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Bartenders in Washington

Considering working as a Bartenders in Washington? Below are the key facts. Mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through waitstaff.

What do Bartenders Make in Washington?

The bartenders working in Washington, wages run about $48,320 per year (or roughly $23.23/hour).Pay can range from $36,130 at the 10th percentile to $87,130 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$36,130	$17.37
25th percentile	$44,410	$21.35
Median (50th)	$48,320	$23.23
75th percentile	$60,090	$28.89
90th percentile	$87,130	$41.89

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Washington compared to the national average — is 1.12, meaning that bartenders are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, bartenders earn a median of $28,151 per year ($13.53/hour), above the Washington median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 523,148 bartenders in the U.S.. In Washington alone, about 19,140 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 8,740 bartenders.

Top Washington Metros for Bartenders

The metro areas below employ the most bartenders in Washington.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	10,870	$49,490
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	1,240	$45,700
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA	750	$47,690
Bellingham, WA	690	$47,170
Kennewick-Richland, WA	690	$46,780
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA	610	$46,020
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA	450	$45,190
Yakima, WA	450	$45,340
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA	330	$46,790
Longview-Kelso, WA	260	$46,130
Walla Walla, WA	120	$44,290

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

The highest-paying states for 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

The most important bartenders skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core 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

Careers similar 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