Bartenders Salary
In Virginia, bartenders earn $47,070 at the median, or about $22.63 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $90K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $49,657 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 51.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $47K get you in Virginia?
About bartenders
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What this looks like in Virginia
Virginia sits well above the national pay line for bartenders, local pay runs about 37% 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 $1,646/month, which is 52.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level bartenders (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $90K or more, a $63K spread from bottom to top.
Bartenders salary by metro in Virginia
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville | $48K | +2% | 650 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $47K | -1% | 2,860 |
| Roanoke | $47K | -1% | 520 |
| Richmond | $46K | -2% | 2,110 |
| Harrisonburg | $45K | -5% | 280 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft | $45K | -5% | 180 |
| Lynchburg | $44K | -6% | 290 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $43K | -8% | 270 |
| Winchester | $42K | -12% | 240 |
Compare to other states
Track bartenders salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a bartender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 52.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/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 Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bartenders typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,673/month. At HUD’s $1,646/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 Virginia?
Local pay is 37% above the national median — $47K here vs. $34K nationally.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for bartenders?
Virginia pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $34K — that’s +37%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do bartenders make in Virginia?
The median is $47,070 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,890, and experienced bartenders can clear $90,400. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,139/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 52.4% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (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 $49,657 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.