Over the past few decades, the beer industry has grown significantly, and there are now various career options available in this field. People in food and beverage service, marketing, sales, engineering, and farming can all pursue roles with breweries, manufacturers, and bars. If you’re interested in working in a beer-related role, it may be helpful for you to review a few career options that you can pursue.
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In this article, we outline nine different jobs in the beer industry and offer helpful tips for successfully securing a role in this field.
9 Jobs in the Beer Industry
There are many types of roles available in the craft beer industry for those with interests in business management, beverage service, marketing, sales, and more. Here are nine different positions in the beer industry to consider while conducting your job search:
1. Farmer
National average salary: $36,358 per year
Primary duties: Farmers are agricultural specialists who grow crops and market them through either direct sales to consumers or wholesale to distributors. Farming involves planting crops, maintaining the health of the crops through irrigation and weed control, and harvesting them. In the beer industry, farmers may cultivate high-quality grains like barley, hops, rice, oats, and wheat for use in the brewing and manufacturing of beer products.
2. Brewer
National average salary: $37,661 per year
Primary duties: Brewers work in production and oversee the beer-brewing process. They may select the ingredients, such as yeast, hops, water, and other grains, to prepare for brewing and add all necessary ingredients. They may monitor the brewing process throughout to ensure products are of high quality by checking the fermentation rate, temperature, and pH values of the mixture, taste, and aroma.
3. Brand Ambassador
National average salary: $45,700 per year
Primary duties: Brand ambassadors help breweries and beer companies raise positive consumer awareness promote their brands and increase sales. They’re typically responsible for attending events, representing a brand, and interacting with guests. Brand ambassadors may also assist in content creation for messaging, such as in social media and collecting feedback from consumers about products.
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4. Bartender
National average salary: $47,057 per year
Primary duties: Bartenders work in customer-facing roles within bars and restaurants. On a day-to-day basis, bartenders take orders, mix and serve both nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages, process payments, ensure customer satisfaction, and perform maintenance duties to ensure their work areas are clean and up to standard. In the beer industry, they may be able to find employment at breweries, bars, or special events, such as weddings and retirement parties.
5. Marketing Coordinator
National average salary: $50,902 per year
Primary duties: Marketing coordinators in the beer industry oversee consumer engagement activities, advertising initiatives, promotions, and campaigns geared toward increasing brand awareness and sales. They may conduct market research, develop a marketing plan, supervise a team of employees, coordinate events, and create marketing materials to accomplish their goals. Marketing coordinators also keep records of sales to determine profits and losses and their causes.
6. Social media manager
National average salary: $56,084 per year
Primary duties: Social media managers are marketing specialists who focus on creating content for online communities. They typically oversee a beer company’s customer engagement via social media platforms by performing market research, identifying trends, planning and implementing digital campaigns, and interacting with users accordingly.
7. Brewery manager
National average salary: $58,029 per year
Primary duties: Brewery managers supervise the day-to-day operations at beer establishments. They may hire, train, and oversee staff members, coordinate a budget, manage inventory, and ensure that customers are happy with their service. In addition, depending on their exact role, brewery managers may ensure their establishment adheres to regulatory requirements.
8. Sales representative
National average salary: $68,224 per year
Primary duties: Sales representatives in the beer industry are responsible for representing and selling the products of breweries by determining leads, meeting with prospects, and educating them about products. They may make calls, give presentations, and conduct in-person visits with potential or existing customers to facilitate sales and manage customer relations.
9. Quality assurance engineer
National average salary: $80,829 per year
Primary duties: Quality assurance engineers assist in the beer production and manufacturing processes. They perform a variety of tests and reviews to ensure beer products are of high quality and follow standards set by companies. In addition, quality assurance engineers may collect data about their reviews and analyze it to identify any notable patterns in the production process.
Tips for securing a job in the Beer Industry
Starting your career in the beer industry requires time and effort. There are a few essential actions you can take to increase your chances of securing a role in this field. Here are a few tips to consider during your job search:
Start your search locally
You may be able to find an open role in your own community at a local brewery or brewpub. Conduct some research into nearby craft breweries and make an inquiry to see if they’re actively hiring or might have an opening soon.
Find a niche for yourself
When starting off in the beer industry, it can be helpful to find a niche for yourself through which you can offer unique skills to breweries. For instance, you can consider becoming a social media manager who specializes in online marketing in the beer industry.
Make connections
In the beer industry, establishing a robust network of connections can help you discover job opportunities and advance in your career. Communicate with others working in your local beer community to get their insight and form relationships with them.
Educate yourself
While you may not need a certain level of education or a degree to be eligible for roles in the beer industry, educating yourself about brewing practices and business models for breweries may help you form a better understanding of how this industry operates. From here, you may be able to develop the competencies required to secure a position in this field.
Develop skills
In the beer industry, you can become familiar with customer relations, management, and leadership skills. Courses, seminars, podcasts, books, and events are all ways you can develop useful skills for the beer industry.
I hope you find this article helpful.
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