What Are the Barista Levels and Who Can Apply?

Barista certification in this system has four barista levels: Junior Barista, corresponding to vocational level 3; Intermediate Barista at vocational level 2; Senior Barista at vocational level 1; and Coffee Technician, the highest tier. Each level targets different work, from coffee preparation and grinding to bean identification, tasting, and coffee culture promotion.

Application requirements rise with each step. Junior applicants need formal training hours and a completion certificate, or a completed apprenticeship, or more than two years of continuous probationary work. Intermediate applicants typically hold the junior certificate and have worked more than three years in coffee, plus formal training to the required hours. The coffee industry uses these tiers to standardize qualifications across roles.

Want to enter the coffee industry or enhance your professional qualifications? Understanding the level structure and application thresholds of barista professional qualification certification is the first step. Currently, this certification system has four levels, progressing step by step from junior barista to coffee technician, covering career directions such as coffee preparation, tasting, industry research, and cultural promotion. Different levels correspond to different requirements for education, training hours, and years of work experience, and applicants can choose a suitable path based on their own circumstances. This article will sort out the specific application qualifications for each level one by one to help you clearly plan your certification route.

Barista professional qualification certification is divided into four levels:

Junior Barista (corresponding to vocational level 3)

Intermediate Barista (corresponding to vocational level 2)

Senior Barista (corresponding to vocational level 1)

Coffee Technician (the highest level in the vocational hierarchy)

Who needs to hold a vocational qualification certificate:

1. Personnel exclusively engaged in preparation services such as coffee brewing and grinding

2. Personnel exclusively engaged in coffee bean identification and appreciation work

3. Personnel exclusively engaged in coffee industry research and the promotion and dissemination of coffee culture

4. Employees in other positions related to the coffee industry

Application Requirements

1. Junior Barista (meeting any one of the following conditions is sufficient to apply for the junior vocational qualification)

① Participated in formal junior training for this occupation, completed the prescribed standard training hours, and obtained a certificate of completion.

② Completed the apprenticeship period for this occupation. Continuously worked in a probationary capacity in this occupation for more than 2 years.

2. Intermediate Barista (meeting any one of the following conditions is sufficient to apply for the intermediate vocational qualification)

① Already obtained the Junior Barista vocational qualification certificate, continuously engaged in coffee work for more than 3 years, and completed formal barista training reaching the prescribed standard training hours, and obtained a certificate of completion.

② Already obtained the Junior Barista vocational qualification certificate, and continuously engaged in coffee work for more than 5 years.

③ Continuously engaged in coffee work for more than 7 years.

④ Holds a graduation certificate from a secondary or higher vocational school in this occupation (major), reviewed and recognized by the administrative department of the Labor and Social Security Department, with intermediate skills as the training objective.

3. Senior Barista (meeting any one of the following conditions is sufficient to apply for the senior vocational qualification)

① Already obtained the Barista vocational qualification certificate, continuously engaged in coffee work for more than 1 year, and completed formal senior barista training reaching the prescribed standard training hours.

② Continuously engaged in coffee work for more than 2 years, and completed formal senior barista training reaching the prescribed standard training hours.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.