Bartender Cost in Los Angeles
Platinum Bartenders publishes full rates so you can budget before you request a quote. Every rate is listed here, including the charges added at checkout.
Exact pricing for your event in under two minutes.
Bartenders
Per hour. Four hour minimum.
| Role | Per hour |
|---|---|
| Platinum Bartender | $79 |
| Mixologist | $89 |
| Shirtless or bikini bartender | $99 |
| Shirtless or bikini mixologist | $149 |
One bartender per 50 guests; add one more at medium or heavy consumption to keep the line short. Bartenders are also billed for setup and breakdown. They arrive two hours before doors for corporate events and craft cocktail bars, one hour for other bar packages and for mixologists, and 30 minutes for bartender-only bookings, then stay 30 minutes after. Billable time rounds up to the nearest half hour.
Event Staff
Per hour. Four hour minimum.
| Role | Per hour |
|---|---|
| Barback | $79 |
| Server | $79 |
| Host | $79 |
| Ambience model | $79 |
| Security | $85 |
| Banquet captain | $89 |
| Kitchen assistant | $90 |
Entertainment
DJ has a four hour minimum. Other acts are flat rates.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| DJ, first four hours | $650 |
| DJ, each extra hour | $162.50 |
| DJ speakers, per day | $295 |
| Speaker delivery and pick up | $200 |
| Fire juggler, three 10 minute sets | $875 |
Bar Packages
Priced by how much your guests drink. Light covers one to two drinks. Medium is three to four drinks and doubles the rate. Heavy is six or more and triples it.
| Package | Light | Medium | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full bar | $19 | $38 | $57 |
| Craft cocktail bar | $25 | $50 | $75 |
| Craft cocktails and full bar | $37 | $74 | $111 |
| Wellness bar | $18 to $38 | $18 to $38 | $18 to $38 |
All figures are per guest. Bartenders are charged separately by the hour.
Full bar covers top-shelf spirits, beer, wine, mixers, sodas, ice, garnishes and cups. Craft cocktail packages add three cocktails built around your event and a printed bar menu.
Wellness bar has three tiers, per guest: Classic $18 (matcha and zero-proof cocktails), Premium $26 (matcha, kombucha and coconut water) and Platinum Vitality $38 (the full selection plus adaptogenic elixirs, collagen and peptides). The price does not change with consumption, and it can be added on top of any cocktail or full bar package.
Bartender only has no per-guest charge. You supply the spirits, mixers, ice and glassware. We bring RBS-certified staff with their own tools.
Food and Catering
Chefs cook on site. Rates are all-in, covering the kitchen brigade, dishwasher, plates, cutlery, linen napkins, delivery, setup, collection and gratuity. Billed on a 50 guest minimum.
| Menu | 50-99 | 100-149 | 150-199 | 200-249 | 250+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tray-passed canapés | $195 | $160 | $150 | $145 | $140 |
| Buffet dinner | $210 | $175 | $165 | $160 | $155 |
| Family style | $250 | $215 | $205 | $200 | $195 |
| Five-course plated | $350 | $315 | $305 | $300 | $295 |
All rates are per guest. Portable kitchen $2,550 per station, one station per 100 guests, only needed when the venue has no usable kitchen.
Rentals
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Bar rental: 6ft white wood bar, 4 ice tubs, trash can, delivery and pick up | $1,195 |
| Back bar | $365 |
| High top with spandex | $95 each |
| Space heater | $275 each |
| Linen | $40 each |
| ABC liquor license permit | $1,950 |
| Glassware | $1.95 per glass |
Glassware delivery and pick up $390, waived when a bar rental is on the same booking.
What Is Added to Your Quote
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gratuity, per staff member working the event, entertainers included. Optional on private events and weddings, included on corporate events, paid in full to staff | $100 |
| Processing fee on the total | 3.6% |
| Holiday uplift on staff pay: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve | 25% |
| Rush surcharge on events booked within 48 hours | 20% |
| Travel fee outside central Los Angeles, per staff member | see below |
Travel fees, per staff member
| Area | Per staff member |
|---|---|
| Central Los Angeles | No fee |
| Santa Monica, Venice, Culver City, Burbank | $20 |
| Glendale, Pasadena | $30 |
| Long Beach | $50 |
| Malibu | $60 |
| Orange County | $90 |
| Palm Springs | $200 |
How You Pay
Bookings over $10,000 are held with a 25% deposit, with the balance due seven days before the event. Bookings of $10,000 or less are paid in full at booking.
Sample Quotes
100 guests, craft cocktail bar, medium consumption, 2 bartenders, 4 hour event
| Bar, 100 guests at $50 | $5,000.00 |
| Bartenders, 2 x $79 x 6.5 hours (two hours of setup for a craft cocktail bar) | $1,027.00 |
| Gratuity, 2 x $100 (optional on private events) | $200.00 |
| Subtotal | $6,227.00 |
| Sales tax 9.75% on the bar | $487.50 |
| Processing fee 3.6% | $241.72 |
| Total | $6,956.22 |
50 guests, bartender only, 1 bartender, 4 hour event
| Bartender, $79 x 5 hours (30 minutes of setup and 30 of breakdown) | $395.00 |
| Gratuity (optional on private events) | $100.00 |
| Subtotal | $495.00 |
| Processing fee 3.6% | $17.82 |
| Total | $512.82 |
Licensed, Insured and ABC Compliant
Over 300 hospitality and entertainment professionals, mostly working actors and models. All staff RBS-certified and insured. ABC liquor permits available. Operating in Los Angeles since 2014.
Takes under two minutes.