Burlington, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a bartender make in Burlington, NC?

In the Burlington, NC metropolitan area, bartenders earned a median of $31,170 a year ($14.98 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 260 of these jobs there. That is 29% below the $44,010 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $15,080 and $74,060; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $26,490 in take-home pay.

Bartender pay in Burlington, NC at a glance

Median salary

$31,170$14.98 per hour · $2,598 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$15,080$7.25/hr
25th percentile$19,350$9.30/hr
75th percentile$50,890$24.47/hr
90th percentile$74,060$35.61/hr
Jobs in this metro260Location quotient 0.78 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here29% belowAll-jobs median $44,010
Against North Carolina15% belowStatewide median $36,470
Against the U.S.9% 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 Burlington, NC after taxes

$31,170
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$31,170
Net 85%
Fed 5%
NC 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$26,490After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,208Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,019Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,560 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$735 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,385 / yr

Bartenders pay range in Burlington, NC, hourly and yearly

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

What bartenders earned in the Burlington, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$7.25/hr$1,257$15,080$13,833
25th percentile$9.30/hr$1,613$19,350$17,281
MedianMedian$14.98/hr$2,598$31,170$26,490
75th percentile$24.47/hr$4,241$50,890$41,548
90th percentile$35.61/hr$6,172$74,060$58,485

Is $31,170 a good salary in Burlington, NC?

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

Median household income$65,651Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.26.8% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household47.5%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 Burlington, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for bartenders in Burlington, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for bartenders in the Burlington, NC metro area was $31,170 in May 2025, about $2,598 a month or $14.98 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $36,470, so the metro pays 15% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for bartenders in Burlington, NC?

The median hourly wage for bartenders in Burlington, NC was $14.98 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.25 an hour and one in ten earned more than $35.61.

How many bartenders work in Burlington, NC?

BLS estimated 260 jobs for bartenders in the metro in May 2025, or 3.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.78 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for bartenders in Burlington, NC?

BLS wage estimates for bartenders in Burlington, NC run from $15,080 at the 10th percentile to $19,350 at the 25th, $50,890 at the 75th, and $74,060 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do bartenders take home after taxes in Burlington, NC?

On a median gross salary of $31,170, an estimated $26,490 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,019 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,680 (an effective rate of 15%).

How much do bartenders make per month in Burlington, NC?

On the median annual salary of $31,170, gross monthly income is $2,598. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,208 per month (or $1,019 every two weeks).

Is $31,170 a good salary in Burlington, NC?

At $31,170, the median salary for bartenders is 47.5% of the Burlington, NC median household income ($65,651). It is 29% below the $44,010 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.2, so prices here run 6.8% below the U.S. average.