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Bartender vs barista

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 vs barista overview

BartenderBarista
Yearly salary$26,362$29,528
Hourly rate$12.67$14.20
Growth rate18%14%
Number of jobs57,51893,290
Job satisfaction4.67-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age3423
Years of experience2-

What does a bartender do?

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.

What does a barista do?

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.

Bartender vs barista salary

Bartenders and baristas have different pay scales, as shown below.

BartenderBarista
Average salary$26,362$29,528
Salary rangeBetween $16,000 And $43,000Between $22,000 And $38,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WAPortland, ME
Highest paying stateHawaiiMaine
Best paying companyOTTOSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Best paying industryHospitalityRetail

Differences between bartender and barista education

There are a few differences between a bartender and a barista in terms of educational background:

BartenderBarista
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Bartender vs barista demographics

Here are the differences between bartenders' and baristas' demographics:

BartenderBarista
Average age3423
Gender ratioMale, 39.7% Female, 60.3%Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage8%8%

Differences between bartender and barista duties and responsibilities

Bartender example responsibilities.

  • Train and manage all new bartenders achieving significant results in their productivity and knowledge.
  • Manage bar and staff, tend bar, DJ and operate karaoke equipment.
  • Manage and promote company Facebook account.
  • Provide seamless beverage service, managing inventory and operating POS terminal.
  • Manage payroll and timekeeping including completion of proper paperwork for new hires and terminations.
  • Direct bartending operations, overseeing beverage service, scheduling, inventory management and customer service.
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Barista example responsibilities.

  • Used Microsoft excel and QuickBooks to manage payroll, receive orders and payments, create invoices and update customer accounts.
  • Supervise a team of employees and run store operations while
  • Provide excellent customer service, keep shop/equipment cleanliness, order/stocking of coffee/food/drink items.
  • Recognize by supervisors and customers for excellence in customer service, punctuality, and positive attitude.
  • Provide legendary customer service and cultivate relationships with customers all while creating handcraft beverages up to Starbucks standard.
  • Provide customers Starbucks quality service by interacting with customers, making quality beverages, and maintaining an excellent store environment.
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Bartender vs barista skills

Common bartender skills
  • Wine, 23%
  • Bartending, 10%
  • Exceptional Guest, 7%
  • Cleanliness, 6%
  • Non-Alcoholic Beverages, 5%
  • Cash Handling, 4%
Common barista skills
  • Cash Handling, 27%
  • Food Products, 18%
  • Punctuality, 11%
  • Presentation Standards, 6%
  • Operational Policies, 4%
  • Customer Service, 3%

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