Bartender vs barkeep

The differences between bartenders and barkeeps can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a bartender and a barkeep. Additionally, a barkeep has an average salary of $28,654, which is higher than the $26,362 average annual salary of a bartender.

The top three skills for a bartender include wine, bartending and exceptional guest. The most important skills for a barkeep are professional customer service, POS, and bartending.

Bartender vs barkeep overview

	Bartender	Barkeep
Yearly salary	$26,362	$28,654
Hourly rate	$12.67	$13.78
Growth rate	18%	18%
Number of jobs	57,518	25,046
Job satisfaction	4.67	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	34	34
Years of experience	2	2

Bartender vs barkeep salary

Bartenders and barkeeps have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Bartender	Barkeep
Average salary	$26,362	$28,654
Salary range	Between $16,000 And $43,000	Between $21,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	-
Highest paying state	Hawaii	-
Best paying company	OTTO	-
Best paying industry	Hospitality	-

Differences between bartender and barkeep education

There are a few differences between a bartender and a barkeep in terms of educational background:

	Bartender	Barkeep
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Bartender vs barkeep demographics

Here are the differences between bartenders' and barkeeps' demographics:

	Bartender	Barkeep
Average age	34	34
Gender ratio	Male, 39.7% Female, 60.3%	Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between bartender and barkeep duties and responsibilities

Bartender example responsibilities.

Train and manage all new bartenders achieving significant results in their productivity and knowledge.
Manage bar and staff, tend bar, DJ and operate karaoke equipment.
Manage and promote company Facebook account.
Provide seamless beverage service, managing inventory and operating POS terminal.
Manage payroll and timekeeping including completion of proper paperwork for new hires and terminations.
Direct bartending operations, overseeing beverage service, scheduling, inventory management and customer service.

Barkeep example responsibilities.

Provide seamless beverage service, managing inventory and operating POS terminal.
Perform all duties of bartending.
Direct bartending operations, overseeing seamless beverage service inventory management, and customer service.
Hire and train new employees in reservation management, facility cleanliness, and bookkeeping supporting daily routine operations.
Clean, prepare and re-stock stations in support of the restaurant and co-workers.

Bartender vs barkeep skills

Common bartender skills

Wine, 23%
Bartending, 10%
Exceptional Guest, 7%
Cleanliness, 6%
Non-Alcoholic Beverages, 5%
Cash Handling, 4%

Common barkeep skills

Professional Customer Service, 49%
POS, 26%
Bartending, 25%

Bartender vs. similar jobs

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Bartender
Bartender vs Barkeep

Updated January 8, 2025

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