Summarize

Barista Salary in Los Angeles

Barista salary data in Los Angeles from BLS OEWS 2025, with median pay, fresher range, intermediate range, senior range, and metro source notes.

Median annual salary

$42,110

BLS OEWS 2025

25th percentile

$36,540

Lower market anchor

75th percentile

$44,470

Upper market anchor

Mean annual salary

$41,080

Average published wage

Salary Explorer

Pick a work area, role, location, and experience band to compare salary ranges.

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Selected

Intermediate salary for Barista in Los Angeles

Open the page for the 25th to 75th percentile and the full percentile breakdown.

Salary Range by Experience

These bands translate salary percentiles into practical fresher, intermediate, and senior salary ranges. They are not fixed years-of-experience rules.

Median salary

$42,110

Fresher

10th to 25th percentile

BLS

From

$35,720

to

To

$36,540

Use this for early-career offers or roles with limited paid experience.

Intermediate

25th to 75th percentile

BLS

From

$36,540

to

To

$44,470

Use this for candidates with proven role skills and solid delivery history.

Senior

75th to 90th percentile

BLS

From

$44,470

to

To

$46,830

Use this for senior candidates, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.

Fresher salary answer

Freshers and entry-level candidates can compare barista offers in Los Angeles against $35,720 to $36,540.

Intermediate salary answer

Intermediate candidates can compare barista offers in Los Angeles against $36,540 to $44,470.

Senior salary answer

Senior candidates can compare barista offers in Los Angeles against $44,470 to $46,830.

How Los Angeles Salaries Compare With Other Cities for This Role

Los Angeles is a BLS metro estimate. The other rows are BLS metro areas for Fast Food and Counter Workers, so candidates can compare local pay with major hiring markets.

Mean annual salary

San Francisco

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

$44,620

Seattle

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

$42,260

Los Angeles

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

$41,080

Denver

Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO

$38,240

New York

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

$37,130

Boston

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

$36,230

Washington DC

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

$35,550

Chicago

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

$34,690

Miami

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

$31,770

Austin

Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX

$30,130

How Barista Salaries Compare With Other Roles

This chart compares barista pay in Los Angeles with other roles available in the salary directory. Each row uses BLS OEWS min, avg, and top salary data.

Mean annual salary

Attorney

Lawyers, SOC 23-1011

$241,500

Corporate Counsel

Lawyers, SOC 23-1011

$241,500

General Counsel

Lawyers, SOC 23-1011

$241,500

Lawyer

Lawyers, SOC 23-1011

$241,500

Physician

Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229

$227,670

Psychiatrist

Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229

$227,670

Surgeon

Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229

$227,670

CIO

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$208,290

CTO

Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021

$208,290

Barista

Fast Food and Counter Workers, SOC 35-3023

$41,080

Salary Snapshot

The median annual salary for baristas in Los Angeles is $42,110. The middle market range runs from $36,540 at the 25th percentile to $44,470 at the 75th percentile. The wider salary range runs from $35,720to $46,830.

MeasureValueHow to read it
10th percentile$35,720Lower published wage point
25th percentile$36,540Common lower market anchor
Median$42,110Middle of the BLS wage range
75th percentile$44,470Upper market anchor
90th percentile$46,830High published wage point

Source Notes

This page maps Barista to BLS occupation Fast Food and Counter Workers, SOC 35-3023. The wage data is annual USD salary from BLS OEWS 2025. It does not include equity, signing bonus, bonus targets, benefits value, or self-employed income.

This page uses the BLS OEWS occupation Fast Food and Counter Workers, SOC 35-3023, as the public wage source for Barista.

BLS area
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Employment estimate
160,270

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median barista salary in Los Angeles?

The median annual salary for baristas in Los Angeles is $42,110, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data for Fast Food and Counter Workers.

How much can fresher barista candidates expect in Los Angeles?

Freshers and entry-level candidates can use the 10th to 25th percentile range as a guide. For baristas in Los Angeles, that range is $35,720 to $36,540. It is a percentile band, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.

What is the intermediate barista salary range in Los Angeles?

Intermediate candidates can compare offers against the 25th to 75th percentile range. For baristas in Los Angeles, that range is $36,540 to $44,470.

What do senior barista candidates earn in Los Angeles?

Senior candidates can use the 75th to 90th percentile range for stronger skill depth, senior scope, or higher-paying employers. For baristas in Los Angeles, that range is $44,470 to $46,830.

Does this salary data include bonuses or equity?

No. BLS OEWS wage estimates cover wages and salaries. They do not fully capture equity, signing bonuses, annual bonus targets, benefits value, or contractor rates.

How should I use these salary percentiles?

Use percentiles as market anchors. The 10th to 25th percentile can fit fresher or lower-paid roles, the median is the midpoint, and the 75th to 90th percentile can fit stronger experience, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.

Why does this page use Fast Food and Counter Workers instead of only Barista?

BLS publishes wages by standard occupation. This page maps Barista to Fast Food and Counter Workers, SOC 35-3023, so the numbers come from a public wage series instead of a private survey.

Does Los Angeles mean city limits or a metro area?

Los Angeles is displayed as a candidate-friendly city label, but the underlying wage estimate is for the BLS metro area Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, not strict city limits.

Adithyan RKWritten by Adithyan RK
Surya N
Fact-checked by Surya N
Published on: 10 Apr 2026Last updated: 19 Jul 2026
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