SOC 35-9011 · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary in Waterloo, IA

The average salary for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Waterloo, Iowa is $27,810 a year ($13.37 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $28,930: half of the 210 people in this job in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 19% less than the U.S. average for this job ($34,230).

$27,810average per year

$13.37 / hourMedian $28,930Take-home ≈ $24,067

  • $18K10th
  • $22K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $34K75th
  • $36K90th

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

210people in this job
-19%vs U.S. average
#6 of 8Iowa metros
87cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers pay range in Waterloo

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $17,910 a year or less, while the top 10% make $35,870 or more. The middle half of dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Waterloo earn between $21,650 and $33,880.

  • $18K10th
  • $22K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $34K75th
  • $36K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$27,810$2,318$13.37
Median$28,930$2,411$13.91
Entry level (25th percentile)$21,650$1,804$10.41
Experienced (75th percentile)$33,880$2,823$16.29

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

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers pay in Waterloo vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Waterloo earn 4% more than the Iowa average ($26,810) and 19% less than the U.S. average ($34,230). At the median the gap is -15% against the U.S. median of $33,980.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Waterloo$27,810$28,930$17,910$35,870210
Iowa$26,810$28,210$16,980$35,4603,250
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 Waterloo

On the average salary of $27,810, a single filer in Waterloo takes home about $24,067 a year, or $2,006 a month and $926 every two weeks. Taxes take 13% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Iowa paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Waterloo area are 13% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 87.1), so the average $27,810 buys what about $31,945 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Waterloo ($47,430). A typical home costs $200,191, or 7.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $27,810 is worth in another city

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

Waterloo ranks 6th of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Sioux City pays the most ($29,460).

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

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 Waterloo: questions

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

$13.37 an hour on average, and $13.91 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $17,910 a year and the 25th percentile is $21,650, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $24,067 a year ($2,006 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $27,810. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

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

The average here is 19% 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (47940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.9%.
  • 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). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.73, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.73).

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