The Bar School

Massachusetts · Updated Oct 2026

How to become a bartender in Massachusetts

Massachusetts doesn't require a state bartender license, but you still need to know how to do the job. Here's your path from zero experience to your first shift, plus the rules and pay to know.

Quick answer

Massachusetts doesn't issue a bartender license. You must be 18 or older to serve or mix alcohol, and your town or employer may require alcohol server training such as TIPS. Learn the job first, then complete whatever training your town requires.

Start step 1: learn to bartendBar Ready · 100% online · $197 one-time

Your path

5 steps to bartending in Massachusetts

  1. Learn to bartend

    Take Bar Ready online: tools, pours, spirits, cocktails, service and how to get hired.

  2. Earn your certificates

    Watch every lesson in full to unlock each course's certificate of completion in your dashboard. It shows employers you trained. It isn't a license.

  3. Meet your town's rules

    Complete any alcohol server training your town or employer requires, such as TIPS. Some towns set a deadline after you're hired.

    Check your town ↓

  4. Go apply

    Put your training and certificates on your resume and apply to bars and restaurants near you.

  5. Start pouring

    Pour, serve and earn tips. In Massachusetts, tipped staff get at least $6.75/hr, and tips must bring them to $15/hr.

Massachusetts rules

Massachusetts bartending rules at a glance

Age

You must be 18 or older to directly serve, mix or sell alcohol. Selling to anyone under 21 is prohibited.

M.G.L. c.138 §34

License

The venue holds the alcohol license, not the bartender. Its license manager must be 21+ and a U.S. citizen.

ABCC FAQ

Training

Not required statewide for bars and restaurants, but caterers' servers must be certified and many towns require it. Example: Plymouth requires bartenders to complete TIPS or an equivalent within 30 days of hire and renew every 3 years.

§12C Plymouth policy

Tipped pay

Bars can pay tipped staff a $6.75/hour base rate only if tips bring them to at least $15/hour. If they don't, the employer makes up the difference.

Mass.gov

Rules change and vary by town. Last checked October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm with your local licensing board and your employer before you apply.

Your city or town

Check your town's rules

In Massachusetts, your city or town's licensing authority decides whether bartenders need alcohol server training. In most towns that's the Select Board; many cities have a license commission or board.

Find yours to open its official website, then ask the licensing board (or your employer) whether bartenders need training such as TIPS.

All 351 cities and towns, from the Mass.gov list of city and town websites.

Pay

How much do bartenders make in Massachusetts?

Median hourly$18.00$37,440 a year
Average hourly$21.69$45,120 a year
Top 10% earn more than$34.07$70,870 a year
Bartenders employed19,850May 2025 estimate
Tipped base pay$6.75/hrTips must bring you to $15/hr

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (Massachusetts, Bartenders 35-3011) and Mass.gov Minimum Wage Program. BLS wages include tips reported by employers. What you earn depends on the venue, your shifts and your location, and isn't guaranteed.

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Jobs

Where to find bartending jobs in Massachusetts

Open bartender listings near you on Indeed. Barback and server openings are worth a look too: they're a common way behind the bar.

Behind the bar at The Bar School, answering whether the course is a license
Is this a license to bartend?1:33

The question we hear most

Is Bar Ready a Massachusetts bartending license?

  • No, and you don't need one. Massachusetts doesn't issue a bartender license. The venue holds the alcohol license.
  • Your town may require server training such as TIPS. Check yours above.
  • Each course ends with a certificate of completion. It shows employers you trained, but it isn't a license or a state certification.

Questions people ask

Becoming a bartender in Massachusetts: your questions, answered

Do you need a license to be a bartender in Massachusetts?

No. Massachusetts doesn't issue a bartender license. The venue holds the alcohol license, not the bartender. You can learn the job first, then check the training rules for your town.

ABCC FAQ

How old do you have to be to bartend in Massachusetts?

You must be 18 or older to directly serve, mix or sell alcohol, and selling to anyone under 21 is prohibited. Employers can set a higher minimum age, so check with the bar.

M.G.L. c.138 §34

Do you need TIPS or ServSafe certification to bartend in Massachusetts?

Not statewide for bars and restaurants, but caterers' servers must be certified, and many towns require alcohol server training. For example, Plymouth requires bartenders to complete TIPS or an equivalent within 30 days of hire and renew every 3 years. Your employer will usually tell you what applies.

Check your town's rules ↑ §12C Plymouth policy

How do I find the rules for my town?

Use the town finder on this page to open your city or town's official website, then contact its licensing board (usually through town or city hall) and ask your employer. Rules vary by town and change over time.

Open the town finder ↑

How much do bartenders make in Massachusetts?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025), Massachusetts bartenders earned a median of $18.00 an hour and a mean of $21.69 an hour ($45,120 a year), including tips reported by employers. The top 10% earned more than $34.07 an hour. Tipped staff must be paid at least $6.75 an hour, and tips must bring them to $15 an hour or the employer makes up the difference. Pay varies by venue, shifts and location.

BLS Mass.gov

Can I get a bartending job in Massachusetts with no experience?

Massachusetts doesn't require a bartender license, so experience is up to each employer. Learning the fundamentals first, and being able to show you finished training, helps you stand out when you apply. That's what step 1 is for.

Where can I find bartending jobs in Massachusetts?

Search job boards like Indeed for bartender, barback and server openings in your city, check the websites and social pages of bars you'd like to work at, and drop off a resume in person when it's quiet. Barback and server jobs are a common way in. Cape Cod and the Islands hire extra staff for the summer.

Find jobs by city ↑

Do you have to go to bartending school in Massachusetts?

No. Massachusetts doesn't require bartending school or a bartender license. Training is a way to learn the job before your first shift. An online course lets you learn the tools, pours, cocktails and service at your own pace, then check your town's server-training rules.

Does The Bar School offer job placement?

No. We don't place students in jobs. Bar Ready shows you what the job involves and how to get hired, with a resume guide and template and what to expect when you apply. Then you apply to bars and restaurants near you.

How long does it take to become a bartender in Massachusetts?

Bar Ready is self-paced, so you go as fast as your schedule allows. After that, timing depends on your town's training rules and the jobs near you.

Is the Bar School certificate a Massachusetts license or TIPS certification?

No. Your Bar School certificates of completion, one for each Bar Ready course, show employers you finished our training. They aren't a government license or permit, and they don't replace TIPS, ServSafe or any town requirement.

Ready to start bartending in Massachusetts?

Step 1 is learning the job. Start Bar Ready online today, at your own pace.

Start step 1: learn to bartend

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