Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary
The median dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers salary in the United States is $33,980 per year ($16.34/hour). Salaries range from $21,300 at the entry level to $46,570+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 542,750 dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 6.3% through 2034.
Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Median Salary
$33,980
per year
Hourly Rate
$16.34
per hour
Employment
542,750
jobs in the U.S.
Salary Distribution
10th percentile
$21,300
25th percentile
$28,330
Median
$33,980
75th percentile
$37,250
90th percentile
$46,570
Job Growth (2024-2034)
+6.3%
Faster than average
Annual Openings
99,600
jobs/year (growth + replacements)
Education Required
No formal educational credential
Training Needed
Short-term on-the-job training
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Career Guide
Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helperss.
Bussers, barbacks, and dining room attendants are the engine room of every restaurant floor. They clear and reset tables, run food from the pass, stock the bar with liquor / ice / glassware / garnishes, tap kegs, take out trash, and keep servers and bartenders moving. Base pay is state tipped-minimum or full minimum depending on jurisdiction, and the real money comes from the tip-share pool β typically 1-3% of server net sales or 10-20% of the bartender tip pool. Median $33,980 across 542,750 workers; p10 $21,300 at slow diners or short-shift dishpit-hybrid roles, p90 $46,570 at high-volume steakhouses, fine dining, casino floors, and busy hotel banquet houses. This is the classic first-restaurant-job that leads to server, bartender, kitchen line, or FOH management inside 12-24 months.
Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For
Table turn speed & mise en place
Reset a four-top in under 90 seconds β clear, wipe, re-linen, roll silver, replace bread plate, water glass, condiments, menus. Speed of turn drives cover count, which drives everyone's tips.
Tray & bus tub mechanics
Load a rectangular bus tub with plates stacked heaviest-on-bottom, glassware sorted upright in a rack (never loose in the tub β it shatters), silverware in a bin. Oval trays for delivery, cocktail trays for drinks β palm-up carry, never fingertip.
Running food from the pass (expo hand-off)
Read the ticket, run to the correct seat position (seat 1 is closest to the door / anchor point per house rules), announce the dish ('Here's the ribeye medium rare for seat 3'), never auction. Match modifiers to the chit. Come back with the check-back inside 2 minutes.
Bar restock & keg change
Keep the well full β call brands within arm's reach, backup bottles on the shelf. Cut fruit garnish, restock cocktail napkins, straws, coasters. Change kegs cleanly: CO2 off, disconnect coupler, tilt-and-lift new keg into place, purge the line, no foam. Ice bins topped through service.
Glassware inventory & polish
Track pints, rocks, highballs, wine bulbs, coupes, martini glasses β bar goes down if any station runs out mid-rush. Polish stemware with a hot-steamed towel β no fingerprints, no water spots on the pour side. Racking dirty glass to the dishpit continuously, not at the end of the night.
Teamwork & tip-share math awareness
The floor works or fails as one team. Understand your tip-share structure β 1% of net sales pool, 10-15% of tips shared, or hourly tip-pool split. Know what a strong Friday night nets you and what a Tuesday shift looks like.
Stamina & floor awareness
6-10 hour shifts on your feet, in hot kitchens near the pass, moving 12-15,000 steps a shift. Constant scan of the room β spot the empty water glass, the finished plate, the guest looking for the check β and clear or refill before the server has to ask.
How to Become a Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
- 1Apply in person or through the restaurant's hiring portalMost restaurants still hire hourly staff via a walk-in at 2-4pm (between lunch and dinner service) or through their website / Snagajob / Indeed. No rΓ©sumΓ© needed for most spots β a manager will interview you on the floor.
- 2Get your local food handler card and a ServSafe or TIPS certification if the bar hires you as a barback$10-25 online course; required in most states within 30 days of hire. Barbacks who serve or handle alcohol need TIPS / state responsible-beverage-server card.
- 3Start on a slower shift (lunch or weekday dinner) and prove you can keep paceManagers watch: do you hustle without being told, can you carry a full bus tub without dropping glass, do you help servers without being asked. Two to four weeks of consistent hustle earns you the busy shifts (Friday / Saturday dinner) β that's where the tip-share money is.
- 4Learn the menu and floor plan in your first monthTable numbers, seat positions (always start seat 1 from the anchor), the 86 list, allergens, house cocktails, wine-by-the-glass list. This is how bussers become food runners, then servers.
- 5Ask to shadow a server or bartender at month 3-6Most GMs will train up existing FOH before hiring off the street. Six to twelve months as a strong busser or barback is the shortest path to a server or bartender shift β where full tips, not tip-share, land on you.
Career Progression
Busser / Barback / Dining Room Attendant (entry)
0-1 yrs$21,300-$33,980 (state tipped or full minimum + tip-share; typical $12-17/hr all-in in most metros, $18-24/hr all-in in NYC / SF / Boston / DC steakhouses)
- β’Clear, wipe, and reset tables to full setup between guests
- β’Run food from the pass to the correct seat position, on ticket
- β’Refill waters, replace silver, deliver bread / chips / pre-meal service
- β’Restock the bar (glass, garnish, ice, backup liquor, kegs, CO2)
- β’Take out trash, mop after service, break down and reset the floor for open
Next: Lead Busser or Server Assistant / Food Runner at 6-18 months once you know menu, floor, and steps of service.
Lead Busser / Server Assistant / Food Runner
1-3 yrs$32,000-$42,000 (larger tip-share cut; typical $16-22/hr all-in, more in fine dining or steakhouse)
- β’Own food-running as the primary function β read the ticket, seat position, allergen check, delivery, check-back
- β’Cover a server station in a pinch (drop the table, take drink orders, place tickets)
- β’Train new bussers on tray technique, floor plan, seat positions, and turn speed
- β’Shift lead: pre-shift set-up, side-work assignments, close-out checklist
- β’Bar side: coach new barbacks on keg change, restock rhythm, glass management
Next: Server, Bartender, or Line Cook at 18-30 months β the three main paths out.
Server / Bartender (typical exit path)
2-5 yrs$40,000-$85,000 tipped income in most metros; $75,000-$140,000 in high-volume fine dining, steakhouses, hotel bars
- β’Own a section of 4-6 tables (server) or a full bar station (bartender)
- β’Full tips land on you β no more tip-share cut going up the ladder
- β’Menu / wine / spirits fluency; upsell without pressuring the guest
- β’Handle cash, comps, voids, splits, and end-of-shift checkout
Next: Shift Lead / Trainer at 4-7 years; Assistant GM at 6-10 years.
Shift Lead / FOH Trainer / Assistant Manager
4-8 yrs$45,000-$70,000 base + shift meal + possible tip pool inclusion
- β’Run a shift as MOD (manager on duty); own floor calls, comps, guest recovery
- β’Train new servers, bussers, barbacks on house standards and steps of service
- β’Cover FOH scheduling, weekly inventory counts, cash-out and daily deposit
- β’Own one operational vertical (beverage program, catering, private events)
Next: General Manager at 7-12 years; multi-unit ops or corporate at 10-15 years.
Interview Questions & Answers
5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 13 total plus resume bullets for every level.
Q1. Have you worked a busy Friday night shift before? Walk me through it.situational
Managers screen for pace tolerance. Walk them through a real shift: pre-shift briefing at 4pm, side-work (rolling silver, polishing glass, cutting garnish), tables start dropping at 5:30, wait times hit 45 minutes by 7, you're clearing and resetting 30+ four-tops an hour, running food while bussing, keeping water on every table. Say what you did when it got heavy β helped the server drop apps, jumped on food-run when the runner got slammed, changed a keg mid-rush without shutting the bar. Close with what your role looked like at close β 11:30pm final table, side-work, mop, out at 12:30. If you have never worked a Friday, be honest and describe the busiest shift you have handled.
Q2. How do you handle a server who is rude to you?behavioral
Every busser / barback deals with a hot-headed server at some point. Right answer: you never bring it to the floor in front of guests. Absorb the moment, reset the table, keep the shift moving. Address it after service β pull the server aside politely: 'Hey, in the weeds tonight, I get it. Just want to make sure we are good on tip-share for the section.' If the pattern continues, bring it to the GM. Hiring managers screen out anyone who complains about servers in the interview β the whole tip-share model depends on FOH getting along.
Q3. Do you know how tip-share works here?situational
Show that you understand the two common models. Model 1: percentage of server / bartender net sales β commonly 1-3% of sales goes to bussers, 1-2% to barbacks, ~1% to food runners. Model 2: tip pool β all tipped staff pool tips, then split by hours or by points (server gets 10 points, bartender 10, busser 5, barback 5, runner 4). Ask the manager which model the restaurant uses so you know what to expect on a Friday versus a Tuesday. Signals you have thought about the money, not just the hourly rate.
Q4. Can you carry a full bus tub and stack it correctly?technical
Yes, and here's how: heaviest plates on the bottom, stacked no more than 6-8 high, food scraped into one plate or into the tub, glassware sorted upright and stemware laid flat with the bowl protected, silverware in the silver bin, nothing loose that can shift and shatter. Lift with your legs, carry hip-height to the dishpit, unload glass first (into racks), then plates, then silver soak. Never drag the tub across a guest's sightline. Managers want to see you have done this before, not just described it.
Q5. Why do you want to work in a restaurant?culture
Honest answers work. Common versions: you want flexible hours around school / a second job, you enjoy the pace and team energy of a busy kitchen, you want to work up to server or bartender within a year (say this β GMs promote internally and want to know you'll stay). Avoid 'I just need any job' β even if it is true. Show the manager you understand the trade: harder physical work, uneven hourly, but strong tip-share upside on the right nights and a fast promotion path.
Resume Template β Busser / Barback / Dining Room Attendant (0-1 yr)
Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.
Busser / Barback / Dining Room Attendant (0-1 yr)
- βΈBussed and reset 30-40 tables per shift across weekend dinner service at a 180-seat American bistro; averaged 90-second turn on four-tops.
- βΈTip-share earner in top 25% of FOH team ($16.50/hr all-in incl. 1.5% net-sales pool).
- βΈServSafe Food Handler certified; state responsible-beverage-server card (TIPS) for barback shifts.
- βΈCross-trained on food-running and bar restock; covered barback role 2 nights/week including keg changes and CO2 swaps.
What Gets You Rejected
- βCannot keep pace on a Friday night β visibly overwhelmed, tables sit dirty, servers have to bus their own sections.
- βPoor teamwork with servers or bartenders β creates a toxic FOH culture that tanks the whole restaurant's tip performance.
- βDrops or breaks glass regularly β bar loses inventory and dishpit gets buried; costs the restaurant real money.
- βNo-call / no-show on weekend shifts β a busser who ghosts a Saturday night puts the entire floor in the weeds.
- βComplains about tip-share openly on the floor or in front of guests β instant termination at most restaurants.
- βCannot follow the seat-position rule when running food β dishes go to the wrong guest, kills the ticket and the tip.
Salary Negotiation Levers
- βFine dining, steakhouses, and hotel banquet houses pay 40-80% more all-in than a casual chain β same job, dramatically better tip pool.
- βCasino restaurants (MGM, Caesars) run 24/7 with strong tip pools and full benefits at 30+ hrs; a step above independent hourly.
- βUnion-house hotel banquet (Marriott, Hilton flagship properties) may include health, dental, 401k after 90 days β worth 15-20% on top of hourly.
- βAsk about the tip-share model at the interview β 3% of net sales at a $60k Friday nets ~$40 more per shift than 1% at the same restaurant.
- βWeekend dinner shifts are worth 2-3x a weekday lunch β negotiate for those from day one, not after 3 months of being kept on lunches.
- βCross-training into food-running or barback earns a bigger cut of the pool and puts you first in line for a server / bartender opening.
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Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary by State
Best Cities (cost-adjusted) βSalary Map β Click a state for details
$22K$51Kβ No data
Top Paying States
Hawaii
$51K
+51%
Washington
$41K
+22%
District of Columbia
$39K
+15%
Maine
$39K
+13%
Maryland
$37K
+9%
Oregon
$37K
+8%
Colorado
$37K
+8%
New York
$37K
+8%
Arizona
$37K
+7%
California
$36K
+6%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
| State | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $51,200 | +50.7% |
| Washington | $41,420 | +21.9% |
| District of Columbia | $39,080 | +15.0% |
| Maine | $38,560 | +13.5% |
| Maryland | $37,020 | +8.9% |
| Oregon | $36,800 | +8.3% |
| Colorado | $36,790 | +8.3% |
| New York | $36,740 | +8.1% |
| Arizona | $36,500 | +7.4% |
| California | $36,010 | +6.0% |
Showing 1β10 of 51
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $61,230 | +80.2% |
| Virgin Islands | $51,760 | +52.3% |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $50,200 | +47.7% |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $45,120 | +32.8% |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $41,710 | +22.7% |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $39,310 | +15.7% |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $39,170 | +15.3% |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $38,210 | +12.4% |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $38,120 | +12.2% |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $37,980 | +11.8% |
Showing 1β10 of 385
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
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A dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers earning $33,980/year would need 1754 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 1883 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
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View Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salary trend (2011β2024) β