SOC 35-9011 · Fort Smith, AR-OK metro

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary in Fort Smith, AR

The average salary for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Fort Smith, Arkansas is $29,800 a year ($14.33 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $27,870: half of the 150 people in this job in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 13% less than the U.S. average for this job ($34,230).

$29,800average per year

$14.33 / hourMedian $27,870Take-home ≈ $25,509

  • $23K10th
  • $25K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $31K75th
  • $37K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

150people in this job
-13%vs U.S. average
#4 of 5Arkansas metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers pay range in Fort Smith

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,080 a year or less, while the top 10% make $37,420 or more. The middle half of dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Fort Smith earn between $24,610 and $31,030.

  • $23K10th
  • $25K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $31K75th
  • $37K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$29,800$2,483$14.33
Median$27,870$2,322$13.40
Entry level (25th percentile)$24,610$2,051$11.83
Experienced (75th percentile)$31,030$2,586$14.92

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers pay in Fort Smith vs. Arkansas and the U.S.

Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Fort Smith earn about the same as the Arkansas average ($30,140) and 13% less than the U.S. average ($34,230). At the median the gap is -18% against the U.S. median of $33,980.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Fort Smith$29,800$27,870$23,080$37,420150
Arkansas$30,140$27,670$24,230$37,1502,160
United States$34,230$33,980$21,300$46,570542,750

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salary after taxes in Fort Smith

On the average salary of $29,800, a single filer in Fort Smith takes home about $25,509 a year, or $2,126 a month and $981 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% of gross pay.

The Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in AR$25,509$2,126
Working in OK$25,329$2,111

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.

Arkansas paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Fort Smith a good place for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Fort Smith area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 85.9), so the average $29,800 buys what about $34,696 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Fort Smith ($39,560). A typical home costs $205,554, or 6.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $29,800 is worth in another city

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salary in other Arkansas cities

Fort Smith ranks 4th of 5 Arkansas metro areas for this job; Jonesboro pays the most ($31,730).

All Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salaries in Arkansas

Highest-paying cities for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($57,640).

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salary by city

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Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salary in Fort Smith: questions

How much do dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers make an hour in Fort Smith?

$14.33 an hour on average, and $13.40 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers salary in Fort Smith?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,080 a year and the 25th percentile is $24,610, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers take-home pay in Fort Smith?

About $25,509 a year ($2,126 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $29,800. Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.

Do dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers earn more in Fort Smith than elsewhere?

The average here is 13% less than the U.S. average for this job ($34,230).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-9011; area Fort Smith, AR-OK (22900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.4%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Arkansas tax is estimated with the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 withholding formula.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.44, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.44).

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