How to hire a bartender

How to hire a bartender, step by step

Here's a step-by-step bartender hiring guide:

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

What does a bartender do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the bartender you need to hire. Certain bartender roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A bartender's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, bartenders from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of bartender salaries for various roles:

   Type of Bartender	Description	Hourly rate
   Bartender	Bartenders mix drinks and serve them directly to customers or through wait staff.	$7-20
   Beverage Server	A beverage server specializes in mixing and preparing drinks, serving them to customers courteously. Their responsibilities also include greeting the customers, taking orders, answering inquiries, offering recommendations when necessary, and checking the customers' identification to confirm their ages... Show more	$9-15
   Bar Back	A bar back performs various support tasks in restaurants and other dining establishments. They may assist bartenders and other staff by taking orders, serving drinks, monitoring inventories, re-stocking supplies, discarding the trash, and maintaining the cleanliness of different areas... Show more	$9-15

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Wine
   • Bartending
   • Exceptional Guest
   • Cleanliness
   • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
   • Cash Handling
   • Beverage Orders
   • POS
   • Customer Service
   • Non-Alcoholic Drinks
   • BARS
   • Garnishing
   • Food Handling
   • Excellent Guest

   Check all skills

   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.

   More bartender duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your bartender job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A bartender salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a bartender in Utah may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level bartender usually earns less than a senior-level bartender. Additionally, a bartender with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average bartender salary

   $12.67hourly

   $26,362 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level bartender salary

   $16,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average bartender salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$32,743	$16
   2	California	$32,246	$16
   3	New York	$31,869	$15
   4	Massachusetts	$31,739	$15
   5	District of Columbia	$30,238	$15
   6	Oregon	$29,420	$14
   7	Arizona	$28,179	$14
   8	Minnesota	$27,103	$13
   9	Maine	$26,483	$13
   10	Maryland	$26,306	$13
   11	Colorado	$25,711	$12
   12	North Carolina	$24,248	$12
   13	Louisiana	$23,254	$11
   14	Nevada	$23,145	$11
   15	Florida	$22,909	$11
   16	Indiana	$22,407	$11
   17	Georgia	$22,352	$11
   18	Missouri	$22,141	$11
   19	Pennsylvania	$21,960	$11
   20	Illinois	$21,895	$11

   Average bartender salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	OTTO	$76,707	$36.88
   2	Tableau	$64,422	$30.97
   3	Hill International	$52,994	$25.48
   4	New York Institute of Technology	$52,620	$25.30
   5	Uline	$50,131	$24.10	1
   6	University of California	$46,511	$22.36
   7	Sentry	$44,879	$21.58	4
   8	Rich Products	$44,341	$21.32	1
   9	University of California-Berkeley	$44,255	$21.28
   10	Cypress	$44,168	$21.23	1
   11	The Culinary Institute of America	$43,725	$21.02
   12	Scottsdale Insurance	$43,468	$20.90	1
   13	ADA-ES	$39,493	$18.99
   14	Earth Fare	$38,986	$18.74	3
   15	St. Petersburg Yacht Club	$38,747	$18.63
   16	Aspen Snowmass	$38,693	$18.60	6
   17	Colony Display	$38,591	$18.55
   18	H-E-B	$38,115	$18.32
   19	Tiffany & Co.	$36,895	$17.74
   20	El Capitan High School	$36,740	$17.66

4. Writing a bartender job description

   A good bartender job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a bartender job description:

   Bartender job description example

   At Outback Steakhouse, we believe that people want to be part of something they can be proud of, is fun, and values you. Our goal for you as an Outbacker, is to allow your BOLD personality to shine, make it a great place to work, while exceeding concentrated customer service, bringing our Guests an AUSS-SOME experience.
   
   Join for the Fun, Stay for the Career! If you are looking for a great place to work, have fun, and make money mate, click to apply!
   
   Do you like hosting the party? Come join the Outback family as a Bartender, where you'll efficiently craft every drink to perfection and serve customers responsibly. You will support our commitment to bringing our spirited drinks to life for each and every Guest. As a Bartender, you'll help to provide each customer with an AUSS-SOME dining experience in the restaurant, that makes each Guests day better. Have no worries, just fun!
   The Bartender is also responsible for:
   
   Efficiently leading bar service, including the pace and experience of each Guest, following Outback hospitality standards Using food and beverage menu knowledge to share favorites and provide recommendations Anticipating needs, processing Guests orders, and taking payment in hospitable, timely manner Following state/local laws and guidelines
   
   Perks & Benefits that we offer at Outback Steakhouse:
   
   We support your BOLD career dreams. #BloomWithUs. PTO (when eligible) to take the time for you! Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day to spend time with family and friends. Health & Wellness benefits (when eligible) Medical Prescription Dental Vision Company paid Life Insurance Health Rewards Meal comp benefits. Anniversary Program. Rx for pet's prescription savings program. Employee discounts with Perks at Work! Rewards and recognition programs (we appreciate all that you do).
   
   Bloomin' Brands, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. M/F/D/V are encouraged to apply.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right bartender for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your bartender job on Zippia to find and recruit bartender 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 bartenders, 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   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 bartender

   Once you've found the bartender candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new bartender. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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How much does it cost to hire a bartender?