Food Preparation and Serving Related
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
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.
Also called: Barback, Buffet Attendant, Bus Boy, Bus Person, Busser, Dining Room Attendant
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $34,780
- $16.72/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 8,890
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- Not published
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- No formal educational credential
- plus Short-term on-the-job training
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $31,200 | $31,610 | $34,780 | $45,610 | $51,130 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- Run cash registers.
- Serve ice water, coffee, rolls, or butter to patrons.
- Scrape and stack dirty dishes and carry dishes and other tableware to kitchens for cleaning.
- Wipe tables or seats with dampened cloths or replace dirty tablecloths.
- Set tables with clean linens, condiments, or other supplies.
- Greet and seat customers.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Lower exposure3 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 1
- Language-model AIOE 4
- GPTs-are-GPTs 3
Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)
AI exposure for this job is on the lower side, and observed AI use is little or none so far. AI tools could touch only a small part of the work, such as running the cash register. Most tasks are physical, like setting tables, clearing dishes, wiping surfaces, and serving water or coffee, and these still rely on people.
Likely to change
- Running cash registers
- Simple order and payment screens
Still relies on people
- Clearing and wiping tables by hand
- Setting tables and serving guests
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
Next steps from here
Related jobs that build on what you already do.
Dishwashers
Scraping, stacking, and carrying dishes carries over to dishwashing, which has a higher median pay ($37,750) and needs short-term training.
- Pay difference
- +$2,970 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +0.2%
- To get started
- No formal educational credential
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment
Wiping, rinsing, and keeping surfaces clean carry over to cleaning vehicles and equipment, with higher median pay ($38,950) and short-term training.
- Pay difference
- +$4,170 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +5.3%
- To get started
- No formal educational credential
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
Steady physical work and being on your feet carry over to groundskeeping, which has a higher median pay ($49,030) and short-term training.
- Pay difference
- +$14,250 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +3.8%
- To get started
- No formal educational credential
Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.
Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.
Related occupations
Talk to a career coach
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