Lead Bartender Salary in the United States

How much does a Lead Bartender make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead Bartender in the United States is $86,339 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $42.

However, a Lead Bartender's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $106,982
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $75,707 to $97,145
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $66,027
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View as table View as graph 25% $75,707 10% $66,027 90% $106,982 75% $97,145 $86,339 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Lead Bartender Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $97,145 $8,095 $1,868 $47
Average $86,339 $7,195 $1,660 $42
25th Percentile $75,707 $6,309 $1,456 $36
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Key Factors That Influence Lead Bartender Salaries

A Lead Bartender's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Lead Bartender Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Lead Bartender's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $84,863
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $85,306
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $86,782
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $88,554
  • Expert (over 8 years): $91,535
Levels Salary
Entry Level Lead Bartender$84,863
Intermediate Level Lead Bartender$85,306
Senior Level Lead Bartender$86,782
Specialist Level Lead Bartender$88,554
Expert Level Lead Bartender$91,535
$84,863 0 yr
$85,306 < 2 yrs
$86,782 2-4 yrs
$88,554 5-8 yrs
$91,535 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Lead Bartenders

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $108,900
  • San Francisco: $107,829
  • Oakland: $105,437

What Skills Can Increase a Lead Bartender's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 8.09% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Product Quality (Mentioned in 1.99% Job Postings): Product quality refers to how well a product satisfies customer needs, serves its purpose and meets industry standards. When evaluating product quality, businesses consider several key factors, including whether a product solves a problem, works efficiently or suits customers' purposes.
  • Customer Satisfaction (Mentioned in 1.48% Job Postings): Customer satisfaction (often abbreviated as CSAT, more correctly CSat) is a term frequently used in marketing. It is a measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. Customer satisfaction is defined as "the number of customers, or percentage of total customers, whose reported experience with a firm, its products, or its services (ratings) exceeds specified satisfaction goals." The Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) endorses the definitions, purposes, and constructs of classes of measures that appear in Marketing Metrics as part of its ongoing Common Language in Marketing Project. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 71 percent responded that they found a customer satisfaction metric very useful in managing and monitoring their businesses. It is seen as a key performance indicator within business and is often part of a Balanced Scorecard. In a competitive marketplace where businesses compete for customers, customer satisfaction is seen as a key differentiator and increasingly has become a key element of business strategy.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 8.09%
Product Quality 1.99%
Customer Satisfaction 1.48%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Lead Bartender's salary.
  • Budgeting: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Verbal Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Budgeting
$92,383
7%
Verbal Communication
$90,656
5%
Initiative
$90,656
5%
Analysis
$90,656
5%
Presentation
$90,656
5%
Purchasing
$89,793
4%
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How Education impacts a Lead Bartender's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Lead Bartenders enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Lead Bartender with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $75,073 and $83,806).

Lead Bartender Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Lead Bartender
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.9%
High School 28.7%
Associates 22.7%
Bachelors 43.0%
Masters 4.7%
Doctorate 0.0%
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Lead Bartender Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Lead Bartender's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Lead Bartender

Salaries for a Lead Bartender can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $54,985 in 2023 to around $54,042 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Lead Bartender salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Lead Bartender Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$54,985
2024
$54,623
2025
$54,042
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $54,985
2024 $54,623
2025 $54,042
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Lead Bartender

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Lead Bartender

Here are companies hiring for Lead Bartender and their salaries, click below for more details.

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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