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Bartending

Types of Degrees Bartending Majors Are Earning

Those studying Bartending can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	183
Master’s Degree	51

What Bartending Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Bartending build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Bartending graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Bartending emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Sales and Marketing — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 2.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Bartending program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Bartending careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Bartending graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information	3.8 / 7
Getting Information	3.7 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.7 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	3.6 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.6 / 7
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People	3.6 / 7
Monitoring and Controlling Resources	3.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.5 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Bartending professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Facebook	Web page creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Point of sale POS software	Point of sale POS software	—
MICROS Systems HSI Profits Series	Point of sale POS software	—
NCR NeighborhoodPOS	Point of sale POS software	—
The General Store	Point of sale POS software	—
AZZ CardFile	Data base user interface and query software	—
Intuit QuickBooks Point of Sale	Point of sale POS software	—
Focus point of sale POS software	Point of sale POS software	—
NCR Advanced Checkout Solution	Point of sale POS software	—
Compris software	Point of sale POS software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Bartending graduates include:

• Barman
• Bar Attendant
• Taproom Attendant
• Event Bartender
• Catering Bartender
• Bar Tender
• Drink Mixer
• Barmaid
• Bartender
• Restaurant Bartender
• Banquet Bartender
• Mixologist
• Barkeep
• Barkeeper
• Service Bartender

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Bartending graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	43.0%
Less than a high school diploma	37.0%
Some college courses	16.4%
Postsecondary certificate	2.6%
Bachelor’s degree	1.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Bartending?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 51.5% women and 48.5% men among Bartending graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	122	51.5%
Men	115	48.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Bartending graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	18	7.6%
Asian	2	0.8%
Hispanic or Latino	207	87.3%
Black or African American	9	3.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Bartending Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Bartending graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$24,617
4 years	$29,033
5 years	$32,264

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $32,264 — roughly 31% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Bartending Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Bartending graduates earn a median of $29,033 four years after completion — about 24% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Culinary Arts and Related Services	24,487
Culinary Arts/Chef Training	11,194
Baking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef	5,539
Culinary Arts and Related Services	4,165
Restaurant, Culinary, and Catering Management/Manager	1,343
Food Preparation/Professional Cooking/Kitchen Assistant	1,052
Culinary Arts and Related Services, Other	333
Culinary Science/Culinology	301
Institutional Food Workers	181
Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager	75
Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter	60
Wine Steward/Sommelier	7

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.