Barista Salary in Scotland
Official ONS earnings for Scotland.
Median salary — Scotland
£16,910
gross, per year, all employees
Mean
£17,904
What a typical barista takes home
On the median of £16,910, 2026/27 tax year, Scottish rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£1,311
Take-home a year
£15,734
Income Tax
£828
National Insurance
£347
What most baristas actually earn
Half of baristas in Scotland earn between £7,950 and £20,931. Earning above £20,931 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
ONS suppresses the detailed spread for this occupation at regional level, so this range describes the wider “Other Elementary Services Occupations” group in Scotland.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of baristas earn less than this.
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Coffee shop workers
- SOC 2020 code
- 9266
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Barista salary FAQs
What is the average Barista salary in Scotland?
The median is £16,910 a year and the mean is £17,904, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
How much does a barista earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £12.30 excluding overtime, or £12.60 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for Scotland.
What is a good Barista salary?
Half of baristas earn between £7,950 and £20,931. Anything above £20,931 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a barista?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of baristas earn under £4,309 and the lowest quarter under £7,950 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Do baristas in Scotland earn more than the UK average?
The median in Scotland is £16,910 against £12,170 across the UK, 38.9% higher.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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