Head bartender vs mixologist

The differences between head 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 head bartender and a mixologist. Additionally, a head bartender has an average salary of $89,366, which is higher than the $25,161 average annual salary of a mixologist.

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

Head bartender vs mixologist overview

	Head Bartender	Mixologist
Yearly salary	$89,366	$25,161
Hourly rate	$42.96	$12.10
Growth rate	18%	18%
Number of jobs	34,561	53,872
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	34	34
Years of experience	2	2

Head bartender vs mixologist salary

Head bartenders and mixologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Head Bartender	Mixologist
Average salary	$89,366	$25,161
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $168,000	Between $15,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between head bartender and mixologist education

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

	Head Bartender	Mixologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Head bartender vs mixologist demographics

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

	Head Bartender	Mixologist
Average age	34	34
Gender ratio	Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5%	Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 3.7% White, 64.0% 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 head bartender and mixologist duties and responsibilities

Head bartender example responsibilities.

Direct bartending operations and manage inventory for the bar area.
Manage payroll and timekeeping including completion of proper paperwork for new hires and terminations.
Input data for POS systems, including monthly inventory, and maintaining all POS systems.
Certify trainer, responsible for weekly bar inventory for restaurant purchases, highly focuse on upselling.
Handle all POS operations, including starting tabs, handling cash, closing the drawer, and accounting for all transactions.
Boost revenue significantly by upselling signature drinks.

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.

Head bartender vs mixologist skills

Common head bartender skills

Customer Service, 19%
Wine, 18%
Bartending, 10%
Non-Alcoholic Beverages, 6%
Craft Beer, 6%
POS, 6%

Common mixologist skills

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

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Head Bartender vs Mixologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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