Fort Wayne, IN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a bartender make in Fort Wayne, IN?

In the Fort Wayne, IN metropolitan area, bartenders earned a median of $23,010 a year ($11.06 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 850 of these jobs there. That is 52% below the $47,700 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $16,990 and $41,630; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Indiana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $19,909 in take-home pay.

Bartender pay in Fort Wayne, IN at a glance

Median salary

$23,010$11.06 per hour · $1,918 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$16,990$8.17/hr
25th percentile$19,000$9.14/hr
75th percentile$29,450$14.16/hr
90th percentile$41,630$20.02/hr
Jobs in this metro850Location quotient 0.78 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here52% belowAll-jobs median $47,700
Against Indiana1% aboveStatewide median $22,770
Against the U.S.33% 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 Fort Wayne, IN after taxes

$23,010
$15,000$50,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$23,010
Net 87%
Fed 3%
IN 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$19,909After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,659Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$766Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$691 / yr
Indiana state income tax$649 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,760 / yr

Bartenders pay range in Fort Wayne, IN, hourly and yearly

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

What bartenders earned in the Fort Wayne, IN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IN)
10th percentile$8.17/hr$1,416$16,990$15,130
25th percentile$9.14/hr$1,583$19,000$16,726
MedianMedian$11.06/hr$1,918$23,010$19,909
75th percentile$14.16/hr$2,454$29,450$25,004
90th percentile$20.02/hr$3,469$41,630$34,431

Is $23,010 a good salary in Fort Wayne, IN?

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

Median household income$71,213Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.67.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household32.3%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 Fort Wayne, IN: common questions

What is the median salary for bartenders in Fort Wayne, IN?

The BLS median annual wage for bartenders in the Fort Wayne, IN metro area was $23,010 in May 2025, about $1,918 a month or $11.06 an hour. Statewide, the Indiana median for this job is $22,770, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for bartenders in Fort Wayne, IN?

The median hourly wage for bartenders in Fort Wayne, IN was $11.06 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $8.17 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.02.

How many bartenders work in Fort Wayne, IN?

BLS estimated 850 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 Fort Wayne, IN?

BLS wage estimates for bartenders in Fort Wayne, IN run from $16,990 at the 10th percentile to $19,000 at the 25th, $29,450 at the 75th, and $41,630 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do bartenders take home after taxes in Fort Wayne, IN?

On a median gross salary of $23,010, an estimated $19,909 lands in net take-home pay per year ($766 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Indiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,101 (an effective rate of 13.5%).

How much do bartenders make per month in Fort Wayne, IN?

On the median annual salary of $23,010, gross monthly income is $1,918. After federal, FICA, and Indiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,659 per month (or $766 every two weeks).

Is $23,010 a good salary in Fort Wayne, IN?

At $23,010, the median salary for bartenders is 32.3% of the Fort Wayne, IN median household income ($71,213). It is 52% below the $47,700 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.6, so prices here run 7.4% below the U.S. average.