Bartenders Salary
In Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, bartenders earn $43,070 at the median, or about $20.71 an hour. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.71), which stretches that salary to about $46,457 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,271/month, about 43.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $43K get you in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford’s Regional Price Parity (92.71). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About bartenders
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What this looks like in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford sits well above the national pay line for bartenders, local pay runs about 25% higher than the U.S. median of $34K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,271/month, which is 44% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.71 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for bartenders in metros near Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $47K | $48K |
| Richmond | $46K | $47K |
| Charlottesville | $48K | $49K |
| Roanoke | $47K | $50K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
Entry-level bartenders (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $50K spread from bottom to top.
Bartenders pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Bartenders salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $76K | +123% | 3,540 |
| New York | $61K | +78% | 43,130 |
| Washington | $56K | +63% | 16,800 |
| District of Columbia | $54K | +57% | 5,760 |
| Maine | $49K | +42% | 3,230 |
| Virginia | $47K | +37% | 13,370 |
| Vermont | $45K | +32% | 2,080 |
| Arizona | $45K | +31% | 14,840 |
| New Jersey | $44K | +28% | 16,260 |
| Oregon | $39K | +13% | 11,950 |
| Connecticut | $39K | +13% | 7,680 |
| Colorado | $38K | +11% | 17,000 |
| Maryland | $38K | +9% | 13,020 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | +9% | 19,850 |
| New Mexico | $37K | +8% | 3,790 |
| Delaware | $37K | +7% | 2,820 |
| Michigan | $37K | +7% | 21,100 |
| North Carolina | $36K | +6% | 20,070 |
| Rhode Island | $36K | +6% | 3,170 |
| California | $36K | +5% | 71,470 |
| Florida | $35K | +2% | 55,170 |
| Utah | $32K | -6% | 3,350 |
| Illinois | $31K | -9% | 43,010 |
| Ohio | $31K | -10% | 27,420 |
| Alaska | $30K | -11% | 2,280 |
| Nebraska | $30K | -12% | 7,320 |
| Missouri | $30K | -12% | 14,410 |
| West Virginia | $30K | -14% | 3,340 |
| South Dakota | $29K | -14% | 3,930 |
| North Dakota | $29K | -15% | 3,960 |
| New Hampshire | $29K | -16% | 3,840 |
| Kentucky | $29K | -16% | 6,870 |
| Pennsylvania | $28K | -17% | 37,490 |
| Mississippi | $28K | -18% | 2,770 |
| Alabama | $28K | -19% | 6,560 |
| Kansas | $28K | -19% | 5,430 |
| Tennessee | $27K | -20% | 10,330 |
| Nevada | $27K | -20% | 16,830 |
| Idaho | $27K | -21% | 3,430 |
| Minnesota | $27K | -22% | 24,420 |
| Montana | $26K | -24% | 5,370 |
| Arkansas | $25K | -27% | 3,020 |
| Oklahoma | $25K | -28% | 5,860 |
| Wisconsin | $23K | -32% | 29,520 |
| Georgia | $23K | -34% | 14,600 |
| Indiana | $23K | -34% | 12,880 |
| Texas | $23K | -34% | 59,000 |
| Wyoming | $22K | -36% | 2,660 |
| Iowa | $22K | -37% | 9,560 |
| Louisiana | $21K | -39% | 10,140 |
| South Carolina | $19K | -44% | 10,680 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track bartenders salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a bartender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 44% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,271/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for bartenders in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bartenders typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,614/month. At HUD’s $1,271/month FMR, rent would take 79% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is bartender a high-paying job in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
Local pay is 25% above the national median — $43K here vs. $34K nationally.
How does Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford compare to the national average for bartenders?
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $34K — that’s +25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do bartenders make in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?
The median is $43,070 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,900, and experienced bartenders can clear $76,430. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,890/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,271/month, which eats 44% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a bartenders salary go in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford has a Regional Price Parity of 92.71 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median bartenders salary is worth about $46,457 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do bartenders get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.