Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a bartender make in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA?

In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area, bartenders earned a median of $35,510 a year ($17.07 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 25,260 of these jobs there. That is 36% below the $55,850 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,320 and $52,770; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,309 in take-home pay.

Bartender pay in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA at a glance

Median salary

$35,510$17.07 per hour · $2,959 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,320$16.50/hr
25th percentile$34,490$16.58/hr
75th percentile$38,210$18.37/hr
90th percentile$52,770$25.37/hr
Jobs in this metro25,260Location quotient 0.83 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here36% belowAll-jobs median $55,850
Against California2% belowStatewide median $36,220
Against the U.S.3% aboveNational median $34,340

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Bartender salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA after taxes

$35,510
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,510
Net 85%
Fed 6%
CA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,309After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,526Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,166Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,081 / yr
California state income tax$403 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,717 / yr

Bartenders pay range in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What bartenders earned in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$16.50/hr$2,860$34,320$29,401
25th percentile$16.58/hr$2,874$34,490$29,530
MedianMedian$17.07/hr$2,959$35,510$30,309
75th percentile$18.37/hr$3,184$38,210$32,371
90th percentile$25.37/hr$4,398$52,770$43,375

Is $35,510 a good salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA?

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

Median household income$95,958Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)113.613.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household37%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 Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for bartenders in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for bartenders in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area was $35,510 in May 2025, about $2,959 a month or $17.07 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $36,220, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for bartenders in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

The median hourly wage for bartenders in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA was $17.07 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.50 an hour and one in ten earned more than $25.37.

How many bartenders work in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

BLS estimated 25,260 jobs for bartenders in the metro in May 2025, or 4.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.83 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for bartenders in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

BLS wage estimates for bartenders in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA run from $34,320 at the 10th percentile to $34,490 at the 25th, $38,210 at the 75th, and $52,770 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do bartenders take home after taxes in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

On a median gross salary of $35,510, an estimated $30,309 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,166 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,201 (an effective rate of 14.6%).

How much do bartenders make per month in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

On the median annual salary of $35,510, gross monthly income is $2,959. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,526 per month (or $1,166 every two weeks).

Is $35,510 a good salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

At $35,510, the median salary for bartenders is 37% of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA median household income ($95,958). It is 36% below the $55,850 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 113.6, so prices here run 13.6% above the U.S. average.