Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers (SOC 35-9011) earn a median $33,980 a year ($16.34 an hour) in the United States, with 542,750 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Hawaii.
What dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers do
Dining room and cafeteria attendants, along with bartender helpers, keep restaurants running by supporting the people who take orders and cook. In a dining room they clear and wipe tables, reset them with clean linens and place settings, scrape and carry dirty dishes to the kitchen, and bring water, bread, and coffee to guests. In a cafeteria they maintain adequate supplies of clean linens, silverware, glassware, dishes, and trays. Bartender helpers, also called barbacks, supply the service bar with food and keep it stocked so the bartender can stay at the station. Some positions include running a register, greeting and seating customers, or cleaning up spilled food and drink and broken dishes. Banquet houseperson, bar attendant, and breakfast attendant appear among the listed titles.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the usual education level (about 74 percent).
Also called: Banquet Houseperson, Banquet Set Up Person, Bar Attendant, Bar Back, Barback.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $10.24 | $13.62 | $16.34 | $17.91 | $22.39 | $16.46 | 542,750 |
| Annual | $21,300 | $28,330 | $33,980 | $37,250 | $46,570 | $34,230 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $14.37 | $16.03 | $24.62 | $29.58 | $37.00 | $24.60 | 4,380 | 6.98 | 2.00 |
| Annual | $29,890 | $33,340 | $51,200 | $61,520 | $76,960 | $51,160 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $16.78 | $17.49 | $19.91 | $23.37 | $28.99 | $21.84 | 6,160 | 1.74 | 0.50 |
| Annual | $34,890 | $36,390 | $41,420 | $48,620 | $60,300 | $45,430 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $17.50 | $17.63 | $18.79 | $23.17 | $28.29 | $22.04 | 4,130 | 5.88 | 1.68 |
| Annual | $36,400 | $36,670 | $39,080 | $48,200 | $58,830 | $45,850 | ||||
| Maine | Hourly | $15.00 | $16.04 | $18.54 | $24.15 | $29.85 | $20.65 | 1,540 | 2.40 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $33,360 | $38,560 | $50,220 | $62,080 | $42,960 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $15.31 | $16.41 | $17.80 | $18.93 | $22.08 | $18.44 | 13,240 | 4.79 | 1.37 |
| Annual | $31,840 | $34,120 | $37,020 | $39,370 | $45,930 | $38,340 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $16.50 | $16.74 | $17.31 | $19.20 | $24.34 | $19.55 | 75,460 | 4.14 | 1.19 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $34,820 | $36,010 | $39,930 | $50,630 | $40,660 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $7.55 | $8.21 | $10.36 | $13.79 | $17.09 | $11.73 | 60,270 | 4.28 | 1.23 |
| Annual | $15,710 | $17,090 | $21,550 | $28,690 | $35,540 | $24,390 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.27 | $14.20 | $16.00 | $17.83 | $21.86 | $16.89 | 50,400 | 5.08 | 1.45 |
| Annual | $27,590 | $29,530 | $33,280 | $37,080 | $45,460 | $35,130 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $15.89 | $16.37 | $17.66 | $22.27 | $28.41 | $20.42 | 41,340 | 4.27 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $33,040 | $34,060 | $36,740 | $46,330 | $59,080 | $42,480 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.00 | $15.00 | $16.35 | $18.32 | $16.25 | 21,290 | 3.49 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $34,010 | $38,110 | $33,800 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $15.00 | $16.77 | $29.44 | $34.92 | $43.17 | $27.71 | 840 | 11.37 | 3.26 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $34,870 | $61,230 | $72,620 | $89,800 | $57,640 | ||||
| Urban Honolulu, HI | Hourly | $14.10 | $15.00 | $24.14 | $29.04 | $31.45 | $23.39 | 2,500 | 5.61 | 1.61 |
| Annual | $29,320 | $31,190 | $50,200 | $60,410 | $65,420 | $48,640 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $17.56 | $18.51 | $21.69 | $23.60 | $31.18 | $23.37 | 3,630 | 1.74 | 0.50 |
| Annual | $36,520 | $38,500 | $45,120 | $49,080 | $64,860 | $48,610 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $18.71 | $19.12 | $20.06 | $22.02 | $29.60 | $22.03 | 3,420 | 3.02 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $38,910 | $39,770 | $41,710 | $45,800 | $61,570 | $45,820 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $17.26 | $17.79 | $18.90 | $21.41 | $28.89 | $21.18 | 10,650 | 4.48 | 1.28 |
| Annual | $35,890 | $37,000 | $39,310 | $44,530 | $60,100 | $44,060 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $15.82 | $16.34 | $17.78 | $22.28 | $28.57 | $20.56 | 37,600 | 3.96 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $32,900 | $33,990 | $36,980 | $46,350 | $59,430 | $42,750 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $16.60 | $16.80 | $17.21 | $18.06 | $23.83 | $19.19 | 24,860 | 3.96 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $34,530 | $34,940 | $35,800 | $37,560 | $49,570 | $39,920 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $7.55 | $8.57 | $10.12 | $13.91 | $17.29 | $11.78 | 18,600 | 4.59 | 1.32 |
| Annual | $15,710 | $17,820 | $21,050 | $28,920 | $35,960 | $24,490 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.00 | $15.00 | $16.39 | $18.83 | $16.21 | 18,100 | 4.01 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $34,080 | $39,170 | $33,710 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $7.86 | $8.13 | $10.51 | $13.58 | $16.33 | $11.79 | 16,740 | 5.09 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $16,350 | $16,920 | $21,850 | $28,250 | $33,960 | $24,530 | ||||
Top industries employing dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
Restaurants and Other Eating Places employ 64.9% of dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers nationally (351,980 jobs) at a median $32,240 a year ($15.50 an hour), followed by Traveler Accommodation (10.7%) and Elementary and Secondary Schools (5.4%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places NAICS 722500 | 351,980 | 64.9% | $32,240 | $15.50 |
| Traveler Accommodation NAICS 721100 | 57,980 | 10.7% | $34,930 | $16.79 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 29,190 | 5.4% | $35,530 | $17.08 |
| Special Food Services NAICS 722300 | 26,120 | 4.8% | $35,370 | $17.01 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) NAICS 722400 | 15,020 | 2.8% | $32,220 | $15.49 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (542,750). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $27,170 for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in May 2021 and $33,980 in May 2025, with employment of 336,970 and 542,750.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $27,170 | $13.06 | 336,970 |
| May 2022 | $29,120 | $14.00 | 439,770 |
| May 2023 | $31,180 | $14.99 | 483,390 |
| May 2024 | $32,670 | $15.71 | 522,010 |
| May 2025 | $33,980 | $16.34 | 542,750 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii profile | $24.62 | $51,200 | $29,890 | $76,960 | 4,380 | 6.98 | 2.00 |
| 2 | Washington profile | $19.91 | $41,420 | $34,890 | $60,300 | 6,160 | 1.74 | 0.50 |
| 3 | District of Columbia profile | $18.79 | $39,080 | $36,400 | $58,830 | 4,130 | 5.88 | 1.68 |
| 4 | Maine profile | $18.54 | $38,560 | $31,200 | $62,080 | 1,540 | 2.40 | 0.69 |
| 5 | Maryland profile | $17.80 | $37,020 | $31,840 | $45,930 | 13,240 | 4.79 | 1.37 |
| 6 | Oregon profile | $17.69 | $36,800 | $31,200 | $45,810 | 3,910 | 1.99 | 0.57 |
| 7 | Colorado profile | $17.69 | $36,790 | $30,800 | $56,890 | 8,460 | 2.95 | 0.84 |
| 8 | New York profile | $17.66 | $36,740 | $33,040 | $59,080 | 41,340 | 4.27 | 1.22 |
| 9 | Arizona profile | $17.55 | $36,500 | $30,950 | $55,580 | 13,300 | 4.11 | 1.18 |
| 10 | California profile | $17.31 | $36,010 | $34,320 | $50,630 | 75,460 | 4.14 | 1.19 |
| 11 | Massachusetts profile | $17.01 | $35,380 | $31,200 | $50,760 | 11,510 | 3.17 | 0.91 |
| 12 | Connecticut profile | $16.61 | $34,540 | $34,010 | $47,100 | 5,810 | 3.42 | 0.98 |
| 13 | New Jersey profile | $16.43 | $34,170 | $32,220 | $45,630 | 16,490 | 3.85 | 1.10 |
| 14 | Vermont profile | $16.40 | $34,120 | $29,470 | $46,080 | ** | ** | ** |
| 15 | Florida profile | $16.00 | $33,280 | $27,590 | $45,460 | 50,400 | 5.08 | 1.45 |
| 16 | Virginia profile | $15.58 | $32,410 | $27,370 | $46,360 | 11,910 | 2.90 | 0.83 |
| 17 | Delaware profile | $15.33 | $31,880 | $31,200 | $38,450 | 1,540 | 3.18 | 0.91 |
| 18 | Missouri profile | $15.31 | $31,850 | $28,600 | $39,150 | 11,590 | 3.95 | 1.13 |
| 19 | Illinois profile | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $38,110 | 21,290 | 3.49 | 1.00 |
| 20 | Rhode Island profile | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $47,170 | 2,880 | 5.74 | 1.64 |
| 21 | North Dakota profile | $14.91 | $31,010 | $21,110 | $37,320 | 890 | 2.07 | 0.59 |
| 22 | Nebraska profile | $14.76 | $30,690 | $28,080 | $39,900 | 2,160 | 2.11 | 0.60 |
| 23 | Michigan profile | $14.61 | $30,390 | $25,960 | $44,180 | 13,050 | 2.96 | 0.85 |
| 24 | South Dakota profile | $14.39 | $29,920 | $27,110 | $37,960 | 2,550 | 5.58 | 1.60 |
| 25 | Tennessee profile | $14.17 | $29,470 | $21,220 | $37,420 | 11,330 | 3.46 | 0.99 |
| 26 | Ohio profile | $14.14 | $29,400 | $22,900 | $39,070 | 13,670 | 2.46 | 0.71 |
| 27 | New Mexico profile | $14.12 | $29,360 | $25,750 | $38,280 | 2,960 | 3.40 | 0.97 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania profile | $14.09 | $29,310 | $17,890 | $38,580 | 20,800 | 3.43 | 0.98 |
| 29 | Minnesota profile | $14.04 | $29,210 | $23,350 | $38,310 | 7,220 | 2.45 | 0.70 |
| 30 | Georgia profile | $13.91 | $28,920 | $17,720 | $39,080 | 14,540 | 2.97 | 0.85 |
| 31 | Indiana profile | $13.62 | $28,320 | $20,610 | $37,280 | 10,220 | 3.19 | 0.91 |
| 32 | Iowa profile | $13.56 | $28,210 | $16,980 | $35,460 | 3,250 | 2.08 | 0.60 |
| 33 | Idaho profile | $13.37 | $27,810 | $16,770 | $37,430 | 1,520 | 1.78 | 0.51 |
| 34 | Arkansas profile | $13.30 | $27,670 | $24,230 | $37,150 | 2,160 | 1.66 | 0.47 |
| 35 | North Carolina profile | $13.25 | $27,560 | $15,920 | $37,870 | 11,230 | 2.27 | 0.65 |
| 36 | Montana profile | $13.23 | $27,510 | $21,950 | $38,350 | 1,150 | 2.24 | 0.64 |
| 37 | Nevada profile | $13.20 | $27,460 | $24,960 | $47,320 | 12,750 | 8.22 | 2.35 |
| 38 | West Virginia profile | $13.05 | $27,150 | $21,300 | $44,980 | 1,170 | 1.67 | 0.48 |
| 39 | Wisconsin profile | $13.02 | $27,080 | $16,800 | $38,440 | 7,220 | 2.45 | 0.70 |
| 40 | Alaska profile | $13.00 | $27,040 | $24,770 | $35,640 | 860 | 2.65 | 0.76 |
| 41 | Utah profile | $12.99 | $27,010 | $17,870 | $39,510 | 4,490 | 2.59 | 0.74 |
| 42 | Oklahoma profile | $12.90 | $26,830 | $17,990 | $36,540 | 5,400 | 3.16 | 0.91 |
| 43 | South Carolina profile | $12.90 | $26,830 | $17,100 | $36,780 | 6,220 | 2.70 | 0.77 |
| 44 | Louisiana profile | $12.88 | $26,780 | $16,080 | $39,770 | 4,810 | 2.49 | 0.71 |
| 45 | Kentucky profile | $12.66 | $26,330 | $15,870 | $37,330 | 3,350 | 1.68 | 0.48 |
| 46 | Kansas profile | $12.65 | $26,300 | $17,120 | $38,050 | 2,960 | 2.06 | 0.59 |
| 47 | New Hampshire profile | $12.64 | $26,290 | $17,200 | $38,410 | 1,510 | 2.22 | 0.63 |
| 48 | Wyoming profile | $11.83 | $24,600 | $18,520 | $42,660 | 650 | 2.30 | 0.66 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $11.15 | $23,180 | $16,880 | $30,840 | 2,620 | 2.26 | 0.65 |
| 50 | Alabama profile | $10.80 | $22,470 | $16,650 | $34,320 | 3,420 | 1.62 | 0.46 |
| 51 | Texas profile | $10.36 | $21,550 | $15,710 | $35,540 | 60,270 | 4.28 | 1.23 |
Part of Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 35-9011 Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 35-9011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 35-9011.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.