How to hire bartenders
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Attempt to limit problems and liability related to customers' excessive drinking by taking steps such as persuading customers to stop drinking, or ordering taxis or other transportation for intoxicated patrons. • Balance cash receipts. • Check identification of customers to verify age requirements for purchase of alcohol. • Clean bars, work areas, and tables. • Clean glasses, utensils, and bar equipment. • Collect money for drinks served. • Serve wine, and bottled or draft beer. • Take beverage orders from serving staff or directly from patrons. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential] • Strong active listening, critical thinking, speaking, active learning, monitoring and reading comprehension skills • Working knowledge of customer and personal service and English Language • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $16.51 an hour ($34,340 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for bartenders
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to attempt to limit problems and liability related to customers' excessive drinking by taking steps such as persuading customers to stop drinking, or ordering taxis or other transportation for intoxicated patrons. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to balance cash receipts. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to check identification of customers to verify age requirements for purchase of alcohol. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to clean bars, work areas, and tables. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What bartenders do
- Attempt to limit problems and liability related to customers' excessive drinking by taking steps such as persuading customers to stop drinking, or ordering taxis or other transportation for intoxicated patrons.
- Balance cash receipts.
- Check identification of customers to verify age requirements for purchase of alcohol.
- Clean bars, work areas, and tables.
- Clean glasses, utensils, and bar equipment.
- Collect money for drinks served.
- Serve wine, and bottled or draft beer.
- Take beverage orders from serving staff or directly from patrons.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for bartenders
- Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +5% over ten years, faster than average · about 121,200 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay bartenders
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $76,490 |
| New York | $61,210 |
| Washington | $55,830 |
| District of Columbia | $53,920 |
| Maine | $48,920 |
| Iowa | $21,720 |
| Louisiana | $20,850 |
| South Carolina | $19,370 |
See bartenders pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Waiters and Waitresses
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
- Fast Food and Counter Workers
- Food Preparation Workers
- Chefs and Head Cooks
- Food Service Managers
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
- Cooks, Restaurant
- Cooks, Short Order
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.