CDCareer Decision

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary in Ames, IA

In the 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS dataset, Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers in Ames, IA have a median annual salary of $29,630, with 110 recorded jobs in this area. Recorded earnings range from $18,230 at the 10th percentile to $35,200 at the 90th percentile.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · Data year: 2025 · Last updated: 2026-09-22

Salary overview

Median annual salary

$29,630

Data year: 2025

Hourly median

$14.25

Employment

110

Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS

Salary distribution

$18,230
10th
$22,170
25th
$29,630
Median
$31,280
75th
$35,200
90th

Local compared with national

Ames, IA

$29,630

Median annual · 2025

United States

$33,980

Median annual · 2025

The Ames, IA median is 12.8% below the national median in the available dataset (a difference of $4,350).

Top skills

  1. 1.Active ListeningImportance 3.0
  2. 2.CoordinationImportance 3.0
  3. 3.Service OrientationImportance 3.0
  4. 4.SpeakingImportance 2.9
  5. 5.MonitoringImportance 2.9
  6. 6.Social PerceptivenessImportance 2.9
  7. 7.Judgment and Decision MakingImportance 2.9
  8. 8.Critical ThinkingImportance 2.8
  9. 9.Reading ComprehensionImportance 2.4
  10. 10.Time ManagementImportance 2.3
  11. 11.Management of Personnel ResourcesImportance 2.3
  12. 12.Active LearningImportance 2.1

Career information

Education and experience

Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
None
Job zone
2

Technology used

  • Cafe Cartel Systems
  • Facebook
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Plexis Software Plexis POS
  • RestaurantPlus PRO

Common tasks

  • Carry linens to or from laundry areas.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Related careers

Occupations recorded as related in the dataset. A relationship does not imply a guaranteed transition.

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salary in other locations

Other occupations in Ames, IA