Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salary in Columbia, SC
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers in the Columbia, SC metro area earn a median of $31,050 a year ($14.93 an hour), based on BLS data for 860 workers.
Pay ranges from $17,140 for the lowest-paid 10% to $36,780 for the top 10%. That is 9% lower than the national median of $33,980. Pay here is 16% higher than the South Carolina statewide median of $26,830. There are 2.2 dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers per 1,000 jobs here — the job is less common than nationally (location quotient 0.63). The average (mean) salary is $29,500, close to the median.
Pay range for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Columbia, SC
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $17,140 | $8.24 |
| 25th percentile | $22,470 | $10.80 |
| Median | $31,050 | $14.93 |
| 75th percentile | $36,020 | $17.32 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $36,780 | $17.68 |
| Average (mean) | $29,500 | $14.18 |
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 | $2,587.50 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $1,293.75 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $1,194.23 |
| Weekly | $597.12 |
| Hourly | $14.93 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Buying a home? On a $31,050 salary, see how much house you can afford in South Carolina at today's mortgage rates, or work out a payment with the mortgage calculator.
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salary in other metro areas nearby
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | $29,590 | 490 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $29,470 | 3,370 |
| Florence, SC | $29,090 | 250 |
| Spartanburg, SC | $28,800 | 320 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $26,950 | 600 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $26,830 | 880 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $26,410 | 1,290 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $24,630 | 1,130 |
| Sumter, SC | $22,260 | 50 |
Highest-paying states for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
| State | Median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $51,200 |
| Washington | $41,420 |
| District of Columbia | $39,080 |
| Maine | $38,560 |
| Maryland | $37,020 |
| Oregon | $36,800 |
| Colorado | $36,790 |
| New York | $36,740 |
| Arizona | $36,500 |
| California | $36,010 |
See Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers pay in every state or the South Carolina statewide figures.
Related jobs in Columbia, SC
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Dishwasher | $28,180 | $13.55 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $23,070 | $11.09 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | $20,920 | $10.06 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,170 | $13.06 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $17,810 | $8.56 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $35,490 | $17.06 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $37,880 | $18.21 |
| Food Preparation Worker | $30,260 | $14.55 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | $22,880 | $11.00 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $34,800 | $16.73 |
| Bartender | $19,230 | $9.25 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $31,400 | $15.10 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | $69,820 | $33.57 |
| Cooks, Short Order | $27,540 | $13.24 |
More: Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations · all salaries in Columbia, SC
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 Columbia, SC?
The median salary for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in the Columbia, SC metro area is $31,050 a year, or $14.93 an hour. Pay ranges from $17,140 for the lowest-paid 10% to $36,780 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers make in Columbia, SC?
The top 10% of dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in the Columbia, SC metro area earn at least $36,780 a year. The top 25% earn $36,020 or more.
What is the starting pay for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Columbia, SC?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $17,140 a year, and a quarter of dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers earn $22,470 or less.
How many dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers work in Columbia, SC?
About 860 dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers are employed in the Columbia, SC metro area, not counting the self-employed.