Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a bartender make in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

In the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metropolitan area, bartenders earned a median of $46,920 a year ($22.56 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,890 of these jobs there. That is 8% below the $50,790 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $32,240 and $80,440; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New York tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $37,943 in take-home pay.

Bartender pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY at a glance

Median salary

$46,920$22.56 per hour · $3,910 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$32,240$15.50/hr
25th percentile$33,810$16.26/hr
75th percentile$71,100$34.19/hr
90th percentile$80,440$38.67/hr
Jobs in this metro2,890Location quotient 1.11 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here8% belowAll-jobs median $50,790
Against New York23% belowStatewide median $61,210
Against the U.S.37% 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY after taxes

$46,920
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$46,920
Net 81%
Fed 7%
NY 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$37,943After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,162Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,459Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate19.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,450 / yr
New York state income tax$1,937 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,589 / yr

Bartenders pay range in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What bartenders earned in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NY)
10th percentile$15.50/hr$2,687$32,240$26,940
25th percentile$16.26/hr$2,818$33,810$28,117
MedianMedian$22.56/hr$3,910$46,920$37,943
75th percentile$34.19/hr$5,925$71,100$55,606
90th percentile$38.67/hr$6,703$80,440$61,672

Is $46,920 a good salary in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

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

Median household income$72,237Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)95.84.2% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household65%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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY: common questions

What is the median salary for bartenders in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

The BLS median annual wage for bartenders in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area was $46,920 in May 2025, about $3,910 a month or $22.56 an hour. Statewide, the New York median for this job is $61,210, so the metro pays 23% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for bartenders in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

The median hourly wage for bartenders in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY was $22.56 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.50 an hour and one in ten earned more than $38.67.

How many bartenders work in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

BLS estimated 2,890 jobs for bartenders in the metro in May 2025, or 5.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.11 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for bartenders in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

BLS wage estimates for bartenders in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY run from $32,240 at the 10th percentile to $33,810 at the 25th, $71,100 at the 75th, and $80,440 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do bartenders take home after taxes in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

On a median gross salary of $46,920, an estimated $37,943 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,459 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New York in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,977 (an effective rate of 19.1%).

How much do bartenders make per month in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

On the median annual salary of $46,920, gross monthly income is $3,910. After federal, FICA, and New York state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,162 per month (or $1,459 every two weeks).

Is $46,920 a good salary in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

At $46,920, the median salary for bartenders is 65% of the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY median household income ($72,237). It is 8% below the $50,790 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.8, so prices here run 4.2% below the U.S. average.