Bartenders Salary
In Tulsa, OK, bartenders earn $27,450 at the median, or about $13.2 an hour. The range runs from $16K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.21), which stretches that salary to about $30,770 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,217/month, about 62.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $27K get you in Tulsa?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Tulsa’s Regional Price Parity (89.21). 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 Tulsa
Pay for bartenders in Tulsa 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 $1,217/month, which is 62.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.21 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for bartenders in metros near Tulsa, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City | $25K | $27K |
| Lawton | $21K | $25K |
| Enid | $28K | $33K |
| 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, Tulsa, OK
Entry-level bartenders (10th percentile) start around $16K. Mid-career wages sit at $27K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $32K 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 Tulsa numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a bartender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tulsa?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $27K, rent takes 62.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,217/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 Tulsa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bartenders typically earn — is $16K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $975/month. At HUD’s $1,217/month FMR, rent would take 125% 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 Tulsa?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $27K here vs. $34K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Tulsa compare to the national average for bartenders?
Tulsa pays $27K median vs. the U.S. average of $34K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $31K — below the national median.
How much do bartenders make in Tulsa, OK?
The median is $27,450 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $16,250, and experienced bartenders can clear $47,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $27K enough to live in Tulsa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,940/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,217/month, which eats 62.7% 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 Tulsa?
Tulsa has a Regional Price Parity of 89.21 (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 $30,770 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.