Bartenders Salary
In Boise City, ID, bartenders earn $28,840 at the median, or about $13.86 an hour. The range runs from $17K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.39), that's roughly $29,312 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,655/month, about 81.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $29K get you in Boise City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boise City’s Regional Price Parity (98.39). 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 Boise City
Pay for bartenders in Boise City runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $34K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,655/month, which is 80.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.39) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for bartenderss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for bartenders in metros near Boise City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Coeur d'Alene | $28K | $29K |
| Idaho Falls | $24K | $25K |
| Pocatello | $22K | $25K |
| Lewiston | $29K | $32K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boise City, ID
Entry-level bartenders (10th percentile) start around $17K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $46K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a bartender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boise City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $29K, rent takes 80.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,655/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for bartenders in Boise City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bartenders typically earn — is $17K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,026/month. At HUD’s $1,655/month FMR, rent would take 161% 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 Boise City?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $29K here vs. $34K nationally.
How does Boise City compare to the national average for bartenders?
Boise City pays $29K median vs. the U.S. average of $34K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.39), the purchasing-power equivalent is $29K — below the national median.
How much do bartenders make in Boise City, ID?
The median is $28,840 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $17,100, and experienced bartenders can clear $63,360. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Boise City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,050/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,655/month, which eats 80.7% 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 Boise City?
Boise City has a Regional Price Parity of 98.39 (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 $29,312 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.