Skip to main content

Barista

Hospitality & Tourism

Prepare or serve specialty coffee or other beverages. Serve food such as baked goods or sandwiches to patrons.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Hospitality & Tourism

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Receive and process customer payments.
  2. 2Prepare or serve hot or cold beverages, such as coffee, espresso drinks, blended coffees, or teas.
  3. 3Clean or sanitize work areas, utensils, or equipment.
  4. 4Take customer orders and convey them to other employees for preparation.
  5. 5Describe menu items to customers, or suggest products that might appeal to them.
  6. 6Clean service or seating areas.
  7. 7Serve prepared foods, such as muffins, biscotti, or bagels.
  8. 8Prepare or serve menu items, such as sandwiches or salads.
  9. 9Set up or restock product displays.
  10. 10Stock customer service stations with paper products or beverage preparation items.
  11. 11Weigh, grind, or pack coffee beans for customers.
  12. 12Wrap, label, or date food items for sale.
  13. 13Provide customers with product details, such as coffee blend or preparation descriptions.
  14. 14Take out garbage.
  15. 15Order, receive, or stock supplies or retail products.
  16. 16Slice fruits, vegetables, desserts, or meats for use in food service.
  17. 17Check temperatures of freezers, refrigerators, or heating equipment to ensure proper functioning.
  18. 18Demonstrate the use of retail equipment, such as espresso machines.
  19. 19Create signs to advertise store products or events.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Juicer
  • Server
  • Barista
  • Baristas
  • Cafe Barista
  • Coffee Maker
  • Coffee Brewer
  • Coffee Barista
  • Catering Barista
  • Coffee Sommelier

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. Typical entry

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationLess than high school

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Sales and Marketing — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Sales and Marketing — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
AgricultureDraws directly on Food Production — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Home Science (SRT)Draws directly on Food Production — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Customer and Personal Service85%
  • English Language66%

    English

  • Sales and Marketing60%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Food Production55%

    AgricultureHome Science (SRT)

  • Administration and Management51%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Mathematics51%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersVery high
  • Handling conflict situationsOften
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentEvery day

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Check and monitor food temperatures while cooking.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

16%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Chef

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Baristas

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org