Bartenders
Food Preparation and Serving Related
Mixes drinks and pours wine, bottled beer, and draft beer for people at the bar or for waitstaff to carry. Orders come in verbally; payment is collected and the cash drawer is balanced. Checking IDs is part of the job, as is stepping in when someone has had too much—asking them to stop, or arranging a ride home. Glasses, utensils, bar equipment, and tables need regular cleaning. Tends to suit people who want face-to-face service and will step in when drinking has gone too far, while handling money with care.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$34'340
Median Wage Market Position
$34'340
What you might do
- Mix and serve drinks at the bar
- Take orders from guests or waitstaff
- Pour wine, bottled beer, and draft beer
- Check IDs before serving any alcohol
- Take payment and balance the cash drawer
- Stop service and arrange a ride home
Skills that matter
- Listening to drink orders from patrons
- Verifying age on customer IDs
- Persuading patrons to stop drinking
- Collecting payment and balancing receipts
- Coordinating drink orders with waitstaff
- Watching for signs of excessive drinking
AI & the future of this role
Drink preparation and guest rapport still depend on in-person timing, taste judgment, and reading a room. Ordering apps or recipe tools might handle some routine tasks, but the social, hands-on service side tends to hold up.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details