SOC 35-9011 · Chattanooga, TN-GA metro

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Salary in Chattanooga, TN

The average salary for dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Chattanooga, Tennessee is $28,210 a year ($13.56 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $27,870: half of the 650 people in this job in the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 18% less than the U.S. average for this job ($34,230).

$28,210average per year

$13.56 / hourMedian $27,870Take-home ≈ $24,841

  • $20K10th
  • $22K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $33K75th
  • $38K90th

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

650people in this job
-18%vs U.S. average
#5 of 10Tennessee metros
91cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers pay range in Chattanooga

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $20,320 a year or less, while the top 10% make $37,930 or more. The middle half of dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Chattanooga earn between $22,000 and $33,040.

  • $20K10th
  • $22K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $33K75th
  • $38K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$28,210$2,351$13.56
Median$27,870$2,322$13.40
Entry level (25th percentile)$22,000$1,833$10.58
Experienced (75th percentile)$33,040$2,753$15.88

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

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers pay in Chattanooga vs. Tennessee and the U.S.

Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers in Chattanooga earn 5% less than the Tennessee average ($29,680) and 18% 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
Chattanooga$28,210$27,870$20,320$37,930650
Tennessee$29,680$29,470$21,220$37,42011,330
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 Chattanooga

On the average salary of $28,210, a single filer in Chattanooga takes home about $24,841 a year, or $2,070 a month and $955 every two weeks. Taxes take 12% of gross pay.

The Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in TN$24,841$2,070
Working in GA$24,182$2,015

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Tennessee paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Chattanooga area are 9% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.5), so the average $28,210 buys what about $30,843 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Chattanooga ($46,700). A typical home costs $326,370, or 11.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $28,210 is worth in another city

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

Chattanooga ranks 5th of 10 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Memphis pays the most ($31,940).

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

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 Chattanooga: questions

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

$13.56 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 Chattanooga?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $20,320 a year and the 25th percentile is $22,000, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $24,841 a year ($2,070 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $28,210. Tennessee has no state income tax.

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

The average here is 18% 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 Chattanooga, TN-GA (16860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
  • 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 no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.69, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.69).

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