AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 35-3023.01
Will AI replace Baristas?
Baristas: AI can already handle 1 of 19 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs an efficient-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 19 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Baristas, from most to least exposed. 1 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wrap, label, or date food items for sale. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Receive and process customer payments. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Prepare or serve hot or cold beverages, such as coffee, espresso drinks, blended coffees, or teas. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Describe menu items to customers, or suggest products that might appeal to them. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean service or seating areas. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Serve prepared foods, such as muffins, biscotti, or bagels. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Prepare or serve menu items, such as sandwiches or salads. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Stock customer service stations with paper products or beverage preparation items. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Weigh, grind, or pack coffee beans for customers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Provide customers with product details, such as coffee blend or preparation descriptions. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Take out garbage. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Order, receive, or stock supplies or retail products. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Slice fruits, vegetables, desserts, or meats for use in food service. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Check temperatures of freezers, refrigerators, or heating equipment to ensure proper functioning. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Demonstrate the use of retail equipment, such as espresso machines. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Create signs to advertise store products or events. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean or sanitize work areas, utensils, or equipment. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Take customer orders and convey them to other employees for preparation. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Set up or restock product displays. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 19 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 19 of 19. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 5% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 5% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 95% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 3,854,050
- Median annual wage
- $31,200
- Middle half of earners
- $27,700 to $36,070
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +6.1%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034. BLS publishes these figures by SOC code, so O*NET occupations that share a SOC code show the same figures.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Bartenders 68% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure28
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers 65% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure16
- Fast Food and Counter Workers 63% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure17
- Waiters and Waitresses 63% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure20
- Food Preparation Workers 61% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure16
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Baristas and AI
Will AI replace Baristas?
AI already handles 1 of the 19 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 18 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +6.1% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Baristas?
18 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 19 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 19 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Baristas tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Wrap, label, or date food items for sale. It is the only task that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 5% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 95% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Baristas, and what do they earn?
3,854,050 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $31,200 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +6.1% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Baristas. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/baristas
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