Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
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.
What it pays
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers earn a median of $16.34/hr — about $34,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $10.24/hr; the top 10% earn $22.39/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers earn a median of $16.34/hr — about $34,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $10.24/hr; the top 10% earn $22.39/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).
The feel of the work
You're around people constantly. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0.2% of dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, organized and detail-focused and people-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Chefs and Head Cooks
- Bartenders
- Dishwashers
- Waiters and Waitresses
- Food Preparation Workers
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
Quick questions
- How much does a dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helper make?
- The median pay is $16.34 per hour — roughly $34,000 a year, with the real range running from about $10.24/hr (10th percentile) to $22.39/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helper?
- The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).
- What does a dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helper actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.