Salary
Average Salary: $22,000
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $918,456
How do we put this...it's peanuts. It's a minimum wage gig—and on average, that's $8.00. It comes out to about $22,000 a year with tips. If you're somewhere like Seattle, though, minimum wage isn't so bad.
If you have a family or are trying to support someone other than just you, you better pray that someone's engagement ring falls into the tip jar...and that you lose all morals and unapologetically take it to pawn somewhere.
It's not all bad, though. The tip jar helps. Unfortunately, you usually have to split it with everyone. Either you, the friendliest, most-tipped barista in the land, will get to take all of the tips from your shift (not likely), or you will have a pool that is distributed evenly at the end of the day, week, or even month (very, very likely).
So Greg, the frowny, bummer of a human being who sucks all the life out of his customers will get the same amount of money as you, the puff of Febreeze that cleanses every customer's aura (source).