Barista

A barista operates espresso machines and prepares speciality coffee beverages in cafes, restaurants, or mobile coffee services across Australia. They combine technical equipment operation with customer service, consistently delivering high-quality hot and cold beverages to customer specifications within fast-paced service environments.

Operate espresso machines to extract shots at correct pressure, temperature, and timing for single, double, and ristretto pulls. Steam and froth milk using a steam wand to achieve microfoam consistency for cappuccinos, flat whites, lattes, and other milk-based drinks. Grind coffee beans to appropriate particle size for different brew methods using grinder settings and dose control. Tamp ground coffee in portafilters with consistent pressure and levelling technique to ensure even extraction. Prepare alternative beverages including pour-over, filter, AeroPress, and manual brewing methods. Calibrate and maintain espresso machine pressure gauges, group heads, and water systems according to manufacturer specifications. Clean and backflush espresso group heads, purge portafilters, and descale machines using approved cleaning agents to maintain hygiene standards and machine performance. Take customer orders and clarify beverage preferences including milk type, strength, temperature, and size.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate II or III (ABS skill level 4). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

Pay is low and capped. The role is physically demanding: you're on your feet for entire shifts, repetitive hand and arm movements cause strain, and you're expected to stay cheerful while handling rushed customers and machine problems daily.

Smaller numbers exist in regional centres with tourism or university populations. Very few remote work options. Independent cafes dominate, though some chains offer consistent hours.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 4311, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Active Listeningcore
• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracycore
• Clear the bar at closing timecore
• Complaint Handlingcore
• Customer Needs Assessmentcore
• Multitaskingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Conflict De-escalation
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligence
• Feedback Collection and Actioning
• Incident Reporting
• Upselling and Cross-Selling
• Workload Self-Management

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Barista workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026