Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salary in the U.S.
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers in the U.S. earn a median of $33,980 a year ($16.34 an hour), based on BLS data for 542,750 workers.
Pay ranges from $21,300 for the lowest-paid 10% to $46,570 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $34,230, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $21,300 | $10.24 |
| 25th percentile | $28,330 | $13.62 |
| Median | $33,980 | $16.34 |
| 75th percentile | $37,250 | $17.91 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $46,570 | $22.39 |
| Average (mean) | $34,230 | $16.46 |
Half of dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $2,831.67 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $1,415.83 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $1,306.92 |
| Weekly | $653.46 |
| Hourly | $16.34 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Buying a home? On a $33,980 salary, see how much house you can afford at today's mortgage rates, or work out a payment with the mortgage calculator.
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Virgin Islands | $51,760 | 70 |
| Hawaii | $51,200 | 4,380 |
| Washington | $41,420 | 6,160 |
| District of Columbia | $39,080 | 4,130 |
| Maine | $38,560 | 1,540 |
| Maryland | $37,020 | 13,240 |
| Oregon | $36,800 | 3,910 |
| Colorado | $36,790 | 8,460 |
| New York | $36,740 | 41,340 |
| Arizona | $36,500 | 13,300 |
| California | $36,010 | 75,460 |
| Massachusetts | $35,380 | 11,510 |
| Connecticut | $34,540 | 5,810 |
| New Jersey | $34,170 | 16,490 |
| Vermont | $34,120 | n/a |
| Florida | $33,280 | 50,400 |
| Virginia | $32,410 | 11,910 |
| Delaware | $31,880 | 1,540 |
| Missouri | $31,850 | 11,590 |
| Illinois | $31,200 | 21,290 |
| Rhode Island | $31,200 | 2,880 |
| North Dakota | $31,010 | 890 |
| Nebraska | $30,690 | 2,160 |
| Michigan | $30,390 | 13,050 |
| South Dakota | $29,920 | 2,550 |
| Tennessee | $29,470 | 11,330 |
| Ohio | $29,400 | 13,670 |
| New Mexico | $29,360 | 2,960 |
| Pennsylvania | $29,310 | 20,800 |
| Minnesota | $29,210 | 7,220 |
| Georgia | $28,920 | 14,540 |
| Indiana | $28,320 | 10,220 |
| Iowa | $28,210 | 3,250 |
| Idaho | $27,810 | 1,520 |
| Arkansas | $27,670 | 2,160 |
| North Carolina | $27,560 | 11,230 |
| Montana | $27,510 | 1,150 |
| Nevada | $27,460 | 12,750 |
| West Virginia | $27,150 | 1,170 |
| Wisconsin | $27,080 | 7,220 |
| Alaska | $27,040 | 860 |
| Utah | $27,010 | 4,490 |
| Oklahoma | $26,830 | 5,400 |
| South Carolina | $26,830 | 6,220 |
| Louisiana | $26,780 | 4,810 |
| Kentucky | $26,330 | 3,350 |
| Kansas | $26,300 | 2,960 |
| New Hampshire | $26,290 | 1,510 |
| Wyoming | $24,600 | 650 |
| Mississippi | $23,180 | 2,620 |
| Alabama | $22,470 | 3,420 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,450 | 1,070 |
| Guam | $21,720 | 300 |
| Texas | $21,550 | 60,270 |
Best-paying metro areas for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $61,230 | 840 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $50,200 | 2,500 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $45,120 | 3,630 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $41,710 | 3,420 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $39,310 | 10,650 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $39,170 | 740 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $38,210 | 190 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $38,120 | 2,160 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $37,980 | 560 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $37,700 | 220 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $37,700 | 50 |
| Bangor, ME | $37,670 | 210 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $37,540 | 5,950 |
| Napa, CA | $37,470 | 870 |
| Boulder, CO | $37,460 | 700 |
Metro areas with the most dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 37,600 | $36,980 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 24,860 | $35,800 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 18,600 | $21,050 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 18,100 | $31,200 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 16,740 | $21,850 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 16,490 | $34,710 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 13,800 | $37,260 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 10,990 | $32,220 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 10,840 | $28,290 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 10,650 | $39,310 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 9,880 | $29,470 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 9,850 | $36,960 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 9,620 | $35,960 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 9,390 | $33,500 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 8,890 | $34,780 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Dishwasher | $34,810 | $16.73 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $31,200 | $15.00 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | $35,840 | $17.23 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $31,200 | $15.00 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $35,230 | $16.94 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $37,390 | $17.98 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $44,080 | $21.19 |
| Food Preparation Worker | $35,320 | $16.98 |
| Bartender | $34,340 | $16.51 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | $30,890 | $14.85 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $37,450 | $18.01 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $35,360 | $17.00 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | $62,470 | $30.03 |
| Cooks, Short Order | $35,880 | $17.25 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 35-9011. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers make in the U.S.?
The median salary for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in the U.S. is $33,980 a year, or $16.34 an hour. Pay ranges from $21,300 for the lowest-paid 10% to $46,570 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in the U.S. earn at least $46,570 a year. The top 25% earn $37,250 or more.
What is the starting pay for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $21,300 a year, and a quarter of dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers earn $28,330 or less.
How many dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers work in the U.S.?
About 542,750 dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.