Tip Your Barista

At a time when we as a country struggle with economic issues such as: unemployment, income inequality, health care, just getting through day to day, it's important to understand that the baristas who serve the java are working hard, and not because the money is outstanding. Dedicated baristas, in the U.S. at least, appear to be either slinging coffee because they love it, or because they need the money.

Why am I bringing this up? Lately I've thought a lot about the work baristas do, and as I frequent various coffee houses, and see what all they have to do on a daily basis, I thought about the work in terms of the compensation. So I started reading up on this topic.

Last year Alex Bernson of Spridge.com wrote a detailed piece on barista wages. Things to note: Australia on average is where you want to work(maybe), the average barista Down Under makes $33 an hour. In comparison, American baristas average $10-11 an hour. Of note, baristas in this country are more dependent on tips to supplement that income. 72% of the money earned by baristas here is from salary. The rest is tips. Don't head to Malaysia to work. Their baristas average $4 an hour.

What dictates the salary? Mostly cost of living drives what you are paid. In the U.S., the baristas who make the most, live in the larger urban areas, such as New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago. This makes sense. Each of those cities are pretty expensive places to live, so you would need to make something. In the Sprudge survey though, baristas in NYC are making around $14 an hour. Have you been to New York? It ain't cheap there.

If you haven't worked in food service, I can assure you it isn't easy. There is constant cleaning to do, preparing food and drinks is on going. There is a lot of bending, stooping, standing on your feet. This is physical stuff folks. So to make a living wage isn't easy for the barista. Not every coffee house offers health insurance, and trust me these folks need it for the work they do.

Clearly those who are dedicated baristas love what they do. A good many of them we get to know, and are happy to see when we head for our lattes. My call to you is to make sure you are tipping these folks. They do a lot to make sure you are enjoying your coffee. Show them some love back.

For more on Bernson's article - http://sprudge.com/barista-income.html

Charlie