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How Much Does a Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper Make?

A dining room and cafeteria attendant and bartender helper in the US earns a median salary of $33,980 a year, or $16.34 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $34,230, and the middle half earn between $28,330 and $37,250.

Median a year $33,980
Median an hour $16.34
Median a month $2,832
Average a year $34,230

Dining room and cafeteria attendant and bartender helper pay range

What dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $21,300 $10.24
25th $28,330 $13.62
Median (50th) $33,980 $16.34
75th $37,250 $17.91
90th (top 10%) $46,570 $22.39

The median is 33% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 542,750 people work as dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$653
Every two weeks
$1,307
Twice a month
$1,416
A month
$2,832

At the median salary, before tax.

Dining room and cafeteria attendant and bartender helper salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Hawaii pays dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers the most, at $51,160 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Hawaii $51,160 $51,200 4,380 After tax
District of Columbia $45,850 $39,080 4,130 After tax
Washington $45,430 $41,420 6,160 After tax
Virgin Islands $43,050 $51,760 70
Maine $42,960 $38,560 1,540 After tax
New York $42,480 $36,740 41,340 After tax
Colorado $41,280 $36,790 8,460 After tax
California $40,660 $36,010 75,460 After tax
Arizona $39,750 $36,500 13,300 After tax
Massachusetts $39,220 $35,380 11,510 After tax
Oregon $38,700 $36,800 3,910 After tax
Maryland $38,340 $37,020 13,240 After tax
Connecticut $37,640 $34,540 5,810 After tax
New Jersey $37,340 $34,170 16,490 After tax
Vermont $36,570 $34,120 – After tax
Rhode Island $35,170 $31,200 2,880 After tax
Florida $35,130 $33,280 50,400 After tax
Virginia $34,850 $32,410 11,910 After tax
Delaware $34,290 $31,880 1,540 After tax
Missouri $33,870 $31,850 11,590 After tax
Illinois $33,800 $31,200 21,290 After tax
Michigan $33,580 $30,390 13,050 After tax
Nebraska $33,170 $30,690 2,160 After tax
Nevada $32,640 $27,460 12,750 After tax
South Dakota $31,550 $29,920 2,550 After tax
Ohio $31,340 $29,400 13,670 After tax
New Mexico $31,230 $29,360 2,960 After tax
North Dakota $30,980 $31,010 890 After tax
Minnesota $30,730 $29,210 7,220 After tax
Georgia $30,450 $28,920 14,540 After tax
Arkansas $30,140 $27,670 2,160 After tax
West Virginia $29,920 $27,150 1,170 After tax
Pennsylvania $29,810 $29,310 20,800 After tax
Tennessee $29,680 $29,470 11,330 After tax
Alaska $29,520 $27,040 860 After tax
Montana $29,340 $27,510 1,150 After tax
Wyoming $28,600 $24,600 650 After tax
Indiana $28,590 $28,320 10,220 After tax
Utah $28,480 $27,010 4,490 After tax
Idaho $27,800 $27,810 1,520 After tax
New Hampshire $27,750 $26,290 1,510 After tax
North Carolina $27,690 $27,560 11,230 After tax
Wisconsin $27,510 $27,080 7,220 After tax
South Carolina $27,260 $26,830 6,220 After tax
Louisiana $27,250 $26,780 4,810 After tax
Kansas $26,900 $26,300 2,960 After tax
Iowa $26,810 $28,210 3,250 After tax
Oklahoma $26,680 $26,830 5,400 After tax
Kentucky $26,350 $26,330 3,350 After tax
Mississippi $24,480 $23,180 2,620 After tax
Texas $24,390 $21,550 60,270 After tax
Alabama $24,330 $22,470 3,420 After tax
Puerto Rico $23,830 $22,450 1,070
Guam $23,450 $21,720 300

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other food preparation and serving jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers” (SOC 35-9011). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a dining room and cafeteria attendant and bartender helper make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a dining room and cafeteria attendant and bartender helper is $16.34, and the average is $16.46. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $10.24 an hour and the top 10% over $22.39.

How much does a dining room and cafeteria attendant and bartender helper make a month?

At the median salary of $33,980, a dining room and cafeteria attendant and bartender helper earns about $2,832 a month before tax, or $1,307 every two weeks.

Which state pays dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers the most?

Hawaii has the highest average pay for a dining room and cafeteria attendant and bartender helper, at $51,160 a year. Next are District of Columbia and Washington. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a dining room and cafeteria attendant and bartender helper?

The lowest-paid 10% of dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers earn less than $21,300 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $28,330. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers make?

The top 10% earn more than $46,570 a year, and the top 25% more than $37,250.