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.
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. All 54 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $76,490
- National median
- $34,340
- Lowest median
- $19,370
- States reporting
- 54
Hawaii
BLS OEWS, May 2025
South Carolina
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Bartenders
- 1. Hawaii$76,490 median · $69,567 adjusted · 3,540 employed
- 2. U.S. Virgin Islands$61,380 median · no price parity · 490 employed
- 3. New York$61,210 median · $56,717 adjusted · 43,130 employed
- 4. Washington$55,830 median · $52,171 adjusted · 16,800 employed
- 5. District of Columbia$53,920 median · $49,062 adjusted · 5,760 employed
Lowest-paying states for Bartenders
- 54. South Carolina$19,370 median · $20,662 adjusted · 10,680 employed
- 53. Guam$20,700 median · no price parity · 280 employed
- 52. Louisiana$20,850 median · $23,638 adjusted · 10,140 employed
- 51. Iowa$21,720 median · $24,749 adjusted · 9,560 employed
- 50. Wyoming$22,030 median · $23,767 adjusted · 2,660 employed
Bartender salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $76,490 | $56,890 | $97,750 | 3,540 | $69,567 |
| 2 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $61,380 | $30,970 | $76,810 | 490 | N/A |
| 3 | New York | $61,210 | $37,090 | $77,750 | 43,130 | $56,717 |
| 4 | Washington | $55,830 | $47,930 | $62,900 | 16,800 | $52,171 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $53,920 | $38,780 | $75,140 | 5,760 | $49,062 |
| 6 | Maine | $48,920 | $34,800 | $75,250 | 3,230 | $50,407 |
| 7 | Virginia | $47,070 | $34,640 | $73,340 | 13,370 | $46,556 |
| 8 | Vermont | $45,450 | $30,470 | $69,220 | 2,080 | $46,397 |
| 9 | Arizona | $45,070 | $33,520 | $73,320 | 14,840 | $44,767 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $44,020 | $35,330 | $58,310 | 16,260 | $40,458 |
| 11 | Oregon | $38,900 | $33,750 | $57,120 | 11,950 | $37,635 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $38,780 | $34,010 | $62,120 | 7,680 | $37,429 |
| 13 | Colorado | $38,170 | $32,430 | $62,640 | 17,000 | $37,040 |
| 14 | Maryland | $37,580 | $34,250 | $51,530 | 13,020 | $35,804 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $37,440 | $34,200 | $49,500 | 19,850 | $35,402 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $36,980 | $27,050 | $50,630 | 3,790 | $40,103 |
| 17 | Delaware | $36,840 | $31,200 | $48,040 | 2,820 | $36,911 |
| 18 | Michigan | $36,780 | $28,640 | $57,310 | 21,100 | $38,226 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $36,470 | $21,740 | $57,010 | 20,070 | $38,664 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $36,410 | $31,200 | $57,210 | 3,170 | $35,598 |
| 21 | California | $36,220 | $34,660 | $40,990 | 71,470 | $32,713 |
| 22 | Florida | $35,150 | $29,140 | $46,850 | 55,170 | $33,990 |
| 23 | Utah | $32,150 | $21,230 | $51,900 | 3,350 | $32,519 |
| 24 | Illinois | $31,200 | $31,200 | $31,780 | 43,010 | $31,213 |
| 25 | Ohio | $30,880 | $25,720 | $44,940 | 27,420 | $33,285 |
| 26 | Alaska | $30,460 | $28,250 | $36,450 | 2,280 | $29,758 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $30,180 | $28,080 | $46,040 | 7,320 | $33,495 |
| 28 | Missouri | $30,090 | $28,600 | $40,420 | 14,410 | $33,133 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $29,630 | $23,290 | $45,850 | 3,340 | $33,107 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $29,400 | $28,080 | $33,540 | 3,930 | $33,188 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $29,040 | $22,760 | $35,610 | 3,960 | $32,644 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $28,800 | $21,230 | $58,160 | 3,840 | $27,648 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $28,780 | $17,920 | $45,770 | 6,870 | $31,921 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $28,420 | $21,270 | $45,530 | 37,490 | $29,127 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $28,320 | $18,650 | $48,290 | 2,770 | $32,569 |
| 36 | Alabama | $27,980 | $21,480 | $35,510 | 6,560 | $31,501 |
| 37 | Kansas | $27,940 | $21,130 | $46,700 | 5,430 | $31,021 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $27,480 | $18,160 | $38,930 | 10,330 | $29,912 |
| 39 | Nevada | $27,460 | $25,210 | $42,660 | 16,830 | $27,466 |
| 40 | Idaho | $27,240 | $19,970 | $38,070 | 3,430 | $28,525 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $26,900 | $23,850 | $33,050 | 24,420 | $27,276 |
| 42 | Montana | $26,010 | $22,310 | $28,770 | 5,370 | $27,482 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $25,090 | $23,350 | $31,840 | 3,020 | $28,860 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $24,790 | $17,680 | $36,020 | 5,860 | $28,221 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $23,460 | $20,910 | $29,860 | 29,520 | $24,932 |
| 46 | Georgia | $22,830 | $18,350 | $37,130 | 14,600 | $23,709 |
| 47 | Indiana | $22,770 | $20,220 | $30,940 | 12,880 | $24,398 |
| 48 | Texas | $22,690 | $17,680 | $40,620 | 59,000 | $23,378 |
| 49 | Puerto Rico | $22,630 | $21,840 | $28,190 | 3,480 | N/A |
| 50 | Wyoming | $22,030 | $18,240 | $32,150 | 2,660 | $23,767 |
| 51 | Iowa | $21,720 | $18,460 | $28,400 | 9,560 | $24,749 |
| 52 | Louisiana | $20,850 | $16,640 | $30,050 | 10,140 | $23,638 |
| 53 | Guam | $20,700 | $20,590 | $21,790 | 280 | N/A |
| 54 | South Carolina | $19,370 | $17,190 | $31,950 | 10,680 | $20,662 |
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, that changes the ranking: Hawaii leads on raw pay at $76,490, while Hawaii leads 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.
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 U.S. Virgin Islands ($61,380) and New York ($61,210).
Which state pays Bartenders the least?
South Carolina reports the lowest median for Bartenders at $19,370 a year, $57,120 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Bartenders earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Hawaii first at $69,567 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $76,490. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
← Back to the full Bartender career profile for outlook, skills and how to become one