Bartenders Salary
In Great Falls, MT, bartenders earn $25,310 at the median, or about $12.17 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $29K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.84), that's roughly $26,136 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,284/month, about 71.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $25K get you in Great Falls?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Great Falls’s Regional Price Parity (96.84). 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 Great Falls
Pay for bartenders in Great Falls runs about 26% below the U.S. median of $34K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,284/month, which is 70.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.84) 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 Great Falls, adjusted for local cost of living.
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Great Falls, MT
Entry-level bartenders (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $25K. Top earners bring in $29K or more, a $7K 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 Great Falls numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a bartender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Great Falls?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $25K, rent takes 70.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,284/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for bartenders in Great Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bartenders typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,316/month. At HUD’s $1,284/month FMR, rent would take 98% 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 Great Falls?
Local pay runs 26% below the national median — $25K here vs. $34K nationally.
How does Great Falls compare to the national average for bartenders?
Great Falls pays $25K median vs. the U.S. average of $34K — that’s -26%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.84), the purchasing-power equivalent is $26K — below the national median.
How much do bartenders make in Great Falls, MT?
The median is $25,310 a year, that works out to about $12 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,940, and experienced bartenders can clear $29,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $25K enough to live in Great Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,820/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,284/month, which eats 70.5% 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 Great Falls?
Great Falls has a Regional Price Parity of 96.84 (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 $26,136 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.