Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $21,300 | $10.24 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $33,980 | $16.34 |
| Mean (average) | $34,230 | $16.46 |
| 90th percentile | $46,570 | $22.39 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $22,470 | $16,650 | $34,320 | 3,420 | 0.46 |
| Alaska | $27,040 | $24,770 | $35,640 | 860 | 0.76 |
| Arizona | $36,500 | $30,950 | $55,580 | 13,300 | 1.18 |
| Arkansas | $27,670 | $24,230 | $37,150 | 2,160 | 0.47 |
| California | $36,010 | $34,320 | $50,630 | 75,460 | 1.19 |
| Colorado | $36,790 | $30,800 | $56,890 | 8,460 | 0.84 |
| Connecticut | $34,540 | $34,010 | $47,100 | 5,810 | 0.98 |
| Delaware | $31,880 | $31,200 | $38,450 | 1,540 | 0.91 |
| District of Columbia | $39,080 | $36,400 | $58,830 | 4,130 | 1.68 |
| Florida | $33,280 | $27,590 | $45,460 | 50,400 | 1.45 |
| Georgia | $28,920 | $17,720 | $39,080 | 14,540 | 0.85 |
| Guam | $21,720 | $20,690 | $35,540 | 300 | 1.3 |
| Hawaii | $51,200 | $29,890 | $76,960 | 4,380 | 2 |
| Idaho | $27,810 | $16,770 | $37,430 | 1,520 | 0.51 |
| Illinois | $31,200 | $31,200 | $38,110 | 21,290 | 1 |
| Indiana | $28,320 | $20,610 | $37,280 | 10,220 | 0.91 |
| Iowa | $28,210 | $16,980 | $35,460 | 3,250 | 0.6 |
| Kansas | $26,300 | $17,120 | $38,050 | 2,960 | 0.59 |
| Kentucky | $26,330 | $15,870 | $37,330 | 3,350 | 0.48 |
| Louisiana | $26,780 | $16,080 | $39,770 | 4,810 | 0.71 |
| Maine | $38,560 | $31,200 | $62,080 | 1,540 | 0.69 |
| Maryland | $37,020 | $31,840 | $45,930 | 13,240 | 1.37 |
| Massachusetts | $35,380 | $31,200 | $50,760 | 11,510 | 0.91 |
| Michigan | $30,390 | $25,960 | $44,180 | 13,050 | 0.85 |
| Minnesota | $29,210 | $23,350 | $38,310 | 7,220 | 0.7 |
| Mississippi | $23,180 | $16,880 | $30,840 | 2,620 | 0.65 |
| Missouri | $31,850 | $28,600 | $39,150 | 11,590 | 1.13 |
| Montana | $27,510 | $21,950 | $38,350 | 1,150 | 0.64 |
| Nebraska | $30,690 | $28,080 | $39,900 | 2,160 | 0.6 |
| Nevada | $27,460 | $24,960 | $47,320 | 12,750 | 2.35 |
| New Hampshire | $26,290 | $17,200 | $38,410 | 1,510 | 0.63 |
| New Jersey | $34,170 | $32,220 | $45,630 | 16,490 | 1.1 |
| New Mexico | $29,360 | $25,750 | $38,280 | 2,960 | 0.97 |
| New York | $36,740 | $33,040 | $59,080 | 41,340 | 1.22 |
| North Carolina | $27,560 | $15,920 | $37,870 | 11,230 | 0.65 |
| North Dakota | $31,010 | $21,110 | $37,320 | 890 | 0.59 |
| Ohio | $29,400 | $22,900 | $39,070 | 13,670 | 0.71 |
| Oklahoma | $26,830 | $17,990 | $36,540 | 5,400 | 0.91 |
| Oregon | $36,800 | $31,200 | $45,810 | 3,910 | 0.57 |
| Pennsylvania | $29,310 | $17,890 | $38,580 | 20,800 | 0.98 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,450 | $21,840 | $25,950 | 1,070 | 0.33 |
| Rhode Island | $31,200 | $31,200 | $47,170 | 2,880 | 1.64 |
| South Carolina | $26,830 | $17,100 | $36,780 | 6,220 | 0.77 |
| South Dakota | $29,920 | $27,110 | $37,960 | 2,550 | 1.6 |
| Tennessee | $29,470 | $21,220 | $37,420 | 11,330 | 0.99 |
| Texas | $21,550 | $15,710 | $35,540 | 60,270 | 1.23 |
| Utah | $27,010 | $17,870 | $39,510 | 4,490 | 0.74 |
| Vermont | $34,120 | $29,470 | $46,080 | ||
| Virgin Islands | $51,760 | $26,830 | $52,000 | 70 | 0.65 |
| Virginia | $32,410 | $27,370 | $46,360 | 11,910 | 0.83 |
| Washington | $41,420 | $34,890 | $60,300 | 6,160 | 0.5 |
| West Virginia | $27,150 | $21,300 | $44,980 | 1,170 | 0.48 |
| Wisconsin | $27,080 | $16,800 | $38,440 | 7,220 | 0.7 |
| Wyoming | $24,600 | $18,520 | $42,660 | 650 | 0.66 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 95,300. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.1%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- NO MATCH CIP 99.9999
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Run cash registers.
- Serve ice water, coffee, rolls, or butter to patrons.
- Scrape and stack dirty dishes and carry dishes and other tableware to kitchens for cleaning.
- Wipe tables or seats with dampened cloths or replace dirty tablecloths.
- Set tables with clean linens, condiments, or other supplies.
- Greet and seat customers.
- Clean up spilled food or drink or broken dishes and remove empty bottles and trash.
- Maintain adequate supplies of items, such as clean linens, silverware, glassware, dishes, or trays.
Technology skills
- Facebook (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Cafe Cartel Systems
- Plexis Software Plexis POS
- RestaurantPlus PRO
Transferable skills for career changers: Coordination, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Management of Personnel Resources.
Common job titles: Barback, Buffet Attendant, Bus Boy, Bus Person, Busser, Dining Room Attendant, Food Service Aide, Food Service Helper, Server Assistant, Server's Assistant.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers make?
The national median annual wage for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers was $33,980 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $21,300 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $46,570. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers need?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers to change +5.3% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 95,300 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Virgin Islands ($51,760), Hawaii ($51,200), Washington ($41,420). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.