Bartender pay in San Francisco-Oakland, CA at a glance
Median salary
$39,670$19.07 per hour · $3,306 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Bartender salary in San Francisco-Oakland, CA after taxes
Bartenders pay range in San Francisco-Oakland, CA, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (CA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.31/hr | $3,000 | $36,000 | $30,683 |
| 25th percentile | $18.39/hr | $3,187 | $38,240 | $32,394 |
| MedianMedian | $19.07/hr | $3,306 | $39,670 | $33,485 |
| 75th percentile | $22.15/hr | $3,840 | $46,080 | $38,379 |
| 90th percentile | $43.52/hr | $7,543 | $90,520 | $68,337 |
Is $39,670 a good salary in San Francisco-Oakland, CA?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for bartenders next to both.
Bartenders pay in California 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 San Francisco-Oakland, CA: common questions
What is the median salary for bartenders in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA?
The BLS median annual wage for bartenders in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area was $39,670 in May 2025, about $3,306 a month or $19.07 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $36,220, so the metro pays 10% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for bartenders in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA?
The median hourly wage for bartenders in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA was $19.07 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.31 an hour and one in ten earned more than $43.52.
How many bartenders work in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA?
BLS estimated 10,260 jobs for bartenders in the metro in May 2025, or 4.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.89 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for bartenders in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA?
BLS wage estimates for bartenders in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA run from $36,000 at the 10th percentile to $38,240 at the 25th, $46,080 at the 75th, and $90,520 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do bartenders take home after taxes in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA?
On a median gross salary of $39,670, an estimated $33,485 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,288 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,185 (an effective rate of 15.6%).
How much do bartenders make per month in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA?
On the median annual salary of $39,670, gross monthly income is $3,306. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,790 per month (or $1,288 every two weeks).
Is $39,670 a good salary in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA?
At $39,670, the median salary for bartenders is 29.2% of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA median household income ($136,027). It is 47% below the $74,260 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 115.6, so prices here run 15.6% above the U.S. average.