Bartenders Salary
In Tennessee, bartenders earn $27,480 at the median, or about $13.21 an hour. The range runs from $16K at the entry level to $53K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.78), which stretches that salary to about $30,608 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,215/month, about 59.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Tennessee. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $27K get you in Tennessee?
About bartenders
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What this looks like in Tennessee
Pay for bartenders in Tennessee runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $34K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,215/month, which is 60.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.78 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for bartenderss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tennessee
Entry-level bartenders (10th percentile) start around $16K. Mid-career wages sit at $27K. Top earners bring in $53K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.
Bartenders salary by metro in Tennessee
10 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsport-Bristol | $31K | +14% | 280 |
| Knoxville | $29K | +5% | 1,400 |
| Memphis | $29K | +4% | 1,380 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $28K | +3% | 4,540 |
| Cleveland | $26K | -6% | 110 |
| Chattanooga | $26K | -7% | 890 |
| Clarksville | $24K | -12% | 290 |
| Morristown | $24K | -14% | 70 |
| Jackson | $22K | -20% | 180 |
| Johnson City | $22K | -21% | 270 |
Compare to other states
Track bartenders salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Tennessee numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a bartender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tennessee?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $27K, rent takes 60.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,215/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 Tennessee?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bartenders typically earn — is $16K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $958/month. At HUD’s $1,215/month FMR, rent would take 127% 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 Tennessee?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $27K here vs. $34K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Tennessee compare to the national average for bartenders?
Tennessee pays $27K median vs. the U.S. average of $34K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $31K — below the national median.
How much do bartenders make in Tennessee?
The median is $27,480 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $15,970, and experienced bartenders can clear $52,740. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $27K enough to live in Tennessee?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,010/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,215/month, which eats 60.4% 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 Tennessee?
Tennessee has a Regional Price Parity of 89.78 (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 $30,608 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.