It’s can be a great first job. Not going to lie I was very stressed out. I was taking a bunch of honors and AP classes myself and I would try to do as much as I could at school during lunch because I knew once I got home I was going straight to work and I often closed. I thought I wasn’t going to make it then I moved up and became a coffee master and etc. I would say it’s worth it like I’ve had a fun experience but it was also very stressful, I’m sure if I was in clubs and other clubs I would probably not be able to work the hours I needed, I worked 5/6 days a week after school. So if you are in clubs and etc it may be hard to balance. It also depends on your goals with Starbucks. With me I was saving up to move out of my parents and to NY so earning enough was super important but if you just want this job just to have spending money then you may not need a whole lot of shifts. Like I said it depends on your goals with this job and how much you do outside of school, if it’s too much it can be hard to balance buts it’s still a great first job and it prepares you for your future career too.

i was working 20 hrs a week (16 towards the end) during my junior yr of highschool. i live in california so my starting pay was $15.77 (above min wage) but now i make $16.24.

in the beginning you'll most likely be put on window (if its a drive thru) or front register. like my first 3 months were spent almost entirely at the window. later you'll get more chances to practice making drinks. if you work closing shifts they also involve a lot of cleaning (drains, floors, dishes, bleaching down counters n walls, etc.).


junior yr i took 6 classes, 2 that we're APs. time was a problem somtimes, but it was mostly that i was exhausted after school and work and didn't have the energy for homework. if you're taking more APs i'd recommend working less than i did, maybe like 12 hrs a week instead.

I was working 20hrs/week at Starbucks when I started university. I was taking 18 credit hours (5 classes), training 6ish hours/week for my sport, and was involved in church, family, and social stuff. I was never more stressed in my life and I was exhausted all the time.

The next semester I cut down Starbucks to 2 shifts per week and it was much better. Of course I wasn’t making as much money but it was way more manageable. So it depends on how much you want to be doing other than work. Also some managers will expect you to work a certain amount so you’d wanna talk very honestly during an interview to see what they would except of you and how flexible they’re willing to be if you want to only work a few hours or need to change your schedule.

I was like this too. I just finished my junior year and I’ve been working at Starbucks for a year now. I took all AP classes and juggled a lot of time commitments this year and it was very challenging, but doable if you put your mind to it. My advice would be to find what amount of days working during the week works for you. I started at $12 an hour, now I’m at $13 something before the August 1 raise. Since I had evening availability I mostly closed, except during weekends — closing involves a lot of cleaning and prepping, but it can definitely be better than working morning rushes at times. Hope this helps!

Starbucks wasnt my first job, but it was definitely a lot. I worked two jobs the last bit of my Junior & Senior year. I wasn’t in AP, I just did my regular classes but got good grades. I think if you have good time management, go for it. But your availability needs to be open for Starbucks.