SalaryExplorer

SOC 35-3011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

BartendersSt. Louis

St. Louis, MO-IL · 7 metro areas compared

$31,200 /year
$15.00per hour
8,340jobs in area
9.1%vs US median

The median wage for Bartenders in St.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $34,340MEDIAN$31,20075TH$37,21090TH$59,180

Salary overview

The median wage for Bartenders in St. Louis, MO is $31,200 per year, 9.1% below the national median of $34,340. Pay ranges from under $28,600 at the tenth percentile to more than $59,180 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $29,120 to $37,210.

The area has 8,340 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 6.2 of every thousand jobs. Kansas City leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $30,300. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 641st of 652 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · St. Louis, MO-IL · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$28,600−16.7%
25th$29,120−15.2%
Median (50th)$31,200−9.1%
75th$37,210+8.4%
90th$59,180+72.3%
Mean$38,700+12.7%

Other metro areas in Missouri

Median annual wage for Bartenders, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Kansas City$30,3004,890
2Springfield$29,120950
3St. Joseph$29,000210
4Jefferson City$28,630250
5Cape Girardeau$28,600280
6Columbia$28,600680
7Joplin$28,600310

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in St. Louis run 9.2% below the national average, so the median of $31,200 goes as far as $34,361 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 0.1% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$31,200as reported by BLS

Local price level

90.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$34,361US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $31,200 a year, 9.1% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $28,600 to $59,180 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 8,340 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Kansas City, at $30,300.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Bartenders in St. Louis, MO?

The median annual wage is $31,200, or $15.00 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $34,340, so pay in St. Louis, MO is 9.1% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in St. Louis, MO earns more than $59,180 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $28,600 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Kansas City, at $30,300 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 8,340 jobs in this occupation in St. Louis, MO. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.

Bartenders Salary in St. Louis, MO (2025): $31,200 Median | Salary Explorer