Quick Answer: TESDA's Barista NC II is a 178-hour course under the official Training Regulations (18 basic, 18 common, 142 core hours), roughly 22 eight-hour days. To enroll you need a completed 10-year basic education and good oral and written communication. The course is free at some TESDA-run centers and through TWSP scholarship slots, which also pay a ₱160-a-day allowance. TESDA's 2020 fee list puts the assessment at ₱850. Indeed Philippines reports an average barista salary of about ₱17,010 a month.
Barista NC II is one of TESDA's shorter hotel-and-restaurant qualifications, and one of the few where the whole job, from pulling an espresso shot to closing the register, fits in a few weeks of training. This guide uses TESDA's official Training Regulations (TR) for the hours, units, and entry rules, and labels anything from third-party sources as an estimate. If you are new to TESDA levels, start with our explainer on what NC I to NC IV mean.
How Long Is the TESDA Barista NC II Course?
The official nominal duration is 178 hours. The Barista NC II TR, promulgated in December 2013 under the Tourism (Hotel and Restaurant) sector, breaks it down like this:
| Competency block | Nominal hours | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | 18 | Workplace communication, teamwork, career professionalism, occupational health and safety |
| Common | 18 | Industry knowledge, workplace hygiene, computer operations, workplace safety, customer service |
| Core | 142 | Espresso, milk texturing, coffee beverages, machine maintenance, cashiering |
| Total | 178 | About 22.25 eight-hour days, per TESDA's list of promulgated TRs |
Actual programs can run longer. The TESDA Women's Center (TWC) in Taguig lists its own Barista NC II program at 202 hours over 26 days, and schedules at private centers depend on whether classes are daily, weekend-only, or mixed.
Disclaimer: TESDA can amend Training Regulations. Check the current TR on tesda.gov.ph and the program registration of your chosen center before enrolling.
What Will You Learn?
The TR describes the qualification as the competencies needed for "the deliverance of good quality coffee in commercially-operated cafes or specialty coffee shops." The five core units are where most of the 142 core hours go:
- Prepare espresso: set up the machine, dose and tamp coffee, extract espresso
- Texture milk: prepare milk and equipment, foam and texture milk
- Prepare and serve coffee beverages: take guest orders, make espresso-based drinks, prepare and serve brewed coffee
- Perform basic maintenance of machines and equipment: maintain the espresso machine, clean the doser grinder, care for small brewing devices
- Perform basic cashiering and general control procedures: operate an electronic cash register or POS, receive payments, handle change and petty cash, keep par stocks
The TR's equipment list for a class of 25 shows how broad the hands-on part is: a commercial semi-automatic espresso machine, a commercial doser grinder, French press, siphon, pour-over/V60 drippers, a moka pot, an automatic drip coffee maker, and a blender, plus 25 kilos of fresh-roasted beans and 30 cases of milk. The training center provides these, not the student.
Who Can Enroll?
The Barista NC II TR sets only two trainee entry requirements:
- Must have completed a 10-year basic education
- Good in oral and written communication
That is lower than many TESDA hospitality courses, which makes Barista NC II reachable for Grade 10 completers and career shifters. Training centers usually ask for the standard TESDA enrollment documents on top of this; see our TESDA requirements guide and online registration guide for the usual list. Scholarship slots add their own eligibility rules on top of these.
Can You Take the Barista Course for Free?
Yes, in two common ways. First, the TESDA Women's Center lists Barista NC II among its "free competency-based training programs." Second, accredited private and public centers can run barista batches under TESDA scholarships such as TWSP. TESDA's 2018 TWSP omnibus guidelines list tourism among the priority sectors for scholarship slots.
Scholars also get the Training Support Fund (TSF). TESDA's scholarship FAQ says scholars "shall be given an allowance called the Training Support Fund (TSF) at P160/day," paid in two tranches: 50% after two weeks of training and the rest once you reach 80% of the training duration. At 178 nominal hours (about 22 training days), that is roughly ₱3,500 if you attend every day, though the exact amount depends on your center's approved schedule.
Barista slots are not offered everywhere at all times. Each TESDA region allocates scholarships by local demand, so ask your TESDA provincial office which centers currently have funded barista batches. Our TESDA scholarship guide covers TWSP, PESFA, and STEP eligibility in full.
How Much Does It Cost Without a Scholarship?
We could not verify current private-center tuition for Barista NC II from any provider that publishes its fees, so we are not quoting a range. Fees vary with how much coffee and milk a center budgets per trainee, and whether it bundles uniforms, kits, or the assessment fee. Ask for an itemized quote in writing.
The assessment fee is set separately. TESDA's assessment FAQ says it is "based on the list of fees promulgated by the TESDA Board and endorsed by the National Economic Development Authority," and private accredited assessment centers may collect it at that rate. TESDA's most recent fee list we could find, Promulgated Assessment Fees as of September 2020, sets the full-qualification assessment fee for Barista NC II at ₱850. Fees can be revised by later TESDA Board resolutions, so confirm the current amount with your assessment center before paying. Scholarship slots usually include the assessment.
How Do You Get Certified?
You must pass a full-qualification assessment of all the core units; the basic and common units are assessed together with them, per Section 4 of the TR. Both training graduates and experienced workers (wage-employed or self-employed) can apply, so a working barista can skip the course and go straight to assessment.
Pass, and you receive a National Certificate signed by the TESDA Director General. TESDA's FAQ says an NC is valid for five years. Our step-by-step guide on how to get a TESDA certificate covers the claiming process, and you can later check your record through TESDA certificate verification.
What Jobs and Pay Can You Expect?
The TR lists one occupational title for this qualification: Barista. Pay is entry-level and varies by city and employer. Indeed Philippines data (about 1,900 salary reports, updated October 30, 2026):
| Location | Average monthly barista pay (Indeed) |
|---|---|
| Philippines (national average) | ₱17,010 |
| Pasig | ₱18,759 |
| Pasay | ₱18,503 |
| Makati | ₱18,485 |
| Parañaque | ₱18,462 |
| Quezon City | ₱17,911 |
Some job posts Indeed lists quote daily rates of ₱475 to ₱600 instead of a monthly salary.
Disclaimer: these are third-party estimates from self-reported and employer-posted data, not TESDA or government statistics. Actual pay depends on the employer, location, and shift.
What Can You Take After Barista NC II?
If you want more hospitality options, the related TESDA qualifications in the same sector are much longer. TESDA's list of promulgated TRs puts Food and Beverage Services NC II at 356 hours and Bartending NC II at 438 hours. Pairing barista with one of these widens the jobs you can apply for in hotels and restaurants. If you would rather go for a degree, compare our guides to BS Hospitality Management and BS Hotel and Restaurant Management.
Before You Enroll: A Quick Checklist
- Confirm the center is TESDA-registered for Barista NC II. See our guide to TESDA-accredited training centers.
- Ask about scholarship batches first. A TWSP slot removes tuition and the assessment fee and adds the daily allowance.
- Ask how much machine time you get. The core units are hands-on; more trainees per espresso machine means less practice per person.
- Get the assessment schedule in writing. Training ends with assessment, and certification is what employers check.
- Plan for renewal. The NC is valid for five years.
Ready to find a training center? Search schools and training providers on SchoolFinderPH to compare options near you.
Sources
- TESDA - Training Regulations, Barista NC II (official PDF)
- TESDA - List of Promulgated Training Regulations as of May 2022 (official PDF)
- TESDA Women's Center - Barista NC II program (official)
- TESDA Women's Center - Free competency-based training programs (official)
- TESDA - Frequently Asked Questions on Scholarship Implementation (official)
- TESDA - FAQs on Assessment and Certification (official)
- TESDA - Promulgated Assessment Fees as of September 2020 (official PDF)
- TESDA Circular No. 3, s. 2018 - Omnibus Guidelines for 2018 TWSP and STEP (official PDF)
- Indeed Philippines - Barista salaries
- SchoolFinderPH: TESDA NC Levels Explained, TESDA Requirements, TESDA Online Registration, TESDA Scholarship Guide, TESDA Offices by Region, TESDA Assessment Centers, How to Get a TESDA Certificate, TESDA Certificate Verification, TESDA-Accredited Training Centers, BS Hospitality Management, BS Hotel and Restaurant Management
