Your work. Your records.
Dining Attendant and Bar Helper Workplace Records
Dining attendants, cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers support service through clearing, resetting and replenishing supplies. Their work may span several sections or support more than one server during a shift. When a concern involves hours, assignments or compensation, explain the support duties actually performed and the instructions received. Do not assume that all restaurants use the same tip distribution or pay arrangement.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Support assignments
Identify the sections and support tasks assigned to you, including a change in responsibilities during service.
Pay question
Record the specific pay or distribution entry you want clarified and retain your own written inquiry and response.
Closing work
Describe required resetting or replenishment after service and compare it with your own recorded end time.
Start with the work you actually do
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.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers (35-9011.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Run cash registers.Source task 11178 · updated 08/2021
- Serve ice water, coffee, rolls, or butter to patrons.Source task 11169 · updated 08/2021
- Scrape and stack dirty dishes and carry dishes and other tableware to kitchens for cleaning.Source task 11165 · updated 08/2021
- Wipe tables or seats with dampened cloths or replace dirty tablecloths.Source task 11163 · updated 08/2021
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers (SOC 35-9011). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $9.02 | $10.80 | $13.82 | $22,470 |
| Alaska | $12.09 | $13.00 | $14.80 | $27,040 |
| Arizona | $15.41 | $17.55 | $20.14 | $36,500 |
| Arkansas | $12.31 | $13.30 | $15.53 | $27,670 |
| Connecticut | $16.35 | $16.61 | $17.54 | $34,540 |
| Delaware | $15.00 | $15.33 | $17.23 | $31,880 |
| Florida | $14.20 | $16.00 | $17.83 | $33,280 |
| Georgia | $11.01 | $13.91 | $17.16 | $28,920 |
| Hawaii | $16.03 | $24.62 | $29.58 | $51,200 |
| Idaho | $10.63 | $13.37 | $15.05 | $27,810 |
| Indiana | $11.12 | $13.62 | $16.03 | $28,320 |
| Iowa | $9.81 | $13.56 | $15.05 | $28,210 |
| Kansas | $9.14 | $12.65 | $15.09 | $26,300 |
| Kentucky | $9.92 | $12.66 | $14.80 | $26,330 |
| Louisiana | $9.02 | $12.88 | $15.31 | $26,780 |
| Maine | $16.04 | $18.54 | $24.15 | $38,560 |
| Michigan | $13.65 | $14.61 | $18.01 | $30,390 |
| Minnesota | $12.54 | $14.04 | $16.67 | $29,210 |
| Mississippi | $9.95 | $11.15 | $13.56 | $23,180 |
| Missouri | $13.75 | $15.31 | $18.00 | $31,850 |
| Montana | $10.83 | $13.23 | $16.75 | $27,510 |
| Nebraska | $13.70 | $14.76 | $17.35 | $30,690 |
| New Hampshire | $10.09 | $12.64 | $16.49 | $26,290 |
| New Mexico | $13.17 | $14.12 | $16.61 | $29,360 |
| New York | $16.37 | $17.66 | $22.27 | $36,740 |
| North Carolina | $10.32 | $13.25 | $15.73 | $27,560 |
| North Dakota | $13.00 | $14.91 | $16.98 | $31,010 |
| Ohio | $12.71 | $14.14 | $16.97 | $29,400 |
| Oklahoma | $10.33 | $12.90 | $15.05 | $26,830 |
| Pennsylvania | $11.23 | $14.09 | $17.03 | $29,310 |
| Rhode Island | $15.00 | $15.00 | $16.64 | $31,200 |
| South Dakota | $13.77 | $14.39 | $16.62 | $29,920 |
| Tennessee | $11.11 | $14.17 | $16.83 | $29,470 |
| Texas | $8.21 | $10.36 | $13.79 | $21,550 |
| Utah | $10.43 | $12.99 | $16.40 | $27,010 |
| Vermont | $15.58 | $16.40 | $19.20 | $34,120 |
| Virginia | $13.91 | $15.58 | $17.80 | $32,410 |
| West Virginia | $11.03 | $13.05 | $15.04 | $27,150 |
| Wisconsin | $10.02 | $13.02 | $15.59 | $27,080 |
| Wyoming | $10.30 | $11.83 | $16.73 | $24,600 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Describe the service area and handoffs
List the areas you were assigned to support and any change during the shift. Note who asked you to cover a bar, clear another section or replenish supplies after regular service ended. If a performance issue concerned an uncleared table or missing items, record the sequence and competing assignments rather than treating a guest complaint as a complete description of your work.
Match compensation to the stated arrangement
Keep your own pay statements and permitted tip-distribution notices, identifying the period and entry you want explained. State whether a figure was written down or only described to you. Include any question you submitted and the response. Do not collect other workers’ earnings or assume a total guest payment shows how compensation should have been divided among staff.
Keep guest information out of the file
Use your own schedule, time corrections and employment messages to establish the relevant shift. Avoid retaining receipts, reservation lists, card details or footage of guests. If a register or service report matters, identify its type and date for the reviewer. Describe workplace conduct using roles and general locations instead of copying customer-facing records into personal storage.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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