How much can a bartender make in New York City?

Answer 1

It depends entirely on the level of experience the waiter has, as well as the establishment and clientele. A waiter/waitress at a diner probably won't make more than $100 to $200 in tips each night, while a waiter/waitress at a high-class place might walk away with $700 a night.

Most places pay their workers minimum wage plus tips, but some places will only pay you a flat fee (like $40, $50, or $60 per shift) plus tips. The latter is usually done for workers who are paid "off the books." A lot of places pay some of their workers off the books, to avoid taxes.

At the lowest end of the spectrum, a waiter/waitress at a diner would make around $50 as their base salary (either as an hourly wage minus taxes, or as a flat fee) plus, let's say, $100 a night in tips. That would be about $150 a night, or $750 a week ($150 a day times 5 days a week), or $37,500 a year, minus taxes (assuming that he/she takes off 2 weeks a year for vacation/sick days).

At the highest end of the spectrum, a waiter/waitress at a high-class place would still make around $50 a night as their base salary (again, either as an hourly wage minus taxes, or as a flat fee), plus around $700 a night. That would be around $750 a night, times 5 days a week is $3,750 a week. That number ($3,750 a week) times 50 weeks a year would be $187,500 a year (minus taxes, of course).

This may sound like a lot of money -- and yes, it is a lot of money -- but many people don't realize just how much work being a waiter/waitress is. You are ALWAYS on your feet, up to 12 hours a day. Your feet hurt all the time, even on your days off. You're always exhausted.

The other problem is, being a waiter/waitress is a dead-end job. At best, you can advance to being head waiter, or manager, but that's as far as it goes. It's a terrible choice for a career.

That is why waiters/waitresses (and bartenders) are usually artists and musicians (or college students), who are pursuing other careers. They don't want to be waiters for the rest of their lives. No one does. No matter how much money you can make, it's still a terrible, grueling job. Most people decide to become waiters or bartenders only as a short-term solution. They need to make a living while they are pursuing their other career.

Answer 2

That depends on how trendy an establishment a bartenders works, but I would say and average of $200/night or better

Answer 3

10 - 20$ per hour