Career Atlas USA

Bartenders Salary in Jefferson City, MO

According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the median annual wage for Bartenders in Jefferson City, MO is $28,630. BLS estimates approximately 250 people work in this occupation in Jefferson City, MO. Jefferson City, MO is 16.6% below the national median ($34,340).

Median salary
$28,630
Average salary
$34,960
Median hourly
$13.76
Employment
250

Salary Distribution

Not everyone earns the median. Percentile wages show the range of pay within this occupation.

PercentileAnnual wageHourly wage
10th percentile$28,600$13.75
25th percentile$28,600$13.75
Median (50th)$28,630$13.76
75th percentile$38,240$18.38
90th percentile$45,830$22.04

Data Reliability

BLS OEWS is a survey, not a full census — every estimate carries a margin of error. The relative standard error (RSE) below is BLS’s own measure of how much an estimate could vary; lower is more precise.

Wage estimate
RSE 2.2% — Very reliable
Employment estimate
RSE 11.9% — Reliable

Where Does Your Salary Fall?

Enter an annual salary to see roughly where it falls among reported wages for this occupation, based on the percentile points above.

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What Should You Ask For?

A starting point for salary negotiation, based on this occupation’s real published wage distribution and your years of experience.

For a early-career candidate (3-5 years), a reasonable target range is:

$28,600$28,630

Roughly the 25th–50th percentile of reported wages for this occupation.

Local cost of living adjusts the median here to about $32,543 in national purchasing power — worth factoring in alongside the raw number.

This is a general rule of thumb built from real BLS percentile data — not personalized advice. Your actual leverage depends on your specific skills, the employer, and the local market.

Concentration

Jobs per 1,000
3.164
Location quotient
0.65

Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary

Jefferson City, MO’s regional price level is below the national average (index 87.975, where 100 = U.S. average). Adjusted for that, the median salary has the purchasing power of $32,543 at the national price level.

This is a Career Atlas USA calculation based on BLS wage data and BEA Regional Price Parities. It is not a separate BLS wage estimate. Wage data: May 2025. Cost-of-living data: 2024.

Cost-of-Living Breakdown

One overall index can hide a lot — a state can be about average overall while housing runs far above or below that. Same 100 = U.S. average scale as above, per category.

Housing
62.1 (below avg)
Goods
94.2 (below avg)
Utilities
85.5 (below avg)
Other Services
93.0 (below avg)

Sources

Wage data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)May 2025 (release 25).

Figures shown as “Not available” reflect wages the source does not publish (e.g. suppressed for reliability), not zero.

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Bartenders Salary in Jefferson City, MO: Pay & Job Data | Career Atlas USA