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What is a bar attendant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
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There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a bar attendant. For example, did you know that they make an average of $11.68 an hour? That's $24,295 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 9% and produce 372,900 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreBar AttendantUS Average
Salary
1.9

Avg. Salary $24,295

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.2

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
8.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.03%

Asian 7.45%

Black or African American 10.40%

Hispanic or Latino 15.51%

Unknown 5.21%

White 60.40%

Gender

female 64.77%

male 35.23%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress level
6.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.1

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Bar attendant career paths

Key steps to become a bar attendant

  1. Explore bar attendant education requirements

    Most common bar attendant degrees

    High School Diploma

    36.6 %

    Bachelor's

    31.8 %

    Associate

    19.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific bar attendant skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Cleanliness25.27%
    Front Desk16.27%
    Quality Standards14.17%
    Guest Satisfaction12.41%
    Clean Tables5.88%
  3. Complete relevant bar attendant training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New bar attendants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a bar attendant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real bar attendant resumes.
  4. Research bar attendant duties and responsibilities

    • Maintain cleanliness and organization of designate work areas.
    • Maintain cleanliness, sanitation and organize assigned work areas.
    • Keep records on individual pet, including daily observations and information activities perform, meals sever, and medication administer.
    • Set up the VIP area.
  5. Prepare your bar attendant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your bar attendant resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a bar attendant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable bar attendant resume templates

    Build a professional bar attendant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your bar attendant resume.
    Bar Attendant Resume
    Bar Attendant Resume
    Bar Attendant Resume
    Bar Attendant Resume
    Bar Attendant Resume
    Bar Attendant Resume
    Bar Attendant Resume
    Bar Attendant Resume
    Bar Attendant Resume
  6. Apply for bar attendant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a bar attendant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first bar attendant job

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Average bar attendant salary

The average bar attendant salary in the United States is $24,295 per year or $12 per hour. Bar attendant salaries range between $18,000 and $31,000 per year.

Average bar attendant salary
$24,295 Yearly
$11.68 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do bar attendants rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Bar attendant reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros

Preparing the food items that are needed to be out for breakfast before start time..making sure the food are hot and all the items that are required to have so our guests are not disappointed. Especially having fresh coffee 24/7 along with hot tea and gotta have that fresh cold orang juice and apple juice

Cons

No reason to not like breakfast just having to get up early enough to get to work and set out and prepare


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019
Pros

serving guest and helping them around


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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