Baristas
Prepare or serve specialty coffee or other beverages. Serve food such as baked goods or sandwiches to patrons.
Baristas prepare or serve specialty coffee or other beverages. Serve food such as baked goods or sandwiches to patrons. The role reports a median annual salary of $30,480 in the US and is projected to grow 6% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a No formal educational credential, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.53 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include comply with food safety and hygiene, educate customers on tea varieties, maintain relationship with customers, greet guests, handle customer complaints.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £22,886 a year for Kitchen and catering assistants (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £18,811 to £26,766 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 9263). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Service and sales workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Baristas, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 5. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Sales and Marketing
- Food Production
- Administration and Management
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Personnel and Human Resources
A day in the life
You arrive early to open the café, turning on the espresso machine, grinding fresh beans and pulling a test shot to check the taste. You wipe down counters, stock milk and cups, and set out the pastries. As the morning crowd arrives, you take orders at the counter, suggest drinks to customers who are unsure and process payments. Behind the machine you steam milk to the right texture, pull shots and build lattes, cappuccinos and iced drinks, sometimes adding a heart or leaf on top. When the queue is long, you work in rhythm with your teammate, calling names clearly as drinks are ready. In quieter moments you clean the machine, sanitise utensils and tidy the seating area. Later you help train a new barista in pouring milk. The early mornings and constant cleaning can be tiring, but seeing regulars light up at their perfectly made drink is a small daily joy.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Receive and process customer payments.
- Prepare or serve hot or cold beverages, such as coffee, espresso drinks, blended coffees, or teas.
- Take customer orders and convey them to other employees for preparation.
- Clean or sanitize work areas, utensils, or equipment.
- Describe menu items to customers, or suggest products that might appeal to them.
- Clean service or seating areas.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Baristas do?
Prepare or serve specialty coffee or other beverages. Serve food such as baked goods or sandwiches to patrons.
What does a typical day look like in Baristas?
You arrive early to open the café, turning on the espresso machine, grinding fresh beans and pulling a test shot to check the taste. You wipe down counters, stock milk and cups, and set out the pastries. As the morning crowd arrives, you take orders at the counter, suggest drinks to customers who are unsure and process payments. Behind the machine you steam milk to the right texture, pull shots and build lattes, cappuccinos and iced drinks, sometimes adding a heart or leaf on top.
How much does Baristas earn?
The median annual salary for Baristas in the US is $30,480.
What is the job outlook for Baristas?
The role is projected to grow 6% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 3,796,000 workers.
How do I become a baristas?
The typical entry education is a No formal educational credential. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Baristas need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include comply with food safety and hygiene, educate customers on tea varieties, maintain relationship with customers, greet guests, handle customer complaints, upsell products. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Baristas?
Our AI-durability model gives Baristas a score of 0.53 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Baristas has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.