Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a bartender make in Baltimore-Columbia, MD?

In the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metropolitan area, bartenders earned a median of $37,360 a year ($17.96 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 6,430 of these jobs there. That is 37% below the $59,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $31,200 and $69,730; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Maryland tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,788 in take-home pay.

Bartender pay in Baltimore-Columbia, MD at a glance

Median salary

$37,360$17.96 per hour · $3,113 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$31,200$15.00/hr
25th percentile$33,120$15.93/hr
75th percentile$51,910$24.96/hr
90th percentile$69,730$33.53/hr
Jobs in this metro6,430Location quotient 0.97 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here37% belowAll-jobs median $59,070
Against Maryland1% belowStatewide median $37,580
Against the U.S.9% aboveNational 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 Baltimore-Columbia, MD after taxes

$37,360
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,360
Net 82%
Fed 6%
MD 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,788After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,566Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,184Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,303 / yr
Maryland state income tax$1,411 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,858 / yr

Bartenders pay range in Baltimore-Columbia, MD, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What bartenders earned in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MD)
10th percentile$15.00/hr$2,600$31,200$26,131
25th percentile$15.93/hr$2,760$33,120$27,582
MedianMedian$17.96/hr$3,113$37,360$30,788
75th percentile$24.96/hr$4,326$51,910$41,788
90th percentile$33.53/hr$5,811$69,730$54,937

Is $37,360 a good salary in Baltimore-Columbia, MD?

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

Median household income$99,470Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)104.54.5% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household37.6%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 Baltimore-Columbia, MD: common questions

What is the median salary for bartenders in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?

The BLS median annual wage for bartenders in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area was $37,360 in May 2025, about $3,113 a month or $17.96 an hour. Statewide, the Maryland median for this job is $37,580, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for bartenders in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?

The median hourly wage for bartenders in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD was $17.96 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.00 an hour and one in ten earned more than $33.53.

How many bartenders work in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?

BLS estimated 6,430 jobs for bartenders in the metro in May 2025, or 4.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.97 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for bartenders in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?

BLS wage estimates for bartenders in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD run from $31,200 at the 10th percentile to $33,120 at the 25th, $51,910 at the 75th, and $69,730 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do bartenders take home after taxes in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?

On a median gross salary of $37,360, an estimated $30,788 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,184 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Maryland in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,572 (an effective rate of 17.6%).

How much do bartenders make per month in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?

On the median annual salary of $37,360, gross monthly income is $3,113. After federal, FICA, and Maryland state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,566 per month (or $1,184 every two weeks).

Is $37,360 a good salary in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?

At $37,360, the median salary for bartenders is 37.6% of the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD median household income ($99,470). It is 37% below the $59,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 104.5, so prices here run 4.5% above the U.S. average.