Pay by state · 54 areas
Bartender Salary by State (2026)
Bartenders earn the most in Hawaii at $76,490 a year and the least in South Carolina at $19,370 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $34,340. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $76,490Hawaii
- National median
- $34,340BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $19,370South Carolina
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for bartenders
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Hawaii$76,490
- 2New York$61,210
- 3Washington$55,830
- 4District of Columbia$53,920
- 5Maine$48,920
Lowest median pay
- 1South Carolina$19,370
- 2Louisiana$20,850
- 3Iowa$21,720
- 4Wyoming$22,030
- 5Texas$22,690
All states
Bartender salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of bartenders OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HIHawaii | $76,490 | $56,890 | $97,750 | 3,540 | $69,567 |
| 2 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $61,380 | $30,970 | $76,810 | 490 | N/A |
| 3 | NYNew York | $61,210 | $37,090 | $77,750 | 43,130 | $56,717 |
| 4 | WAWashington | $55,830 | $47,930 | $62,900 | 16,800 | $52,171 |
| 5 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $53,920 | $38,780 | $75,140 | 5,760 | $49,062 |
| 6 | MEMaine | $48,920 | $34,800 | $75,250 | 3,230 | $50,407 |
| 7 | VAVirginia | $47,070 | $34,640 | $73,340 | 13,370 | $46,556 |
| 8 | VTVermont | $45,450 | $30,470 | $69,220 | 2,080 | $46,397 |
| 9 | AZArizona | $45,070 | $33,520 | $73,320 | 14,840 | $44,767 |
| 10 | NJNew Jersey | $44,020 | $35,330 | $58,310 | 16,260 | $40,458 |
| 11 | OROregon | $38,900 | $33,750 | $57,120 | 11,950 | $37,635 |
| 12 | CTConnecticut | $38,780 | $34,010 | $62,120 | 7,680 | $37,429 |
| 13 | COColorado | $38,170 | $32,430 | $62,640 | 17,000 | $37,040 |
| 14 | MDMaryland | $37,580 | $34,250 | $51,530 | 13,020 | $35,804 |
| 15 | MAMassachusetts | $37,440 | $34,200 | $49,500 | 19,850 | $35,402 |
| 16 | NMNew Mexico | $36,980 | $27,050 | $50,630 | 3,790 | $40,103 |
| 17 | DEDelaware | $36,840 | $31,200 | $48,040 | 2,820 | $36,911 |
| 18 | MIMichigan | $36,780 | $28,640 | $57,310 | 21,100 | $38,226 |
| 19 | NCNorth Carolina | $36,470 | $21,740 | $57,010 | 20,070 | $38,664 |
| 20 | RIRhode Island | $36,410 | $31,200 | $57,210 | 3,170 | $35,598 |
| 21 | CACalifornia | $36,220 | $34,660 | $40,990 | 71,470 | $32,713 |
| 22 | FLFlorida | $35,150 | $29,140 | $46,850 | 55,170 | $33,990 |
| 23 | UTUtah | $32,150 | $21,230 | $51,900 | 3,350 | $32,519 |
| 24 | ILIllinois | $31,200 | $31,200 | $31,780 | 43,010 | $31,213 |
| 25 | OHOhio | $30,880 | $25,720 | $44,940 | 27,420 | $33,285 |
| 26 | AKAlaska | $30,460 | $28,250 | $36,450 | 2,280 | $29,758 |
| 27 | NENebraska | $30,180 | $28,080 | $46,040 | 7,320 | $33,495 |
| 28 | MOMissouri | $30,090 | $28,600 | $40,420 | 14,410 | $33,133 |
| 29 | WVWest Virginia | $29,630 | $23,290 | $45,850 | 3,340 | $33,107 |
| 30 | SDSouth Dakota | $29,400 | $28,080 | $33,540 | 3,930 | $33,188 |
| 31 | NDNorth Dakota | $29,040 | $22,760 | $35,610 | 3,960 | $32,644 |
| 32 | NHNew Hampshire | $28,800 | $21,230 | $58,160 | 3,840 | $27,648 |
| 33 | KYKentucky | $28,780 | $17,920 | $45,770 | 6,870 | $31,921 |
| 34 | PAPennsylvania | $28,420 | $21,270 | $45,530 | 37,490 | $29,127 |
| 35 | MSMississippi | $28,320 | $18,650 | $48,290 | 2,770 | $32,569 |
| 36 | ALAlabama | $27,980 | $21,480 | $35,510 | 6,560 | $31,501 |
| 37 | KSKansas | $27,940 | $21,130 | $46,700 | 5,430 | $31,021 |
| 38 | TNTennessee | $27,480 | $18,160 | $38,930 | 10,330 | $29,912 |
| 39 | NVNevada | $27,460 | $25,210 | $42,660 | 16,830 | $27,466 |
| 40 | IDIdaho | $27,240 | $19,970 | $38,070 | 3,430 | $28,525 |
| 41 | MNMinnesota | $26,900 | $23,850 | $33,050 | 24,420 | $27,276 |
| 42 | MTMontana | $26,010 | $22,310 | $28,770 | 5,370 | $27,482 |
| 43 | ARArkansas | $25,090 | $23,350 | $31,840 | 3,020 | $28,860 |
| 44 | OKOklahoma | $24,790 | $17,680 | $36,020 | 5,860 | $28,221 |
| 45 | WIWisconsin | $23,460 | $20,910 | $29,860 | 29,520 | $24,932 |
| 46 | GAGeorgia | $22,830 | $18,350 | $37,130 | 14,600 | $23,709 |
| 47 | INIndiana | $22,770 | $20,220 | $30,940 | 12,880 | $24,398 |
| 48 | TXTexas | $22,690 | $17,680 | $40,620 | 59,000 | $23,378 |
| 49 | PRPuerto Rico | $22,630 | $21,840 | $28,190 | 3,480 | N/A |
| 50 | WYWyoming | $22,030 | $18,240 | $32,150 | 2,660 | $23,767 |
| 51 | IAIowa | $21,720 | $18,460 | $28,400 | 9,560 | $24,749 |
| 52 | LALouisiana | $20,850 | $16,640 | $30,050 | 10,140 | $23,638 |
| 53 | GUGuam | $20,700 | $20,590 | $21,790 | 280 | N/A |
| 54 | SCSouth Carolina | $19,370 | $17,190 | $31,950 | 10,680 | $20,662 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For bartenders, the adjustment does not change the leader: Hawaii is first on raw pay and still first once prices are taken into account, at $69,567.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Bartender pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays bartenders the most?
Hawaii reports the highest median wage for bartenders at $76,490 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by New York ($61,210) and Washington ($55,830).
Which state pays bartenders the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, South Carolina reports the lowest median for bartenders at $19,370 a year, $57,120 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $61,380, Puerto Rico reports $22,630 and Guam reports $20,700.
Is the highest-paying state the best for bartenders after cost of living?
Yes. Hawaii stays first after dividing each state median by its BEA Regional Price Parity, at $69,567 in national-average dollars from a raw $76,490. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.