New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a bartender make in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

In the New Orleans-Metairie, LA metropolitan area, bartenders earned a median of $21,230 a year ($10.21 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 4,200 of these jobs there. That is 55% below the $47,290 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $15,080 and $44,580; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Louisiana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $18,842 in take-home pay.

Bartender pay in New Orleans-Metairie, LA at a glance

Median salary

$21,230$10.21 per hour · $1,769 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$15,080$7.25/hr
25th percentile$17,720$8.52/hr
75th percentile$34,170$16.43/hr
90th percentile$44,580$21.44/hr
Jobs in this metro4,200Location quotient 1.94 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here55% belowAll-jobs median $47,290
Against Louisiana2% aboveStatewide median $20,850
Against the U.S.38% belowNational 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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA after taxes

$21,230
$15,000$45,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$21,230
Net 89%
Fed 2%
LA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$18,842After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,570Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$725Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate11.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$513 / yr
Louisiana state income tax$251 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,624 / yr

Bartenders pay range in New Orleans-Metairie, LA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the New Orleans-Metairie, LA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What bartenders earned in the New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (LA)
10th percentile$7.25/hr$1,257$15,080$13,860
25th percentile$8.52/hr$1,477$17,720$16,057
MedianMedian$10.21/hr$1,769$21,230$18,842
75th percentile$16.43/hr$2,848$34,170$28,997
90th percentile$21.44/hr$3,715$44,580$37,049

Is $21,230 a good salary in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

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

Median household income$62,655Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.67.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household33.9%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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA: common questions

What is the median salary for bartenders in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

The BLS median annual wage for bartenders in the New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area was $21,230 in May 2025, about $1,769 a month or $10.21 an hour. Statewide, the Louisiana median for this job is $20,850, so the metro pays 2% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for bartenders in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

The median hourly wage for bartenders in New Orleans-Metairie, LA was $10.21 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.25 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.44.

How many bartenders work in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

BLS estimated 4,200 jobs for bartenders in the metro in May 2025, or 9.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.94 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for bartenders in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

BLS wage estimates for bartenders in New Orleans-Metairie, LA run from $15,080 at the 10th percentile to $17,720 at the 25th, $34,170 at the 75th, and $44,580 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do bartenders take home after taxes in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

On a median gross salary of $21,230, an estimated $18,842 lands in net take-home pay per year ($725 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Louisiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $2,388 (an effective rate of 11.2%).

How much do bartenders make per month in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

On the median annual salary of $21,230, gross monthly income is $1,769. After federal, FICA, and Louisiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,570 per month (or $725 every two weeks).

Is $21,230 a good salary in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

At $21,230, the median salary for bartenders is 33.9% of the New Orleans-Metairie, LA median household income ($62,655). It is 55% below the $47,290 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.