A bartender mixes drinks, serves customers, and manages a bar or section of one. You'll work in restaurants, hotels, and nightlife venues. Most bartenders start with a high school diploma and learn on the job or through short training programs.
Pathly builds you a free, personalized roadmap and helps your counselor champion you along the way.
Bartenders prepare and serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to customers at bars, restaurants, hotels, and event venues. You'll take orders, mix cocktails and other beverages, handle cash and card payments, and keep track of inventory. You work directly with customers, so you'll need to listen carefully to their requests, answer questions about drinks and menu items, and maintain a friendly atmosphere. You may also train newer staff, restock supplies, and follow safety and legal guidelines around alcohol service.
Core work activities
Career video courtesy of CareerOneStop.
Bartenders earn a median of $34,340 a year, based on 2025 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and location.
The outlook is strong. Employment is projected to grow 6 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than average for all occupations, with about 129,600 openings a year.
Top skills
Knowledge areas
Most bartenders enter the field with a high school diploma or equivalent and learn through on-the-job training. Some people complete short bartending courses or programs before applying for jobs. You'll start by observing experienced bartenders, practicing drink recipes, and gradually taking on more responsibility. Many bars prefer to hire people without prior experience and train them in their specific style and menu. Some states or localities require certification or training in responsible alcohol service, so check your local requirements.
Bartending offers flexible scheduling and direct customer interaction, with paths ranging from part-time entry roles to full-time positions at upscale establishments. If you're exploring whether this fits your lifestyle and goals, Pathly can map the bartender path that fits you and work through it with your counselor to build a realistic plan.
Many bartenders must be licensed, and professional certifications can strengthen your resume.
Common certifications
Licensing is handled at the state level and the requirements vary, so check the licensing board in your state. Pathly shows your state's specific steps inside your roadmap.
You're drawn to hands-on work, enjoy interacting with people, and like being in active, social environments where you can see the direct results of your effort.
Reading about a career is the easy part. Turning it into a plan is where most students get stuck. Pathly takes you from curious to a clear next step, and gives your counselor the insight to champion you along the way.
Start with a quick quiz and assessments that surface your personality, your EQ, and what really motivates you, so your next steps are built around who you actually are.
Your free AI guide weighs this career against your strengths and goals, and surfaces the colleges, trades, and scholarships that match, so you know if it truly fits before you commit.
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Last updated July 1, 2026.
Data sources. Career details from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Salary and outlook figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 wages; 2024–2034 projections), delivered via the CareerOneStop API. Certification, licensing, wage, and outlook data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).