Mixologist vs bar back & bartender

The differences between mixologists and bar back & bartenders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a mixologist and a bar back & bartender. Additionally, a mixologist has an average salary of $25,161, which is higher than the $24,129 average annual salary of a bar back & bartender.

The top three skills for a mixologist include wine, bartending and excellent guest. The most important skills for a bar back & bartender are wine, drink orders, and excellent guest.

Mixologist vs bar back & bartender overview

	Mixologist	Bar Back & Bartender
Yearly salary	$25,161	$24,129
Hourly rate	$12.10	$11.60
Growth rate	18%	18%
Number of jobs	53,872	57,420
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	34	34
Years of experience	2	2

Mixologist vs bar back & bartender salary

Mixologists and bar back & bartenders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mixologist	Bar Back & Bartender
Average salary	$25,161	$24,129
Salary range	Between $15,000 And $40,000	Between $14,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between mixologist and bar back & bartender education

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

	Mixologist	Bar Back & Bartender
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Mixologist vs bar back & bartender demographics

Here are the differences between mixologists' and bar back & bartenders' demographics:

	Mixologist	Bar Back & Bartender
Average age	34	34
Gender ratio	Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8%	Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.7% Asian, 3.6% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between mixologist and bar back & bartender duties and responsibilities

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.

Bar back & bartender example responsibilities.

Organize weekly bartending classes open to the public, manage new applicants and test staff for speed and accuracy.
Manage bar staff and purchased/manage the wine and liquor inventory
Manage payroll and timekeeping including completion of proper paperwork for new hires and terminations.
Negotiate bottle service pricing, ensure attentive service for VIP regulars and high-spenders.
Select to target VIP personnel base on continuous track record of outstanding customer support.
Need to know a wide variety of specialty cocktails during the day club and using micros.

Mixologist vs bar back & bartender skills

Common mixologist skills

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

Common bar back & bartender skills

Wine, 50%
Drink Orders, 11%
Excellent Guest, 7%
Customer Service, 7%
Bartending, 5%
Bar-Back, 5%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Mixologist
Mixologist vs Bar Back & Bartender

Updated January 8, 2025

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