Bartenders Salary in San Francisco, CA (2024)
Bartenders in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area earn a median of $38,430 per year ($18.48 per hour) based on 11,590 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +14.6% against the national median of $33,530 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where bartenders actually sit across the pay range in San Francisco, CA, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.42 | $36,230 | |
| 25th percentile | $17.78 | $36,980 | |
| Median | $18.48 | $38,430 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $22.52 | $46,850 | |
| 90th percentile | $39.33 | $81,810 | |
| Average (mean) | $23.88 | $49,670 |
How San Francisco, CA compares
The local median of $38,430 runs +14.6% above the US median of $33,530 for this occupation; it pays 48.0% less than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($73,960); within the metro it ranks 672nd of 681 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA — this occupation | $38,430 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $33,530 | +14.6% |
| San Francisco, CA — all occupations | $73,960 | -48.0% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $59,030 | -34.9% |
The location quotient of 1.00 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
Moderate confidence The relative standard error is 6.1%. Treat the headline number as accurate to within roughly 6%, and read the percentiles as a range rather than a precise point.
Ranked 672nd of 681 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in San Francisco, CA
To put $38,430 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 672nd.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Sciences Managers | $222,840 | 5,160 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $221,810 | 26,640 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $220,330 | 2,960 |
| Lawyers | $215,090 | 16,940 |
| Marketing Managers | $212,520 | 12,820 |
| Podiatrists | $211,750 | 100 |
| Financial Managers | $211,730 | 18,380 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $208,580 | 6,380 |
| Human Resources Managers | $206,420 | 5,890 |
| Dentists, General | $205,380 | 1,680 |
Where bartenders earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $24,930 to $59,030. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $59,030 | 37,530 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $50,070 | 15,110 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $49,490 | 10,870 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $45,390 | 9,530 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $38,730 | 7,190 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $38,430 | 11,590 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $36,260 | 15,700 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $36,240 | 6,900 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $36,140 | 9,360 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $35,990 | 5,880 |
See the full national picture on the Bartenders salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for bartenders in San Francisco, CA?
The median annual wage is $38,430, or $18 per hour. That means half of the bartenders working in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $49,670.
What do the highest and lowest paid bartenders in San Francisco, CA earn?
The bottom 10% earn $36,230 or less, while the top 10% earn $81,810 or more — a spread of $45,580 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $36,980 and $46,850.
Is bartenders pay in San Francisco, CA above the local average?
Yes, it is 48.0% below the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $73,960. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does San Francisco, CA pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $38,430 the metro median is 14.6% higher than the US median of $33,530 for bartenders. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $24,930 to $59,030.
How many bartenders work in San Francisco, CA?
BLS counts about 11,590 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 4.82 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. The location quotient of 1.00 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 11.6%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.