Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary
The median pay for a dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Traverse City, MI is $35,650/year ($17.14/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.37), which stretches that salary to about $38,181 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,224/month, about 50.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in Traverse City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Traverse City’s Regional Price Parity (93.37). 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 Traverse City
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers pay in Traverse City 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 $1,224/month, which is 50.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.37 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% 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 Traverse City, 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, Traverse City, 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 $45K or more, a $18K 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 Traverse City 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 Traverse City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 50.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,224/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 Traverse City?
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 $1,615/month. At HUD’s $1,224/month FMR, rent would take 76% 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 Traverse City?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $36K locally vs. $34K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Traverse City compare to the national average for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers?
Traverse City pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $34K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.37), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers make in Traverse City, MI?
The median is $35,650 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,920, and experienced dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers can clear $45,170. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Traverse City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,431/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,224/month, which eats 50.3% 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 Traverse City?
Traverse City has a Regional Price Parity of 93.37 (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 $38,181 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.