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Bartender

Hospitality & Tourism

Mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through waitstaff.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Hospitality & Tourism

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Clean glasses, utensils, and bar equipment.
  2. 2Collect money for drinks served.
  3. 3Check identification of customers to verify age requirements for purchase of alcohol.
  4. 4Balance cash receipts.
  5. 5Clean bars, work areas, and tables.
  6. 6Attempt to limit problems and liability related to customers' excessive drinking by taking steps such as persuading customers to stop drinking, or ordering taxis or other transportation for intoxicated patrons.
  7. 7Take beverage orders from serving staff or directly from patrons.
  8. 8Serve wine, and bottled or draft beer.
  9. 9Plan, organize, and control the operations of a cocktail lounge or bar.
  10. 10Stock bar with beer, wine, liquor, and related supplies such as ice, glassware, napkins, or straws.
  11. 11Serve snacks or food items to customers seated at the bar.
  12. 12Supervise the work of bar staff and other bartenders.
  13. 13Mix ingredients, such as liquor, soda, water, sugar, and bitters, to prepare cocktails and other drinks.
  14. 14Order or requisition liquors and supplies.
  15. 15Slice and pit fruit for garnishing drinks.
  16. 16Ask customers who become loud and obnoxious to leave, or physically remove them.
  17. 17Arrange bottles and glasses to make attractive displays.
  18. 18Plan bar menus.
  19. 19Create drink recipes.
  20. 20Prepare appetizers such as pickles, cheese, and cold meats.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Barman
  • Barkeep
  • Barmaid
  • Barkeeper
  • Bartender
  • Bar Tender
  • Bartenders
  • Mixologist
  • Bar Captain
  • Drink Mixer

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. Typical entry

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Sales and Marketing — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Sales and Marketing — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Customer and Personal Service89%
  • English Language73%

    English

  • Education and Training63%
  • Sales and Marketing63%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Administration and Management60%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Public Safety and Security60%

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersVery high
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentAlmost never
  • Time spent sittingAlmost none

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Provide customers with directions or answers to questions.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

8%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Chef

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Bartenders

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org