Bartending - Have Fun and Meet People
Bartending has reached a record level of popularity since the movie Cocktail, starring Tom Cruise, and the long-running Cheers television series have shown that a bartending career offers excitement, challenge and good clean fun.
Bartending - A Recession-Proof Career!
Bars are always busy. People enjoy the bar
atmosphere when they are celebrating good times, or to lift their
spirits during the bad times. With this in mind, bartending has been
referred to as a "recession-proof" career.
A career in bartending offers so many choices -- so many
built-in-benefits -- that hundreds of people are giving up traditional
careers, or augmenting their income with part-time bartending work.
Did You Know?
Bartending
salaries vary by region, but a bartender in today's economy can expect
to earn a salary that is above that of most entry level college grads.
In addition, most of these entry-level positions with large corporations
require more extensive (and expensive!) education and entail working
many more hours each week.
In addition, many larger bars and restaurants offer full benefits for
employees, and bartenders working for major hotels or airlines often
receive additional perks like greatly reduced lodging and air fare.
Wages and Tips - How Does That Work?
Typically,
a bartender earns a low hourly salary of $5.00 to $8.00 per hour, plus
tips.
Tips are where a bartender earns the majority of their income. Studies
have shown that a bartender's tips should be equal to 2 to 4 times their
hourly salary. As an example, if a bartender earns $6.00 an hour base
pay, their tips should average out to $12.00 to $18.00 an hour in
additional income.
A bartender in an average bar will typically earn $15.00 $30.00 an hour
between their wages and tips. A bartender in a high volume establishment
or resort area can earn $50,000 to $75.000 per year.
A bartender is required by law to claim their tips as income. The
establishment withholds taxes on these tips just like normal income, so
a bartender should not owe money at the end of the year if they claim
the correct withholding exemptions.
The secret to making the most money as a bartender is to work in a bar
that is busy, serve as many drinks as you can while providing good
service, and get the best shifts by being polite, professional, reliable
and honest.
