Career Atlas USA

Bartenders Salary in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI

According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the median annual wage for Bartenders in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI is $25,970. BLS estimates approximately 7,330 people work in this occupation in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI. Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI is 24.4% below the national median ($34,340).

Median salary
$25,970
Average salary
$27,850
Median hourly
$12.49
Employment
7,330

Salary Distribution

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

PercentileAnnual wageHourly wage
10th percentile$16,930$8.14
25th percentile$21,250$10.22
Median (50th)$25,970$12.49
75th percentile$30,070$14.46
90th percentile$40,250$19.35

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 2.4% — Very reliable
Employment estimate
RSE 4.6% — Very 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.

$

Concentration

Jobs per 1,000
8.928
Location quotient
1.84

Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary

Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI’s regional price level is below the national average (index 96.937, where 100 = U.S. average). Adjusted for that, the median salary has the purchasing power of $26,791 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.

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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