Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers

Median salary

$33,980

Average salary

$34,230

Employment

542,750

Projected growth

6.3% growth

Annual openings

99,600

Typical entry education

No formal educational credential

What Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Do

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.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 0.2%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.3/5
Food Productionimportance 3.3/5
English Languageimportance 3.3/5
Sales and Marketingimportance 3.0/5
Administration and Managementimportance 2.8/5
Personnel and Human Resourcesimportance 2.5/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.3/5
Production and Processingimportance 2.2/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Spend Time Walking or Running4.9/5
Spend Time Standing4.8/5
Contact With Others4.8/5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6/5
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.5/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners96% skill match
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners96% skill match
Cooks, Short Order96% skill match
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant95% skill match
Bartenders95% skill match
Farm Labor Contractors95% skill match
Flight Attendants94% skill match
Postal Service Clerks94% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Service Orientationimportance 3.0/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.9/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.9/5
Time Managementimportance 2.3/5
Management of Personnel Resourcesimportance 2.3/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 2.1/5
Persuasionimportance 2.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Cafe Cartel Systems
Plexis Software Plexis POS
RestaurantPlus PRO

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Cooperation
Dependability
Social Orientation
Optimism
Attention to Detail
Self-Control
Stress Tolerance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
SocialMedium
EnterprisingLow
ArtisticLow
InvestigativeLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).