Bartenders in the Iowa City Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Bartenders pay in Iowa City, IA at a median of $21,900 per year ($10.53/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $34,340, the metro estimate is 36% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 790 bartenders are employed across the Iowa City MSA in SOC 35-3011.

The Iowa City pay distribution spans from $15,980 at the 10th percentile to $44,720 at the 90th, a 2.8× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $18,110 and the 75th at $31,040, so half of Iowa City-based bartenders earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Iowa City, IA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide IA estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.