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Bartender

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AVG. SALARY

$30,980

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EDUCATION

No standard requirement

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JOB OUTLOOK

Stable

What They Do

Bartenders Career Video

Insider Info

Bartenders work in pubs, restaurants, hotels and taverns, mixing and serving alcoholic drinks.

They may also work in lounges, cruise ships, resort areas, casinos and social clubs. The job requires knowledge of alcoholic drinks, the ability to handle many tasks at once and a friendly demeanor.

Bartenders also keep the bar stocked with supplies, clean the bar and track receipts. Today, many restaurants use high-tech cash registers that can specifically track the day's sales. Bartenders also check the identifications of customers to ensure they're of legal age to drink, so they must be familiar with the laws relating to alcohol sales.

Bartenders work weekends and nights -- the most lucrative shifts are Friday and Saturday night.

For Amanda Talmage, late nights were difficult because they put pressure on her social life. "Late nights were the hardest thing. I lived with my boyfriend at the time and it was hard to see each other."

Mixing drinks is the biggest part of the job. One current book lists more than 2,000 different drink combinations. While the competent bartender doesn't have to know them all, most keep a recipe book handy. There are about 150 drinks that bartenders should be able to make from memory. They also need to know which of the 10 or more types of glasses each drink should be served in.

Ernie Luke has been bartending for over 30 years. He says that a bartender's talent lies in his knowledge of drink recipes. "Good bartenders know their recipes by heart. They're fast, and they're efficient."

While most bartenders focus on being quick and efficient, some go a little farther. The Tom Cruise movie Cocktail showed this so-called extreme bartending in action. Today, many resort bars and clubs in big cities have bartenders who toss bottles, flip glasses and even breathe fire while pouring drinks.

Just the Facts

Want a quick overview of what this career is about?Check out Just the Facts for simple lists of characteristics.

At a Glance

Mix drinks and keep a bar running smoothly

  • You can work in pubs, lounges, cruise ships and resort areas
  • A good barkeep knows 150 drinks by heart
  • Six-week to six-month courses are widely available

Contact

  • Email Support
  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900
  • North Dakota Career Resource Network
    ndcrn@nd.gov | (701) 328-9733

Support