Bartenders Salary
In Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI, bartenders earn $36,960 at the median, or about $17.77 an hour. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.52), which stretches that salary to about $39,948 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,236/month, about 49% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K get you in Muskegon-Norton Shores?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Muskegon-Norton Shores’s Regional Price Parity (92.52). 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 Muskegon-Norton Shores
Bartenders pay in Muskegon-Norton Shores tracks closely to the national median, $37K locally vs. $34K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,236/month, which is 49.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.52 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% 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 Muskegon-Norton Shores, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $37K | $37K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $38K | $40K |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $40K | $42K |
| Ann Arbor | $38K | $38K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI
Entry-level bartenders (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $49K 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 Muskegon-Norton Shores numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a bartender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Muskegon-Norton Shores?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 49.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,236/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for bartenders in Muskegon-Norton Shores?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bartenders typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,558/month. At HUD’s $1,236/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 Muskegon-Norton Shores?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $37K locally vs. $34K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Muskegon-Norton Shores compare to the national average for bartenders?
Muskegon-Norton Shores pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $34K — that’s +8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.52), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do bartenders make in Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI?
The median is $36,960 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,960, and experienced bartenders can clear $75,050. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Muskegon-Norton Shores?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,514/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,236/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 Muskegon-Norton Shores?
Muskegon-Norton Shores has a Regional Price Parity of 92.52 (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 $39,948 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.