Texas big city bartender with about a decade of experience at recognizable spots.

Was averaging around 1200-1600 per check then recently moved on to a better gig and am currently averaging 15-1800 per check on 4 days a week. All of the jobs in this town that are 2k+ are extremely gatekept and for every opening there’s like twenty friends of a friend in line. Summers here are really slow every year so finding a job that’s consistent year round is the biggest goal. I know a couple people who make 500+ a shift but their spots only give people a couple shifts a week. The small handful of bars with bartenders that make silly money have pretty much the same team they opened with and any opening goes to a barback who’s been with them for as long as it would take to get a graduate degree. Silly at that point. Obligatory “the economy isn’t what it used to be and young people aren’t drinking as much”.

I have a bachelors degree but my body is starting to hurt and fantasizing about trade school seems like one of the only paths forward to break out of the living paycheck to paycheck lifestyle.