← All career paths
Hospitality & Food
How to become a Bartender
From no experience: every step, how long it takes, and the credential it earns.
- Time to get there
- 0–6 months
- Typical pay
- $30k–$55k
- Starting from
- No experience
Pay is an estimate of typical US entry-level pay for this role and varies by state, employer and shift. The timeline assumes you are starting from no experience and includes any licence or programme legally required, not just course length.
See bartender jobs open nowThe route
Learn the classics and the pours
Speed and consistency matter more than a long repertoire.
Course that covers thisBartending Mastery - Cocktail & Bartending MasterclassUdemy · around $24.99Get your alcohol service certification
TIPS or your state's equivalent — most bars require it before your first shift.
TIPS / state alcohol server permit
Barback first
The standard way in. You learn the bar from underneath it.
Move to a volume or craft bar
Where the money is, in tips and in reputation.
- Browse jobs now
Destination
Bartender
Course links are Udemy affiliate links. We earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you.