How to hire a bar manager

How to hire a bar manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step bar manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a bar manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new bar manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a bar manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The bar manager hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect bar manager also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of bar managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Bar Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Bar Manager	Food service managers are responsible for the daily operation of restaurants and other establishments that prepare and serve food and beverages. They direct staff to ensure that customers are satisfied with their dining experience, and they manage the business to ensure that it is profitable.	$15-31
   Dining Room Manager	Dining Room Managers are responsible for supervising the operations of a dining establishment or restaurant. Their duties include ensuring workers adhere to operational and service standards, implement training and recruitment processes, addressing customer concerns, achieving customer satisfaction, and overseeing a restaurant's inventory and budget... Show more	$16-33
   Restaurant General Manager	A restaurant general manager is someone whose responsibility is to handle the daily operations of the restaurant. Restaurant general managers ensure compliance with the overall operations to the company's standards... Show more	$19-37

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Wine
   • Beverage Orders
   • Bartending
   • Payroll
   • POS
   • Guest Satisfaction
   • Food Service
   • Alcoholic Beverages
   • Inventory Control
   • Fine Dining
   • Cost Control
   • Labor Costs
   • Customer Complaints

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage liquor and wine inventory and develop cocktail menus taking advantage of fresh ingredients.
   • Inventory and order bar stock and manage FOH staff, as well as ensured food quality and timeliness of service.
   • Manage front-of-house operations for upscale wine bar and restaurant, including assisting in monitoring and management of inventory and finances.
   • Perform typical bartending duties including all aspects of customer service.
   • Direct all bartending operations as well as ordering and inventory management.
   • Help with shift movement according seniority while abiding by the bartender and culinary CBA.

   More bar manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the bar manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A bar manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a bar manager in South Carolina may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level bar manager. Additionally, a bar manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average bar manager salary

   $46,828yearly

   $22.51 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level bar manager salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average bar manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$59,643	$29
   2	District of Columbia	$58,219	$28
   3	Pennsylvania	$57,704	$28
   4	Massachusetts	$56,990	$27
   5	Delaware	$56,929	$27
   6	California	$54,466	$26
   7	Vermont	$52,006	$25
   8	New York	$49,065	$24
   9	Nevada	$48,851	$23
   10	Illinois	$48,493	$23
   11	Virginia	$47,765	$23
   12	Indiana	$47,047	$23
   13	New Mexico	$44,972	$22
   14	Washington	$44,812	$22
   15	Oregon	$44,150	$21
   16	Texas	$44,083	$21
   17	Ohio	$44,075	$21
   18	North Carolina	$43,535	$21
   19	Colorado	$43,506	$21
   20	Florida	$43,082	$21

   Average bar manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Greenwich Country Club	$69,713	$33.52
   2	Club	$57,520	$27.65	25
   3	Maple Software Pvt	$56,171	$27.01
   4	Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort	$50,477	$24.27
   5	Buffalo Wild Wings	$49,546	$23.82	256
   6	Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurants	$49,546	$23.82	32
   7	Flipside, Inc.	$47,596	$22.88
   8	Guest Services	$46,120	$22.17	16
   9	Benchmark Group	$46,067	$22.15
   10	Goodwin Recruiting	$45,155	$21.71	1
   11	White House Inn	$45,148	$21.71	2
   12	Fricker'S	$45,148	$21.71	19
   13	The Indigo Road Resturant Group	$45,148	$21.71	2
   14	Drive Shack	$45,148	$21.71	5
   15	Sparrow Construction Co Inc	$45,148	$21.71
   16	Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants	$45,020	$21.64	65
   17	Hyatt Hotels	$44,691	$21.49	70
   18	Xponential Fitness	$44,559	$21.42	92
   19	Aimbridge Hospitality	$44,469	$21.38
   20	HEI Hotels & Resorts	$44,039	$21.17	55

4. Writing a bar manager job description

   A bar manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a bar manager job description:

   Bar manager job description example

   Know what it's like to be in the stadium on game day? Then you know what it's like to work at Buffalo Wild Wings. It's fun. It's fast-paced. We're at the top of our game - and we want to keep it that way. So, we're constantly upping the ante, providing the ultimate experience for our fans. And, of course, it's our people that bring that experience to life.
   *GAME DAY*
   
   Our Bar Managers are on the front line, operating our sports bars on a day to day basis. As a Bar Manager, you'll be responsible for overseeing the Bar execution and overall performance. It will be up to you to make sure that Bar operations, Cost of Sales and variances are running smoothly while providing the ultimate experience for our sports fans. If that weren't cool enough, you'll also be strengthening and conditioning our Bartenders to be ready for every game day.
   
   *WE'LL PROVIDE THE PLAYBOOK, HERE'S WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE*
   
   * You know the business. You have general knowledge of labor laws, health codes, safe food handling and sanitation, responsible alcohol service, safety and security systems and procedures, computer operations.
   
   * You have the education and experience. You're a high school graduate or similar and possess proper food handlers and alcohol dispensing certifications (if required by law). Extra points if you bring a bachelor's degree, have 2 years of restaurant experience and/or 1 year of previous management experience.
   
   * You're Team focused. You have a passion for training and developing your Team.
   
   *BRAG FACTOR*
   
   You'll be working for the hottest brand around and have tons of fun doing it. As a Bar Manager, you'll be eligible for monthly and quarterly bonuses and a comprehensive benefits program including a deal on stock. You will have the resources to be at the top of your game. Everything that we put into developing sauces for our famous wings, we put the same vigor into developing and growing our managers. From learning and development to career progression - we've got it covered. Did we mention that you'll never miss a sporting event ever again?

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right bar manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with bar managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit bar managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your bar manager job on Zippia to find and recruit bar manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit bar managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new bar manager

   Once you've selected the best bar manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new bar manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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