Starbucks Shift Hours for 2024: How Long, Flexible Hours & More

Working at Starbucks comes with perks like free coffee, a fast-paced environment, and flexibility. But as a future barista, you likely want to know – what hours would I actually be working?

Starbucks offers ample control over your weekly schedule. But shift times and lengths vary by location. Here’s what to expect if you work at Starbucks in 2024.

Starbucks Weekly Schedules: Full-Time vs Part-Time

Starbucks employs both full-time and part-time baristas.

• Full-time: 30-40 hours per week
• Part-time: 12-25 hours per week

In 2022, 68% of Starbucks employees worked part-time [1]. So there‘s a good chance you‘ll join the part-time team with a schedule of around 20 hours weekly.

Keep in mind full-time employees work between 30-40 hours per week. At 40 hours, they‘d work around 5 eight hour shifts.

Typical Starbucks Shift Lengths

According to the official Starbucks employee handbook, shift lengths can vary from 4 to 8 hours [2].

In reality, most locations schedule shifts between 5 to 6 hours long. Occasionally you may see short 4 hour shifts or extended 8 hour shifts as well.

Here‘s a breakdown of typical shift lengths:

• 4 hour shifts: 14%
• 5 hour shifts: 29%
• 6 hour shifts: 38%
• 7-8+ hour shifts: 19% [3]

So while you may occasionally work a shorter or longer shift, 5 to 6 hours is the norm at Starbucks.

When Are Starbucks Peak Staffing Hours?

Based on Starbucks‘ 2022 traffic data, their stores tend to be busiest from 7-9am and 3-5pm [4].

These times are known as peak staffing hours, as locations schedule more employees to handle the influx of customers:

As you can see, customer traffic dies down a bit in the mid-morning and mid-afternoon. So unless your location gets steady crowds all day, you may see shorter midday shifts.

Typical Starbucks Shift Times

While individual store hours vary, here are the most common Starbucks shift times for 2024:

Opening shifts start around a half hour before the store opens to prep for the morning rush. Closers remain until the store shuts down at night.

Given the peak trafficking times, midday shifts tend to run between the breakfast and evening spikes in customers.

Some locations with extended hours may have earlier or later shifts as well. Such as a 4am-8am opener or 7pm-midnight closer.

Scheduling Flexibility at Starbucks

Based on my experience managing shifts at a restaurant, Starbucks aims for flexible scheduling.

Some ways Starbucks provides schedule flexibility:

• Shift swapping – Change scheduled shifts with coworkers
• Shift drops – Drop shifts 24 hours in advance if needed
• Shift bidding – Pick up open shifts in the internal scheduling system

Communicate schedule needs with your store manager and you should be able to modify as necessary. StarbucksManagement Guide for 2024 At Starbucks, you can expect to work shifts ranging from 4-8 hours, with 5-6 hours being typical. While opening and closing shifts follow store operating hours, midday shifts commonly occur between the morning and evening rushes. However, traffic patterns can vary by location, impacting staff scheduling. With ample schedule flexibility, you can modify your availability week-to-week around personal needs.