Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a bartender make in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

In the Auburn-Opelika, AL metropolitan area, bartenders earned a median of $26,210 a year ($12.60 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 400 of these jobs there. That is 33% below the $39,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $17,380 and $51,970; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Alabama tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $22,198 in take-home pay.

Bartender pay in Auburn-Opelika, AL at a glance

Median salary

$26,210$12.60 per hour · $2,184 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$17,380$8.36/hr
25th percentile$20,910$10.05/hr
75th percentile$33,910$16.30/hr
90th percentile$51,970$24.99/hr
Jobs in this metro400Location quotient 1.13 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here33% belowAll-jobs median $39,070
Against Alabama6% belowStatewide median $27,980
Against the U.S.24% 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 Auburn-Opelika, AL after taxes

$26,210
$15,000$55,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$26,210
Net 85%
Fed 4%
AL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$22,198After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,850Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$854Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,011 / yr
Alabama state income tax$996 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,005 / yr

Bartenders pay range in Auburn-Opelika, AL, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Auburn-Opelika, AL metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What bartenders earned in the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AL)
10th percentile$8.36/hr$1,448$17,380$15,325
25th percentile$10.05/hr$1,743$20,910$18,073
MedianMedian$12.60/hr$2,184$26,210$22,198
75th percentile$16.30/hr$2,826$33,910$28,071
90th percentile$24.99/hr$4,331$51,970$41,782

Is $26,210 a good salary in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

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

Median household income$63,649Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)87.912.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household41.2%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 Auburn-Opelika, AL: common questions

What is the median salary for bartenders in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

The BLS median annual wage for bartenders in the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area was $26,210 in May 2025, about $2,184 a month or $12.60 an hour. Statewide, the Alabama median for this job is $27,980, so the metro pays 6% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for bartenders in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

The median hourly wage for bartenders in Auburn-Opelika, AL was $12.60 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $8.36 an hour and one in ten earned more than $24.99.

How many bartenders work in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

BLS estimated 400 jobs for bartenders in the metro in May 2025, or 5.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.13 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for bartenders in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

BLS wage estimates for bartenders in Auburn-Opelika, AL run from $17,380 at the 10th percentile to $20,910 at the 25th, $33,910 at the 75th, and $51,970 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do bartenders take home after taxes in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

On a median gross salary of $26,210, an estimated $22,198 lands in net take-home pay per year ($854 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Alabama in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,012 (an effective rate of 15.3%).

How much do bartenders make per month in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

On the median annual salary of $26,210, gross monthly income is $2,184. After federal, FICA, and Alabama state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,850 per month (or $854 every two weeks).

Is $26,210 a good salary in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

At $26,210, the median salary for bartenders is 41.2% of the Auburn-Opelika, AL median household income ($63,649). It is 33% below the $39,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 87.9, so prices here run 12.1% below the U.S. average.