How to become a bartender in New Jersey

New Jersey doesn't issue a bartender license; the venue holds the liquor license, which the town issues. Some towns require bar staff to register with the police. You can learn the job first, then check whether your employer wants server training.

NJ ABC Handbook for Retail Licensees NJ Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control

You must be 18 or older to serve, sell or mix alcohol in New Jersey. At 16 and 17 you can work as a busser, but you can't prepare, sell or serve drinks. Employers can set a higher minimum age, so check with the bar.

NJ ABC Handbook for Retail Licensees

New Jersey doesn't require alcohol server training statewide. Some towns do: Brick Township requires everyone who sells or serves alcohol to get certified through TIPS, TAMS or another approved course within 90 days of starting. Employers elsewhere may also ask for a course such as TIPS.

Brick Township Code §86-5.1

New Jersey towns can add their own rules for bar staff. For example, Keyport requires bartenders and servers to get a police-issued Bar Card within 7 business days of hire, renewed every year, so ask your employer or the municipal clerk what applies.

See local rules ↑ NJ ABC Handbook for Retail Licensees Keyport ABC employee registration (Bar Card) Brick Township Code §86-5.1

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025), New Jersey bartenders earned a median of $21.16 an hour and a mean of $24.73 an hour ($51,440 a year), including tips reported by employers. The top 10% earned more than $38.69 an hour. Employers can pay tipped staff $6.05 an hour if tips bring them to at least $15.92 an hour; if not, the employer makes up the difference. On January 1, 2027, the minimum wage rises to $16.48 an hour and the tipped base pay to $6.61. Pay varies by venue, shifts and location.

BLS NJ Dept. of Labor: 2026 minimum wage

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.

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. Jersey Shore towns such as Seaside Heights, Belmar, Wildwood, Cape May and Long Beach Island hire extra summer staff, so start looking in early spring.

Find jobs by city ↑

No. New Jersey doesn't require bartending school. An online course lets you learn the tools, pours, cocktails and service at your own pace.

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.

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

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 state or local requirement.