Sommelier Demographics and Statistics in the US – 2024
We’ve compiled a list of Sommelier statistics and demographics in the United States and categorized them by age, gender, tenure and more.
- 68.3% of all Sommeliers are men
- 65% of Sommeliers are younger than 30 years old
- Part-time Sommeliers make up 30% of all Sommeliers in the workforce
- 21.5% of all Sommeliers are Hispanic or Latino
- Most Sommeliers (64%) have a bachelor’s degree
- 24% of Sommeliers leave a job after less than a year
- 34% of Sommeliers work for employers that employ less than 50 people
- 14.8% of all Sommeliers who speak a second language speak French alongside English
- The average salary for a Sommelier is $65, 581 per year
Sommelier Employment Statistics
There are only 273 Master Sommeliers, according to the Court of Master Sommeliers.
While it is difficult to determine how many individuals work as Sommeliers in the United States, we do know that only a handful hold the most advanced rank of a “Master”.
Sommelier Gender Statistics
Most of the Sommeliers working in the United States are men. This is unlike other similar hospitality roles, such as that of a Receptionist.
See more on our Receptionist demographics page.
Sommelier Age Statistics
Most Sommeliers are younger than 30. Some 20% are between 30 and 40 years old, while only 15% of all Sommeliers are older than 40.
Sommelier Employment Type Statistics
70% of Sommeliers work full-time, while the remaining individuals work part-time in bars, restaurants, hotels and similar establishments.
Sommelier Ethnicity and Race Statistics
Most Sommeliers are white (51.4%), followed by the Hispanic and Latino population and Black or African Americans (11.3%).
This is similar to other hospitality roles, as you can see on our Concierge demographics page.
Sommelier Education Statistics
Most Sommeliers have higher education as it increases their odds of finding suitable employment.
However, a small number of Sommeliers (15%) have an associate’s degree, followed by 9% of Sommeliers who have a master’s degree.
Restaurant Consultants are another role in which individuals have higher educational attainment. Learn more on our Restaurant Consultant demographics page.
Sommelier Tenure Statistics
Tenure refers to how long a Sommelier remains in the same job.
Most Sommeliers (35%) stay with the same job for between one and two years. However, a small number of them (12%) remain at the same job for more than eight years.
Sommelier Jobs by Company Size Statistics
34% of all Sommeliers work for employers that employ between less than 100 individuals. However, Sommeliers work across industries and types of employers, meaning that companies of different sizes require Sommelier expertise.
Some 16% of individuals working in this role can be found in companies that employ more than 10,000 people.
See the complete breakdown of Sommelier jobs by the size of employer.
Sommelier Languages Spoken
While English is a given, a lot of Sommeliers working in the United States also speak an additional language.
The most popular second language for Sommeliers is Spanish (44.4%), followed by French and Italian (9.3%).
See the breakdown of Sommeliers according to the second language they speak.
Sommelier Demographics FAQs
The top-paying states for Sommeliers are Washington, Missouri and the District of Columbia.
Sommeliers are in metropolitan areas like New York or Miami.
If you’re looking for a job as a Sommelier in these cities you can explore our city pages:
31.7% of all Sommeliers are women.
Most Sommeliers (51.4%) are white.
Average male and female Sommeliers are 28 years old.
It is highly unlikely that you can get a job as a Sommelier without education.
Typically, employers look for a mix of experience and education from a Sommelier education program like that of the Court of Master Sommeliers.
Sommelier Statistics and Demographics Data
See how we collect data for our statistics and demographics on our statistics methodology page.
Written by Vukasin Petrovic
Vukasin is an experienced content creator with more than five years of writing and editing experience. With a background in English and an MFA in Creative Writing, he excels in digital marketing and copywriting, crafting narratives that engage the audience.
Reviewed by Stefan Petrov
With over 10 years of experience as a writer and editor, Stefan has worked in the automotive, IT, health and hospitality industries. Familiar with Google Search Console and other SEO tools like Ahrefs and Semrush, Stefan uses his experience to create content that’s visually appealing to the user but also ranks in the SERPs.
