Barista Wage Index 2026
California pays baristas the most of any state: a median of $20.33 an hour, against a national median of $15.00. Mississippi pays the least at $10.87. The Barista Wage Index scores all 50 states plus the District of Columbia against that national median, where the United States equals 100. Every figure comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 35-3023, fetched from the BLS state data file on 2026-08-15.
How the index is calculated
Index = state median hourly wage divided by the national median hourly wage of $15.00, times 100, rounded to a whole number. Nothing else is applied: no cost of living adjustment, no tax adjustment, no tip estimate. Two states with the same median get the same rank.
Barista wage index by state, May 2025
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Index (US = 100) | Mean hourly | Annual median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $20.33 | 136 | $20.04 | $42,280 | 449,840 |
| 2 | Washington | $18.13 | 121 | $19.42 | $37,710 | 94,710 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $18.00 | 120 | $19.16 | $37,430 | 5,500 |
| 4 | Colorado | $17.44 | 116 | $17.74 | $36,270 | 82,010 |
| 5 | Vermont | $17.32 | 115 | $18.08 | $36,030 | 6,830 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $17.24 | 115 | $17.25 | $35,850 | 85,810 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $17.01 | 113 | $17.47 | $35,380 | 35,720 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $16.95 | 113 | $17.22 | $35,250 | 24,130 |
| 8 | New York | $16.95 | 113 | $17.75 | $35,250 | 168,620 |
| 10 | Oregon | $16.85 | 112 | $17.41 | $35,050 | 59,920 |
| 11 | Maine | $16.69 | 111 | $17.25 | $34,710 | 17,250 |
| 12 | Arizona | $16.46 | 110 | $16.87 | $34,230 | 77,210 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $16.42 | 109 | $16.88 | $34,150 | 93,730 |
| 14 | Illinois | $16.30 | 109 | $16.48 | $33,910 | 127,590 |
| 15 | Maryland | $16.18 | 108 | $16.45 | $33,660 | 49,380 |
| 16 | Alaska | $16.00 | 107 | $16.59 | $33,280 | 5,900 |
| 17 | Nevada | $15.36 | 102 | $15.78 | $31,950 | 45,850 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $15.19 | 101 | $15.44 | $31,590 | 14,540 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $15.14 | 101 | $16.37 | $31,490 | 13,310 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $15.08 | 101 | $15.60 | $31,370 | 58,970 |
| 21 | Delaware | $15.05 | 100 | $16.18 | $31,300 | 13,310 |
| 22 | Missouri | $14.61 | 97 | $15.45 | $30,390 | 29,360 |
| 23 | Virginia | $14.48 | 97 | $15.35 | $30,110 | 104,460 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $14.46 | 96 | $15.03 | $30,080 | 11,470 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $14.18 | 95 | $14.86 | $29,490 | 15,150 |
| 26 | Florida | $13.98 | 93 | $14.88 | $29,080 | 235,400 |
| 26 | Montana | $13.98 | 93 | $14.48 | $29,090 | 14,960 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $13.94 | 93 | $14.86 | $29,000 | 30,060 |
| 29 | Idaho | $13.91 | 93 | $13.76 | $28,940 | 25,810 |
| 29 | Michigan | $13.91 | 93 | $14.55 | $28,930 | 103,130 |
| 31 | Indiana | $13.84 | 92 | $13.93 | $28,790 | 97,290 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $13.80 | 92 | $14.55 | $28,700 | 28,250 |
| 33 | Utah | $13.78 | 92 | $13.99 | $28,670 | 52,340 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $13.75 | 92 | $13.99 | $28,600 | 67,750 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $13.74 | 92 | $13.97 | $28,570 | 92,230 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $13.74 | 92 | $13.91 | $28,570 | 142,220 |
| 37 | Ohio | $13.67 | 91 | $13.90 | $28,430 | 163,560 |
| 38 | Iowa | $13.65 | 91 | $13.91 | $28,390 | 40,290 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $13.40 | 89 | $13.23 | $27,860 | 7,060 |
| 40 | Texas | $13.34 | 89 | $13.34 | $27,740 | 460,530 |
| 41 | Kansas | $13.26 | 88 | $13.07 | $27,580 | 47,140 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $13.23 | 88 | $13.38 | $27,520 | 65,070 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $13.21 | 88 | $13.40 | $27,470 | 90,690 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $13.04 | 87 | $12.93 | $27,130 | 41,860 |
| 45 | Georgia | $12.94 | 86 | $13.12 | $26,920 | 145,030 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $12.62 | 84 | $12.93 | $26,250 | 35,660 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $12.54 | 84 | $12.88 | $26,070 | 6,240 |
| 48 | Alabama | $11.40 | 76 | $12.31 | $23,700 | 41,460 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $11.27 | 75 | $12.04 | $23,430 | 52,520 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $10.96 | 73 | $11.82 | $22,800 | 45,720 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $10.87 | 72 | $11.48 | $22,610 | 31,220 |
| United States | $15.00 | 100 | $15.46 | $31,200 | 3,854,050 |
Top five: California ($20.33, index 136), Washington ($18.13, index 121), District of Columbia ($18.00, index 120), Colorado ($17.44, index 116), Vermont ($17.32, index 115). Bottom five: Mississippi ($10.87, index 72), Louisiana ($10.96, index 73), Oklahoma ($11.27, index 75), Alabama ($11.40, index 76), West Virginia ($12.54, index 84). The top state median is 1.9 times the bottom state median for the same occupation, and 21 of the 51 areas sit at or above the national median. Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are published in the same BLS file but are left out of the ranking because they are territories, not states.
How to cite the Barista Wage Index
Free to cite and reproduce with a link back. Use whichever form fits your house style.
- Plain text: Barista Life, "Barista Wage Index 2026," analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 data, occupation 35-3023. https://baristalife.co/pages/barista-wage-index
- Journalist shorthand: Barista Life analysis of BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
- Underlying source, cite it directly if you prefer: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 state estimates, occupation 35-3023 Fast Food and Counter Workers, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes353023.htm
The one condition on reuse of our ranking and index numbers is a working link to https://baristalife.co/pages/barista-wage-index. The raw BLS figures are public domain and need no permission from us at all.
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What the numbers do and do not cover
OEWS wages are employer reported straight time pay for occupation 35-3023, the code that contains baristas. Tips are part of the wage definition, but employer reported tips are widely thought to be undercounted, so take home in a busy specialty shop can run above the figure in the table. OEWS also pools survey panels collected over three years, which smooths single year swings. Employment counts are for the whole occupation in that state, not for coffee shops alone.
Related: the full write up with percentiles and findings is in The Barista Pay Report 2026, the clickable state directory is Barista Pay by State, openings are on the job board, and the free resume builder is the fastest way to move up this table without moving states.
FAQ
Which state pays baristas the most? California ranks first at a median of $20.33 an hour for occupation 35-3023, which is index 136 against a national median of $15.00. Washington is second at $18.13.
What does the index number mean? The index is the state median divided by the national median, times 100. The United States is 100 by definition. An index of 120 means the state median runs 20 percent above the national median of $15.00 an hour. It is a pay comparison only and is not adjusted for cost of living or state taxes.
Is there a federal wage series just for baristas? No. The BLS publishes wages for occupation 35-3023, Fast Food and Counter Workers, and O*NET lists Baristas as 35-3023.01 inside it. Every figure here describes that whole occupation, so it reads as the counter-service market rate rather than a barista-only number.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation 35-3023, state file at oesm25st.zip. Occupation definition and wage concepts: OEWS FAQ. Barista classification: O*NET 35-3023.01. Data fetched and page reviewed 2026-08-15.