Bartenders Salary
In Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA, bartenders earn $44,620 at the median, or about $21.45 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.13), which stretches that salary to about $48,963 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,261/month, about 41.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $45K get you in Staunton-Stuarts Draft?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Staunton-Stuarts Draft’s Regional Price Parity (91.13). 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 Staunton-Stuarts Draft
Staunton-Stuarts Draft sits well above the national pay line for bartenders, local pay runs about 30% 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 $1,261/month, which is 42.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.13 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, 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, Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA
Entry-level bartenders (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $74K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Staunton-Stuarts Draft numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a bartender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Staunton-Stuarts Draft?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 42.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,261/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 Staunton-Stuarts Draft?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bartenders typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,670/month. At HUD’s $1,261/month FMR, rent would take 76% 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 Staunton-Stuarts Draft?
Local pay is 30% above the national median — $45K here vs. $34K nationally.
How does Staunton-Stuarts Draft compare to the national average for bartenders?
Staunton-Stuarts Draft pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $34K — that’s +30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.13), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do bartenders make in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?
The median is $44,620 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,830, and experienced bartenders can clear $73,720. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Staunton-Stuarts Draft?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,987/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,261/month, which eats 42.2% 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 Staunton-Stuarts Draft?
Staunton-Stuarts Draft has a Regional Price Parity of 91.13 (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 $48,963 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.