Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a bartender make in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

In the Athens-Clarke County, GA metropolitan area, bartenders earned a median of $20,400 a year ($9.81 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 480 of these jobs there. That is 51% below the $41,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $16,040 and $49,680; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Georgia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $18,140 in take-home pay.

Bartender pay in Athens-Clarke County, GA at a glance

Median salary

$20,400$9.81 per hour · $1,700 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$16,040$7.71/hr
25th percentile$17,690$8.51/hr
75th percentile$31,080$14.94/hr
90th percentile$49,680$23.89/hr
Jobs in this metro480Location quotient 1.03 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here51% belowAll-jobs median $41,220
Against Georgia11% belowStatewide median $22,830
Against the U.S.41% belowNational median $34,340

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Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Bartender salary in Athens-Clarke County, GA after taxes

$20,400
$15,000$45,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$20,400
Net 89%
Fed 2%
GA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$18,140After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,512Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$698Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate11.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$430 / yr
Georgia state income tax$269 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,561 / yr

Bartenders pay range in Athens-Clarke County, GA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Athens-Clarke County, GA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What bartenders earned in the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (GA)
10th percentile$7.71/hr$1,337$16,040$14,761
25th percentile$8.51/hr$1,474$17,690$16,043
MedianMedian$9.81/hr$1,700$20,400$18,140
75th percentile$14.94/hr$2,590$31,080$26,350
90th percentile$23.89/hr$4,140$49,680$40,367

Is $20,400 a good salary in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for bartenders next to both.

Median household income$65,608Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.36.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household31.1%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Do bartenders pay tax on tips?

Yes, but less than before. This job is on the Treasury's list of tipped occupations, so from 2025 through 2028 up to $25,000 a year of reported tips comes off federal taxable income, shrinking above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint). Social Security and Medicare are still owed on every tip, and most states still tax them. The BLS pay figures on this page already include tips as employers report them.

See what the tips deduction saves you →

Bartender pay in Athens-Clarke County, GA: common questions

What is the median salary for bartenders in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

The BLS median annual wage for bartenders in the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area was $20,400 in May 2025, about $1,700 a month or $9.81 an hour. Statewide, the Georgia median for this job is $22,830, so the metro pays 11% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for bartenders in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

The median hourly wage for bartenders in Athens-Clarke County, GA was $9.81 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.71 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.89.

How many bartenders work in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

BLS estimated 480 jobs for bartenders in the metro in May 2025, or 5.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.03 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for bartenders in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

BLS wage estimates for bartenders in Athens-Clarke County, GA run from $16,040 at the 10th percentile to $17,690 at the 25th, $31,080 at the 75th, and $49,680 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do bartenders take home after taxes in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

On a median gross salary of $20,400, an estimated $18,140 lands in net take-home pay per year ($698 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Georgia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $2,260 (an effective rate of 11.1%).

How much do bartenders make per month in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

On the median annual salary of $20,400, gross monthly income is $1,700. After federal, FICA, and Georgia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,512 per month (or $698 every two weeks).

Is $20,400 a good salary in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

At $20,400, the median salary for bartenders is 31.1% of the Athens-Clarke County, GA median household income ($65,608). It is 51% below the $41,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.3, so prices here run 6.7% below the U.S. average.