Food Preparation and Serving · Holland code RCS

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.

Also called: Barback, Bus Boy, Bus Person, Busser, Buffet Attendant, Dining Room Attendant, Food Service Aide, Food Service Helper.

O*NET 35-9011.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $33,980; Middle half earn $28,330 to $37,250. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 74% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

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.
Greet and seat customers.
Clean up spilled food or drink or broken dishes and remove empty bottles and trash.
Maintain adequate supplies of items, such as clean linens, silverware, glassware, dishes, or trays.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Active Listening3.0 / 5
Speaking2.9 / 5
Monitoring2.9 / 5
Critical Thinking2.8 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.4 / 5
Active Learning2.1 / 5

Knowledge areas

Customer and Personal Service4.3 / 5
Food Production3.3 / 5
English Language3.3 / 5
Sales and Marketing3.0 / 5
Administration and Management2.8 / 5
Personnel and Human Resources2.5 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic77
Investigative0
Artistic0
Social44
Enterprising21
Conventional60

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.93. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (35-9011).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test