SOC 35-9011 · Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary in Hickory, NC

The average salary for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Hickory, North Carolina is $26,370 a year ($12.68 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $26,940: half of the 340 people in this job in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 23% less than the U.S. average for this job ($34,230).

$26,370average per year

$12.68 / hourMedian $26,940Take-home ≈ $22,782

  • $17K10th
  • $23K25th
  • $27KMedian
  • $29K75th
  • $33K90th

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

340people in this job
-23%vs U.S. average
#11 of 15North Carolina metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers pay range in Hickory

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $16,680 a year or less, while the top 10% make $33,220 or more. The middle half of dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Hickory earn between $22,940 and $29,350.

  • $17K10th
  • $23K25th
  • $27KMedian
  • $29K75th
  • $33K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$26,370$2,198$12.68
Median$26,940$2,245$12.95
Entry level (25th percentile)$22,940$1,912$11.03
Experienced (75th percentile)$29,350$2,446$14.11

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

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers pay in Hickory vs. North Carolina and the U.S.

Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Hickory earn 5% less than the North Carolina average ($27,690) and 23% less than the U.S. average ($34,230). At the median the gap is -21% against the U.S. median of $33,980.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Hickory$26,370$26,940$16,680$33,220340
North Carolina$27,690$27,560$15,920$37,87011,230
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 Hickory

On the average salary of $26,370, a single filer in Hickory takes home about $22,782 a year, or $1,899 a month and $876 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

North Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Hickory area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.5), so the average $26,370 buys what about $29,801 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Hickory ($45,220). A typical home costs $271,739, or 10.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $26,370 is worth in another city

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salary in other North Carolina cities

Hickory ranks 11th of 15 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Charlotte pays the most ($29,690).

All Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers salaries in North Carolina

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 Hickory: questions

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

$12.68 an hour on average, and $12.95 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $16,680 a year and the 25th percentile is $22,940, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $22,782 a year ($1,899 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $26,370.

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

The average here is 23% 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC (25860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.1%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.63, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.63).

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