Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Career, Salary and Skills
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $33,980 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 542,750. Wage data is published for 436 locations.
Occupation description
Facilitate food service. Clean tables; remove dirty dishes; replace soiled table linens; set tables; replenish supply of clean linens, silverware, glassware, and dishes; supply service bar with food; and serve items such as water, condiments, and coffee to patrons.
O*NET code
35-9011.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$33,980
Hourly median
$16.34
Employment
542,750
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Coordination | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Active Listening | 3.00 | 2.00 |
| Service Orientation | 3.00 | 2.12 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.88 | 2.00 |
| Speaking | 2.88 | 2.12 |
| Monitoring | 2.88 | 2.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.88 | 2.12 |
| Critical Thinking | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.38 | 2.00 |
| Time Management | 2.25 | 2.12 |
Typical tasks
- Carry trays from food counters to tables for cafeteria patrons.
- 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.
- Carry linens to or from laundry areas.
Technology
- Cafe Cartel Systems
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Windows
- Plexis Software Plexis POS
- RestaurantPlus PRO
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary in CAMedian $36,010 · Employment 75,460
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary in TXMedian $21,550 · Employment 60,270
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary in FLMedian $33,280 · Employment 50,400
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary in NYMedian $36,740 · Employment 41,340
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary in New York, NYMedian $36,980 · Employment 37,600
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $35,800 · Employment 24,860
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary in ILMedian $31,200 · Employment 21,290
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary in PAMedian $29,310 · Employment 20,800
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary in Dallas, TXMedian $21,050 · Employment 18,600
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $31,200 · Employment 18,100
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary in Houston, TXMedian $21,850 · Employment 16,740
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary in Miami, FLMedian $34,710 · Employment 16,490
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.