Barista salary in 2026
Median pay, hourly rates, top-paying cities, and live barista jobs from MAJC's coverage area. Numbers below combine U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics with 49 active postings. Hiring? Use the free barista job description template.
Median (national)
$29,540
$14.20/hr · BLS May 2024
Top 10 percent
$41K+
$19.58/hr effective
MAJC posted median
$18
From 28 disclosed
National pay for baristas
$29,540median, full year
About $14.20/hr. Top 10 percent earn $41K+.
Of 28 MAJC postings disclosing salary in this category, median is $18. Source: actual job postings
BLS Occupation 35-3023Fast Food and Counter Workers, May 2024. Source
Want to see where your own paycheck sits? Use the free Am I paid fairly checker. Pick this role, your state, and what you take home.
How baristas push pay above median
- Volume + format leverage. High-cover-count concepts (200+ covers, multi-outlet hotels) pay more than small independents — same role, different scope.
- Specialized knowledge. Wine or spirits certification, specific cuisine training, or technical systems (POS, inventory) all command premiums.
- Bilingual fluency. English/Spanish in the U.S. hospitality market is consistently worth a meaningful bump.
- Tenure + leadership. "Lead" or "Head" prefixes typically signal 15–30% over an "Associate" version of the same role.
- Disclosed-salary postings. Filter MAJC for barista jobs with disclosed pay — those tend to be the ones that compete on number, not vibes.
Top-paying live barista jobs right now
Highest disclosed salaries across 49 active barista postings.
- $22 to $28
Head Barista
- $27
Barista
- $19 to $27
Alfred Abbot Kinney PT Barista
- $23 to $26
Alfred Sawtelle PT Barista
Frequently asked
- What is the average barista salary?
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics median annual pay for fast food and counter workers is $29,540 ($14.20/hr) as of May 2024. The top 10% earn $41K or more.
- How much does a barista make per hour?
- BLS reports a median hourly rate of $14.20/hr for fast food and counter workers. Tipped roles (server, bartender, busser) can substantially exceed the base hourly with gratuities.
- Which cities pay baristas the most?
- Major metros (Miami, Houston, and high-tourist coastal cities) typically pay baristas 10–20% above the national median. See the city breakdown above for live disclosed rates.
- What skills increase barista pay the most?
- In hospitality, the biggest pay drivers are: specialized cuisine or beverage knowledge, fluency in a second language (Spanish in the U.S.), high-volume service experience, and proven leadership of a team. POS proficiency (Toast, Tock, Resy) and inventory or P&L responsibility also push pay above median.
- How do I find a barista job that pays above median?
- Filter MAJC's barista listings by "Salary listed" to surface postings with disclosed pay, then sort by salary. Hotels and high-cover-count restaurants tend to disclose more often than smaller independents. Browse all 49 barista listings below.