Pay by state · 54 areas
Barista Salary by State (2026)
Baristas earn the most in California at $42,280 a year and the least in Mississippi at $22,610 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $31,200. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $42,280California
- National median
- $31,200BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $22,610Mississippi
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for baristas
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1California$42,280
- 2Washington$37,710
- 3District of Columbia$37,430
- 4Colorado$36,270
- 5Vermont$36,030
Lowest median pay
- 1Mississippi$22,610
- 2Louisiana$22,800
- 3Oklahoma$23,430
- 4Alabama$23,700
- 5West Virginia$26,070
All states
Barista salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of baristas OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CACalifornia | $42,280 | $36,790 | $44,970 | 449,840 | $38,186 |
| 2 | WAWashington | $37,710 | $35,880 | $44,240 | 94,710 | $35,239 |
| 3 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $37,430 | $37,340 | $39,050 | 5,500 | $34,058 |
| 4 | COColorado | $36,270 | $33,900 | $37,710 | 82,010 | $35,196 |
| 5 | VTVermont | $36,030 | $34,330 | $38,640 | 6,830 | $36,781 |
| 6 | MAMassachusetts | $35,850 | $33,770 | $36,980 | 85,810 | $33,898 |
| 7 | CTConnecticut | $35,380 | $34,480 | $36,450 | 35,720 | $34,147 |
| 8 | HIHawaii | $35,250 | $30,460 | $37,510 | 24,130 | $32,060 |
| 9 | NYNew York | $35,250 | $34,350 | $37,140 | 168,620 | $32,663 |
| 10 | OROregon | $35,050 | $33,560 | $36,880 | 59,920 | $33,910 |
| 11 | MEMaine | $34,710 | $31,990 | $36,500 | 17,250 | $35,765 |
| 12 | AZArizona | $34,230 | $31,360 | $35,830 | 77,210 | $34,000 |
| 13 | NJNew Jersey | $34,150 | $32,220 | $36,150 | 93,730 | $31,386 |
| 14 | ILIllinois | $33,910 | $31,200 | $35,990 | 127,590 | $33,924 |
| 15 | MDMaryland | $33,660 | $31,280 | $35,600 | 49,380 | $32,070 |
| 16 | AKAlaska | $33,280 | $28,690 | $39,120 | 5,900 | $32,513 |
| 17 | NVNevada | $31,950 | $28,040 | $35,890 | 45,850 | $31,957 |
| 18 | NHNew Hampshire | $31,590 | $28,970 | $36,130 | 14,540 | $30,327 |
| 19 | RIRhode Island | $31,490 | $31,200 | $35,260 | 13,310 | $30,788 |
| 20 | MNMinnesota | $31,370 | $29,230 | $35,650 | 58,970 | $31,809 |
| 21 | DEDelaware | $31,300 | $31,200 | $35,630 | 13,310 | $31,360 |
| 22 | MOMissouri | $30,390 | $28,900 | $34,230 | 29,360 | $33,463 |
| 23 | VAVirginia | $30,110 | $28,230 | $34,650 | 104,460 | $29,781 |
| 24 | NDNorth Dakota | $30,080 | $28,700 | $35,250 | 11,470 | $33,813 |
| 25 | SDSouth Dakota | $29,490 | $28,670 | $31,480 | 15,150 | $33,290 |
| 26 | MTMontana | $29,090 | $26,420 | $34,640 | 14,960 | $30,736 |
| 27 | FLFlorida | $29,080 | $28,020 | $33,220 | 235,400 | $28,120 |
| 28 | NENebraska | $29,000 | $28,210 | $34,410 | 30,060 | $32,185 |
| 29 | IDIdaho | $28,940 | $22,760 | $33,210 | 25,810 | $30,306 |
| 30 | MIMichigan | $28,930 | $27,580 | $32,760 | 103,130 | $30,067 |
| 31 | INIndiana | $28,790 | $24,630 | $33,210 | 97,290 | $30,848 |
| 32 | NMNew Mexico | $28,700 | $28,070 | $30,140 | 28,250 | $31,124 |
| 33 | UTUtah | $28,670 | $26,340 | $33,360 | 52,340 | $28,999 |
| 34 | WIWisconsin | $28,600 | $25,710 | $33,390 | 67,750 | $30,395 |
| 35 | NCNorth Carolina | $28,570 | $23,370 | $34,370 | 92,230 | $30,289 |
| 36 | PAPennsylvania | $28,570 | $24,440 | $32,310 | 142,220 | $29,281 |
| 37 | OHOhio | $28,430 | $26,800 | $29,930 | 163,560 | $30,644 |
| 38 | IAIowa | $28,390 | $26,150 | $33,440 | 40,290 | $32,349 |
| 39 | WYWyoming | $27,860 | $21,910 | $29,640 | 7,060 | $30,057 |
| 40 | TXTexas | $27,740 | $22,980 | $29,730 | 460,530 | $28,581 |
| 41 | KSKansas | $27,580 | $22,980 | $29,260 | 47,140 | $30,621 |
| 42 | SCSouth Carolina | $27,520 | $23,320 | $29,660 | 65,070 | $29,355 |
| 43 | TNTennessee | $27,470 | $23,490 | $29,530 | 90,690 | $29,901 |
| 44 | KYKentucky | $27,130 | $22,800 | $29,680 | 41,860 | $30,091 |
| 45 | GAGeorgia | $26,920 | $22,480 | $29,640 | 145,030 | $27,956 |
| 46 | ARArkansas | $26,250 | $23,570 | $27,850 | 35,660 | $30,194 |
| 47 | WVWest Virginia | $26,070 | $22,160 | $29,610 | 6,240 | $29,129 |
| 48 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $24,410 | $23,670 | $26,410 | 840 | N/A |
| 49 | ALAlabama | $23,700 | $22,050 | $27,840 | 41,460 | $26,682 |
| 50 | OKOklahoma | $23,430 | $21,920 | $27,520 | 52,520 | $26,673 |
| 51 | LALouisiana | $22,800 | $21,770 | $26,680 | 45,720 | $25,848 |
| 52 | MSMississippi | $22,610 | $21,340 | $26,680 | 31,220 | $26,003 |
| 53 | PRPuerto Rico | $22,030 | $21,840 | $22,390 | 26,440 | N/A |
| 54 | GUGuam | $20,770 | $20,640 | $20,980 | 1,130 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For baristas, the adjustment does not change the leader: California is first on raw pay and still first once prices are taken into account, at $38,186.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Barista pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays baristas the most?
California reports the highest median wage for baristas at $42,280 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Washington ($37,710) and District of Columbia ($37,430).
Which state pays baristas the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Mississippi reports the lowest median for baristas at $22,610 a year, $19,670 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $24,410, Puerto Rico reports $22,030 and Guam reports $20,770.
Is the highest-paying state the best for baristas after cost of living?
Yes. California stays first after dividing each state median by its BEA Regional Price Parity, at $38,186 in national-average dollars from a raw $42,280. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.