Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary
The median pay for a dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Arkansas is $27,670/year ($13.3/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $37K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.64), which stretches that salary to about $31,572 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,021/month, about 52.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Arkansas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $28K get you in Arkansas?
About dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
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What this looks like in Arkansas
Pay for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Arkansas runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $34K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,021/month, which is 52.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.64 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helperss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Arkansas
Entry-level dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $28K. Top earners bring in $37K or more, a $13K spread from bottom to top.
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salary by metro in Arkansas
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway | $28K | +2% | 630 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers | $28K | +2% | 530 |
| Jonesboro | $28K | +1% | 110 |
| Fort Smith | $28K | +1% | 150 |
| Hot Springs | $26K | -5% | 190 |
Compare to other states
Track dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Arkansas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helper afford a 2BR apartment alone in Arkansas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $28K, rent takes 52.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,021/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Arkansas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,454/month. At HUD’s $1,021/month FMR, rent would take 70% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helper a high-paying job in Arkansas?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $28K here vs. $34K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Arkansas compare to the national average for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers?
Arkansas pays $28K median vs. the U.S. average of $34K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.64), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers make in Arkansas?
The median is $27,670 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $24,230, and experienced dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers can clear $37,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $28K enough to live in Arkansas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,947/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,021/month, which eats 52.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers salary go in Arkansas?
Arkansas has a Regional Price Parity of 87.64 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers salary is worth about $31,572 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.