Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary
The median pay for a dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Battle Creek, MI is $35,810/year ($17.21/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.54), which stretches that salary to about $39,552 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,176/month, about 48.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in Battle Creek?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Battle Creek’s Regional Price Parity (90.54). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
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What this looks like in Battle Creek
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers pay in Battle Creek tracks closely to the national median, $36K locally vs. $34K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,176/month, which is 48.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.54 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in metros near Battle Creek, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $31K | $31K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $30K | $32K |
| Ann Arbor | $35K | $35K |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $30K | $32K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Battle Creek, MI
Entry-level dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $44K or more, a $17K spread from bottom to top.
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $51K | +51% | 4,380 |
| Washington | $41K | +22% | 6,160 |
| District of Columbia | $39K | +15% | 4,130 |
| Maine | $39K | +13% | 1,540 |
| Maryland | $37K | +9% | 13,240 |
| Oregon | $37K | +8% | 3,910 |
| Colorado | $37K | +8% | 8,460 |
| New York | $37K | +8% | 41,340 |
| Arizona | $37K | +7% | 13,300 |
| California | $36K | +6% | 75,460 |
| Massachusetts | $35K | +4% | 11,510 |
| Connecticut | $35K | +2% | 5,810 |
| New Jersey | $34K | +1% | 16,490 |
| Vermont | $34K | +0% | N/A |
| Florida | $33K | -2% | 50,400 |
| Virginia | $32K | -5% | 11,910 |
| Delaware | $32K | -6% | 1,540 |
| Missouri | $32K | -6% | 11,590 |
| Illinois | $31K | -8% | 21,290 |
| Rhode Island | $31K | -8% | 2,880 |
| North Dakota | $31K | -9% | 890 |
| Nebraska | $31K | -10% | 2,160 |
| Michigan | $30K | -11% | 13,050 |
| South Dakota | $30K | -12% | 2,550 |
| Tennessee | $29K | -13% | 11,330 |
| Ohio | $29K | -13% | 13,670 |
| New Mexico | $29K | -14% | 2,960 |
| Pennsylvania | $29K | -14% | 20,800 |
| Minnesota | $29K | -14% | 7,220 |
| Georgia | $29K | -15% | 14,540 |
| Indiana | $28K | -17% | 10,220 |
| Iowa | $28K | -17% | 3,250 |
| Idaho | $28K | -18% | 1,520 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -19% | 2,160 |
| North Carolina | $28K | -19% | 11,230 |
| Montana | $28K | -19% | 1,150 |
| Nevada | $27K | -19% | 12,750 |
| West Virginia | $27K | -20% | 1,170 |
| Wisconsin | $27K | -20% | 7,220 |
| Alaska | $27K | -20% | 860 |
| Utah | $27K | -21% | 4,490 |
| South Carolina | $27K | -21% | 6,220 |
| Oklahoma | $27K | -21% | 5,400 |
| Louisiana | $27K | -21% | 4,810 |
| Kentucky | $26K | -23% | 3,350 |
| Kansas | $26K | -23% | 2,960 |
| New Hampshire | $26K | -23% | 1,510 |
| Wyoming | $25K | -28% | 650 |
| Mississippi | $23K | -32% | 2,620 |
| Alabama | $22K | -34% | 3,420 |
| Texas | $22K | -37% | 60,270 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Battle Creek 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 Battle Creek?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 48.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,176/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Battle Creek?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,627/month. At HUD’s $1,176/month FMR, rent would take 72% 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 Battle Creek?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $36K locally vs. $34K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Battle Creek compare to the national average for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers?
Battle Creek pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $34K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.54), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers make in Battle Creek, MI?
The median is $35,810 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,120, and experienced dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers can clear $44,280. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Battle Creek?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,441/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,176/month, which eats 48.2% 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 Battle Creek?
Battle Creek has a Regional Price Parity of 90.54 (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 $39,552 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.