Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary
The median pay for a dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA is $35,710/year ($17.17/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $54K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.35), that's roughly $35,585 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,131/month, about 44% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in Spokane-Spokane Valley?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Spokane-Spokane Valley’s Regional Price Parity (100.35). 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.
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What this looks like in Spokane-Spokane Valley
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers pay in Spokane-Spokane Valley 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 $1,131/month, which is 44.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.35) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Spokane-Spokane Valley, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $45K | $41K |
| Bellingham | $36K | $35K |
| Kennewick-Richland | $38K | $38K |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater | $37K | $36K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
Entry-level dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $54K or more, a $20K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helper afford a 2BR apartment alone in Spokane-Spokane Valley?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 44.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,131/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Spokane-Spokane Valley?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,079/month. At HUD’s $1,131/month FMR, rent would take 54% 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 Spokane-Spokane Valley?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $36K locally vs. $34K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Spokane-Spokane Valley compare to the national average for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers?
Spokane-Spokane Valley pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $34K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.35), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers make in Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA?
The median is $35,710 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,650, and experienced dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers can clear $54,230. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Spokane-Spokane Valley?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,561/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,131/month, which eats 44.2% 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 Spokane-Spokane Valley?
Spokane-Spokane Valley has a Regional Price Parity of 100.35 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers salary is worth about $35,585 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.