Pay, demand and where to work, from BLS data with the year on every table.
low → high: location quotient
Click a state. States: Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · District of Columbia · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers (SOC 35-9011) employed 542,750 people in May 2025. The median pay is $33,980 a year ($16.34 an hour); the lowest-paid 10% earn under $21,300 and the highest-paid 10% more than $46,570. BLS projects its employment to change by +5.3% between 2025 and 2035 (about 95,300 openings a year including replacements). The typical way in: No formal educational credential.
Highest median pay: Hawaii ($51,200), Washington ($41,420), District of Columbia ($39,080). Most jobs: California (75,460), Texas (60,270), Florida (50,400).
| Measure ⇅ | Annual ⇅ | Hourly equivalent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $21,300 | $10.24 |
| 25th percentile | $28,330 | $13.62 |
| Median | $33,980 | $16.34 |
| Mean | $34,230 | $16.46 |
| 75th percentile | $37,250 | $17.91 |
| 90th percentile (experienced) | $46,570 | $22.39 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
Hourly equivalents divide by 2,080 hours. Pay above $239,200 is shown as "≥ $239,200" (BLS top code).
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Jobs 2025 | 546,600 |
| Jobs 2035 (projected) | 575,500 |
| Change in jobs | 28,900 |
| Percent change | +5.3% |
| Openings a year (growth + replacements) | 95,300 |
| Self-employed share | 0.1% |
| Typical entry education | No formal educational credential |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
Licences and certifications are set by states and employers; the education shown is the usual entry requirement, not a legal one.
| State ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3,420 | 0.46 | $22,470 | $16,650 | $34,320 | -34% | 58% |
| Alaska | 860 | 0.76 | $27,040 | $24,770 | $35,640 | -20% | 64% |
| Arizona | 13,300 | 1.18 | $36,500 | $30,950 | $55,580 | +7% | 55% |
| Arkansas | 2,160 | 0.47 | $27,670 | $24,230 | $37,150 | -19% | 43% |
| California | 75,460 | 1.19 | $36,010 | $34,320 | $50,630 | +6% | 70% |
| Colorado | 8,460 | 0.84 | $36,790 | $30,800 | $56,890 | +8% | 59% |
| Connecticut | 5,810 | 0.98 | $34,540 | $34,010 | $47,100 | +2% | 54% |
| Delaware | 1,540 | 0.91 | $31,880 | $31,200 | $38,450 | -6% | 58% |
| District of Columbia | 4,130 | 1.68 | $39,080 | $36,400 | $58,830 | +15% | 59% |
| Florida | 50,400 | 1.45 | $33,280 | $27,590 | $45,460 | -2% | 65% |
| Georgia | 14,540 | 0.85 | $28,920 | $17,720 | $39,080 | -15% | 62% |
| Hawaii | 4,380 | 2.00 | $51,200 | $29,890 | $76,960 | +51% | 46% |
| Idaho | 1,520 | 0.51 | $27,810 | $16,770 | $37,430 | -18% | 60% |
| Illinois | 21,290 | 1.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $38,110 | -8% | 51% |
| Indiana | 10,220 | 0.91 | $28,320 | $20,610 | $37,280 | -17% | 47% |
| Iowa | 3,250 | 0.60 | $28,210 | $16,980 | $35,460 | -17% | 42% |
| Kansas | 2,960 | 0.59 | $26,300 | $17,120 | $38,050 | -23% | 49% |
| Kentucky | 3,350 | 0.48 | $26,330 | $15,870 | $37,330 | -23% | 45% |
| Louisiana | 4,810 | 0.71 | $26,780 | $16,080 | $39,770 | -21% | 48% |
| Maine | 1,540 | 0.69 | $38,560 | $31,200 | $62,080 | +13% | 38% |
| Maryland | 13,240 | 1.37 | $37,020 | $31,840 | $45,930 | +9% | 56% |
| Massachusetts | 11,510 | 0.91 | $35,380 | $31,200 | $50,760 | +4% | 63% |
| Michigan | 13,050 | 0.85 | $30,390 | $25,960 | $44,180 | -11% | 46% |
| Minnesota | 7,220 | 0.70 | $29,210 | $23,350 | $38,310 | -14% | 53% |
| Mississippi | 2,620 | 0.65 | $23,180 | $16,880 | $30,840 | -32% | 51% |
| Missouri | 11,590 | 1.13 | $31,850 | $28,600 | $39,150 | -6% | 40% |
| Montana | 1,150 | 0.64 | $27,510 | $21,950 | $38,350 | -19% | 51% |
| Nebraska | 2,160 | 0.60 | $30,690 | $28,080 | $39,900 | -10% | 43% |
| Nevada | 12,750 | 2.35 | $27,460 | $24,960 | $47,320 | -19% | 75% |
| New Hampshire | 1,510 | 0.63 | $26,290 | $17,200 | $38,410 | -23% | 71% |
| New Jersey | 16,490 | 1.10 | $34,170 | $32,220 | $45,630 | +1% | 63% |
| New Mexico | 2,960 | 0.97 | $29,360 | $25,750 | $38,280 | -14% | 46% |
| New York | 41,340 | 1.22 | $36,740 | $33,040 | $59,080 | +8% | 53% |
| North Carolina | 11,230 | 0.65 | $27,560 | $15,920 | $37,870 | -19% | 58% |
| North Dakota | 890 | 0.59 | $31,010 | $21,110 | $37,320 | -9% | 38% |
| Ohio | 13,670 | 0.71 | $29,400 | $22,900 | $39,070 | -13% | 44% |
| Oklahoma | 5,400 | 0.91 | $26,830 | $17,990 | $36,540 | -21% | 47% |
| Oregon | 3,910 | 0.57 | $36,800 | $31,200 | $45,810 | +8% | 52% |
| Pennsylvania | 20,800 | 0.98 | $29,310 | $17,890 | $38,580 | -14% | 51% |
| Rhode Island | 2,880 | 1.64 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $47,170 | -8% | 55% |
| South Carolina | 6,220 | 0.77 | $26,830 | $17,100 | $36,780 | -21% | 57% |
| South Dakota | 2,550 | 1.60 | $29,920 | $27,110 | $37,960 | -12% | 40% |
| Tennessee | 11,330 | 0.99 | $29,470 | $21,220 | $37,420 | -13% | 52% |
| Texas | 60,270 | 1.23 | $21,550 | $15,710 | $35,540 | -37% | 82% |
| Utah | 4,490 | 0.74 | $27,010 | $17,870 | $39,510 | -21% | 71% |
| Virginia | 11,910 | 0.83 | $32,410 | $27,370 | $46,360 | -5% | 61% |
| Washington | 6,160 | 0.50 | $41,420 | $34,890 | $60,300 | +22% | 53% |
| West Virginia | 1,170 | 0.48 | $27,150 | $21,300 | $44,980 | -20% | 39% |
| Wisconsin | 7,220 | 0.70 | $27,080 | $16,800 | $38,440 | -20% | 51% |
| Wyoming | 650 | 0.66 | $24,600 | $18,520 | $42,660 | -28% | 49% |
Location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in the state than in the nation. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure. Rent uses the state median gross rent (ACS).
The 60 highest-paying metropolitan areas among those with at least 300 jobs in this occupation.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | 840 | $61,230 | $31,200 | $89,800 | 3.26 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 2,500 | $50,200 | $29,320 | $65,420 | 1.61 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 3,630 | $45,120 | $36,520 | $64,860 | 0.50 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 3,420 | $41,710 | $38,910 | $61,570 | 0.86 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 10,650 | $39,310 | $35,890 | $60,100 | 1.28 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | 740 | $39,170 | $32,150 | $62,890 | 0.73 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 2,160 | $38,120 | $34,100 | $48,160 | 0.51 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | 560 | $37,980 | $31,590 | $50,460 | 1.72 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 5,950 | $37,540 | $31,500 | $45,330 | 1.26 |
| Napa, CA | 870 | $37,470 | $34,720 | $51,490 | 3.21 |
| Boulder, CO | 700 | $37,460 | $30,800 | $61,700 | 1.04 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 13,800 | $37,260 | $32,410 | $55,830 | 1.26 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | 1,530 | $37,040 | $32,240 | $48,670 | 1.63 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 37,600 | $36,980 | $32,900 | $59,430 | 1.13 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 570 | $36,970 | $30,800 | $58,400 | 0.97 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 9,850 | $36,960 | $31,270 | $57,530 | 1.19 |
| Kingston, NY | 410 | $36,920 | $32,880 | $49,230 | 1.98 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 4,360 | $36,880 | $30,820 | $56,890 | 0.78 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 1,080 | $36,750 | $35,330 | $49,520 | 1.51 |
| Tallahassee, FL | 1,130 | $36,750 | $27,130 | $43,260 | 1.73 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 1,900 | $36,460 | $32,240 | $49,070 | 1.21 |
| Vallejo, CA | 550 | $36,460 | $35,640 | $48,960 | 1.09 |
| Springfield, MA | 530 | $36,250 | $31,200 | $46,540 | 0.75 |
| Lexington Park, MD | 330 | $36,200 | $31,200 | $46,000 | 1.36 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 3,610 | $36,110 | $34,320 | $46,270 | 0.96 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 9,620 | $35,960 | $34,920 | $58,920 | 1.79 |
| Worcester, MA | 870 | $35,870 | $31,200 | $47,390 | 0.72 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 24,860 | $35,800 | $34,530 | $49,570 | 1.14 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 410 | $35,710 | $34,650 | $54,230 | 0.46 |
| Ithaca, NY | 320 | $35,700 | $32,240 | $45,950 | 1.90 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 1,050 | $35,660 | $30,800 | $49,670 | 0.95 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 490 | $35,640 | $35,110 | $49,810 | 1.44 |
| Salinas, CA | 1,170 | $35,600 | $34,570 | $50,670 | 1.80 |
| Syracuse, NY | 1,750 | $35,540 | $32,240 | $47,690 | 1.67 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 1,860 | $35,470 | $32,220 | $47,860 | 3.16 |
| Bend, OR | 350 | $35,360 | $30,430 | $46,540 | 0.93 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 480 | $35,340 | $31,080 | $54,490 | 2.07 |
| Rochester, NY | 2,220 | $35,310 | $32,240 | $47,260 | 1.29 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 1,510 | $35,300 | $34,010 | $47,590 | 1.07 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 2,490 | $35,140 | $32,240 | $47,650 | 1.34 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 1,260 | $35,110 | $34,390 | $47,750 | 1.80 |
| Tucson, AZ | 1,570 | $34,990 | $30,580 | $51,050 | 1.16 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 1,740 | $34,970 | $34,320 | $48,030 | 1.54 |
| Modesto, CA | 680 | $34,870 | $34,320 | $45,360 | 0.99 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 560 | $34,860 | $32,220 | $45,750 | 0.66 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL | 460 | $34,850 | $28,170 | $42,560 | 2.31 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 510 | $34,830 | $25,960 | $47,720 | 0.66 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | 470 | $34,820 | $21,230 | $39,590 | 1.31 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 8,890 | $34,780 | $31,200 | $51,130 | 0.94 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 2,070 | $34,740 | $21,910 | $35,960 | 0.97 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | 320 | $34,740 | $32,240 | $42,700 | 2.33 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 1,090 | $34,730 | $34,320 | $46,630 | 2.56 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | 860 | $34,730 | $32,240 | $47,610 | 2.08 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 16,490 | $34,710 | $28,270 | $45,900 | 1.68 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | 340 | $34,620 | $27,370 | $36,510 | 1.31 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 7,510 | $34,590 | $34,320 | $51,220 | 1.25 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | 1,490 | $34,560 | $27,040 | $45,760 | 2.46 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 860 | $34,510 | $34,320 | $47,230 | 0.85 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | 790 | $34,380 | $34,010 | $46,500 | 1.80 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 880 | $34,320 | $34,320 | $45,920 | 0.75 |
The median is $33,980 a year ($16.34 an hour); the lowest-paid tenth earn under $21,300 and the highest-paid tenth over $46,570 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
542,750 in May 2025, and BLS projects +5.3% growth to 2035.
The typical entry education is: No formal educational credential (BLS).
Hawaii, with a median of $51,200 (among states with published figures).