Barista job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

No formal educational credential

BLS 2025–35 · broader occupation

Median pay

$31,200

BLS May 2025 · broader occupation

1. Clean or sanitize work areas, utensils, or equipment. importance 4.8 of 5
2. Receive and process customer payments. importance 4.8 of 5
3. Prepare or serve hot or cold beverages, such as coffee, espresso drinks, blended coffees, or teas. importance 4.8 of 5
4. Take customer orders and convey them to other employees for preparation. importance 4.7 of 5
5. Clean service or seating areas. importance 4.5 of 5
6. Prepare or serve menu items, such as sandwiches or salads. importance 4.5 of 5
7. Wrap, label, or date food items for sale. importance 4.4 of 5
8. Check temperatures of freezers, refrigerators, or heating equipment to ensure proper functioning. importance 4.3 of 5
9. Describe menu items to customers, or suggest products that might appeal to them. importance 4.2 of 5
10. Demonstrate the use of retail equipment, such as espresso machines. importance 4.2 of 5
11. Order, receive, or stock supplies or retail products. importance 4.2 of 5
12. Serve prepared foods, such as muffins, biscotti, or bagels. importance 4.1 of 5
13. Stock customer service stations with paper products or beverage preparation items. importance 4.1 of 5
14. Provide customers with product details, such as coffee blend or preparation descriptions. importance 3.9 of 5
15. Set up or restock product displays. importance 3.9 of 5
16. Weigh, grind, or pack coffee beans for customers. importance 3.8 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information and Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Create signs to advertise store products or events.
• Slice fruits, vegetables, desserts, or meats for use in food service.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, Sales and Marketing, Food Production and English Language.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Word. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry-level education for the broader occupation.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a barista.

Most baristas surveyed by O*NET (64%) name less than a high school diploma as the education the job requires.

Job title: Barista
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Barista to prepare or serve specialty coffee or other beverages.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Clean or sanitize work areas, utensils, or equipment.
- Receive and process customer payments.
- Prepare or serve hot or cold beverages, such as coffee, espresso drinks, blended coffees, or teas.
- Take customer orders and convey them to other employees for preparation.
- Clean service or seating areas.
- Prepare or serve menu items, such as sandwiches or salads.
- Wrap, label, or date food items for sale.
- Check temperatures of freezers, refrigerators, or heating equipment to ensure proper functioning.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in service orientation, active listening and speaking
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and Administration and Management
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

For the broader BLS occupation Fast Food and Counter Workers, the median annual wage was $31,200 in May 2025. The broader occupation's median hourly wage was $15.00.

BLS counts the O*NET occupation Baristas within Fast Food and Counter Workers and publishes no separate wage for it, so the figure is for that broader occupation.

BLS projects employment in the broader occupation Fast food and counter workers to grow 5.8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 827,400 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full barista salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real barista posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Clean or sanitize work areas, utensils, or equipment”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only barista work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (service orientation and active listening); barista interview questions turns them into practice questions.