What is a banquet bartender and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
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For many people, high spirits and free-flowing drinks are the keys to a successful event. That is why many catering halls or other event spaces hire banquet bartenders to make drinks for guests. Banquet bartenders work during events to ensure that guests' cups are full and their drinks are made to order.

Like a regular bartender, a banquet bartender needs to know all about making drinks of all kinds. They know the best way to pour beer on tap, how to mix specialty cocktails, and how to uncork champagne with a flourish. However, the banquet bartender is different from a regular bartender because they work at events instead of at a regular bar.

Although mixing drinks seems fun, the job of a banquet bartender is not easy. They spend most of their shift on their feet, working quickly to make drinks and keep the bar clean. While most people relax on their nights and weekends, those are the banquet bartender's busiest times. However, for many banquet bartenders, the satisfaction of helping to execute a successful event and an average salary of $21,886 a year is worth the effort.

ScoreBanquet BartenderUS Average
Salary
2.1

Avg. Salary $27,094

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.4

Growth Rate 18%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.63%

Asian 3.55%

Black or African American 5.19%

Hispanic or Latino 20.61%

Unknown 6.08%

White 63.94%

Gender

female 44.80%

male 55.20%

Age - 32
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 32
Stress Level
7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
4.1

Complexity Level is basic

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
10.0

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Banquet Bartender career paths

Key steps to become a banquet bartender

  1. Explore banquet bartender education requirements

    Most common banquet bartender degrees

    Bachelor's

    48.6 %

    Associate

    26.5 %

    High School Diploma

    13.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific banquet bartender skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Wine23.01%
    Bartending17.68%
    Cleanliness7.70%
    BARS5.72%
    Guest Service4.11%
  3. Complete relevant banquet bartender training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New banquet bartenders learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a banquet bartender based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real banquet bartender resumes.
  4. Research banquet bartender duties and responsibilities

    • Manage business operation initiatives, including payroll, invoicing, inventory, and human resource relate matters.
    • Serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, such as water, soda, wine, mix cocktails, bottle or draft beer.
    • Work extensively with POS and billing systems.
    • Take orders and enter into the POS system, communicate with kitchen staff to ensure customer satisfaction.
  5. Prepare your banquet bartender resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your banquet bartender resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a banquet bartender resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Banquet Bartender Resume templates

    Build a professional Banquet Bartender resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Banquet Bartender resume.
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  6. Apply for banquet bartender jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a banquet bartender job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Banquet Bartender Job

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Average banquet bartender salary

The average Banquet Bartender salary in the United States is $27,094 per year or $13 per hour. Banquet bartender salaries range between $17,000 and $41,000 per year.

Average Banquet Bartender Salary
$27,094 Yearly
$13.03 hourly

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How do banquet bartenders rate their job?

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Banquet Bartender reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Pros

Connecting with customers/regulars, building a foundation and not only making money for myself, but my bar. Making sure everyone has an amazing time while I’m on the clock!

Cons

Bad management


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022
Pros

Meeting new people. Each day is a new experience.

Cons

Some people are not very nice, they can be condescending and speak to you as though bartending is not a legitimate job choice.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

Always loved working with people in the bar atmosphere I'm just looking for something different now

Cons

Sometimes things got out of hand when working at a bar and you needed hope


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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