Key Factors That Influence Cafe Associate Salaries
A Cafe Associate'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 Cafe Associate Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Cafe Associate'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): $27,141
Early Career (1-2 years): $27,980
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $28,418
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $28,506
Expert (over 8 years): $28,564
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Cafe Associate
$27,141
Intermediate Level Cafe Associate
$27,980
Senior Level Cafe Associate
$28,418
Specialist Level Cafe Associate
$28,506
Expert Level Cafe Associate
$28,564
$27,1410 yr
$27,980< 2 yrs
$28,4182-4 yrs
$28,5065-8 yrs
$28,564> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Cafe Associate 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 Cafe Associates.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $30,656.
California: $30,540.
Massachusetts: $30,133.
District of Columbia$30,656
California$30,540
Massachusetts$30,133
Washington$30,022
New Jersey$30,011
Alaska$29,972
Connecticut$29,590
New York$29,435
Hawaii$28,940
Rhode Island$28,707
Maryland$28,549
Minnesota$28,333
Colorado$28,250
Illinois$28,223
Oregon$28,117
Delaware$28,040
New Hampshire$27,991
Virginia$27,882
Pennsylvania$27,564
Nevada$27,403
North Dakota$27,350
Michigan$27,267
Wisconsin$27,237
Vermont$27,176
Texas$27,007
Maine$26,996
Arizona$26,979
Ohio$26,960
Georgia$26,705
Indiana$26,578
Wyoming$26,553
Utah$26,514
Iowa$26,498
Kansas$26,365
Louisiana$26,326
North Carolina$26,312
Missouri$26,307
Florida$26,199
Montana$26,140
Nebraska$26,085
Kentucky$26,055
South Carolina$25,944
Tennessee$25,875
Idaho$25,847
New Mexico$25,645
Oklahoma$25,601
Alabama$25,437
South Dakota$25,163
Arkansas$25,014
West Virginia$24,933
Mississippi$24,692
Top Paying Cities for Cafe Associates
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: $34,923
San Francisco: $34,541
Oakland: $33,813
San Jose, CA$34,923
San Francisco, CA$34,541
Oakland, CA$33,813
New York, NY$31,880
Paramus, NJ$31,492
Queens Village, NY$31,491
Passaic, NJ$31,465
Bergenfield, NJ$31,462
Stamford, CT$31,401
Huntington, NY$31,390
Newark, NJ$31,185
Bridgeport, CT$31,127
Vallejo, CA$31,072
New Brunswick, NJ$31,061
Petaluma, CA$31,044
Middlesex, NJ$30,991
Somerset, NJ$30,972
Santa Cruz, CA$30,936
Boston, MA$30,767
Monterey, CA$30,670
Seattle, WA$30,607
Santa Rosa, CA$30,601
Los Angeles, CA$30,593
Juneau, AK$30,521
Washington, DC$30,490
Orange, CA$30,392
Santa Ana, CA$30,319
Long Beach, CA$30,291
Anaheim, CA$30,285
Anchorage, AK$30,272
Santa Maria, CA$30,188
Everett, WA$30,183
Danbury, CT$30,085
Bremerton, WA$30,047
Tacoma, WA$29,948
New Suffolk, NY$29,947
Sacramento, CA$29,939
Santa Barbara, CA$29,909
Trenton, NJ$29,878
San Diego, CA$29,878
Brockton, MA$29,848
Fairbanks, AK$29,780
Lompoc, CA$29,709
Lowell, MA$29,687
Ventura, CA$29,682
Nashua, NH$29,676
Stockton, CA$29,673
Modesto, CA$29,471
Poughkeepsie, NY$29,410
Olympia, WA$29,358
Kennewick, WA$29,358
New Haven, CT$29,347
Lawrence, MA$29,247
Hartford, CT$29,219
Riverside, CA$29,214
New Bedford, MA$29,186
Richland, WA$29,186
Bakersfield, CA$29,147
San Bernardino, CA$29,136
New Britain, CT$29,134
Atlantic City, NJ$29,134
New London, CT$29,122
Norwich, CT$29,114
Portsmouth, NH$29,109
Boulder, CO$29,050
Portland, OR$29,012
Worcester, MA$29,009
Minneapolis, MN$28,923
Philadelphia, PA$28,884
Honolulu, HI$28,793
Saint Paul, MN$28,780
Vineland, NJ$28,774
Providence, RI$28,693
Chicago, IL$28,613
Bellingham, WA$28,580
Springfield, MA$28,558
Baltimore, MD$28,549
Chico, CA$28,480
Pittsfield, MA$28,405
Manchester, NH$28,353
Spokane, WA$28,231
Denver, CO$28,228
Albany, NY$28,098
Troy, NY$28,087
Nassau, NY$28,057
Schenectady, NY$28,029
Wilmington, DE$28,007
Burlington, VT$27,968
Salem, OR$27,957
Portland, ME$27,871
Yakima, WA$27,843
Rochester, MN$27,757
Reno, NV$27,744
Fresno, CA$27,744
Milwaukee, WI$27,719
Detroit, MI$27,691
Ann Arbor, MI$27,686
Allentown, PA$27,683
Colorado Springs, CO$27,636
Syracuse, NY$27,622
Carson City, NV$27,622
Houston, TX$27,583
Eugene, OR$27,569
Gary, IN$27,536
Springfield, OR$27,514
Bismarck, ND$27,508
Galveston, TX$27,489
Medford, OR$27,447
Fort Collins, CO$27,436
Concord, NH$27,422
Austin, TX$27,414
Mesa, AZ$27,356
Reading, PA$27,353
Phoenix, AZ$27,350
Dallas, TX$27,342
Saint Cloud, MN$27,316
Madison, WI$27,278
Utica, NY$27,204
Rochester, NY$27,159
Des Moines, IA$27,157
Raleigh, NC$27,154
Atlanta, GA$27,112
Battle Creek, MI$27,104
Salt Lake City, UT$27,096
Lancaster, PA$27,054
Harrisburg, PA$27,015
Kansas City, MO$26,988
Champaign, IL$26,982
Kansas City, KS$26,982
Fort Worth, TX$26,979
Columbus, OH$26,975
Boca Raton, FL$26,968
Pittsburgh, PA$26,957
Richmond, VA$26,946
Indianapolis, IN$26,941
Cleveland, OH$26,938
Las Vegas, NV$26,905
Cincinnati, OH$26,905
Petersburg, VA$26,863
Huntsville, AL$26,822
Lansing, MI$26,803
Lebanon, PA$26,799
Pueblo, CO$26,797
Appleton, WI$26,788
Buffalo, NY$26,777
Dayton, OH$26,769
Racine, WI$26,763
Charlotte, NC$26,761
Saint Louis, MO$26,752
York, PA$26,736
Elkhart, IN$26,736
Gastonia, NC$26,730
Billings, MT$26,724
Beaumont, TX$26,716
Lorain, OH$26,711
Benton Harbor, MI$26,705
Toledo, OH$26,700
Binghamton, NY$26,686
Rock Hill, SC$26,683
Rockford, IL$26,669
Springfield, IL$26,658
Elyria, OH$26,655
Fargo, ND$26,655
Flagstaff, AZ$26,636
Fort Lauderdale, FL$26,619
Duluth, MN$26,603
Miami, FL$26,603
Cheyenne, WY$26,583
Grand Forks, ND$26,583
Bangor, ME$26,523
Cedar Rapids, IA$26,492
Durham, NC$26,480
Louisville, KY$26,478
Grand Rapids, MI$26,473
Hialeah, FL$26,470
Casper, WY$26,431
Scranton, PA$26,398
New Orleans, LA$26,390
Virginia Beach, VA$26,387
Akron, OH$26,373
Peoria, IL$26,337
Sarasota, FL$26,331
Nashville, TN$26,312
Omaha, NE$26,312
Green Bay, WI$26,312
Baton Rouge, LA$26,298
Charleston, SC$26,293
Jamestown, NY$26,279
Davenport, IA$26,279
Tucson, AZ$26,265
Saint Petersburg, FL$26,248
Tampa, FL$26,243
Evansville, IN$26,226
Port Arthur, TX$26,226
Bradenton, FL$26,215
Santa Fe, NM$26,165
Orlando, FL$26,116
Clearwater, FL$26,107
Canton, OH$26,049
La Crosse, WI$26,049
Albuquerque, NM$26,032
Newport News, VA$26,030
High Point, NC$26,021
Ogden, UT$26,010
Corpus Christi, TX$25,988
Norfolk, VA$25,972
Laramie, WY$25,972
Rock Island, IL$25,955
Saginaw, MI$25,949
Jacksonville, FL$25,947
Salisbury, NC$25,941
Boise, ID$25,936
Moline, IL$25,922
Fort Myers, FL$25,913
Memphis, TN$25,908
Tulsa, OK$25,894
Waterloo, IA$25,877
Spartanburg, SC$25,850
Lincoln, NE$25,836
Fort Wayne, IN$25,830
Provo, UT$25,828
Cedar Falls, IA$25,794
San Antonio, TX$25,783
Greensboro, NC$25,772
South Bend, IN$25,769
Savannah, GA$25,739
Muskegon, MI$25,728
Birmingham, AL$25,725
Winston Salem, NC$25,712
Lake Charles, LA$25,645
Anderson, IN$25,639
Lexington, KY$25,631
Augusta, GA$25,623
Greenville, SC$25,623
Lima, OH$25,601
Wichita, KS$25,598
Tuscaloosa, AL$25,598
Columbia, SC$25,573
Springfield, OH$25,567
Asheville, NC$25,523
Bloomington, IN$25,504
Knoxville, TN$25,404
Shreveport, LA$25,401
Wilmington, NC$25,365
Roanoke, VA$25,365
Topeka, KS$25,315
Frankfort, KY$25,312
Oklahoma City, OK$25,293
Chillicothe, OH$25,282
Longview, TX$25,279
Melbourne, FL$25,277
Sioux Falls, SD$25,232
Mobile, AL$25,229
Terre Haute, IN$25,218
Altoona, PA$25,202
Amarillo, TX$25,182
Killeen, TX$25,174
Fayetteville, AR$25,152
Chattanooga, TN$25,144
Sioux City, IA$25,119
Idaho Falls, ID$25,113
Lynchburg, VA$25,091
Gainesville, FL$25,055
Portsmouth, OH$25,041
Little Rock, AR$25,036
Lafayette, LA$25,025
Youngstown, OH$25,025
Daytona Beach, FL$25,008
Clarksville, TN$25,005
Pensacola, FL$25,002
Temple, TX$25,001
Hopkinsville, KY$24,919
Erie, PA$24,914
Florence, SC$24,903
Charleston, WV$24,858
Great Falls, MT$24,845
Macon, GA$24,806
Tallahassee, FL$24,803
Fayetteville, NC$24,798
Waco, TX$24,792
Helena, MT$24,773
Pine Bluff, AR$24,762
Vincennes, IN$24,728
Lubbock, TX$24,717
Alamogordo, NM$24,701
Twin Falls, ID$24,676
Rapid City, SD$24,667
Jackson, MS$24,618
Huntington, WV$24,616
Greenville, MS$24,615
Parkersburg, WV$24,587
Montgomery, AL$24,582
Wichita Falls, TX$24,554
Springfield, MO$24,554
Biloxi, MS$24,540
Monroe, LA$24,512
Johnstown, PA$24,493
Sumter, SC$24,482
Columbus, GA$24,479
Pascagoula, MS$24,427
Abilene, TX$24,427
Kingsport, TN$24,355
Albany, GA$24,355
Gulfport, MS$24,346
Alexandria, LA$24,255
Fort Smith, AR$24,186
El Paso, TX$24,111
Las Cruces, NM$23,986
Harlingen, TX$23,916
Pocatello, ID$23,912
Florence, AL$23,876
Brownsville, TX$23,870
Mcallen, TX$23,812
Dothan, AL$23,773
Columbus, MS$23,609
Altus, OK$23,480
Lawton, OK$23,427
Pierre, SD$23,327
What Skills Can Increase a Cafe Associate'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 Cafe Associate'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
$31,011
12%
Innovation
$29,903
8%
Product Quality
$29,626
7%
Teamwork
$29,349
6%
Organizational Skills
$29,349
6%
Leadership
$29,073
5%
Get Latest Data
Cafe Associate Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Cafe Associate 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,
Cafe Associate positions in Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Cafe Associate as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Cafe Associate
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
$33,226
$16.0
20%
Cafe Associate Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Cafe Associate'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 Cafe Associate can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $30,837 in 2023
to around $30,333 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Cafe Associate salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Cafe Associate Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$30,837
2024
$30,688
2025
$30,333
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$30,837
2024
$30,688
2025
$30,333
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Cafe Associate
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
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Common company salaries for Cafe Associate
Here are companies hiring for Cafe Associate 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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Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.