Australian café worker incomes revealed; workforce grows – BeanScene

Australia’s baristas and café workers recorded modest income growth over the past year, as new Australian Taxation Office (ATO) data also shows the workforce expanded by around 8000 workers.

Figures for the 2022-23 financial year have revealed a detailed breakdown of the average taxable incomes by occupation across Australia, including baristas, café workers, and café or restaurant managers.

According to the ATO, the average taxable income of Australian baristas was $32,447, although the data does not stipulate whether they’re employed in a full time, part time, or casual capacity. This is 6.5% up from $30,465 the year prior.

The average income of a café worker was $28,474, up from $26,367 (8%).

At management level in hospitality, a café or restaurant manager’s average taxable income rose by around $5,000 (9%) annually to $59,938.

The overall average taxable income for individual Australians was $74,240 in the 2022-23 reporting period. Medical and financial occupations topped the list, including surgeons ($472,475), anaesthetists ($447,193), and financial dealers ($335,233).

Data for the 2022-23 financial year also showed the number of people employed in cafés rose dramatically, with around 3100 more people stating their occupation as ‘barista’ than the year before and 4700 more classified as ‘café workers’.

According to the data, three-quarters of Australia’s 41,921 baristas are female (31,226 female vs. 10,695 male).

Breaking down the profession by gender, female baristas had an average taxable income of $31,383 while their male counterparts’ taxable income was $35,554 – representing a moderate rise from the year before for both groups.

Of the now 59,540 café workers counted in the data – up from 54,831 people in 2021-22 – 46,776 were female and 12,764 were male. Female café workers earned $28,366 and males $28,868.

The ATO recorded 51,851 café or restaurant managers, a similar number to last year, of which 29,650 were female and 22,201 were male. The average taxable income of the former was $54,267, and the latter was $67,512.

Elsewhere in Australia’s hospitality sector, a bar attendant’s average taxable income was $39,353, around $11,000 more than a drinks waiter at $28,885.

The data did not include the average taxable income of a café owner.

The statistics for the 2022-23 income year were sourced from 2023 individual income tax returns processed by 31 October 2024. The statistics are not necessarily complete.