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Skilled Trades

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$33,980

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$21k – $47k

Job outlook

+6% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Plan a path to Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers

    Entry / Junior

    $21,300

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers

    Established

    $33,980

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers

    Senior

    $40,275

Key skills

A typical 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.
  • •Wipe tables or seats with dampened cloths or replace dirty tablecloths.
  • •Set tables with clean linens, condiments, or other supplies.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.