a career, or a part-time endeavor, as a bartender? You should know more than just how to mix drinks. Bartenders can earn wages that surpass what typical jobs pay. A good bartender, with a stockpile of knowledge, could advance in the business beyond just working behind the bar.

Bartenders earn a small hourly wage plus tips. Hourly wages are about half of the standard minimum wage. The lower earnings are made up for by gratuities, tips. It is the bartender's responsibility to report tip earnings and pay taxes on them. Employers will report wage earnings.

Gratuities come from your customers, through your service and performance. A tip usually starts at about 20% of the bill, but can be more or less depending on your service. To give you an idea of the possibilities, modestly, if you serve 20 drinks an hour, and get a buck each drink, then you are pulling in $20 an hour just from your tips. To learn more about customer service and ways to increase your tip earnings, see "Beyond Mixing Drinks-A Guide to Bartending Success".

Opportunities for advancement in the bar business come through experience and performance. Many find they have to work their way up the ranks. Some larger clubs require bartenders to work as a dishwasher, bar back, or waitress before they put you behind the bar. These stepping-stones are your apprenticeship and gear you up for dealing with a high volume output.

Speaking of stepping-stones, larger clubs and high-end restaurant bars will not even look at a bartender for hire unless they have gotten their feet wet in a neighborhood bar. They expect at least 6 months experience there. Working a neighborhood bar makes bartenders humble, is a great learning experience, and helps bartenders develop a following.