Your tips do go up as your skill improves as a bartender as you learn more drinks , get better at bar chat , etc but you ' re absolutely right that it ' s totally dependent on establishment and volume . More than skill level , its that your income goes up as your endurance level increases . Bartenders make more than servers for a reason it ' s a lot of fucking work and it ' s stressful as hell . When you start , it ' s hard to adapt to longer shifts with less breaks , more pressure , and 10 times the side work . But you get used to it and you can work more shifts and not be as grumpy after a few days of working . which is important because a positive attitude is key to making money . Customers will tend to tip a smiling , happy bartender more but confidence is a bigger key . there are bartenders who make good money being gruff and surely , but they still need to feel good about themselves to work efficiently .