Jetted FoxCareers · Restaurants & bars
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
Clear and set tables, refill drinks and help servers or bartenders. No college degree needed.
Start now · nothing needed
Starting pay ranges from about $8.21/hr in Texas to $17.63/hr in Washington, DC.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $8.01–9.02/hr | $10.80/hr |
| Alaska | $11.91–12.09/hr | $13/hr |
| Arizona | $14.88–15.41/hr | $17.55/hr |
| Arkansas | $11.65–12.31/hr | $13.30/hr |
| California | $16.50–16.74/hr | $17.31/hr |
| Colorado | $14.81–15.45/hr | $17.69/hr |
| Connecticut | $16.35/hr | $16.61/hr |
| Delaware | $15/hr | $15.33/hr |
| Florida | $13.27–14.20/hr | $16/hr |
| Georgia | $8.52–11.01/hr | $13.91/hr |
| Hawaii | $14.37–16.03/hr | $24.62/hr |
| Idaho | $8.06–10.63/hr | $13.37/hr |
| Illinois | $15/hr | $15/hr |
| Indiana | $9.91–11.12/hr | $13.62/hr |
| Iowa | $8.16–9.81/hr | $13.56/hr |
| Kansas | $8.23–9.14/hr | $12.65/hr |
| Kentucky | $7.63–9.92/hr | $12.66/hr |
| Louisiana | $7.73–9.02/hr | $12.88/hr |
| Maine | $15–16.04/hr | $18.54/hr |
| Maryland | $15.31–16.41/hr | $17.80/hr |
| Massachusetts | $15–15.43/hr | $17.01/hr |
| Michigan | $12.48–13.65/hr | $14.61/hr |
| Minnesota | $11.23–12.54/hr | $14.04/hr |
| Mississippi | $8.12–9.95/hr | $11.15/hr |
| Missouri | $13.75/hr | $15.31/hr |
| Montana | $10.55–10.83/hr | $13.23/hr |
| Nebraska | $13.50–13.70/hr | $14.76/hr |
| Nevada | $12–12.25/hr | $13.20/hr |
| New Hampshire | $8.27–10.09/hr | $12.64/hr |
| New Jersey | $15.49–15.82/hr | $16.43/hr |
| New Mexico | $12.38–13.17/hr | $14.12/hr |
| New York | $15.89–16.37/hr | $17.66/hr |
| North Carolina | $7.65–10.32/hr | $13.25/hr |
| North Dakota | $10.15–13/hr | $14.91/hr |
| Ohio | $11.01–12.71/hr | $14.14/hr |
| Oklahoma | $8.65–10.33/hr | $12.90/hr |
| Oregon | $15–16.38/hr | $17.69/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $8.60–11.23/hr | $14.09/hr |
| Rhode Island | $15/hr | $15/hr |
| South Carolina | $8.22–9.19/hr | $12.90/hr |
| South Dakota | $13.03–13.77/hr | $14.39/hr |
| Tennessee | $10.20–11.11/hr | $14.17/hr |
| Texas | $7.55–8.21/hr | $10.36/hr |
| Utah | $8.59–10.43/hr | $12.99/hr |
| Vermont | $14.17–15.58/hr | $16.40/hr |
| Virginia | $13.16–13.91/hr | $15.58/hr |
| Washington | $16.78–17.49/hr | $19.91/hr |
| Washington, DC | $17.50–17.63/hr | $18.79/hr |
| West Virginia | $10.24–11.03/hr | $13.05/hr |
| Wisconsin | $8.08–10.02/hr | $13.02/hr |
| Wyoming | $8.91–10.30/hr | $11.83/hr |
Estimates, May 2025. Start = what the lowest-paid 10–25% earn; 2 years = the median. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
What it takes
Before you're hired
Once you're hired
A normal day
You work in a restaurant or cafeteria, clearing tables, resetting them, refilling drinks and restocking. You move fast during rushes. You help servers and bartenders keep things running.
The good parts
Hired at 16 with no experience. Many restaurants share tips with bussers. The usual way into serving and bartending jobs.
The hard parts
Pay is low, with a small share of tips. Scraping plates and wiping up spills all shift. Nights and weekends are the busy shifts.
Where it leads
server, bartender or restaurant manager.
Quick answers
Do dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers need a college degree?
No. You can start now: nothing needed.
How long is the training for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers?
1–2 weeks of paid training at work.
How much do dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers make?
About $10.24–13.62 an hour to start and $16.34 an hour at the median across the US (May 2025).
Is it a fit for you?
Answer a few questions and see your paths. Free, about 7 minutes.
Similar careers
Bartenders · Fast food and counter workers · Waiters and waitresses
Last updated October 13, 2026. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Jobs: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Training, costs and requirements: Jetted Fox research (estimates). This site includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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. Jetted Fox has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Facts, not advice.