OSCA 471131

Bar Attendant

Overview

  • Employed persons

    41,500

  • Employment status

    20.3% Full time

    79.7% Part time

  • Median age

    24 years

  • Employment by sex

    50.3% Female

    49.7% Male

    Gender balanced

  • Indigenous employment share

    3.8%

  • Main employing industry

    Accommodation and Food Services

Indicator Bar Attendant Total employment
Employed persons 41,500 12,049,400
Median age 24 years 40 years
Full-time share 20.3% 64.2%
Part-time share 79.7% 35.8%
Female employment share 50.3% 48.5%
Male employment share 49.7% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Gender balanced Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 3.8% 2.2%
Main employing industry Accommodation and Food Services Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Bar Attendants prepare, mix and serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to patrons in a bar in a licensed establishment.

What the occupation involves

  • Takes orders from patrons for drinks
  • Prepares and serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to patrons
  • Creates and follows cocktail recipes using garnishes and other specialised ingredients
  • Checks identification to verify legal drinking age
  • Cleans and maintains bar area, including equipment and utensils
  • Stocks and replenishes bar inventory and supplies
  • Monitors patrons for signs of intoxication and refuses service as necessary
  • Assists with bar opening and closing procedures

Common occupation titles

  • Bar Steward
  • Bartender

Specialisations

  • Mixologist

Note: Specialisations are examples of roles in within this occupation and are not separate OSCA occupations.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 4
equivalent to a lower‑level Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification (Certificate II or III).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

No licensing or registration requirements are listed for this occupation.

OSCA structure

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Bar Attendant Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Accommodation and Food Services 90.0% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Arts and Recreation Services 4.3% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Manufacturing 1.4% Construction 8.9%
    Retail Trade 0.6% Education and Training 8.8%
    Administrative and Support Services 0.3% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Information Media and Telecommunications 0.3% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Other Services 0.3% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Construction 0.2% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Health Care and Social Assistance 0.2% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Transport, Postal and Warehousing 0.2% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      34.4%

    • Victoria

      19.3%

    • Queensland

      21.6%

    • South Australia

      7.3%

    • Tasmania

      2.6%

    • Northern Territory

      1.0%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      2.2%

    Bar Attendant Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 14,300 34.4% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 8,000 19.3% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 9,000 21.6% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 3,000 7.3% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 4,800 11.6% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 1,100 2.6% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 420 1.0% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 900 2.2% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Bar Attendant

    Total employment

    Age group Bar Attendant Total employment
    15–24 years 55.0% 14.3%
    25–34 years 24.9% 22.7%
    35–44 years 7.8% 22.3%
    45–54 years 5.7% 20.4%
    55–64 years 5.2% 15.3%
    65–74 years 1.3% 4.3%
    75 years and over <0.1% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Bar Attendant Total employment
    Female 50.3% 48.5%
    Male 49.7% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    On this page

      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

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      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

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