Starbucks barista shares why she doesn’t want a promotion

A TikTok content creator explained why she doesn’t want to be promoted from her Starbucks barista position.

The creator posted a now-deleted video in which he responded to a comment asking “Have you thought about becoming a store manager or moving up?”. The TikToker replied that she thought about it – but not for very long.

“The average salary for a Starbucks executive is about $70,000,” the creator said. “These people work 50, 60, 70 hours a week, at which point we’re quickly down to $19/hour, which is about what I make in tips without all the added stress.”

The Daily Dot reached out to the creator via TikTok message.

According to Glassdoor, the estimated base salary of a Starbucks executive is $54,996, but the average is $75,290 with additional compensation (e.g., bonuses, stocks, commissions, profit sharing, or tips).

The TikToker also shared that she doesn’t want to be stuck in the difficult position of doing what upper management says and looking after the best interests of the baristas while trying to stick to her set hours. She explained in the comments section that shift supervisors are not allowed to overlap for more than 15 minutes or take barista shifts.

“I’m a huge fan of being able to just do whatever I want while I’m there and leave without even thinking about it,” the TikToker said. “I totally support the people who are in these roles, they just aren’t really for me. I’m a barista baby.”

Comments from self-identified current and former Starbucks employees appeared to be related.

“As a layer [lead]…I’m considering switching to a barista at least once a week,” one user commented.

“Being a general manager is really tough,” said another.

“SM [store manager] I always say here that our position doesn’t pay enough for all the work they let us do,” shared one commenter. “I love my shop and my team, but sometimes it’s hard…”

The creator responded to a comment asking her opinion on vice presidents and said she thinks they have it the worst.

Glassdoor reports that the estimated base salary for a Starbucks assistant store manager is $48,043, but with additional pay the average is $64,190.

“You do a lot of managerial work, most of the time it’s not permanent,” the creator said. “From what I’ve heard, if you don’t find a leadership position in a given time, you have to be demoted.”

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