Baristas make and serve coffee in cafes, coffee shop chains, restaurants and hotels.

Salary range: £8,000 to £20,000

How to become a barista

You can get into this job through:

• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• applying directly

College

You could do a college qualification like:

• Level 1 Award in Introduction to Employment in the Hospitality Industry
• Level 2 Award in Barista Skills
• Level 2 Diploma in Food and Beverage Service

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• 2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course
• 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

More information

• equivalent entry requirements
• funding advice
• search for courses

Apprenticeship

You can train through a hospitality team member intermediate apprenticeship.

This will usually take 12 months to complete. You’ll do on-the-job training and spend time at a college or training provider.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

More information

• equivalent entry requirements
• guide to apprenticeships

Direct application

You can apply directly for jobs. Some employers may prefer you to have experience in customer service or catering.

More information

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a barista from the Hospitality Guild.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You’ll need:

• the ability to work well with others
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• customer service skills
• sensitivity and understanding
• the ability to work on your own
• excellent verbal communication skills
• a desire to help people
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

What you’ll do

Day-to-day tasks

Your day-to-day duties might include:

• preparing the coffee shop ready for opening
• taking customer orders and payments
• grinding fresh coffee beans
• preparing and serving sandwiches and cakes
• cleaning and tidying work areas, equipment and coffee machines
• creating displays of stock
• doing stock checks and ordering new stock
• cleaning and tidying the coffee shop before closing

Working environment

You could work in a coffee shop.

Your working environment may be noisy and hot.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a store manager and then move on to a regional manager role.

You could also become self-employed and set up your own coffee shop.

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