What Is the Average Liquor Store Owner Salary?

Owning a liquor store can be a solid way to earn a living, but a liquor store owner's salary varies widely depending on location, store size, and competition. After covering rent, utilities, and labor costs, how much do store owners actually take home?

It’s no surprise that profit margins impact earnings — some liquor stores operate with tight margins, making it difficult for owners to take home more than $20,000 a year, while others bring in six figures or more.

Let’s break down the various factors that impact the average liquor store owner salary and explore what you can do to increase your earnings.

How Much Does a Liquor Store Owner Make?

The short answer: It varies. Several elements influence how much a liquor store owner can make, including local market conditions, store size, location, and business management. A small shop in a quiet neighborhood likely won’t have the same earning potential as a busy store in a big city.

Here’s what the numbers say:

According to PayScale, the average small business owner makes about $72,000 annually.
Small liquor stores (less than $500K in annual revenue) typically bring in $56,000 to $74,000 in owner earnings.
Larger stores making over $1 million annually can push $250,000 or more in owner income.

While these figures give a general overview, the actual earnings of a liquor store owner depend heavily on operational costs such as expenses, market conditions, and your overall business strategy.

What Affects Liquor Store Owner Earnings?

Running a liquor store comes with a long list of expenses. Your salary depends on what’s left after covering:

Operating costs: Rent, utilities, payroll, and insurance can take a big chunk of your revenue, especially in high-rent or high-labor areas. A modern point of sale (POS) system automates inventory tracking and provides insights into sales patterns, helping you reduce stockouts or overstocking.
Location: Urban stores may face higher rent and expenses, but have larger, diverse customer bases. Rural stores benefit from lower overhead, but may lack foot traffic. Identifying your niche and tailoring offerings to local demand, like premium products for urban areas or local favorites for rural areas, can help you overcome these challenges.
Competition: More competitors nearby means there’s more pressure to stand out. Strong branding and customer service help you attract and retain customers in crowded markets.
Business model: Independent stores have the flexibility to adjust products and pricing, but they also face more risks. Offering higher-margin products helps increase earnings.
Economic factors: Economic downturns, changes in alcohol taxes, or local laws (like dry counties or states with more restrictions) can also significantly affect earnings.

To increase earnings, store owners should focus on cutting unnecessary costs, reexamining pricing strategies, and strengthening customer relationships through targeted marketing strategies.

How Liquor Store Owners Pay Themselves

Unlike traditional jobs with set salaries, liquor store owners decide how much they take home. There are two main approaches:

Salary: A fixed amount paid regularly, helping with budgeting
Owner’s draw: A flexible amount taken from profits as needed

Many owners start with a modest salary and increase it as the business grows. Some reinvest heavily in the business to expand, while others prioritize personal income.

To make the best decisions, owners need to have a good grasp of their financial situation. A POS system helps by giving real-time data on sales and expenses, so owners can track their earnings and decide how much to pay themselves each month.

6 Strategies To Increase Liquor Store Profitability

Owning a liquor store requires careful management to keep costs down and profits up. Here are a few practical ways to increase your earnings.

1. Adjust Your Pricing

Look for opportunities to adjust your pricing, especially on higher-margin items like craft spirits, wine, or rare finds. Make it a habit to check competitors' prices so you can stay competitive while still making a profit.

A modern POS system helps track sales trends, so you can make data-driven pricing decisions and update prices as needed.

2. Reduce Unnecessary Costs

Find ways to cut down on costs like rent, utilities, and labor. If possible, renegotiate your lease or switch to more affordable suppliers. You can also adjust your staffing schedules to match your store’s busy hours, reducing labor costs during slower periods.

3. Step Up Your Marketing

Consistency is key when it comes to marketing your business. Invest in local advertising opportunities, such as community events, radio ads, or flyers targeting nearby neighborhoods. A loyalty program can also double as a marketing tool — offer up exclusive discounts for members or special deals for referring friends.

A POS system like Bottle POS helps track customer behavior, so you can send personalized email promotions based on purchase history or loyalty status. Tracking this data helps make sure your marketing efforts resonate with your customers, encouraging them to visit more often.

4. Keep Inventory in Check

By tracking sales trends, you can better manage your inventory and avoid overstocking or running out of popular items. For instance, if a specific craft beer is selling well, staying stocked up during busy seasons keeps you from missing sales opportunities.

Also, make sure you’re providing a balanced product mix to your customers. A variety of wines, spirits, and accessories means that you’re appealing to multiple customer preferences and, ultimately, driving more sales.

Bottle POS helps by providing real-time inventory data, alerting you when stock is low, and helping you manage orders to prevent stockouts and maintain steady revenue.

5. Upsell and Cross-Sell

Use cross-selling and upselling techniques to encourage customers to buy more in a single purchase. Suggesting complementary items like mixers or glassware when customers purchase a bottle is an easy way to meaningfully upsell your products.

You can also suggest higher-end alternatives or offer bulk discounts for larger purchases. For instance, recommend a premium glass or cocktail shaker when someone buys a bottle of whiskey.

With POS data, you can gain a better understanding of what’s selling well (and what’s not) when creating these product bundles — this helps you better understand customers’ preferences.

6. Use Technology

Along with your POS system, there are other tech tools that can help increase your store’s profits. Customer relationship management (CRM) software like HubSpot can track customer interactions, and email marketing tools like MailChimp let you send personalized promotions or event invites.

Pro tip: A comprehensive POS system should come with built-in CRM and email marketing tools, making customer data and outreach easy to handle all in one place.

If you have a website, Google Analytics can give you insights into how your site is performing in search results, track visitor behavior, and help improve your online presence. A Google Business Profile also makes it easier for customers to find your store, read reviews, and check current details like hours and location.

Increase Your Liquor Store Owner Salary With the Right Tools

Owning a liquor store can be a profitable business, but earnings can vary widely. Whether you're planning to open one or just want to increase your current profits, focusing on pricing, inventory, and marketing makes a difference long-term.

Want to make your liquor store more profitable? Schedule a free Bottle POS demo today to see how the right technology can help you grow your business.