Occupation salary profile

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers

SOC 35-9011 BLS OEWS May 2025

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.

National median · BLS
$33,980
▲ +4.01% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$34,230
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
542,750
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$21,300
25th$28,330
Median (50th)$33,980
75th$37,250
90th — top pay$46,570

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Monthly—
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Weekly—
Daily—
Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers

BLS projects employment of dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers to grow 5.3% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 95,300 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
546,600 → 575,500
+28,900 jobs
Projected change
+5.3%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
95,300
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
0.1% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need no formal education →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Coordination3.0
  • Service Orientation3.0
  • Judgment and Decision Making2.9
  • Monitoring2.9
  • Social Perceptiveness2.9
  • Speaking2.9
  • Critical Thinking2.8
  • Reading Comprehension2.4
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.3
Top knowledge areas
  • Customer and Personal Service4.3
  • English Language3.3
  • Food Production3.3
  • Sales and Marketing3.0
  • Administration and Management2.8
  • Personnel and Human Resources2.5
  • Public Safety and Security2.3
  • Production and Processing2.2
Software and technology used
FacebookMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft WindowsCafe Cartel SystemsPlexis Software Plexis POSRestaurantPlus PRO

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers do

  • 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.
Also called
BarbackBus BoyBus PersonBusserBuffet AttendantDining Room AttendantFood Service AideFood Service HelperServer AssistantServer's Assistant
More job titles for this occupation (51)
Banquet HousepersonBanquet Set Up PersonBar AttendantBar BackBarmaidBartender HelperBeverage ServerBreakfast AttendantBreakfast Bar AttendantBusboyCafe HelperCafeteria AideCafeteria AssistantCafeteria AttendantCafeteria HelperCafeteria Table AttendantCafeteria WorkerCarry Out ClerkClub AttendantCoffee AttendantCoffee Bar AttendantCounter Supply WorkerDining Room BusserDining Room HelperDining Room Tables Set Up AttendantDumbwaiter OperatorFloorpersonFood and Beverage AttendantFood and Beverage CashierFood ExpeditorFood RunnerFood Service AssistantFood Service AttendantFood Service WorkerHotel Breakfast Bar AttendantIcemanKitchen AideKitchen Help HandymanKitchen HelperLine ServerLunchroom AideLunchroom AttendantLunchroom WorkerRestaurant BusserRestaurant WorkerService AssistantSilver StewardSilver WrapperTray SetterWater AttendantWater Carrier

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.