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Bartender
Cash money, late nights and a room you have to read.
Typical pay
$28k-$75k including tips
How you get in
On the job; certification requirements vary by state
Outlook
Steady; the best-paying rooms are competitive
Bartenders mix and serve drinks while managing a bar, a tab list and a room full of people at varying stages of the evening. Income is mostly tips, which makes the venue you work at more important than your skill level.
A day in the life
- 3:00pSet up — cut fruit, stock ice, count the drawer
- 5:00pHappy hour, steady but manageable
- 8:00pDinner rush, tickets and bar guests at once
- 11:00pPeak — three deep at the rail
- 1:30aLast call, cut off whoever needs it
- 2:30aClose out, break down, count tips
How to get in
Barback to bartender
Duration
6-18 months
Cost
$0 — paid from day one
Credential
State alcohol server certification
- Get hired as a barback stocking, running ice and washing glass
- Learn the well, the specs and the rhythm of service
- Get your state alcohol server card
- Take shifts when a bartender calls out, then earn a regular slot
Bartending school
Duration
2-8 weeks
Cost
$400-$800
Credential
Certificate plus alcohol server card
- Complete a short bartending course
- Get your state alcohol server certification
- Understand that many bars discount the certificate entirely
- Still expect to start as a barback at a good venue
Serve first, move behind the bar
Duration
1-2 years
Cost
$0
Credential
State alcohol server certification
- Work as a server in the same restaurant
- Learn the guests, the POS and the menu
- Ask for bar shifts during slow periods
- Move to the bar as a known quantity
What people love
- · Cash in hand every shift
- · No degree or long training required
- · Genuinely social work
- · Flexible around daytime commitments
What wears people down
- · Your night is everyone else's night out
- · On your feet with no real breaks
- · Income depends on the venue, not your ability
- · No benefits at most bars