Lead Starbucks Barista Salary in the United States

How much does a Lead Starbucks Barista make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead Starbucks Barista in the United States is $28,352 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $14.

However, a Lead Starbucks Barista's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $32,239
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $26,115 to $30,387
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $24,079
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2025 Compensation Trend
AI-Powered Talent
Recruit with AI
View as table View as graph 25% $26,115 10% $24,079 90% $32,239 75% $30,387 $28,352 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Lead Starbucks Barista Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $30,387 $2,532 $584 $15
Average $28,352 $2,363 $545 $14
25th Percentile $26,115 $2,176 $502 $13
Check out Lead Starbucks Barista Job Openings in the United States
Starbucks Barista

Cedar Point - Burgoon, OH

Starbucks Barista

Cedar Point - Sandusky, OH

STARBUCKS/BARISTA

Kroger - Amelia, OH

Starbucks Barista

Giant Eagle - Westlake, OH

Search More Lead Starbucks Barista Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Lead Starbucks Barista Salaries

A Lead Starbucks Barista's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Lead Starbucks Barista Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Lead Starbucks Barista's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $27,792
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $28,651
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $29,100
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $29,190
  • Expert (over 8 years): $29,250
Levels Salary
Entry Level Lead Starbucks Barista$27,792
Intermediate Level Lead Starbucks Barista$28,651
Senior Level Lead Starbucks Barista$29,100
Specialist Level Lead Starbucks Barista$29,190
Expert Level Lead Starbucks Barista$29,250
$27,792 0 yr
$28,651 < 2 yrs
$29,100 2-4 yrs
$29,190 5-8 yrs
$29,250 > 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Lead Starbucks Barista Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Lead Starbucks Baristas. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $31,391.
  • California: $31,272.
  • Massachusetts: $30,856.

Top Paying Cities for Lead Starbucks Baristas

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $35,761
  • San Francisco: $35,369
  • Oakland: $34,624

What Skills Can Increase a Lead Starbucks Barista's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 20.39% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
  • HACCP (Mentioned in 2.33% Job Postings): HACCP is a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement to manufacturing and consumption of the finished product.
  • Food Handling (Mentioned in 0.88% Job Postings): Food Handling means one or more operations of food production, manufacture, offering or displaying for sale, storage, preserving, wrapping, transportation, delivery, importation, exportation, or the licensing or approval for any of such activities.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 20.39%
HACCP 2.33%
Food Handling 0.88%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Lead Starbucks Barista's salary.
  • Coaching: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
  • Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Product Quality: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Coaching
$31,754
12%
Innovation
$30,620
8%
Product Quality
$30,337
7%
Teamwork
$30,053
6%
Organizational Skills
$30,053
6%
Leadership
$29,770
5%
Get Latest Data

Lead Starbucks Barista Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Lead Starbucks Barista's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Lead Starbucks Barista

Salaries for a Lead Starbucks Barista can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $31,567 in 2023 to around $31,051 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Lead Starbucks Barista salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Lead Starbucks Barista Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$31,567
2024
$31,414
2025
$31,051
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $31,567
2024 $31,414
2025 $31,051
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Lead Starbucks Barista

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.

Compensation Planning

Common company salaries for Lead Starbucks Barista

Here are companies hiring for Lead Starbucks Barista and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Lead Starbucks Barista Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Lead Starbucks Barista job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst