Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a bartender make in Philadelphia-Camden, PA?

In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, bartenders earned a median of $36,040 a year ($17.33 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 14,210 of these jobs there. That is 34% below the $54,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $21,480 and $69,910; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Delaware tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,815 in take-home pay.

Bartender pay in Philadelphia-Camden, PA at a glance

Median salary

$36,040$17.33 per hour · $3,003 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$21,480$10.33/hr
25th percentile$27,020$12.99/hr
75th percentile$47,420$22.80/hr
90th percentile$69,910$33.61/hr
Jobs in this metro14,210Location quotient 1.01 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here34% belowAll-jobs median $54,310
Against Delaware2% belowStatewide median $36,840
Against the U.S.5% aboveNational 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 Philadelphia-Camden, PA after taxes

$36,040
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,040
Net 83%
Fed 6%
DE 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,815After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,485Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,147Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,145 / yr
Delaware state income tax$1,323 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,757 / yr

Bartenders pay range in Philadelphia-Camden, PA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What bartenders earned in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (DE)
10th percentile$10.33/hr$1,790$21,480$18,753
25th percentile$12.99/hr$2,252$27,020$23,034
MedianMedian$17.33/hr$3,003$36,040$29,815
75th percentile$22.80/hr$3,952$47,420$38,327
90th percentile$33.61/hr$5,826$69,910$54,739

Is $36,040 a good salary in Philadelphia-Camden, PA?

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

Median household income$91,289Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)102.62.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household39.5%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 Philadelphia-Camden, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for bartenders in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

The BLS median annual wage for bartenders in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area was $36,040 in May 2025, about $3,003 a month or $17.33 an hour. Statewide, the Delaware median for this job is $36,840, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for bartenders in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

The median hourly wage for bartenders in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD was $17.33 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.33 an hour and one in ten earned more than $33.61.

How many bartenders work in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

BLS estimated 14,210 jobs for bartenders in the metro in May 2025, or 4.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.01 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for bartenders in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

BLS wage estimates for bartenders in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD run from $21,480 at the 10th percentile to $27,020 at the 25th, $47,420 at the 75th, and $69,910 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do bartenders take home after taxes in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

On a median gross salary of $36,040, an estimated $29,815 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,147 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Delaware in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,225 (an effective rate of 17.3%).

How much do bartenders make per month in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

On the median annual salary of $36,040, gross monthly income is $3,003. After federal, FICA, and Delaware state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,485 per month (or $1,147 every two weeks).

Is $36,040 a good salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

At $36,040, the median salary for bartenders is 39.5% of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD median household income ($91,289). It is 34% below the $54,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 102.6, so prices here run 2.6% above the U.S. average.