The Bar School

Washington · Updated Oct 2026

How to become a bartender in Washington

Mandatory MAST permit required by the state to bartend here

Washington bartenders need a MAST permit, but 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

The venue holds the liquor license, but Washington requires everyone who serves, mixes or sells alcohol for drinking on site to hold a MAST permit. Bartenders and managers need a Class 12 permit (21 and older), and servers aged 18 to 20 get a Class 13 permit. You must be 21 to bartend, though you can serve in restaurants at 18. Learn the job first, then get your MAST permit.

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Your path

5 steps to bartending in Washington

  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. Get your MAST permit

    Complete Mandatory Alcohol Server Training from an LCB-certified provider within 60 days of hire. The permit lasts 5 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 Washington, tipped staff get the full $17.13/hr minimum wage before tips.

Washington rules

Washington bartending rules at a glance

Age

At 18 you can take drink orders and serve alcohol in restaurants, but not in bars or lounges that are off-limits to anyone under 21. You must be 21 to bartend, which includes mixing drinks and pouring from a tap or other dispenser.

RCW 66.44.350 WAC 314-17

License

The venue holds the liquor license, but Washington requires everyone who serves, mixes or sells alcohol for drinking on site to hold a MAST permit. Bartenders and managers need a Class 12 permit (21 and older), and servers aged 18 to 20 get a Class 13 permit.

LCB: Mandatory Alcohol Server Training RCW 66.20.310

Training

You must get your MAST permit within 60 days of being hired by passing a course and exam, online or in a classroom, from a state-certified provider. The permit is good for 5 years and can't be renewed, so you retake the course before it expires. Keep your permit and ID ready to show an officer whenever you're serving.

LCB: Mandatory Alcohol Server Training RCW 66.20.310 WAC 314-17

Tipped pay

Washington doesn't allow a tip credit, so tipped staff get at least $17.13 an hour before tips, and Seattle, Bellingham, Burien, Everett, Renton, SeaTac, Tukwila and unincorporated King County set higher local minimums. On January 1, 2027, the state minimum wage rises to $17.73 an hour.

L&I minimum wage U.S. DOL state tipped wage table

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

Local rules

Where to check the rules

Washington's server rules are set by the state, and cities and counties can't license liquor sales. Some cities, including Seattle, do set a higher minimum wage than the state.

RCW 66.08.120 L&I minimum wage

State alcohol agency

Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB)

The agency that licenses and regulates alcohol sales in Washington.

Open the official website

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

Pay

How much do bartenders make in Washington?

Median hourly$26.84$55,830 a year
Average hourly$28.85$60,010 a year
Top 10% earn more than$43.33$90,130 a year
Bartenders employed16,800May 2025 estimate
Tipped base pay$17.13/hrFull minimum wage, before tips

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (Washington, Bartenders 35-3011) and L&I minimum wage. 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 Washington

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 Washington bartending license?

  • No. Washington requires a MAST permit, and Bar Ready doesn't replace it.
  • Server training is required in Washington. 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 Washington: your questions, answered

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

The venue holds the liquor license, but Washington requires everyone who serves, mixes or sells alcohol for drinking on site to hold a MAST permit. Bartenders and managers need a Class 12 permit (21 and older), and servers aged 18 to 20 get a Class 13 permit.

LCB: Mandatory Alcohol Server Training RCW 66.20.310

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

At 18 you can take drink orders and serve alcohol in restaurants, but not in bars or lounges that are off-limits to anyone under 21. You must be 21 to bartend, which includes mixing drinks and pouring from a tap or other dispenser. Employers can set a higher minimum age, so check with the bar.

RCW 66.44.350 WAC 314-17

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

You must get your MAST permit within 60 days of being hired by passing a course and exam, online or in a classroom, from a state-certified provider. The permit is good for 5 years and can't be renewed, so you retake the course before it expires. Keep your permit and ID ready to show an officer whenever you're serving.

LCB: Mandatory Alcohol Server Training RCW 66.20.310 WAC 314-17

How much do bartenders make in Washington?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025), Washington bartenders earned a median of $26.84 an hour and a mean of $28.85 an hour ($60,010 a year), including tips reported by employers. The top 10% earned more than $43.33 an hour. Washington doesn't allow a tip credit, so tipped staff get at least $17.13 an hour before tips, and Seattle, Bellingham, Burien, Everett, Renton, SeaTac, Tukwila and unincorporated King County set higher local minimums. On January 1, 2027, the state minimum wage rises to $17.73 an hour. Pay varies by venue, shifts and location.

BLS L&I minimum wage

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

Experience is up to each employer, but you'll need your MAST permit 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 Washington?

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. Leavenworth, Lake Chelan and the San Juan Islands hire extra staff for summer, and ski areas such as Snoqualmie Pass and Crystal Mountain hire for winter.

Find jobs by city ↑

Do you have to go to bartending school in Washington?

No. Washington doesn't require bartending school. The MAST permit 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 Washington?

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 MAST permit and the jobs near you.

Is the Bar School certificate a Washington 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 your MAST permit or any state or local requirement.

Ready to start bartending in Washington?

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

Start step 1: learn to bartend

Bar Ready · 100% online · $197 one-time · Certificates of completion

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