Bartenders Salary
In Farmington, NM, bartenders earn $31,030 at the median, or about $14.92 an hour. The range runs from $25K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.71), which stretches that salary to about $35,378 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,085/month, about 51.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $31K get you in Farmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Farmington’s Regional Price Parity (87.71). 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 Farmington
Bartenders pay in Farmington tracks closely to the national median, $31K locally vs. $34K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,085/month, which is 49.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.71 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for bartenders in metros near Farmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $37K | $39K |
| Santa Fe | $44K | $45K |
| Las Cruces | $34K | $38K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $24K | $23K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Farmington, NM
Entry-level bartenders (10th percentile) start around $25K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $34K 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 Farmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 49.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,085/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for bartenders in Farmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bartenders typically earn — is $25K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,528/month. At HUD’s $1,085/month FMR, rent would take 71% 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 Farmington?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $31K locally vs. $34K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Farmington compare to the national average for bartenders?
Farmington pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $34K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $35K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do bartenders make in Farmington, NM?
The median is $31,030 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,470, and experienced bartenders can clear $59,870. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Farmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,204/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,085/month, which eats 49.2% 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 Farmington?
Farmington has a Regional Price Parity of 87.71 (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 $35,378 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.