Key Factors That Influence Barista and Server Salaries
A Barista and Server'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 Barista and Server Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Barista and Server'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): $26,466
Early Career (1-2 years): $27,284
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $27,711
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $27,797
Expert (over 8 years): $27,854
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Barista and Server
$26,466
Intermediate Level Barista and Server
$27,284
Senior Level Barista and Server
$27,711
Specialist Level Barista and Server
$27,797
Expert Level Barista and Server
$27,854
$26,4660 yr
$27,284< 2 yrs
$27,7112-4 yrs
$27,7975-8 yrs
$27,854> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Barista and Server 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 Barista and Servers.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $29,894.
California: $29,781.
Massachusetts: $29,384.
District of Columbia$29,894
California$29,781
Massachusetts$29,384
Washington$29,276
New Jersey$29,265
Alaska$29,227
Connecticut$28,854
New York$28,703
Hawaii$28,220
Rhode Island$27,993
Maryland$27,839
Minnesota$27,629
Colorado$27,548
Illinois$27,521
Oregon$27,418
Delaware$27,342
New Hampshire$27,295
Virginia$27,189
Pennsylvania$26,878
Nevada$26,722
North Dakota$26,670
Michigan$26,589
Wisconsin$26,560
Vermont$26,500
Texas$26,335
Maine$26,325
Arizona$26,308
Ohio$26,290
Georgia$26,041
Indiana$25,917
Wyoming$25,893
Utah$25,855
Iowa$25,839
Kansas$25,709
Louisiana$25,671
North Carolina$25,658
Missouri$25,652
Florida$25,547
Montana$25,490
Nebraska$25,436
Kentucky$25,407
South Carolina$25,299
Tennessee$25,231
Idaho$25,204
New Mexico$25,007
Oklahoma$24,964
Alabama$24,805
South Dakota$24,537
Arkansas$24,391
West Virginia$24,313
Mississippi$24,078
Top Paying Cities for Barista and Servers
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: $34,055
San Francisco: $33,682
Oakland: $32,972
San Jose, CA$34,055
San Francisco, CA$33,682
Oakland, CA$32,972
New York, NY$31,087
Paramus, NJ$30,709
Queens Village, NY$30,708
Passaic, NJ$30,682
Bergenfield, NJ$30,680
Stamford, CT$30,620
Huntington, NY$30,609
Newark, NJ$30,410
Bridgeport, CT$30,353
Vallejo, CA$30,299
New Brunswick, NJ$30,288
Petaluma, CA$30,272
Middlesex, NJ$30,221
Somerset, NJ$30,202
Santa Cruz, CA$30,167
Boston, MA$30,002
Monterey, CA$29,907
Seattle, WA$29,845
Santa Rosa, CA$29,840
Los Angeles, CA$29,832
Juneau, AK$29,762
Washington, DC$29,732
Orange, CA$29,636
Santa Ana, CA$29,565
Long Beach, CA$29,538
Anaheim, CA$29,532
Anchorage, AK$29,519
Santa Maria, CA$29,438
Everett, WA$29,432
Danbury, CT$29,337
Bremerton, WA$29,300
Tacoma, WA$29,203
New Suffolk, NY$29,202
Sacramento, CA$29,195
Santa Barbara, CA$29,165
Trenton, NJ$29,135
San Diego, CA$29,135
Brockton, MA$29,106
Fairbanks, AK$29,039
Lompoc, CA$28,971
Lowell, MA$28,949
Ventura, CA$28,944
Nashua, NH$28,938
Stockton, CA$28,935
Modesto, CA$28,738
Poughkeepsie, NY$28,679
Olympia, WA$28,628
Kennewick, WA$28,628
New Haven, CT$28,617
Lawrence, MA$28,520
Hartford, CT$28,493
Riverside, CA$28,487
New Bedford, MA$28,460
Richland, WA$28,460
Bakersfield, CA$28,422
San Bernardino, CA$28,412
New Britain, CT$28,409
Atlantic City, NJ$28,409
New London, CT$28,398
Norwich, CT$28,390
Portsmouth, NH$28,385
Boulder, CO$28,327
Portland, OR$28,290
Worcester, MA$28,287
Minneapolis, MN$28,204
Philadelphia, PA$28,166
Honolulu, HI$28,077
Saint Paul, MN$28,064
Vineland, NJ$28,058
Providence, RI$27,980
Chicago, IL$27,901
Bellingham, WA$27,869
Springfield, MA$27,847
Baltimore, MD$27,839
Chico, CA$27,772
Pittsfield, MA$27,699
Manchester, NH$27,648
Spokane, WA$27,529
Denver, CO$27,526
Albany, NY$27,399
Troy, NY$27,388
Nassau, NY$27,360
Schenectady, NY$27,332
Wilmington, DE$27,310
Burlington, VT$27,272
Salem, OR$27,261
Portland, ME$27,178
Yakima, WA$27,151
Rochester, MN$27,067
Reno, NV$27,054
Fresno, CA$27,054
Milwaukee, WI$27,029
Detroit, MI$27,002
Ann Arbor, MI$26,998
Allentown, PA$26,994
Colorado Springs, CO$26,948
Syracuse, NY$26,935
Carson City, NV$26,935
Houston, TX$26,897
Eugene, OR$26,884
Gary, IN$26,851
Springfield, OR$26,830
Bismarck, ND$26,824
Galveston, TX$26,805
Medford, OR$26,765
Fort Collins, CO$26,754
Concord, NH$26,740
Austin, TX$26,732
Mesa, AZ$26,676
Reading, PA$26,673
Phoenix, AZ$26,670
Dallas, TX$26,662
Saint Cloud, MN$26,636
Madison, WI$26,600
Utica, NY$26,527
Rochester, NY$26,484
Des Moines, IA$26,481
Raleigh, NC$26,479
Atlanta, GA$26,438
Battle Creek, MI$26,430
Salt Lake City, UT$26,422
Lancaster, PA$26,381
Harrisburg, PA$26,344
Kansas City, MO$26,317
Champaign, IL$26,311
Kansas City, KS$26,311
Fort Worth, TX$26,308
Columbus, OH$26,304
Boca Raton, FL$26,298
Pittsburgh, PA$26,287
Richmond, VA$26,276
Indianapolis, IN$26,271
Cleveland, OH$26,268
Las Vegas, NV$26,236
Cincinnati, OH$26,236
Petersburg, VA$26,195
Huntsville, AL$26,155
Lansing, MI$26,136
Lebanon, PA$26,133
Pueblo, CO$26,130
Appleton, WI$26,122
Buffalo, NY$26,111
Dayton, OH$26,103
Racine, WI$26,098
Charlotte, NC$26,095
Saint Louis, MO$26,087
York, PA$26,071
Elkhart, IN$26,071
Gastonia, NC$26,066
Billings, MT$26,059
Beaumont, TX$26,052
Lorain, OH$26,047
Benton Harbor, MI$26,041
Toledo, OH$26,036
Binghamton, NY$26,022
Rock Hill, SC$26,020
Rockford, IL$26,006
Springfield, IL$25,995
Elyria, OH$25,993
Fargo, ND$25,993
Flagstaff, AZ$25,974
Fort Lauderdale, FL$25,957
Duluth, MN$25,941
Miami, FL$25,941
Cheyenne, WY$25,922
Grand Forks, ND$25,922
Bangor, ME$25,863
Cedar Rapids, IA$25,833
Durham, NC$25,822
Louisville, KY$25,820
Grand Rapids, MI$25,814
Hialeah, FL$25,812
Casper, WY$25,774
Scranton, PA$25,741
New Orleans, LA$25,733
Virginia Beach, VA$25,731
Akron, OH$25,717
Peoria, IL$25,682
Sarasota, FL$25,677
Nashville, TN$25,658
Omaha, NE$25,658
Green Bay, WI$25,658
Baton Rouge, LA$25,644
Charleston, SC$25,639
Jamestown, NY$25,625
Davenport, IA$25,625
Tucson, AZ$25,612
Saint Petersburg, FL$25,596
Tampa, FL$25,590
Evansville, IN$25,574
Port Arthur, TX$25,574
Bradenton, FL$25,563
Santa Fe, NM$25,515
Orlando, FL$25,466
Clearwater, FL$25,458
Canton, OH$25,401
La Crosse, WI$25,401
Albuquerque, NM$25,385
Newport News, VA$25,382
High Point, NC$25,374
Ogden, UT$25,363
Corpus Christi, TX$25,342
Norfolk, VA$25,326
Laramie, WY$25,326
Rock Island, IL$25,309
Saginaw, MI$25,304
Jacksonville, FL$25,301
Salisbury, NC$25,296
Boise, ID$25,291
Moline, IL$25,277
Fort Myers, FL$25,269
Memphis, TN$25,264
Tulsa, OK$25,250
Waterloo, IA$25,234
Spartanburg, SC$25,207
Lincoln, NE$25,193
Fort Wayne, IN$25,188
Provo, UT$25,185
Cedar Falls, IA$25,153
San Antonio, TX$25,142
Greensboro, NC$25,131
South Bend, IN$25,129
Savannah, GA$25,099
Muskegon, MI$25,088
Birmingham, AL$25,085
Winston Salem, NC$25,072
Lake Charles, LA$25,007
Anderson, IN$25,002
Lexington, KY$24,994
Augusta, GA$24,985
Greenville, SC$24,985
Lima, OH$24,964
Wichita, KS$24,961
Tuscaloosa, AL$24,961
Columbia, SC$24,937
Springfield, OH$24,931
Asheville, NC$24,888
Bloomington, IN$24,869
Knoxville, TN$24,772
Shreveport, LA$24,769
Wilmington, NC$24,734
Roanoke, VA$24,734
Topeka, KS$24,686
Frankfort, KY$24,683
Oklahoma City, OK$24,664
Chillicothe, OH$24,653
Longview, TX$24,651
Melbourne, FL$24,648
Sioux Falls, SD$24,605
Mobile, AL$24,602
Terre Haute, IN$24,591
Altoona, PA$24,575
Amarillo, TX$24,556
Killeen, TX$24,548
Fayetteville, AR$24,526
Chattanooga, TN$24,518
Sioux City, IA$24,494
Idaho Falls, ID$24,489
Lynchburg, VA$24,467
Gainesville, FL$24,432
Portsmouth, OH$24,418
Little Rock, AR$24,413
Lafayette, LA$24,402
Youngstown, OH$24,402
Daytona Beach, FL$24,386
Clarksville, TN$24,383
Pensacola, FL$24,381
Temple, TX$24,379
Hopkinsville, KY$24,300
Erie, PA$24,294
Florence, SC$24,283
Charleston, WV$24,240
Great Falls, MT$24,227
Macon, GA$24,189
Tallahassee, FL$24,186
Fayetteville, NC$24,181
Waco, TX$24,175
Helena, MT$24,157
Pine Bluff, AR$24,146
Vincennes, IN$24,113
Lubbock, TX$24,103
Alamogordo, NM$24,086
Twin Falls, ID$24,062
Rapid City, SD$24,054
Jackson, MS$24,005
Huntington, WV$24,003
Greenville, MS$24,003
Parkersburg, WV$23,975
Montgomery, AL$23,970
Wichita Falls, TX$23,943
Springfield, MO$23,943
Biloxi, MS$23,930
Monroe, LA$23,903
Johnstown, PA$23,884
Sumter, SC$23,873
Columbus, GA$23,870
Pascagoula, MS$23,819
Abilene, TX$23,819
Kingsport, TN$23,749
Albany, GA$23,749
Gulfport, MS$23,741
Alexandria, LA$23,652
Fort Smith, AR$23,584
El Paso, TX$23,511
Las Cruces, NM$23,390
Harlingen, TX$23,321
Pocatello, ID$23,317
Florence, AL$23,282
Brownsville, TX$23,276
Mcallen, TX$23,220
Dothan, AL$23,182
Columbus, MS$23,021
Altus, OK$22,896
Lawton, OK$22,844
Pierre, SD$22,747
What Skills Can Increase a Barista and Server'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 Barista and Server'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
$30,240
12%
Innovation
$29,160
8%
Product Quality
$28,890
7%
Teamwork
$28,620
6%
Organizational Skills
$28,620
6%
Leadership
$28,350
5%
Get Latest Data
Barista and Server Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Barista and Server roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit,
offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely,
Barista and Server positions in Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Barista and Server as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Barista and Server
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
$32,400
$16.0
20%
Barista and Server Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Barista and Server'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.
Salaries for a Barista and Server can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $30,070 in 2023
to around $29,578 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Barista and Server salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Barista and Server Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$30,070
2024
$29,924
2025
$29,578
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$30,070
2024
$29,924
2025
$29,578
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Barista and Server
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
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Common company salaries for Barista and Server
Here are companies hiring for Barista and Server and their salaries, click below for more details.
N
$97,099/per year
New York Police Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$95,962/per year
State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$94,615/per year
US Department of Transportation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$93,141/per year
US General Services Administration
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$92,342/per year
Los Angeles County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
D
$92,011/per year
Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,967/per year
US Department of Commerce
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,755/per year
US Department of Energy
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
F
$91,673/per year
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$90,276/per year
Naval Sea Systems Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,975/per year
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$88,721/per year
San Diego County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,664/per year
The TTB
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$87,569/per year
Lutheran Services
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
M
$85,066/per year
Maryland Inc
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$83,780/per year
State University of New York
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$82,969/per year
New York State
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
P
$82,703/per year
Puerto Rico Department of Education
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$80,526/per year
US Central Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
H
$80,286/per year
Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$79,270/per year
Air Force Reserve
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$78,505/per year
American Automobile Association (AAA)
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$76,678/per year
State of Florida - Department of Health
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$75,183/per year
New York State Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$75,106/per year
State University System of Florida
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
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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.