Food Preparation and Serving Related
Bartenders
Mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through waitstaff.
Also called: Banquet Bartender, Bar Captain, Bartender, Mixologist
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $37,760
- $18.15/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 14,840
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- +5.6%
- 3,630 openings a year
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- No formal educational credential
- plus Short-term on-the-job training
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $32,010 | $34,470 | $37,760 | $50,400 | $73,890 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- Clean glasses, utensils, and bar equipment.
- Collect money for drinks served.
- Balance cash receipts.
- Check identification of customers to verify age requirements for purchase of alcohol.
- Clean bars, work areas, and tables.
- Attempt to limit problems and liability related to customers' excessive drinking by taking steps such as persuading customers to stop drinking, or ordering taxis or other transportation for intoxicated patrons.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Lower exposure31 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 29
- Language-model AIOE 35
- GPTs-are-GPTs 29
Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)
Bartending has lower AI exposure, and observed AI use is little or none. Software may help with payments and balancing receipts, but mixing drinks, checking IDs, and serving guests rely on people. Customer contact is a big part of the job.
Likely to change
- Collecting payments and balancing receipts
- Tracking sales and cash records
Still relies on people
- Mixing and serving drinks to guests
- Checking IDs and judging customer situations
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
Next steps from here
Related jobs that build on what you already do.
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Your pace, cleanliness, and food-service experience carry over. The job pays a Boston median of $45,830 and is projected to grow 14.3% in Massachusetts.
- Pay difference
- +$8,070 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +14.3%
- To get started
- No formal educational credential
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Keeping work areas clean and working under time pressure carry over. It pays a Boston median of $48,530 and needs only short-term training.
- Pay difference
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- AI exposure
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- MA growth
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- To get started
- No formal educational credential
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Cleaning bars, equipment, and work areas carries over. The job pays a Boston median of $46,550 and has very low AI exposure.
- Pay difference
- +$8,790 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +2.8%
- To get started
- No formal educational credential
Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.
Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.
Related occupations
Talk to a career coach
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