If you're a good listener, you might make an excellent bartender. Unfortunately, that's not a qualifying factor. As long as you're 18, though, you should be good to go. Generally, bartender serve their drinks at restaurants, bars, clubs and hotels. But if you don't like working late evenings, weekends and holidays, then this may not be the job for you.
Bartenders mix drinks and serve them directly to customers or through wait staff.
DutiesBartenders typically do the following:
Bartenders fill drink orders either directly from customers at the bar or through waiters and waitresses who place drink orders for dining room customers. Bartenders must know a wide range of drink recipes and be able to mix drinks correctly and quickly. When measuring and pouring beverages they must avoid spillage or over pouring. They also must work well with waiters and waitresses and other kitchen staff to ensure that customers receive prompt service.
Some establishments, especially busy establishments with many customers, use equipment that automatically measures and pours drinks at the push of a button. Bartenders who use this equipment, however, still must become familiar with the ingredients for special drink requests and be able to work quickly to handle numerous drink orders.
Bartenders in some establishments also use carbonated beverage dispensers, cocktail shakers, commercial strainers, trigger sprayers, and ice shaver machines.
In addition to mixing and serving drinks, bartenders stock and prepare garnishes for drinks and maintain an adequate supply of ice, glasses, and other bar supplies. They also wash glassware and utensils and serve food to customers who eat at the bar. Bartenders are usually responsible for ordering and maintaining an inventory of liquor, mixers, and other bar supplies.
Some bartenders run their own bar or catering business. In addition to their standard bartending duties, these owners also are responsible for hiring, training, and supervising their staff; budgeting for and ordering supplies; and setting prices.
Most bartenders learn their skills through short-term on-the-job training usually lasting a few weeks. No formal education is required.
Many bartenders are promoted from other jobs at the establishments in which they work. Bartenders at upscale establishments usually have attended bartending classes or have previous work experience.
Although most states require workers who serve alcoholic beverages to be at least 18 years old, most bartenders are 25 or older. Bartenders must be familiar with state and local laws concerning the sale of alcoholic beverages.
EducationNo formal education is required to become a bartender. However, some aspiring bartenders acquire their skills by attending a school for bartending or by attending bartending classes at a vocational or technical school. These programs often include instruction on state and local laws and regulations concerning the sale of alcohol, cocktail recipes, proper attire and conduct, and stocking a bar. The length of each program varies, but most courses last a few weeks. Some schools help their graduates find jobs.
TrainingMost bartenders receive on-the-job training, usually lasting a few weeks, under the guidance of an experienced bartender. Training focuses on cocktail recipes, bar-setup procedures, and customer service, including how to handle unruly customers and other challenging situations. In food service establishments where bartenders serve food, the training may cover teamwork and proper food-handling procedures.
Some employers teach bartending skills to new workers by providing self-study programs, online programs, videos, and instructional booklets that explain service skills. Such programs communicate the philosophy of the establishment, help new bartenders build rapport with other staff, and instill a desire to work as a team.
Work Experience in a Related OccupationSome bartenders qualify through related work experience. They may start as bartender helpers and progress into full-fledged bartenders as they learn basic mixing procedures and recipes. Some bartenders also may start as waiters and waitresses.
AdvancementAdvancement for bartenders is usually limited to finding a job in a busier or more upscale restaurant or bar where prospects for earning tips are better. Some bartenders advance to supervisory jobs, such as dining room supervisor, maitre d', assistant manager, and restaurant general manager. A few bartenders open their own bars.
Important QualitiesCommunication skills. Bartenders must listen carefully to their customers’ orders, explain drink and food items, and make menu recommendations. They also should be able to converse with customers on a variety of subjects and create a friendly and welcoming environment.
Customer-service skills. Bartenders must have good customer-service skills to ensure repeat business.
Decisionmaking skills. Bartenders must be able to make good decisions. For example, they should be able to detect intoxicated and underage customers and deny service to those individuals.
Interpersonal skills. Bartenders should be friendly, tactful, and attentive when dealing with customers. For example, they should be able to tell a joke and laugh with a customer to build rapport.
Physical stamina. Bartenders spend hours on their feet preparing drinks and serving customers.
Physical strength. Bartenders should be able to lift and carry heavy cases of liquor, beer, and other bar supplies, which often weigh up to 50 pounds.
Tell us your goals and we'll match you with the right jobs to get there.
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of waitress you might progress to a role such as teacher eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title general manager.
Tell us your goals and we'll match you with the rights job to get there.
Job TitleCompany![]() ![]() | Company![]() ![]() | Start Date![]() ![]() | Salary![]() ![]() |
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South Atlantic League Bartenders Needed-Great PAY, Great Tips Bartenders Needed-Great PAY, Great Tips | South Atlantic League South Atlantic League | 01/29/2021 01/29/2021 | $15,13101/29/2021 $15,131 |
Minor League Baseball Bartenders Needed-Great PAY, Great Tips Bartenders Needed-Great PAY, Great Tips | Minor League Baseball Minor League Baseball | 01/29/2021 01/29/2021 | $15,13101/29/2021 $15,131 |
Sodexo DEN Airline Club Bartender-United Club DEN Airline Club Bartender-United Club | Sodexo Sodexo | 01/29/2021 01/29/2021 | $29,53101/29/2021 $29,531 |
Drury Inn & Suites St. Louis Arnold Bartender Bartender | Drury Inn & Suites St. Louis Arnold Drury Inn & Suites St. Louis Arnold | 01/28/2021 01/28/2021 | $22,95701/28/2021 $22,957 |
Beach Holidays, LLC *Bartender-and-Holiday INN @ The Pavilion *Bartender-and-Holiday INN @ The Pavilion | Beach Holidays, LLC Beach Holidays, LLC | 01/28/2021 01/28/2021 | $16,69601/28/2021 $16,696 |
Use Zippia's Salary Calculator to see how your pay matches up.
Designing and figuring out what to include on your resume can be tough, not to mention time-consuming. That's why we put together a guide that is designed to help you craft the perfect resume for becoming a Bartender. If you're needing extra inspiration, take a look through our selection of templates that are specific to your job.
Learn How To Write a Bartender Resume
At Zippia, we went through countless Bartender resumes and compiled some information about how best to optimize them. Here are some suggestions based on what we found, divided by the individual sections of the resume itself.
View Detailed InformationThe skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 20.9% of bartenders listed beverage orders on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and customer-service skills are important as well.
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a bartender. The best states for people in this position are New York, California, Nevada, and New Jersey. Bartenders make the most in New York with an average salary of $29,142. Whereas in California and Nevada, they would average $28,973 and $27,738, respectively. While bartenders would only make an average of $27,293 in New Jersey, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Nevada
$27,738
Avg. Salary
2. New Jersey
$27,293
Avg. Salary
3. California
$28,973
Avg. Salary