The Bar School

Pennsylvania · Updated Oct 2026

How to become a bartender in Pennsylvania

Mandatory RAMP server training required by the state within 6 months of hire

Pennsylvania doesn't require a bartender license, just state-approved server training, and that won't teach you the job. Here's your path from zero experience to your first shift, plus the rules and pay to know.

Quick answer

Pennsylvania does not issue a bartender license or permit. The bar or restaurant holds the liquor license from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, not the bartender. You must be 18 or older to serve or bartend. Learn the job first, then complete state-approved server training within 6 months of hire.

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Your path

5 steps to bartending in Pennsylvania

  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. Complete RAMP training

    Complete PLCB-approved RAMP server training within 6 months of being hired. Renew it every 2 years.

    See local rules ↓

  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 Pennsylvania, tipped staff get at least $2.83/hr, and tips must bring them to $7.25/hr.

Pennsylvania rules

Pennsylvania bartending rules at a glance

Training

If you serve or sell alcohol or check IDs at a licensed bar or restaurant, you must complete PLCB-approved RAMP server/seller training within 6 months of being hired. The training expires after 2 years, so you renew it every 2 years. Approved courses are offered online and in classrooms.

PLCB RAMP training PLCB summary of Act 39 of 2016

Rules change. Last checked October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) and your employer before you apply.

Local rules

Where to check the rules

Pennsylvania's age and training rules are set by the state and apply everywhere. Your employer may add its own rules, so ask when you apply.

State alcohol agency

Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB)

The agency that licenses and regulates alcohol sales in Pennsylvania.

Open the official website

Your employer can also tell you which rules apply where you'll work.

Pay

How much do bartenders make in Pennsylvania?

Median hourly$13.66$28,420 a year
Average hourly$17.05$35,460 a year
Top 10% earn more than$30.21$62,830 a year
Bartenders employed37,490May 2025 estimate
Tipped base pay$2.83/hrTips must bring you to $7.25/hr

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (Pennsylvania, Bartenders 35-3011) and U.S. DOL state tipped minimum wage table (July 1, 2026). 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 Pennsylvania

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 Pennsylvania bartending license?

  • No, and Pennsylvania doesn't issue one. The venue holds the alcohol license, not the bartender.
  • Server training is required in Pennsylvania. See step 3 above for the deadline.
  • 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 Pennsylvania: your questions, answered

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

Pennsylvania does not issue a bartender license or permit. The bar or restaurant holds the liquor license from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, not the bartender. You can learn the job first, then check whether your employer wants server training.

PLCB RAMP training PLCB FAQ: Minors on the licensed premises

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

You must be 18 to serve alcohol or work as a bartender. Workers aged 16 and 17 can serve food and clear tables but can't serve or pour alcohol. Employers can set a higher minimum age, so check with the bar.

PLCB FAQ: Minors on the licensed premises

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

If you serve or sell alcohol or check IDs at a licensed bar or restaurant, you must complete PLCB-approved RAMP server/seller training within 6 months of being hired. The training expires after 2 years, so you renew it every 2 years. Approved courses are offered online and in classrooms.

PLCB RAMP training PLCB summary of Act 39 of 2016

How much do bartenders make in Pennsylvania?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025), Pennsylvania bartenders earned a median of $13.66 an hour and a mean of $17.05 an hour ($35,460 a year), including tips reported by employers. The top 10% earned more than $30.21 an hour. Employers can pay tipped staff $2.83 an hour if tips bring them to at least $7.25 an hour; if not, the employer makes up the difference. Pay varies by venue, shifts and location.

BLS U.S. DOL state tipped minimum wage table (July 1, 2026)

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

Experience is up to each employer, but you'll need your state-approved server training too. 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 Pennsylvania?

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. Pocono Mountains resorts hire for both ski season and summer, and the Lake Erie beaches around Erie bring a summer bump.

Find jobs by city ↑

Do you have to go to bartending school in Pennsylvania?

No. Pennsylvania doesn't require bartending school. The state-approved server training is about serving alcohol safely and legally; it doesn't teach you to make drinks or work a bar. An online course lets you learn the tools, pours, cocktails and service at your own pace.

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 Pennsylvania?

Bar Ready is self-paced, so you go as fast as your schedule allows. After that, timing depends on how long it takes to get your state-approved server training and the jobs near you.

Is the Bar School certificate a Pennsylvania 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 state or local requirement.

Ready to start bartending in Pennsylvania?

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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