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Bartenders in California

Considering working as a Bartenders in California? Here’s what you need to know. Mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through waitstaff.

What do Bartenders Make in California?

The bartenders working in California, the typical annual salary is $35,900 per year (or about $17.26/hour).Pay can range from $33,340 at the 10th percentile to $79,780 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$33,340	$16.03
25th percentile	$34,090	$16.39
Median (50th)	$35,900	$17.26
75th percentile	$43,270	$20.80
90th percentile	$79,780	$38.36

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in California compared to the national average — is 0.80, suggesting fewer bartenders per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, bartenders earn a median of $28,151 per year ($13.53/hour), higher than the California median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 523,148 bartenders in the U.S.. In California alone, around 69,790 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 8,740 bartenders.

Top California Metros for Bartenders

The largest metro-area employers of bartenders in California.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	20,810	$35,150
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	11,590	$38,430
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	8,630	$35,240
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	6,200	$34,100
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	5,260	$34,120
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	3,410	$39,650
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	1,260	$34,520
Fresno, CA	1,240	$34,210
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	1,220	$34,750
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	1,170	$38,620
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	860	$33,390
Salinas, CA	850	$35,570
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA	750	$34,800
Stockton-Lodi, CA	750	$33,790
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	590	$35,440
Modesto, CA	580	$34,670
Napa, CA	550	$36,720
Vallejo, CA	470	$36,150
Chico, CA	420	$33,760
Visalia, CA	390	$33,510
Redding, CA	250	$33,760
Yuba City, CA	170	$33,390
Merced, CA	160	$33,390
El Centro, CA	140	$34,260
Hanford-Corcoran, CA	140	$34,070

Top States for Bartenders Employment

View the states that employ the most bartenders work.

State	Number Employed
California	69,790
Texas	57,990
Florida	54,800
New York	42,550
Illinois	40,520
Pennsylvania	34,740
Wisconsin	29,340
Ohio	27,530
Minnesota	21,570
Massachusetts	21,080
Michigan	19,530
North Carolina	19,500
Washington	19,140
Colorado	17,670
New Jersey	17,500
Nevada	17,090
Virginia	15,870
Georgia	14,980
Missouri	14,530
Maryland	13,770

Highest-Paying States for Bartenders

Where bartenders earn the most: bartenders.

State	Annual Median Salary
Hawaii	$68,820
New York	$60,750
District of Columbia	$54,930
Vermont	$54,310
Washington	$48,320
Maine	$47,630
Virginia	$46,860
New Jersey	$45,660
Virgin Islands	$42,630
Arizona	$40,860

Skills

Top bartenders skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Top abilities for bartenders, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, bartenders typically:

• Clean glasses, utensils, and bar equipment.
• Collect money for drinks served.
• Balance cash receipts.
• Check identification of customers to verify age requirements for purchase of alcohol.
• Clean bars, work areas, and tables.
• Attempt to limit problems and liability related to customers' excessive drinking by taking steps such as persuading customers to stop drinking, or ordering taxis or other transportation for intoxicated patrons.
• Take beverage orders from serving staff or directly from patrons.
• Serve wine, and bottled or draft beer.
• Plan, organize, and control the operations of a cocktail lounge or bar.
• Stock bar with beer, wine, liquor, and related supplies such as ice, glassware, napkins, or straws.
• Serve snacks or food items to customers seated at the bar.
• Mix ingredients, such as liquor, soda, water, sugar, and bitters, to prepare cocktails and other drinks.

Work Activities

• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
• Getting Information
• Training and Teaching Others
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Facebook

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Programs that train for this career include:

• Culinary Arts

Related Careers

Related occupations to bartenders include:

• Food Service Managers
• Chefs and Head Cooks
• First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
• Cooks, Fast Food
• Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
• Cooks, Private Household

Also Known As

Banquet Bartender, Bar Attendant, Bar Captain, Bar Tender, Barkeep, Barkeeper, Barmaid, Barman, Bartender, Catering Bartender, Drink Mixer, Event Bartender, Mixologist, Restaurant Bartender, Service Bartender.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 35-3011.00