Looking to get into bartending, but keen to know how much a bartender makes? We’ve got you covered!
From the UK average salary annually, to hourly rates and geographical figures – find out how the average bartending salary differs in the UK, and which job titles could affect your salary…
What’s the average bartender salary in the UK?
The average bartender salary in the UK is £20,160 annually.
It’s important to remember that the UK has a huge population (67 million to be exact), meaning that the salaries can vary a lot. If you’re disappointed by our answer, we’re sorry but blame the economy. It’s entirely possible to earn a higher wage than this average calculation, as well as lower one (sorry, again).
And it’s worth remembering that bartender tips exist, too! Yes, even if you are on a low bartending wage, you can use the tips to supplement your pay packet. How much you’ll get in tips is a throw of the dice, however. It can vary from city to city, bar to bar and customer to customer! Unlike the average bartender salary in the US, tips won’t make up a huge percentage of your pay packet.
What’s the average hourly wage for a bartender in the UK?
The average hourly wage for a bartender in the UK is £10.50, which equates to the average annual salary mentioned above.
The average bartender pay per hour can vary depending on location, establishment and experience. For example, a bartender salary in London will (most likely) be extremely different to that of the salary of Liverpool.
Generally speaking, the average salary of a bartender follows a similar geographical pattern to that of other wage groups within the UK.
Do bartender salaries differ throughout the UK?
Yes, definitely. A bartender salary in the UK varies greatly depending on where you work. Below are some the averages of bartender pay per hour around the major cities…
| UK City | Average hourly salary |
| London |
£12.10 |
| Edinburgh |
£10.15 |
| Birmingham |
£10.10 |
| Bristol |
£9.90 |
| Manchester |
£9.80 |
| Leeds |
£9.60 |
| Glasgow |
£9.50 |
| Cardiff |
£9.30 |
| Belfast |
£9.20 |
| Newcastle |
£9.10 |
What are the highest paid areas in the UK?
In the UK, bartenders that are based in the south of England have the highest average salary.
Like with many other professions, bartender salaries in areas like London, Sussex, Surrey, Kent, Hampshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire are much higher than elsewhere in the UK.
Of course, you’ll be able to find bartender salaries that are high outside of these areas. But, on average, the bartender salaries in the south are the highest.
How does the job title affect the average salary?
When entering the world of bartending, your job title could affect your average salary. This could also come consequently with a slightly different job description, so it’s worth asking your employers about these little details just so you know what to expect.
Job titles could include mixologist, barkeep, bartender or even a junior position. Whilst these are all similar roles, the expectation of experience will be very different with each job title. A mixologist may be seen in high regard and well-experienced in bartending, therefore mixologists will demand a higher wage. For junior positions, this won’t be the case, with a junior bartender earning much less, unfortunately.
This shouldn’t be of great concern if you’re wanting to make it in the bartending world, but it’s always worth being made aware of this reality, than not.
Is bartending a good job in the UK?
Yes. Bartending is a good job to have the UK for a number of reasons.
Firstly, it’s an incredibly social job, requiring good team work and customer service skills. If you’re a chatty person and love getting creative, then a job as a bartender will be a great career move for you.
Also (and some say, most importantly), a bartender can earn a good salary. Earning a high bartender salary may not happen immediately, but with time and experience it’s completely achievable!
Lastly, life as a bartender will see your employability skyrocket and employers falling over to get you in their company. Bartending is all about customer service, communication, money handling and organisation, just to name a few qualities.
You can pick up a wealth of knowledge from bartending to prepare you for pastures new, if you decide to move onto something else.
So, yes it’s a good job…
Can you have a career in bartending?
Yes! Of course, you can have a career in bartending. How to become a bartender
There are many veteran bartenders around that have forged new paths within bartending throughout their long career. So, it’s completely possible to become a ‘career bartender’. Plus, the more experience you get for yourself, the better chance you’ll have of a higher salary over time.
This isn’t just some weekend job down Oceana!
Want to start earning a bartending salary and become a professional bartender? Learn more about our bartender course today.
Through graduating, you’ll be able to have special access to our employment platform, EBS MatchStaff, to get job alerts on the best bartending jobs for you within the United Kingdom…
