What Event Staff Earn: Bartenders, Servers, Cooks and AV Techs
Quick answer
At the national median, BLS says bartenders earn $16.51 an hour and servers $16.94 before tips. Cooks earn $17.98 and AV technicians $27.93. Those are wages, not what a vendor bills you.
Data
- Survey
- BLS OEWS
- Reference period
- May 2025
- Roles
- 5
- Tips included
- No
National wages
Five roles that staff an event.
| Role (SOC) | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 4 h at median ×1.35 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bartender (35-3011) | $13.17 | $16.51 | $22.87 | $89 |
| Server (waiter/waitress) (35-3031) | $13.34 | $16.94 | $22.65 | $91 |
| Restaurant cook (35-2014) | $16.35 | $17.98 | $21.45 | $97 |
| Audio/video technician (27-4011) | $22.30 | $27.93 | $37.29 | $151 |
| Hairstylist (39-5012) | $14.48 | $17.21 | $23.48 | $93 |
Reading the numbers
Four things the table does not say.
Tipped roles look cheap on paper. Bartenders and servers earn a large share of their income from tips, which OEWS does not count. Their wage is the floor of what they take home, and a service that staffs your event prices for that.
Skilled technical roles cost more per hour. An AV technician's median is well above a bartender's. If you need a sound or lighting tech, it is often the most expensive hour on the staffing invoice.
The spread matters as much as the median.
Billing is not wages. Agencies and caterers add payroll taxes, insurance, scheduling and margin. We use a 1.35 multiplier to approximate that, and label the result as wage cost. Real quotes also include minimum hours, travel and setup.
FAQ
Questions people ask.
How much does an event bartender make an hour?
The US median wage for bartenders is $16.51 an hour (BLS, May 2025), before tips.
How much do wedding servers make?
BLS does not track weddings separately. Waiters and waitresses earn a median $16.94 an hour nationally, before tips.
Why do local wages differ so much?
Cost of living, minimum wage laws and demand. Our Montana pages show one state's metros against the national figure.
Keep planning
Related.
Sources
- BLS OEWS May 2025 — national occupational wages · Federal data (BLS), checked Oct 8, 2026
General information, not legal advice.