Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary: $41,631 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 522,010 dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers nationally earn a mean of $41,631. Employment in the series shown rose about 8% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.4% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers: what the data shows
Common questions about dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers?
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 35-9011.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 522,010 workers.
What does a dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Getting Information, Assisting and Caring for Others, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $32,670 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $41,631 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,339 |
| 25th percentile | $35,152 |
| Median (50th) | $36,808 |
| 75th percentile | $40,602 |
| 90th percentile | $52,296 |
What education do you need?
For Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Coordination, Service Orientation, Speaking, Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Food Production, Sales and Marketing. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.4% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 7.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 14.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 522,010.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helperss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 522,010 | 17.2% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 488,020 | 16.1% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 434,050 | 14.3% |
| Food Services and Drinking Places | 377,650 | 12.4% |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 338,270 | 11.2% |
| Full-Service Restaurants | 307,080 | 10.1% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers workforce.
Employment Over Time
522,010 Workforce in 2023
The Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$41,631 Average Wage
In 2023, Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers earned an average of $41,631.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Salary distribution for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Employment Growth Projections
1.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
333,997 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 7.2%
358,051 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 14.9%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.4% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Wage Trends by Industry
8.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 78,320 employees, $40,480 avg wage
- TX: 55,560 employees, $27,870 avg wage
- FL: 46,540 employees, $34,880 avg wage
- NY: 44,040 employees, $42,820 avg wage
- IL: 20,510 employees, $32,990 avg wage
- PA: 19,940 employees, $29,060 avg wage
- MI: 14,470 employees, $31,400 avg wage
- NJ: 13,890 employees, $37,900 avg wage
- NV: 13,240 employees, $29,300 avg wage
- MD: 13,080 employees, $36,530 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 37,610 employees, $44,020 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 28,380 employees, $40,520 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 17,270 employees, $32,990 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 15,990 employees, $27,670 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 14,870 employees, $37,250 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 14,080 employees, $28,960 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 12,140 employees, $39,510 avg wage
- Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV: 11,190 employees, $29,690 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 10,440 employees, $44,230 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 9,920 employees, $31,330 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers in 2023 was 522,010 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers workers.
Education level distribution for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Skills
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Coordination, Service Orientation, Speaking, Monitoring.
Required skills for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers include Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Food Production, Sales and Marketing, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers include Trunk Strength, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Stamina, Manual Dexterity, Information Ordering.
Required abilities for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
Daily Activities
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers spend their time on activities such as Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Getting Information, Assisting and Caring for Others.
Most important work activities for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
About
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
The average yearly wage for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers was $41,631 in 2023.
SOC Code
35-9011 - Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers reports an average salary of $41,631.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 522,010 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.