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The differences between bartenders and baristas can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a barista has an average salary of $29,528, which is higher than the $26,362 average annual salary of a bartender.
The top three skills for a bartender include wine, bartending and exceptional guest. The most important skills for a barista are cash handling, food products, and punctuality.
| Bartender | Barista | |
| Yearly salary | $26,362 | $29,528 |
| Hourly rate | $12.67 | $14.20 |
| Growth rate | 18% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 57,518 | 93,290 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.67 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 34 | 23 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
A bartender is an expert in mixing and serving alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, either directly to customers at the bar or through waitstaff who place drink orders for dine-in or room customers. Bartenders should have a wide range of knowledge of drink recipes and be able to assess customers' needs and preferences to make recommendations. They should mix drinks accurately, quickly, and without waste. They are also responsible for checking the customers' identification to ensure they are of legal drinking age and monitor the level of their intoxication.
Baristas are employees who work on assembling drinks available in the restaurant cafe. They are expected to be familiar with the menu offerings related to non-alcoholic beverages, such as coffee, tea, or chocolate, available in the restaurant. They are also expected to be familiar with the ingredients needed to make such drinks. They are in charge of managing the inventory and ensuring that the ingredients needed are readily available. Baristas are also expected to be able to make drinks in a quick yet accurate manner.
Bartenders and baristas have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Bartender | Barista | |
| Average salary | $26,362 | $29,528 |
| Salary range | Between $16,000 And $43,000 | Between $22,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Maine |
| Best paying company | OTTO | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Retail |
There are a few differences between a bartender and a barista in terms of educational background:
| Bartender | Barista | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between bartenders' and baristas' demographics:
| Bartender | Barista | |
| Average age | 34 | 23 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.7% Female, 60.3% | Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 3.7% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.5% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |