Bartenders Salary — Bowling Green, Kentucky

The average Bartenders in Bowling Green, Kentucky earns $31,840 a year.

$31,840 / year, mean
↓ 23.5% below national average 33th percentile in Kentucky

Bowling Green pays below most of Kentucky for this role, though still within a normal range for the state. That's noticeably below the national average for bartenders, worth factoring into any relocation math. Cost of living here is close to the national average — not a major factor either way. This is a reasonably reliable estimate, though the underlying sample is moderate in size.

Percentile within Kentucky

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
270
Estimate confidence
RSE 5.6%
Cost of living 90 #161 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 1461 #33 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $267,047 #125 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $62,437 #157 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: Bowling Green ranks #161 for cost of living and #125 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

New York $63,630 Seattle $62,090 Bellingham $59,340 Mount Vernon $59,070 Bremerton $58,850 Kennewick $58,550 Spokane $57,470 Olympia $57,260 Walla Walla $57,150 Yakima $55,280 Albany $54,570 Kingston $54,500 Wenatchee $54,180 Binghamton $53,980 Buffalo $53,970 Longview $53,950 Charlottesville $53,850 Kiryas Joel $53,180 Syracuse $52,330 Virginia Beach $52,310 Richmond $51,750 Roanoke $51,590 Ithaca $51,470 Glens Falls $51,280 San Francisco $50,970 San Jose $50,890 Rochester $50,800 Harrisonburg $49,800 Portland $49,650 Lynchburg $48,970 Grand Rapids $48,100 Blacksburg $48,020 Staunton $47,750 Elmira $47,710 San Luis Obispo $47,350 Trenton $47,250 Ann Arbor $47,190 Bend $46,980 San Diego $46,900 Utica $46,800 Napa $46,780 Winchester $46,730 Santa Rosa $46,650 Salinas $46,550 Corvallis $46,370 Sacramento $46,320 Lansing $45,990 Atlantic City $45,610 Naples $45,580 Midland $45,450 Salem $45,310 Niles $45,280 Oxnard $45,270 Detroit $45,140 Tampa $45,080 Kalamazoo $45,050 Orlando $45,040 Baltimore $45,020 Medford $44,820 Eugene $44,550 Battle Creek $44,540 Traverse City $44,510 Vallejo $44,310 Watertown $44,260 Lexington Park $44,240 Monroe $44,160 Saginaw $43,940 Grants Pass $43,900 Stockton $43,820 Fresno $43,690 Riverside $43,480 Salisbury $43,310 Santa Cruz $43,240 Flint $43,230 Santa Maria $43,160 Muskegon $42,980 Jackson $42,770 Fort Myers $42,450 Vineland $42,420 Modesto $42,390 Punta Gorda $42,050 Crestview $42,000 Jacksonville $41,780 Albany $41,710 Merced $41,670 Los Angeles $41,510 El Centro $41,410 Sarasota $41,410 Bay City $41,320 Philadelphia $41,320 Hanford $41,220 Gainesville $41,160 Miami $41,150 Bakersfield $41,070 Wildwood $40,770 Yuba City $40,660 Dover $40,520 Pensacola $40,290 Deltona $40,280 Port St. Lucie $40,190 Palm Bay $40,050 Sebastian $40,050 Panama City $40,040 Hagerstown $39,850 Visalia $39,560 Lakeland $39,220 Beckley $38,990 Chico $38,930 Allentown $38,910 Redding $38,700 Morgantown $38,650 Charleston $38,360 Ocala $38,230 Homosassa Springs $37,800 Dallas $37,610 Parkersburg $37,490 Tallahassee $37,020 Sebring $36,970 Lexington $36,730 Weirton $36,620 Huntington $36,320 Champaign $36,260 Lancaster $36,090 Kankakee $35,970 Bloomington $35,960 Chicago $35,740 York $35,740 Louisville $35,660 Springfield $35,620 Harrisburg $35,220 Peoria $35,140 Reading $35,110 Decatur $35,020 State College $34,830 Pittsburgh $34,820 Scranton $34,700 Wheeling $34,520 Rockford $34,450 Elizabethtown $34,000 Chambersburg $33,680 Owensboro $33,620 Lebanon $33,450 Beaumont $33,050 Austin $32,760 Erie $32,720 Gettysburg $32,340 Abilene $32,230 Bowling Green $31,840 Texarkana $31,510 Williamsport $31,220 Tyler $30,880 Odessa $30,660 Wichita Falls $30,480 Altoona $30,470 Houston $30,460 Waco $30,360 Amarillo $30,300 San Antonio $30,110 Midland $30,070 Longview $29,570 Indianapolis $29,510 Paducah $29,450 Sherman $29,370 Corpus Christi $29,300 Lubbock $29,300 Columbus $28,970 College Station $28,960 Killeen $28,810 San Angelo $28,780 Laredo $28,700 Elkhart $28,620 South Bend $28,530 El Paso $28,050 McAllen $27,780 Lafayette $27,340 Michigan City $27,280 Kokomo $27,160 Fort Wayne $27,130 Bloomington $26,810 Evansville $26,360 Johnstown $26,220 Muncie $26,050 Victoria $25,650 Brownsville $24,990 Terre Haute $24,050
CityMean salaryvs. Bowling Green
Abilene, Texas$32,230+1.2%
Albany, Oregon$41,710+31.0%
Albany, New York$54,570+71.4%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$38,910+22.2%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$30,470-4.3%
Amarillo, Texas$30,300-4.8%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$47,190+48.2%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$45,610+43.2%
Austin, Texas$32,760+2.9%
Bakersfield, California$41,070+29.0%
Baltimore, Maryland$45,020+41.4%
Battle Creek, Michigan$44,540+39.9%
Bay City, Michigan$41,320+29.8%
Beaumont, Texas$33,050+3.8%
Beckley, West Virginia$38,990+22.5%
Bellingham, Washington$59,340+86.4%
Bend, Oregon$46,980+47.6%
Binghamton, New York$53,980+69.5%
Blacksburg, Virginia$48,020+50.8%
Bloomington, Illinois$35,960+12.9%
Bloomington, Indiana$26,810-15.8%
Bremerton, Washington$58,850+84.8%
Brownsville, Texas$24,990-21.5%
Buffalo, New York$53,970+69.5%
Fort Myers, Florida$42,450+33.3%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$33,680+5.8%
Champaign, Illinois$36,260+13.9%
Charleston, West Virginia$38,360+20.5%
Charlottesville, Virginia$53,850+69.1%
Chicago, Illinois$35,740+12.2%
Chico, California$38,930+22.3%
College Station, Texas$28,960-9.0%
Columbus, Indiana$28,970-9.0%
Corpus Christi, Texas$29,300-8.0%
Corvallis, Oregon$46,370+45.6%
Crestview, Florida$42,000+31.9%
Dallas, Texas$37,610+18.1%
Decatur, Illinois$35,020+10.0%
Deltona, Florida$40,280+26.5%
Detroit, Michigan$45,140+41.8%
Dover, Delaware$40,520+27.3%
El Centro, California$41,410+30.1%
Elizabethtown, Kentucky$34,000+6.8%
Elkhart, Indiana$28,620-10.1%
Elmira, New York$47,710+49.8%
El Paso, Texas$28,050-11.9%
Erie, Pennsylvania$32,720+2.8%
Eugene, Oregon$44,550+39.9%
Evansville, Indiana$26,360-17.2%
Flint, Michigan$43,230+35.8%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$27,130-14.8%
Fresno, California$43,690+37.2%
Gainesville, Florida$41,160+29.3%
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania$32,340+1.6%
Glens Falls, New York$51,280+61.1%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$48,100+51.1%
Grants Pass, Oregon$43,900+37.9%
Hagerstown, Maryland$39,850+25.2%
Hanford, California$41,220+29.5%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$35,220+10.6%
Harrisonburg, Virginia$49,800+56.4%
Homosassa Springs, Florida$37,800+18.7%
Houston, Texas$30,460-4.3%
Huntington, West Virginia$36,320+14.1%
Indianapolis, Indiana$29,510-7.3%
Ithaca, New York$51,470+61.7%
Jackson, Michigan$42,770+34.3%
Jacksonville, Florida$41,780+31.2%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$26,220-17.7%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$45,050+41.5%
Kankakee, Illinois$35,970+13.0%
Kennewick, Washington$58,550+83.9%
Killeen, Texas$28,810-9.5%
Kingston, New York$54,500+71.2%
Kiryas Joel, New York$53,180+67.0%
Kokomo, Indiana$27,160-14.7%
Lafayette, Indiana$27,340-14.1%
Lakeland, Florida$39,220+23.2%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$36,090+13.3%
Lansing, Michigan$45,990+44.4%
Laredo, Texas$28,700-9.9%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$33,450+5.1%
Lexington, Kentucky$36,730+15.4%
Lexington Park, Maryland$44,240+38.9%
Longview, Texas$29,570-7.1%
Longview, Washington$53,950+69.4%
Los Angeles, California$41,510+30.4%
Louisville, Kentucky$35,660+12.0%
Lubbock, Texas$29,300-8.0%
Lynchburg, Virginia$48,970+53.8%
McAllen, Texas$27,780-12.8%
Medford, Oregon$44,820+40.8%
Merced, California$41,670+30.9%
Miami, Florida$41,150+29.2%
Michigan City, Indiana$27,280-14.3%
Midland, Michigan$45,450+42.7%
Midland, Texas$30,070-5.6%
Modesto, California$42,390+33.1%
Monroe, Michigan$44,160+38.7%
Morgantown, West Virginia$38,650+21.4%
Mount Vernon, Washington$59,070+85.5%
Muncie, Indiana$26,050-18.2%
Muskegon, Michigan$42,980+35.0%
Napa, California$46,780+46.9%
Naples, Florida$45,580+43.2%
New York, New York$63,630+99.8%
Niles, Michigan$45,280+42.2%
Sarasota, Florida$41,410+30.1%
Ocala, Florida$38,230+20.1%
Odessa, Texas$30,660-3.7%
Olympia, Washington$57,260+79.8%
Orlando, Florida$45,040+41.5%
Owensboro, Kentucky$33,620+5.6%
Oxnard, California$45,270+42.2%
Paducah, Kentucky$29,450-7.5%
Palm Bay, Florida$40,050+25.8%
Panama City, Florida$40,040+25.8%
Parkersburg, West Virginia$37,490+17.7%
Pensacola, Florida$40,290+26.5%
Peoria, Illinois$35,140+10.4%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$41,320+29.8%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$34,820+9.4%
Portland, Oregon$49,650+55.9%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$40,190+26.2%
Punta Gorda, Florida$42,050+32.1%
Reading, Pennsylvania$35,110+10.3%
Redding, California$38,700+21.5%
Richmond, Virginia$51,750+62.5%
Riverside, California$43,480+36.6%
Roanoke, Virginia$51,590+62.0%
Rochester, New York$50,800+59.5%
Rockford, Illinois$34,450+8.2%
Sacramento, California$46,320+45.5%
Saginaw, Michigan$43,940+38.0%
Salem, Oregon$45,310+42.3%
Salinas, California$46,550+46.2%
Salisbury, Maryland$43,310+36.0%
San Angelo, Texas$28,780-9.6%
San Antonio, Texas$30,110-5.4%
San Diego, California$46,900+47.3%
San Francisco, California$50,970+60.1%
San Jose, California$50,890+59.8%
San Luis Obispo, California$47,350+48.7%
Santa Cruz, California$43,240+35.8%
Santa Maria, California$43,160+35.6%
Santa Rosa, California$46,650+46.5%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$34,700+9.0%
Seattle, Washington$62,090+95.0%
Sebastian, Florida$40,050+25.8%
Sebring, Florida$36,970+16.1%
Sherman, Texas$29,370-7.8%
South Bend, Indiana$28,530-10.4%
Spokane, Washington$57,470+80.5%
Springfield, Illinois$35,620+11.9%
State College, Pennsylvania$34,830+9.4%
Staunton, Virginia$47,750+50.0%
Stockton, California$43,820+37.6%
Syracuse, New York$52,330+64.4%
Tallahassee, Florida$37,020+16.3%
Tampa, Florida$45,080+41.6%
Terre Haute, Indiana$24,050-24.5%
Texarkana, Texas$31,510-1.0%
Traverse City, Michigan$44,510+39.8%
Trenton, New Jersey$47,250+48.4%
Tyler, Texas$30,880-3.0%
Utica, New York$46,800+47.0%
Vallejo, California$44,310+39.2%
Victoria, Texas$25,650-19.4%
Vineland, New Jersey$42,420+33.2%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$52,310+64.3%
Visalia, California$39,560+24.2%
Waco, Texas$30,360-4.6%
Walla Walla, Washington$57,150+79.5%
Watertown, New York$44,260+39.0%
Weirton, West Virginia$36,620+15.0%
Wenatchee, Washington$54,180+70.2%
Wheeling, West Virginia$34,520+8.4%
Wichita Falls, Texas$30,480-4.3%
Wildwood, Florida$40,770+28.0%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$31,220-1.9%
Winchester, Virginia$46,730+46.8%
Yakima, Washington$55,280+73.6%
York, Pennsylvania$35,740+12.2%
Yuba City, California$40,660+27.7%
Gross salary
31,840/yr
Estimated take-home
26,130/yr
Est. total withheld
17.9%

Single filer, federal + Kentucky state tax + FICA, 2026 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Bartenders salaries in Kentucky → All Bartenders salaries →
Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 35-3011 SOC code
Official area Bowling Green, KY BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 14540 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: ky_dor_verificado 2026
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: Kentucky

Population (metro area)
183,194