Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between bar managers and bartenders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a bar manager, becoming a bartender takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a bar manager has an average salary of $46,828, which is higher than the $26,362 average annual salary of a bartender.
The top three skills for a bar manager include customer service, wine and beverage orders. The most important skills for a bartender are wine, bartending, and exceptional guest.
| Bar Manager | Bartender | |
| Yearly salary | $46,828 | $26,362 |
| Hourly rate | $22.51 | $12.67 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 18% |
| Number of jobs | 165,633 | 57,518 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.67 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 39 | 34 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Bar managers are also called bar owners or supervisors of bar establishments. The managers are in charge of managing customer complaints, ensuring stocks in the bar, and in scheduling the jobs of employees. They oversee the overall operations of the bar, manage its staff, and ensure that the standards of products and services are met. They maintain the licensure of liquor and make sure that their staff follows the local regulations. Also, they see to it that customers are served promptly.
A bartender is an expert in mixing and serving alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, either directly to customers at the bar or through waitstaff who place drink orders for dine-in or room customers. Bartenders should have a wide range of knowledge of drink recipes and be able to assess customers' needs and preferences to make recommendations. They should mix drinks accurately, quickly, and without waste. They are also responsible for checking the customers' identification to ensure they are of legal drinking age and monitor the level of their intoxication.
Bar managers and bartenders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Bar Manager | Bartender | |
| Average salary | $46,828 | $26,362 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $65,000 | Between $16,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Greenwich, CT | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Greenwich Country Club | OTTO |
| Best paying industry | Government | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a bar manager and a bartender in terms of educational background:
| Bar Manager | Bartender | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Cornell University | - |
Here are the differences between bar managers' and bartenders' demographics:
| Bar Manager | Bartender | |
| Average age | 39 | 34 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.0% Female, 44.0% | Male, 39.7% Female, 60.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 7.9% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 3.7% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 8% |