Bartender pay in Lexington-Fayette, KY at a glance
Median salary
$30,640$14.73 per hour · $2,553 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Bartender salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY after taxes
Bartenders pay range in Lexington-Fayette, KY, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Lexington-Fayette, KY metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (KY) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $7.79/hr | $1,351 | $16,210 | $14,914 |
| 25th percentile | $8.49/hr | $1,473 | $17,670 | $16,011 |
| MedianMedian | $14.73/hr | $2,553 | $30,640 | $25,844 |
| 75th percentile | $22.86/hr | $3,962 | $47,540 | $38,832 |
| 90th percentile | $30.52/hr | $5,291 | $63,490 | $51,090 |
Is $30,640 a good salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for bartenders next to both.
Bartenders pay in Kentucky and across the U.S.
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.
Bartender pay in Lexington-Fayette, KY: common questions
What is the median salary for bartenders in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
The BLS median annual wage for bartenders in the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area was $30,640 in May 2025, about $2,553 a month or $14.73 an hour. Statewide, the Kentucky median for this job is $28,780, so the metro pays 6% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for bartenders in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
The median hourly wage for bartenders in Lexington-Fayette, KY was $14.73 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.79 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.52.
How many bartenders work in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
BLS estimated 1,340 jobs for bartenders in the metro in May 2025, or 4.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.96 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for bartenders in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
BLS wage estimates for bartenders in Lexington-Fayette, KY run from $16,210 at the 10th percentile to $17,670 at the 25th, $47,540 at the 75th, and $63,490 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do bartenders take home after taxes in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
On a median gross salary of $30,640, an estimated $25,844 lands in net take-home pay per year ($994 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Kentucky in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,796 (an effective rate of 15.7%).
How much do bartenders make per month in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
On the median annual salary of $30,640, gross monthly income is $2,553. After federal, FICA, and Kentucky state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,154 per month (or $994 every two weeks).
Is $30,640 a good salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
At $30,640, the median salary for bartenders is 42.6% of the Lexington-Fayette, KY median household income ($71,966). It is 37% below the $48,620 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.9, so prices here run 7.1% below the U.S. average.