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Bar back & bartender vs tender

The differences between bar back & bartenders and tenders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a bar back & bartender, becoming a tender takes usually requires 3-6 months. Additionally, a tender has an average salary of $33,595, which is higher than the $24,129 average annual salary of a bar back & bartender.

The top three skills for a bar back & bartender include wine, drink orders and excellent guest. The most important skills for a tender are customer service, mix drinks, and POS.

Bar back & bartender vs tender overview

Bar Back & BartenderTender
Yearly salary$24,129$33,595
Hourly rate$11.60$16.15
Growth rate18%3%
Number of jobs57,42025,199
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age3440
Years of experience26

Bar back & bartender vs tender salary

Bar back & bartenders and tenders have different pay scales, as shown below.

Bar Back & BartenderTender
Average salary$24,129$33,595
Salary rangeBetween $14,000 And $40,000Between $24,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between bar back & bartender and tender education

There are a few differences between a bar back & bartender and a tender in terms of educational background:

Bar Back & BartenderTender
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Bar back & bartender vs tender demographics

Here are the differences between bar back & bartenders' and tenders' demographics:

Bar Back & BartenderTender
Average age3440
Gender ratioMale, 86.1% Female, 13.9%Male, 56.6% Female, 43.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.7% Asian, 3.6% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 3.5% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage8%4%

Differences between bar back & bartender and tender duties and responsibilities

Bar back & bartender example responsibilities.

  • Organize weekly bartending classes open to the public, manage new applicants and test staff for speed and accuracy.
  • Manage bar staff and purchased/manage the wine and liquor inventory
  • Manage payroll and timekeeping including completion of proper paperwork for new hires and terminations.
  • Negotiate bottle service pricing, ensure attentive service for VIP regulars and high-spenders.
  • Select to target VIP personnel base on continuous track record of outstanding customer support.
  • Need to know a wide variety of specialty cocktails during the day club and using micros.
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Tender example responsibilities.

  • Train and manage all new bartenders achieving significant results in their productivity and knowledge.
  • Receive formal bartending training under the number one rate bartender in southern Florida.
  • Weigh materials to be charge into furnaces using scales, remove impurities from surface of molten metal using strainers.
  • Start as bar back and work up to bartending shift, bartender and server, fast pace, high volume bar/venue.
  • Clean taps and lines, switch out kegs, and service keg line fobs to ensure the best quality beer pour.
  • Provide topside support for commercial dive operations.
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Bar back & bartender vs tender skills

Common bar back & bartender skills
  • Wine, 50%
  • Drink Orders, 11%
  • Excellent Guest, 7%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Bartending, 5%
  • Bar-Back, 5%
Common tender skills
  • Customer Service, 23%
  • Mix Drinks, 15%
  • POS, 8%
  • Craft Beer, 8%
  • Bartending, 7%
  • Fine Dining, 6%

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