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What Exactly is the Job of a Barista?

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Whether in the past or present, the cool and artistic appearance of baristas making coffee at the counter, along with the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere of coffee shops, has led many people to add "barista" to their list of ideal jobs. Compared to many technical professions, a barista's work seems particularly easy... With the increasing number of coffee shops,

Whether in the past or present, the sight of baristas skillfully and artistically making coffee behind the counter, combined with the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere of coffee shops, has led many young people to add "barista" to their list of ideal professions.

Compared to many technical careers, a barista's job seems particularly easy... With the growing number of coffee shops, we can always see prominent words in barista recruitment: "no experience required," "free training," and "great promotion opportunities."

The conditions sound tempting, don't they! Many newcomers to the workforce or those facing career setbacks have enthusiastically set their sights on becoming baristas, imagining that one day they could open their own coffee shop. And this isn't just a baseless claim!

Recent survey data shows that approximately 41.5% of people become baristas because they want to open a coffee shop. This means many people hope to learn some technical skills in coffee shops before opening their own. Therefore, whenever they see "no experience required" or "free training," they enthusiastically join this profession.

In reality, many people who become baristas start feeling lost and prepare to quit shortly after joining... "Isn't a barista's job supposed to be making coffee?! Why do I spend most of my day washing things and cleaning instead of making coffee? I've barely made any coffee, the pay is low, and I have to put up with mistreatment!"

Yes, a barista's job involves more than just making coffee. The essence of being a barista is that of a service provider, which doesn't change just because you make coffee. Regardless of your skill level as a barista, serving customers is the absolute foundation of the job. Even if you're not applying to be a barista but opening your own coffee shop, service must come first. Without service, there's no future.

The same goes for cleaning – it's also a very important part of working in a coffee shop that everyone must do, not just targeting newcomers. Since it's not specifically targeting newcomers, why do they spend most of their time cleaning? Because their coffee skills haven't yet reached the standard required for production, while cleaning is something newcomers can complete independently during work hours. Employment requires people to work, not paying someone to learn how to make coffee. Even with training, it's not available 24/7.

Although cleaning is repetitive and tedious, it's an excellent opportunity to cultivate patience and a test of your work attitude. Making coffee is like cleaning – it seems simple, but repeatedly doing the same thing for long periods can make anyone lose patience.

The Path to Professional Excellence

Making a quality cup of coffee isn't something you can master overnight. Without patience, you could break down at any moment. For example, properly frothing milk or maintaining a stable circular pour when brewing has become a major hurdle for many coffee beginners. To learn coffee making, we need to at least understand the basic information about coffee beans, comprehend coffee extraction from a theoretical perspective, and understand milk frothing techniques – not just imitate others. Learning and understanding fundamental knowledge is extremely important!

To become independent behind the counter, you must understand the products themselves. Besides knowing how to make them, you also need to recommend them to customers. This requires not only service and product quality but also sufficient knowledge and understanding of coffee to recommend suitable products based on customer needs.

Beyond Passion: The Reality of Professional Growth

Becoming a qualified barista requires more than just enthusiasm – it demands patience to learn more about coffee beyond just brewing techniques. This job requires both heart and mind. Baristas need to think not only about how to make a delicious cup of coffee but also about how to help more people understand and appreciate coffee, as well as their own future career development.

Many baristas begin to feel lost and anxious after years of work because they didn't plan their future before deciding to pursue this career. Most people become baristas simply out of temporary passion, interest, seeking a relaxed job, or as a transitional position. In reality, there are many career development paths for baristas – "barista" is just a general term for coffee industry professionals.

Baristas can become coffee roasters, coffee trainers, coffee competition judges, coffee growers, coffee sourcers, and more. Do these seem distant for beginners? Not necessarily – they seem distant only because there isn't enough passion and the right kind of effort.

All successful people started as beginners. Their success is inseparable from their passion, dedication, and hard work. Passion isn't just something to talk about – true passion involves付出 (investment) and pursuit. Therefore, before deciding to become a barista, I suggest first considering your future carefully. Besides thinking about opening a coffee shop, also consider what you can do if you don't open one.

Understanding Compensation and Expectations

Regarding salary, taking first-tier cities as an example, depending on the coffee shop's scale, work complexity, and the applicant's experience, the salary for beginner/novice/regular baristas typically ranges around 3,000-5,500 yuan. Although it can reach the 5,000 range, this requires basic coffee knowledge and the ability to produce relatively high-quality coffee. Generally, completely inexperienced baristas start in the 3,000-4,000 range.

How do those high-earning baristas achieve their salaries? Behind these baristas lies tremendous effort, financial investment, and long hours accumulating relevant experience – it's not as effortless as it appears on the surface. When we see successful people, we should learn from their efforts rather than making superficial comparisons. No job is as simple and relaxed as we imagine. If such a job exists, the rewards equal the effort. Since you've chosen a job that requires less effort, the rewards cannot be as substantial as you wish.

Final Reflections: Is It Worth It?

Is being a barista really worth it? There's no "worth it or not" – only "suitable or not." Who knows if this career might become a lifelong pursuit? Passion can lead you into the coffee industry, while persistence and effort can help you achieve long-term development. Even if you later find it unsuitable, there's no need for regret, because this is an experience worth cherishing. Even if things don't work out as hoped, this experience will always bring value to your next career.