What are the main factors that influence a Cafeteria Aide's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Cafeteria Aide's salary?

A Cafeteria Aide's salary grows with experience: starting around $32,016 for beginners, reaching about $32,792 at mid-level, and approach $32,963 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Cafeteria Aide?

Cafeteria Aide salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Cafeteria Aide roles are District of Columbia $35,854, California $35,718, Massachusetts $35,242. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Cafeteria Aide roles make?

Salaries for Cafeteria Aide level roles vary by specialization: Cafeteria Supervisor: $83,595; Cafeteria Cook: $38,352; Cafeteria Monitor: $38,050; Cafeteria Worker: $31,352; Cafeteria Cashier: $31,174.

How do different companies affect a Cafeteria Aide's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Cafeteria Aide roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Cafeteria Aide Salary in the United States

How much does a Cafeteria Aide make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Cafeteria Aide in the United States is $32,383 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $16.

However, a Cafeteria Aide's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $36,817
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $29,826 to $34,704
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $27,499

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Cafeteria Aide Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$34,704	$2,892	$667	$17
Average	$32,383	$2,699	$623	$16
25th Percentile	$29,826	$2,486	$574	$14

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Key Factors That Influence Cafeteria Aide Salaries

A Cafeteria Aide's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Cafeteria Aide Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Cafeteria Aide's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $32,016
Early Career (1-2 years): $32,280
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $32,792
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $32,895
Expert (over 8 years): $32,963

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Cafeteria Aide	$32,016
Intermediate Level Cafeteria Aide	$32,280
Senior Level Cafeteria Aide	$32,792
Specialist Level Cafeteria Aide	$32,895
Expert Level Cafeteria Aide	$32,963

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Cafeteria Aide Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Cafeteria Aides. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $35,854.
California: $35,718.
Massachusetts: $35,242.

District of Columbia $35,854

California $35,718

Massachusetts $35,242

Washington $35,112

New Jersey $35,100

Alaska $35,054

Connecticut $34,607

New York $34,426

Hawaii $33,846

Rhode Island $33,574

Maryland $33,390

Minnesota $33,137

Colorado $33,040

Illinois $33,008

Oregon $32,885

Delaware $32,794

New Hampshire $32,737

Virginia $32,609

Pennsylvania $32,237

Nevada $32,049

North Dakota $31,988

Michigan $31,890

Wisconsin $31,855

Vermont $31,784

Texas $31,586

Maine $31,573

Arizona $31,554

Ohio $31,531

Georgia $31,233

Indiana $31,084

Wyoming $31,055

Utah $31,010

Iowa $30,990

Kansas $30,835

Louisiana $30,789

North Carolina $30,773

Missouri $30,767

Florida $30,640

Montana $30,572

Nebraska $30,508

Kentucky $30,472

South Carolina $30,342

Tennessee $30,262

Idaho $30,229

New Mexico $29,993

Oklahoma $29,941

Alabama $29,750

South Dakota $29,429

Arkansas $29,254

West Virginia $29,161

Mississippi $28,879

Top Paying Cities for Cafeteria Aides

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $40,844
San Francisco: $40,443
Oakland: $39,546

San Jose, CA $40,844

San Francisco, CA $40,443

Oakland, CA $39,546

New York, NY $37,528

Queens Village, NY $37,285

Paramus, NJ $37,026

Passaic, NJ $36,994

Bergenfield, NJ $36,961

Stamford, CT $36,913

Huntington, NY $36,881

Newark, NJ $36,670

Bridgeport, CT $36,605

New Brunswick, NJ $36,498

Vallejo, CA $36,430

Middlesex, NJ $36,411

Somerset, NJ $36,382

Petaluma, CA $36,307

Santa Cruz, CA $36,181

Boston, MA $36,116

Monterey, CA $35,954

Fairbanks, AK $35,932

Los Angeles, CA $35,870

Washington, DC $35,854

Seattle, WA $35,796

Santa Rosa, CA $35,789

Juneau, AK $35,695

Orange, CA $35,588

Anchorage, AK $35,530

Anaheim, CA $35,508

Santa Ana, CA $35,459

Nassau, NY $35,440

Long Beach, CA $35,427

Danbury, CT $35,417

Santa Maria, CA $35,307

Everett, WA $35,300

Bremerton, WA $35,142

Trenton, NJ $35,080

Sacramento, CA $35,067

San Diego, CA $35,051

Brockton, MA $35,038

Tacoma, WA $35,025

Santa Barbara, CA $34,980

Lowell, MA $34,850

New Suffolk, NY $34,837

Nashua, NH $34,798

Lompoc, CA $34,747

Ventura, CA $34,714

Stockton, CA $34,704

New Haven, CT $34,640

Atlantic City, NJ $34,555

Hartford, CT $34,484

Modesto, CA $34,468

Poughkeepsie, NY $34,397

New Britain, CT $34,381

Olympia, WA $34,335

Kennewick, WA $34,335

New London, CT $34,329

Norwich, CT $34,319

Lawrence, MA $34,303

Bakersfield, CA $34,212

Riverside, CA $34,167

New Bedford, MA $34,167

Richland, WA $34,134

Portsmouth, NH $34,109

Vineland, NJ $34,102

San Bernardino, CA $34,076

Boulder, CO $33,986

Worcester, MA $33,960

Portland, OR $33,930

Saint Paul, MN $33,892

Minneapolis, MN $33,892

Philadelphia, PA $33,846

Honolulu, HI $33,675

Springfield, MA $33,561

Providence, RI $33,558

Chicago, IL $33,464

Bellingham, WA $33,425

Baltimore, MD $33,390

Chico, CA $33,309

Wilmington, DE $33,254

Pittsfield, MA $33,221

Manchester, NH $33,160

Spokane, WA $33,017

Denver, CO $33,014

Albany, NY $32,862

Troy, NY $32,849

Schenectady, NY $32,781

Burlington, VT $32,710

Portland, ME $32,596

Salem, OR $32,570

Yakima, WA $32,564

Ann Arbor, MI $32,554

Rochester, MN $32,464

Fresno, CA $32,447

Reno, NV $32,447

Milwaukee, WI $32,418

Detroit, MI $32,386

Allentown, PA $32,376

Carson City, NV $32,373

Houston, TX $32,324

Colorado Springs, CO $32,321

Syracuse, NY $32,305

Eugene, OR $32,243

Bismarck, ND $32,204

Gary, IN $32,204

Galveston, TX $32,204

Springfield, OR $32,179

Medford, OR $32,101

Fort Collins, CO $32,088

Austin, TX $32,062

Mesa, AZ $31,994

Phoenix, AZ $31,988

Dallas, TX $31,978

Reading, PA $31,958

Saint Cloud, MN $31,945

Concord, NH $31,916

Madison, WI $31,903

Utica, NY $31,816

Raleigh, NC $31,790

Las Vegas, NV $31,787

Rochester, NY $31,764

Des Moines, IA $31,761

Atlanta, GA $31,709

Battle Creek, MI $31,699

Salt Lake City, UT $31,690

Lancaster, PA $31,641

Champaign, IL $31,635

Harrisburg, PA $31,596

Durham, NC $31,567

Kansas City, MO $31,563

Kansas City, KS $31,557

Fort Worth, TX $31,554

Boca Raton, FL $31,541

Cleveland, OH $31,537

Columbus, OH $31,531

Pittsburgh, PA $31,528

Richmond, VA $31,515

Indianapolis, IN $31,508

Cincinnati, OH $31,466

Petersburg, VA $31,418

Billings, MT $31,346

Lansing, MI $31,346

Huntsville, AL $31,346

Lebanon, PA $31,343

Dayton, OH $31,340

Pueblo, CO $31,340

Appleton, WI $31,330

Buffalo, NY $31,317

Racine, WI $31,301

Charlotte, NC $31,298

Saint Louis, MO $31,288

Springfield, IL $31,275

Elkhart, IN $31,269

York, PA $31,269

Gastonia, NC $31,265

Benton Harbor, MI $31,265

Beaumont, TX $31,246

Lorain, OH $31,239

Toledo, OH $31,227

Binghamton, NY $31,210

Rock Hill, SC $31,207

Rockford, IL $31,191

Fargo, ND $31,175

Elyria, OH $31,175

Flagstaff, AZ $31,152

Fort Lauderdale, FL $31,133

Miami, FL $31,113

Duluth, MN $31,061

Bangor, ME $31,019

Cedar Rapids, IA $30,984

Louisville, KY $30,967

Grand Rapids, MI $30,961

Hialeah, FL $30,958

Casper, WY $30,912

Scranton, PA $30,874

New Orleans, LA $30,864

Virginia Beach, VA $30,861

Akron, OH $30,844

Peoria, IL $30,802

Sarasota, FL $30,796

Green Bay, WI $30,773

Baton Rouge, LA $30,757

Charleston, SC $30,751

Nashville, TN $30,741

Jamestown, NY $30,734

Davenport, IA $30,734

Tucson, AZ $30,718

Cheyenne, WY $30,708

Saint Petersburg, FL $30,699

Tampa, FL $30,692

Omaha, NE $30,686

Port Arthur, TX $30,673

Evansville, IN $30,673

Bradenton, FL $30,660

Santa Fe, NM $30,602

Orlando, FL $30,569

Clearwater, FL $30,534

Canton, OH $30,466

La Crosse, WI $30,466

Grand Forks, ND $30,456

Albuquerque, NM $30,446

Tulsa, OK $30,446

Newport News, VA $30,443

High Point, NC $30,433

Ogden, UT $30,420

Corpus Christi, TX $30,394

Laramie, WY $30,375

Norfolk, VA $30,375

Rock Island, IL $30,355

Saginaw, MI $30,349

Jacksonville, FL $30,346

Salisbury, NC $30,339

Memphis, TN $30,333

Moline, IL $30,317

Fort Myers, FL $30,307

Waterloo, IA $30,265

Spartanburg, SC $30,232

Lincoln, NE $30,216

Fort Wayne, IN $30,210

Birmingham, AL $30,174

Cedar Falls, IA $30,168

Provo, UT $30,164

Springfield, OH $30,161

San Antonio, TX $30,155

Greensboro, NC $30,142

South Bend, IN $30,138

Winston Salem, NC $30,135

Boise, ID $30,126

Savannah, GA $30,103

Muskegon, MI $30,045

Lima, OH $30,006

Lake Charles, LA $29,993

Anderson, IN $29,986

Lexington, KY $29,977

Augusta, GA $29,967

Greenville, SC $29,967

Wichita, KS $29,938

Tuscaloosa, AL $29,938

Columbia, SC $29,909

Bloomington, IN $29,828

Roanoke, VA $29,808

Asheville, NC $29,766

Knoxville, TN $29,711

Shreveport, LA $29,708

Wilmington, NC $29,666

Frankfort, KY $29,604

Oklahoma City, OK $29,582

Chillicothe, OH $29,569

Longview, TX $29,565

Topeka, KS $29,556

Mobile, AL $29,507

Terre Haute, IN $29,494

Erie, PA $29,491

Altoona, PA $29,475

Melbourne, FL $29,465

Amarillo, TX $29,452

Killeen, TX $29,442

Fayetteville, AR $29,416

Sioux Falls, SD $29,394

Chattanooga, TN $29,374

Idaho Falls, ID $29,371

Gainesville, FL $29,303

Portsmouth, OH $29,287

Little Rock, AR $29,280

Lynchburg, VA $29,280

Lafayette, LA $29,267

Youngstown, OH $29,267

Temple, TX $29,254

Daytona Beach, FL $29,248

Clarksville, TN $29,245

Pensacola, FL $29,241

Hopkinsville, KY $29,144

Charleston, WV $29,141

Florence, SC $29,125

Sioux City, IA $29,105

Macon, GA $29,012

Tallahassee, FL $29,008

Fayetteville, NC $29,002

Waco, TX $28,995

Wichita Falls, TX $28,995

Pine Bluff, AR $28,982

Vincennes, IN $28,921

Lubbock, TX $28,908

Great Falls, MT $28,889

Alamogordo, NM $28,885

Abilene, TX $28,859

Rapid City, SD $28,817

Monroe, LA $28,817

Albany, GA $28,798

Huntington, WV $28,795

Jackson, MS $28,791

Greenville, MS $28,788

Parkersburg, WV $28,756

Montgomery, AL $28,749

Johnstown, PA $28,743

Springfield, MO $28,717

Biloxi, MS $28,701

Sumter, SC $28,633

Columbus, GA $28,629

Twin Falls, ID $28,610

Pascagoula, MS $28,568

Kingsport, TN $28,484

Gulfport, MS $28,474

Alexandria, LA $28,367

Fort Smith, AR $28,286

El Paso, TX $28,199

Helena, MT $28,157

Las Cruces, NM $28,053

Harlingen, TX $27,962

Pocatello, ID $27,933

Florence, AL $27,924

Brownsville, TX $27,917

Dothan, AL $27,865

Mcallen, TX $27,849

Columbus, MS $27,609

Altus, OK $27,460

Lawton, OK $27,399

Pierre, SD $27,282

What Skills Can Increase a Cafeteria Aide's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 9.34% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Healthcare Services (Mentioned in 3.03% Job Postings): The improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health professionals and allied health fields.
POS System (Mentioned in 2.12% Job Postings): Point-of-sale system is the hardware and software that enable your business to make those sales.A point of sale, or point of purchase, is where you ring up customers.

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Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	9.34%
Healthcare Services	3.03%
POS System	2.12%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Cafeteria Aide's salary.

SOP: Can increase your salary by up to 17%.
Hard Working: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Organizing: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
SOP	$37,888	17%
Hard Working	$34,649	7%
Organizing	$34,649	7%
Problem Solving	$34,649	7%
Organizational Skills	$34,326	6%
Commitment	$34,002	5%

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How Education impacts a Cafeteria Aide's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Cafeteria Aides enter the field with a No Diploma degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Cafeteria Aide with a No Diploma is between $28,238 and $30,684).

Cafeteria Aide Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Cafeteria Aide

No Diploma 5.8%

High School 52.8%

Associates 13.0%

Bachelors 26.0%

Masters 2.1%

Doctorate 0.3%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	5.8%
High School	52.8%
Associates	13.0%
Bachelors	26.0%
Masters	2.1%
Doctorate	0.3%

view as graph

Cafeteria Aide Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Cafeteria Aide's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

$29,826

Average $32,383/year

$34,704

$2,486

Average $2,699/month

$2,892

$574

Average $623/week

$667

$14

Average $16/hour

$17

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$34,704	$2,892	$667	$17
Average	$32,383	$2,699	$623	$16
25th Percentile	$29,826	$2,486	$574	$14

Salaries of jobs related to Cafeteria Aide

Salary Trends for Cafeteria Aide

Salaries for a Cafeteria Aide can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $31,367 in 2023 to around $30,854 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Cafeteria Aide salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Cafeteria Aide Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$31,367

2024

$31,215

2025

$30,854

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$31,367
2024	$31,215
2025	$30,854
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Cafeteria Aide

Social Security

401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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