jobfacts

Bar staff

SOC 2020 9265

Bar staff prepare, mix and serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and beverages at bars in public houses, hotels, clubs and other establishments.

Also calledBar personBartenderBarstaffBarmanBarmaidBarworkerand 31 more titles
Typical full-time pay£23,2002025 Provisional
People in the job170,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month3,000↓ 14%on last year · 58th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time bar staff earn, 2025
£23,200 typical£16,900lowest 20%£18,50025%n/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less than£16,900
25%£18,500
Median£23,200
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £23,200
Scotland!£24,900
South West!£24,300
North West!£23,500
East of England!£21,600
North EastNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £23,200
Scotland£24,900 (small sample)
South West£24,300 (small sample)
North West£23,500 (small sample)
East of England£21,600 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £17,700
  • 2024 £20,700
  • 2025 Provisional£23,200
↑ 31% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 3,000 jobs for bar staff are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20262,935
Jul 20263,106
Jun 20262,916
May 20263,534
Apr 20263,483
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20262,925
Jan 20262,694
Dec 20251,064
Nov 20253,171
Oct 20253,694
Sept 20253,540
Aug 20253,839
Jul 20253,541
Jun 20253,814
May 20254,048
Apr 20254,000
Mar 20254,298
Feb 20253,637
Jan 20252,472
Dec 20241,437
Nov 20243,194
Oct 20244,269
Sept 20244,065
Aug 20244,485
Jul 20244,117
Jun 20243,928
May 20244,939
Apr 20244,711
Mar 20243,415
Feb 20243,302
Jan 20242,904
Dec 20231,695
Nov 20231,995
Oct 20232,344
Sept 20232,467
Aug 20233,737
Jul 20233,062
Jun 20235,277
May 20236,216
Apr 20234,839
Mar 20235,175
Feb 20234,872
Jan 20235,490
Dec 20223,268
Nov 20225,132
Oct 20225,839
Sept 20224,974
Aug 20225,714
Jul 20225,411
Jun 20224,841
May 20226,064
Apr 20225,482
Mar 20225,924
Feb 20224,777
Jan 20224,491
Dec 20212,671
Nov 20214,355
Oct 20214,573
Sept 20215,175
Aug 20215,205
Jul 20214,882
Jun 20214,676
May 20214,439
Apr 20213,087
Mar 20213,578
Feb 20211,037
Jan 20211,130
Dec 20201,000
Nov 20201,094
Oct 20201,371
Sept 20202,103
Aug 20202,268
Jul 20201,509
Jun 2020997
May 2020512
Apr 2020789
Mar 20201,968
Feb 20203,323
Jan 20203,049
Dec 20192,338
Nov 20193,274
Oct 20193,601
Sept 20193,691
Aug 20194,118
Jul 20193,036
Jun 20193,225
May 20193,492
Apr 20192,954
Mar 20192,971
Feb 20192,823
Jan 20192,869
Dec 20181,943
Nov 20183,510
Oct 20183,903
Sept 20183,762
Aug 20183,111
Jul 20183,050
Jun 20183,087
May 20182,749
Apr 20182,885
Mar 20183,246
Feb 20182,775
Jan 20182,867
Dec 20171,893
Nov 20173,253
Oct 20172,980
Sept 20173,167
Aug 20173,666
Jul 20173,309
Jun 20173,939
May 20174,808
Apr 20174,977
Mar 20174,420
Feb 20172,903
Jan 20172,732
Is there a shortage of bar staff?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsAbove usual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Note: uncertain in multiple indicators: change in hourly wage, visa density.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
15%against 27% for all jobs
DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London1,653
Manchester181
City of Edinburgh175
Glasgow City151
Leeds143
Liverpool141
Birmingham140
North Yorkshire132
Bristol, City of118
Wiltshire97
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where bar staff are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of bar staff
70%
16%!
5.5%!
4.4%!
2.9%!
1.2%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–2470%
25–3416% (small sample)
35–445.5% (small sample)
45–544.4% (small sample)
55–642.9% (small sample)
65+1.2% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent21%
Higher education below degree!4.8%
A levels or equivalent38%
GCSEs or equivalent24%
Other qualifications!4.2%
No qualifications!5.7%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent21%
Higher education below degree4.8% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent38%
GCSEs or equivalent24%
Other qualifications4.2% (small sample)
No qualifications5.7% (small sample)

Main employers: beverage serving activities (58%), event catering activities (12%), restaurants and mobile food service activities (10%), hotels and similar accommodation (4%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
21%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 38%
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

College

You can take a college course to learn some of the skills and knowledge needed as a bar person. This might help you to find work in the industry. Courses include:

  • introduction to employment in the hospitality industry
  • food and beverage service
  • hospitality
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Catering and Hospitality Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship, or Food and Beverage Team Member Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.

You'll do on-the-job training and spend time with a college or training provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship
  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
More about this route
Foundation apprenticeship

You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.

If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:

  • have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
  • are in care or have been in care
  • are in prison or have been in prison

Apply directly

You can apply directly for jobs if you've got some of the relevant skills, experience and knowledge needed for this role.

Employers will look for strong customer service skills, good communication skills and the ability to work well in a team.

What you’ll need

  • be over 18 to sell alcohol and other restricted goods

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

Some salaries include a basic rate plus a share of tips left by customers.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in the hospitality and drinks industry from Caterer.com and the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for bar person. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • assists in keeping bar properly stocked
  • washes used glassware and cleans and tidies bar area
  • takes customer orders and mixes and serves drinks
  • receives payment for drinks

Skills

  • clear the bar at closing time
  • comply with food safety and hygiene
  • detect drug abuse
  • display spirits
  • enforce alcohol drinking laws
  • execute opening and closing procedures
  • handle bar equipment
  • handle glassware
  • handover the service area
  • identify customer's needs
  • maintain bar cleanliness
  • maintain customer service
  • prepare hot drinks
  • present drinks menu

Knowledge

  • local area tourism industry
  • sparkling wines

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for elementary administration and service occupations, a group of 26 jobs that includes bar staff.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 1.5%about 48,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 20351.5 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.