Bartenders in Kentucky

Want to work in Kentucky as a Bartender? Read this first!

You’re in luck! Jobs for Bartenders in Kentucky are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

• Projected employment for Bartenders in Kentucky is growing slower than average.

• Bartenders in Kentucky earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For a Bartender Career?

• Personal & Culinary Services
• Culinary Arts
• Bartending/Bartender

How Many Bartenders Work in Kentucky?

In Kentucky, there were 4,610 people working as Bartenders in the year 2018.

There were 4,530 Bartenders employed in this state in 2017.

That’s growth of 80 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 8,200 Bartenders working in it, which means Kentucky has fewer Bartenders than average.

Job Projections for Kentucky

Jobs for Bartenders in this state are growing at a rate of 1.2% which is slower than the nationwide estimated projection of 2.5%.

Kentucky Annual Job Openings

The BLS is projecting 830 annual Bartenders job openings in Kentucky, and 5,080 total jobs in the year 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 102,300 annual jobs and 626,300 total jobs in 2026.

What do Bartenders Make in Kentucky?

In 2018 wages for Bartenders ranged from $16,250 to $24,610 with $18,500 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $7.81 to $11.83. The median hourly rate was $8.89.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $8.77 an hour in 2017.

The hourly rate grew by $0.12.

The median salary in Kentucky is higher than the nationwide median salary.

Explore Best Ranked Schools for You

Top Kentucky Metros for Bartenders

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Bartenders.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	4,320	$18,960
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	2,240	$18,630
Lexington-Fayette, KY	940	$18,260
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH	440	$19,900
Evansville, IN-KY	420	$18,960
Clarksville, TN-KY	260	$32,560
Owensboro, KY	160	$19,430
Bowling Green, KY	70	$18,630

Top States for Bartenders Employment

The table below shows the states where most Bartenders work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
California	66,320	$25,670
Florida	45,170	$19,540
New York	44,370	$29,350
Texas	42,410	$19,970
Pennsylvania	33,150	$20,270
Illinois	28,570	$19,540
Wisconsin	26,330	$21,020
Ohio	23,980	$19,280
Massachusetts	21,380	$25,660
Michigan	17,500	$19,940
New Jersey	17,360	$27,850
Minnesota	16,790	$21,820
Nevada	15,050	$24,600
Washington	13,630	$29,820
North Carolina	13,360	$19,980
Arizona	11,990	$22,700
Indiana	11,680	$19,600
Missouri	11,600	$20,100
Colorado	11,390	$21,230
Georgia	11,240	$18,670

Below are the states where Bartenders get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
Hawaii	$54,470
District of Columbia	$37,250
Vermont	$36,010
Washington	$29,820
New York	$29,350
New Jersey	$27,850
Alaska	$26,000
California	$25,670
Massachusetts	$25,660
Rhode Island	$24,630

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• Image Credit: By U.S. Army Europe Images under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.