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Starbucks Boosts Barista Pay With New Tipping & Bonuses
5 Apr
Summary
- Expanded tipping options to increase barista pay by 5% to 8%.
- Annual bonuses of up to $1,200 for store employees.
- Weekly pay for all in-store employees to begin by July.
Starbucks announced significant pay enhancements for its baristas and hourly employees, with changes slated to begin by July. Customers will soon have expanded options to leave tips through the Starbucks app and at the register. The company anticipates these new tipping functionalities will boost barista earnings by an estimated 5% to 8%.
Further bolstering compensation, Starbucks will offer annual bonuses of up to $1,200 to baristas and shift supervisors. Eligibility for these bonuses hinges on individual stores meeting specific sales, operational, and customer service benchmarks. Additionally, all in-store employees will transition to weekly pay cycles.
As of 2026, Starbucks reported that its hourly store employees earned an average of $18.73 per hour. This announcement comes amidst ongoing unionization efforts by Starbucks Workers United, which currently represents approximately 12,000 employees across 700 locations.
