Bartender vs mixologist

The differences between bartenders and mixologists 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 mixologist. Additionally, a bartender has an average salary of $26,362, which is higher than the $25,161 average annual salary of a mixologist.

The top three skills for a bartender include wine, bartending and exceptional guest. The most important skills for a mixologist are wine, bartending, and excellent guest.

Bartender vs mixologist overview

	Bartender	Mixologist
Yearly salary	$26,362	$25,161
Hourly rate	$12.67	$12.10
Growth rate	18%	18%
Number of jobs	57,518	53,872
Job satisfaction	4.67	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	34	34
Years of experience	2	2

Bartender vs mixologist salary

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

	Bartender	Mixologist
Average salary	$26,362	$25,161
Salary range	Between $16,000 And $43,000	Between $15,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	-
Highest paying state	Hawaii	-
Best paying company	OTTO	-
Best paying industry	Hospitality	-

Differences between bartender and mixologist education

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

	Bartender	Mixologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Bartender vs mixologist demographics

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

	Bartender	Mixologist
Average age	34	34
Gender ratio	Male, 39.7% Female, 60.3%	Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8%
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, 5.1% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 3.5% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between bartender and mixologist 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.

Mixologist example responsibilities.

Book VIP tables and provide high quality service.
Count down all registers in VIP sections.
Open new restaurants and bars across the country.
Cut fruit for garnishing as well as ingredients for cocktails.
Operate POS terminal without error totaling approximately $20k in sales on a weekly basis.
Keep records and enter all the items of food and beverage in the POS system.

Bartender vs mixologist skills

Common bartender skills

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

Common mixologist skills

Wine, 31%
Bartending, 11%
Excellent Guest, 7%
Cleanliness, 7%
Drink Orders, 5%
Fine Dining, 4%

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Bartender vs Mixologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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