Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helperss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Hawaii$51,160
- District of Columbia$45,850
- Washington$45,430
- Maine$42,960
- New York$42,480
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Alabama$24,330
- Texas$24,390
- Mississippi$24,480
- Kentucky$26,350
- Oklahoma$26,680
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $51,160 | $51,200 | $25 | +49.5% | 4,380 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $45,850 | $39,080 | $22 | +33.9% | 4,130 |
| 3 | Washington | $45,430 | $41,420 | $22 | +32.7% | 6,160 |
| 4 | Maine | $42,960 | $38,560 | $21 | +25.5% | 1,540 |
| 5 | New York | $42,480 | $36,740 | $20 | +24.1% | 41,340 |
| 6 | Colorado | $41,280 | $36,790 | $20 | +20.6% | 8,460 |
| 7 | California | $40,660 | $36,010 | $20 | +18.8% | 75,460 |
| 8 | Arizona | $39,750 | $36,500 | $19 | +16.1% | 13,300 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $39,220 | $35,380 | $19 | +14.6% | 11,510 |
| 10 | Oregon | $38,700 | $36,800 | $19 | +13.1% | 3,910 |
| 11 | Maryland | $38,340 | $37,020 | $18 | +12% | 13,240 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $37,640 | $34,540 | $18 | +10% | 5,810 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $37,340 | $34,170 | $18 | +9.1% | 16,490 |
| 14 | Vermont | $36,570 | $34,120 | $18 | +6.8% | — |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $35,170 | $31,200 | $17 | +2.7% | 2,880 |
| 16 | Florida | $35,130 | $33,280 | $17 | +2.6% | 50,400 |
| 17 | Virginia | $34,850 | $32,410 | $17 | +1.8% | 11,910 |
| 18 | Delaware | $34,290 | $31,880 | $16 | +0.2% | 1,540 |
| 19 | Missouri | $33,870 | $31,850 | $16 | -1.1% | 11,590 |
| 20 | Illinois | $33,800 | $31,200 | $16 | -1.3% | 21,290 |
| 21 | Michigan | $33,580 | $30,390 | $16 | -1.9% | 13,050 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $33,170 | $30,690 | $16 | -3.1% | 2,160 |
| 23 | Nevada | $32,640 | $27,460 | $16 | -4.6% | 12,750 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $31,550 | $29,920 | $15 | -7.8% | 2,550 |
| 25 | Ohio | $31,340 | $29,400 | $15 | -8.4% | 13,670 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $31,230 | $29,360 | $15 | -8.8% | 2,960 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $30,980 | $31,010 | $15 | -9.5% | 890 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $30,730 | $29,210 | $15 | -10.2% | 7,220 |
| 29 | Georgia | $30,450 | $28,920 | $15 | -11% | 14,540 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $30,140 | $27,670 | $14 | -11.9% | 2,160 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $29,920 | $27,150 | $14 | -12.6% | 1,170 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $29,810 | $29,310 | $14 | -12.9% | 20,800 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $29,680 | $29,470 | $14 | -13.3% | 11,330 |
| 34 | Alaska | $29,520 | $27,040 | $14 | -13.8% | 860 |
| 35 | Montana | $29,340 | $27,510 | $14 | -14.3% | 1,150 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $28,600 | $24,600 | $14 | -16.4% | 650 |
| 37 | Indiana | $28,590 | $28,320 | $14 | -16.5% | 10,220 |
| 38 | Utah | $28,480 | $27,010 | $14 | -16.8% | 4,490 |
| 39 | Idaho | $27,800 | $27,810 | $13 | -18.8% | 1,520 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $27,750 | $26,290 | $13 | -18.9% | 1,510 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $27,690 | $27,560 | $13 | -19.1% | 11,230 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $27,510 | $27,080 | $13 | -19.6% | 7,220 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $27,260 | $26,830 | $13 | -20.4% | 6,220 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $27,250 | $26,780 | $13 | -20.4% | 4,810 |
| 45 | Kansas | $26,900 | $26,300 | $13 | -21.4% | 2,960 |
| 46 | Iowa | $26,810 | $28,210 | $13 | -21.7% | 3,250 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $26,680 | $26,830 | $13 | -22.1% | 5,400 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $26,350 | $26,330 | $13 | -23% | 3,350 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $24,480 | $23,180 | $12 | -28.5% | 2,620 |
| 50 | Texas | $24,390 | $21,550 | $12 | -28.7% | 60,270 |
| 51 | Alabama | $24,330 | $22,470 | $12 | -28.9% | 3,420 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 508 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $61,230 | $57,640 | 840 |
| 2 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $50,680 | $52,020 | 1,040 |
| 3 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $50,200 | $48,640 | 2,500 |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $45,120 | $48,610 | 3,630 |
| 5 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $41,710 | $45,820 | 3,420 |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $39,310 | $44,060 | 10,650 |
| 7 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $39,170 | $43,830 | 740 |
| 8 | Northeast Maine nonmetropolitan area | $39,100 | $43,320 | 140 |
| 9 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $38,210 | $42,060 | 190 |
| 10 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $38,120 | $41,210 | 2,160 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helperss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, Privately Owned | $40,690 | $45,400 | 160 |
| 2 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $40,660 | $44,560 | 190 |
| 3 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, State Government Owned | $40,660 | $41,170 | 40 |
| 4 | Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals, Privately Owned | $39,660 | $40,580 | 80 |
| 5 | Hospitals, Local Government Owned | $39,590 | $38,950 | 320 |
| 6 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Local Government Owned | $39,590 | $38,950 | 320 |
| 7 | Sector 52 - Finance and Insurance | $38,680 | $36,000 | 110 |
| 8 | Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities | $38,540 | $39,920 | 40 |
| 9 | Elementary and Secondary Schools, State Government Owned | $38,480 | $37,430 | 80 |
| 10 | Hospitals | $38,210 | $38,840 | 3,060 |
| 11 | Hospitals, Privately Owned | $38,180 | $39,040 | 2,230 |
| 12 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $38,140 | $38,540 | 2,350 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers make in the U.S.?
The median dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers salary in the United States is $33,980 per year (mean $34,230), and about 80% earn between $21,300 and $46,570.
How much do dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers make per hour?
Roughly $16 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $34,230 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers the most?
Hawaii has the highest average pay for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers at $51,160 per year (median $51,200).
What is the job outlook for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers?
Employment is projected to change +6.3% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 99,600 openings per year.