Considering a job at Starbucks?
Whether you’re looking for a part-time role or a full-time career or are just curious about Starbucks pay, knowing how much baristas and managers earn can help you make an informed decision.
Quick Answer: How much do Starbucks baristas make?
Starbucks’ minimum wage starts at $15 per hour, but in many locations, baristas earn between $17 and $19 per hour, depending on their experience, location, and promotions.
In addition to base pay, Starbucks baristas typically earn around $1.00 per hour in tips, though this varies by store and shift.
Let’s go more in-depth now!
How much do Starbucks baristas make?
The salary of an employee of any company, including Starbucks, is highly dependent on the geographical area in which they live.
Every state has its wages, taxes, and so on. To top it all off, tipped employees take home a substantial amount of cash in some places, and practically nothing in others.
For example, here are some of the factors that affect Starbucks’ salaries:
| Factor | Impact on Salary |
| Location | Barista wages vary by location, with higher pay in urban areas due to the increased cost of living. |
| Experience Level | New hires typically start at lower wages, but experienced baristas earn higher salaries. |
| Tipping Culture | New hires typically start at lower wages, but experienced baristas earn higher salaries. |
| Promotions | Advancement to roles such as shift supervisor or manager typically leads to higher pay. |
| Starbucks College Achievement Plan | While the Starbucks College Achievement Plan offers 100% tuition coverage for online bachelor’s degrees through Arizona State University, it does not directly impact current salary. However, obtaining a degree can enhance long-term career prospects and potential earnings. |
So, how can we determine the salary of Starbucks baristas?
Well, I'll be honest. It takes a lot of math to figure out a real number, but let's see what we can do.
We first have to compare gross pay to net pay. We won’t look at the tips just yet, as we want to establish a base hourly rate.
Since where you live matters, you cannot say, “All Starbucks baristas make $___ hourly.” You need to consider state rules and taxes, and then calculate the average.
So, let's start with taxes.
Gross pay versus net pay
In most situations, there’s a big difference between what you earn and what you come home with. Unfortunately, over a quarter of earned income is due to taxes and other deductions.
There are two types of payments we need to consider: gross and net pay.
Gross pay is the amount an employee, such as our Starbucks barista in this situation, earns before taxes or deductions.
If Starbucks says, “We’ll pay you $10.00 per hour,” and the barista works an eight-hour shift, she will make $80.00 in gross pay.
Net pay refers to the amount actually paid to an employee. Out of the $80.00 the barista made, she likely paid the government between $5.00 and $10.00.
Taxes are automatically deducted from the employee’s earnings. How much a barista pays depends on the tax bracket she falls into.
For example, a person who makes under $9,525 annually pays 10% of the annual taxable income or gross pay.
If they make anywhere between $9,525 and $38,700 per year, they will pay 12%. All Starbucks baristas’ wages fall into that middle category of 12%.
You can't opt out of paying taxes ahead of time as an employee.
Additionally, all Starbucks baristas are considered employees, rather than self-employed individuals or investors.
Figuring out how much a barista makes hourly after taxes
When discussing livable wages, we need to determine the final number as the amount a barista earns after paying all applicable taxes.
So, let’s break this down:
First, we need to consider where they live, because, ultimately, you can’t determine a barista’s salary without first knowing their location.
We’ll examine some of the top-earning locations and some of the lowest-earning ones.
As of 2022, all Starbucks baristas make at least $15.00 as a base hourly rate, so I’ll use that as our lowest earning amount.
Until 2020, Starbucks based its wages on the state minimum wage. At that time, baristas earned as little as $7.20 per hour.
The jump to $15.00 is a huge leap for the company and its employees!
In certain areas of California and Washington, baristas can earn up to $20.00 per hour. I'll use this at our highest earning amount.
Please note that this amount does not include tips at this time. We're currently determining the base pay.
In either case, the barista falls into the middle tax bracket, where 12% of their earned income goes toward taxes.
With those calculations, we can determine that an employee on the lower end of the earnings scale, who works 40 hours per week, earns $600 in gross pay per week.
Here's how I got there: $15.00 x 40 = $600.00
Now, let’s subtract 12% of that, as that’s what will go to taxes. That will leave us with $528.00 after taxes.
Here's how I got there: $600.00 x 12% (or 0.12) = $528.00
That means a Starbucks barista typically earns the minimum wage or brings home around $13.20 per hour.
Here's how I got there: $528.00 / 40 = $13.20
If we perform the same calculations for a barista earning on the higher end, we arrive at approximately $17.60 per hour.
If we calculate the average of the higher and lower earning pools, we arrive at $15.40 per hour; therefore, we’ll use that as our base.
Now, let's factor in tips:
Adding in tips for a final number
As I mentioned, tips vary widely from place to place. In some Starbucks, a barista may only expect to take home $2.00 to $3.00 for the entire day.
In other places, it may be $2.00 extra per hour in tips alone.
Starbucks baristas do not take individual home tips. Instead, all the money from both cash and credit is pooled together.
Credit card tips are subject to tax, while cash is not. The tip pool is then divided among the number of baristas working that day.
For a good week, Starbucks baristas say that they can expect to make up to $1.60 extra per hour in tips.
It can be as low as $0.40 per hour extra in a not-so-great week. On average, baristas earn an extra $1.00 per hour from tips.
Taxes do factor into this for credit card tips. However, since we have no way of knowing how much was tipped on a card versus cash on any given day, we won’t factor that in.
Taking the average hourly wage of $15.40 per hour and adding in the extras from tips, a Starbucks barista can expect to make about $16.40 per hour.
Again, this is highly dependent on the area you live in, and if you’re considering becoming a barista, I suggest researching the local tips ahead of time.
And if you want to compare barista pay with other Starbucks roles, you can use my Starbucks salary explorer tool below:
Starbucks employee benefits
Starbucks offers competitive pay and a wide range of employee benefits, making it one of the most attractive companies for part-time and full-time workers.
Whether you're a barista, shift supervisor, or store manager, you can enjoy these Starbucks partner benefits:
- Health Coverage. Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans are available for eligible partners and their dependents.
- Retirement Savings. The Future Roast 401(k) plan provides a company match to help partners save for retirement.
- Stock Options. Through the Bean Stock program, eligible partners receive annual stock grants, allowing them to share in the company’s success.
- Paid Time Off. Starbucks offers vacation time, sick leave, and parental leave to support partners’ work-life balance.
- Tuition Assistance. The Starbucks College Achievement Plan covers 100% of tuition for partners pursuing a first-time bachelor’s degree online through Arizona State University.
- Free Coffee and Discounts:
- In-Store Benefits. Partners enjoy a free handcrafted beverage during their shifts and receive seven free food items per week.
- Weekly Markout. Partners can take home one free pound of coffee beans or a box of tea each week.
- Merchandise Discount. A 30% discount is available on drinks, merchandise, and food.
- Spotify Premium & Headspace Subscription. All partners are eligible for complimentary Spotify and Headspace subscriptions.
- Mental Health Support. Partners and their eligible family members have access to mental health resources, including therapy sessions.
- Commuter Benefits. Partners can pay for work-related commuter expenses through pre-tax payroll deductions.
- Life Insurance. Offers financial protection for partners and their beneficiaries.
- Short and Long-Term Disability. Provides income protection in case of illness or injury.
Note: Eligibility for certain Starbucks perks depends on factors such as role, hours worked, and length of service.
FAQs about Starbucks barista pay and benefits
Before I close this article, let's quickly address a few key questions people often have when researching Starbucks barista wages and benefits.
Who knows, maybe this will answer one of the questions you had as well!
How much do Starbucks baristas make with tips?
Starbucks baristas typically earn an extra $1 to $3 per hour from tips, depending on location and customer volume.
What is the starting pay for a Starbucks barista?
As of 2022, Starbucks set a minimum hourly wage of $15 across the U.S., with the average hourly wage being approximately $17.50. However, wages can vary by location and experience. For example, in Virginia, the average hourly pay for a Starbucks barista is about $15.03.
Does Starbucks pay weekly or biweekly?
Starbucks typically pays employees biweekly, with paychecks issued every other Friday.
However, in certain states, such as California, Massachusetts, Maine, and Minnesota, Starbucks has transitioned to a weekly pay schedule to better support employees’ financial needs.
Can Starbucks baristas earn overtime pay?
Yes, Starbucks employees are eligible for overtime pay, typically at 1.5 times their regular hourly rate, for hours worked beyond 40 in a week.
However, overtime policies can vary by state and store, and some locations may require prior authorization for overtime hours.
Do Starbucks employees get raises?
Yes, Starbucks employees do receive raises, although the specifics can vary based on several factors such as tenure, performance, and the company’s financial situation.
Final thoughts
The amount a barista earns varies widely depending on the location.
So, how much does Starbucks pay its employees? What is a Starbucks barista’s salary?
The lowest you can expect to earn as a Starbucks barista is approximately $14.90 per hour, including tips. The highest is about $18.60 per hour.
In any case, be sure to conduct your research and feel free to use some of the formulas I presented today for calculation purposes.
Are you a current or former Starbucks employee? Let me know your experience with pay and benefits in the comments!
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