The role of a bartender goes beyond the ability to pour a beer well or create a fancy cocktail. While being a skilled mixologist is definitely looked highly upon, a successful bartender is also required to be both intuitive and a great conversationalist.

Bartenders also need to meet physical requirements such as the ability to work long hours on their feet and many times to work under pressure in a fast-paced and sometimes challenging environment.

Responsibilities of a bartender may include: 

• Serving customers 
• Pouring drinks such as beer and wine and making cocktails
• Checking ID of patrons to ensure they are legally allowed to purchase alcohol
• Complying with all OH&S and food safety protocols
• Restocking the bar with supplies
• Cleaning the bar, glasses and any equipment used 
• Taking payments, settling tabs and balancing tills at the end of the night
• Dealing with drunk/disorderly
• Taking food orders

What it Takes to be a Bartender 

As well as being over the legal age of 18 years; and meeting all technical and certification competencies, a candidate’s personality and communicative skills also plays a huge part in what it takes to be a bartender. The role of a bartender is highly socially interactive and employers are looking for candidates with outgoing, welcoming, and warm personalities. Bartenders also need to be highly intuitive to be able to clearly distinguish if a customer is overly intoxicated in order to comply with their RSA responsibilities. In addition, those wanting to work as bartenders should be able to work both autonomously and as a team; and be flexible in working hours and days as night majority of bar jobs involve night and weekend shifts.

Salary Expectations 

According to payscale.com, the average hourly rate for a bartender is approximately $19.48, with an annual salary approximating between $31,000 and $51,000. A bartenders salary is based on the level of experience that they have, so the greater the experience, the higher the pay. The number of hours that they are required to work is dependent on the place at which they are employed.

Courses and Training 

Aside from having a valid RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol), there is no specific certification or degree that is compulsory to become a bartender. However this means that particularly in junior roles, there are a lot of opportunities to learn the required skills on the job. There are also a large number of hospitality certificates and bartending short courses available to advance bartending skills if required.

Future Career Paths 

Once bartenders have gained some experience, they can move on to becoming Mixologists or can advance to supervisory positions in the actual bar, pub or restaurant, maître d’, assistant manager, restaurant manager or general manager; with some bartenders even eventually opening up their own bars!

If this article has inspired you to enter the field of bartending, view all our food and beverage jobs here from employers who are looking to hire right now!