I wrote an entry the other day about Appalachian State University’s new chemistry class in beer making. It got me to thinking about how brewing beer is becoming a more and more viable career option as the craft beer juggernaut continues to gain steam. Then I found out how much the average brewmaster makes, and it made me think again.

Now before I come off as a materialistic jackass, please understand that I live in New Jersey, the state with the highest taxes in America and one of the most expensive places to live anywhere. The cost of living here would make many a Midwesterner blanch and run back to the cost-effective confines of the Great Plains. Especially if they were a professional brewer.

According to the Brewer’s Association (by way of an excellent article about becoming a brewer from Philly.com) here’s what you can expect as a professional brewer:

Beer Brewer Responsibilities: Brewers select and check the malted barley or grain used in making a particular kind of beer, adding yeast, hops, water, and other ingredients. They monitor the fermentation process, operate a milling machine, and clean and repair tanks. Education: A professional brewer’s certificate earned after several months of training at one of the major training programs: Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago; University of California, Davis; and the American Brewers Guild in Vermont, which offers distance learning. Preferred background: An entry-level position on the bottling line can lead to a job as an assistant brewer. Salary: $25,000 to $35,000 for an assistant brewer, $30,000 to $50,000 for a brewmaster. SOURCE: Brewers Association

That’s right, if you suffer through an entry-level position in the warehouse or on the bottling line, you might be rewarded with a pay bump to $25,000 to $35,000. Hang in there, learn your craft and become the best-of-the-best, and you might be one of the lucky few who make $30,000 to $50,000 as a brewmaster.

While earning $50,000 puts you in the top 25% of income earners in America (barely), it doesn’t seem like a lot of dough for a job that has “master” in the title. And that’s IF you make it to brewmaster and IF you’re on the top end of the scale. At the low end, you’re making about as much as a telemarketer. That seems like quite a lot of risk for a bright young man or woman who has other more secure career options in front of them.

I know that $50,000 is a decent living most places. It’s about the same as a plumber would make, and you get to brew beer for a living. But I’m still surprised that the figure isn’t a bit higher. Maybe it’s because I value the work brewmasters do, and that I marvel at their ability to make something so tasty on such a grand scale. Or maybe it’s that salaries haven’t yet grown to match the popularity of craft beer. Perhaps they’ll catch up.

Whatever the case, I hope the current salary levels don’t deter smart and capable young people from choosing brewing as a profession. Most of the brewers I’ve met had successful careers in other fields before they started brewing for a living. They took a pay cut to shred their ties and follow their passions. Hopefully the next generation of brewers are willing to take the same risks.

Would you?

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