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 $32,019 for beginners, reaching about $32,795 at mid-level, and approach $32,966 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 $35,856, California $35,720, Massachusetts $35,244. 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: $83,732; Cafeteria Cook: $38,344; Cafeteria Monitor: $38,059; Cafeteria Worker: $31,355; 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 June 01, 2026, the average salary for a Cafeteria Aide in the United States is $32,385 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): $36,823
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $29,830 to $34,708
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $27,505

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Cafeteria Aide Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$34,708	$2,892	$667	$17
Average	$32,385	$2,699	$623	$16
25th Percentile	$29,830	$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): $32,019
Early Career (1-2 years): $32,282
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $32,795
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $32,897
Expert (over 8 years): $32,966

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Cafeteria Aide	$32,019
Intermediate Level Cafeteria Aide	$32,282
Senior Level Cafeteria Aide	$32,795
Specialist Level Cafeteria Aide	$32,897
Expert Level Cafeteria Aide	$32,966

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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: $35,856.
California: $35,720.
Massachusetts: $35,244.

District of Columbia $35,856

California $35,720

Massachusetts $35,244

Washington $35,115

New Jersey $35,102

Alaska $35,057

Connecticut $34,610

New York $34,428

Hawaii $33,849

Rhode Island $33,577

Maryland $33,392

Minnesota $33,139

Colorado $33,042

Illinois $33,010

Oregon $32,887

Delaware $32,796

New Hampshire $32,739

Virginia $32,611

Pennsylvania $32,239

Nevada $32,051

North Dakota $31,990

Michigan $31,893

Wisconsin $31,857

Vermont $31,786

Texas $31,588

Maine $31,575

Arizona $31,556

Ohio $31,533

Georgia $31,235

Indiana $31,086

Wyoming $31,057

Utah $31,012

Iowa $30,992

Kansas $30,837

Louisiana $30,791

North Carolina $30,775

Missouri $30,769

Florida $30,642

Montana $30,574

Nebraska $30,510

Kentucky $30,474

South Carolina $30,345

Tennessee $30,264

Idaho $30,231

New Mexico $29,995

Oklahoma $29,943

Alabama $29,752

South Dakota $29,431

Arkansas $29,256

West Virginia $29,163

Mississippi $28,881

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: $40,847
San Francisco: $40,400
Oakland: $39,548

San Jose, CA $40,847

San Francisco, CA $40,400

Oakland, CA $39,548

New York, NY $37,288

Paramus, NJ $36,834

Queens Village, NY $36,833

Passaic, NJ $36,802

Bergenfield, NJ $36,799

Stamford, CT $36,728

Huntington, NY $36,714

Newark, NJ $36,475

Bridgeport, CT $36,407

Vallejo, CA $36,342

New Brunswick, NJ $36,329

Petaluma, CA $36,310

Middlesex, NJ $36,248

Somerset, NJ $36,226

Santa Cruz, CA $36,184

Boston, MA $35,986

Monterey, CA $35,872

Seattle, WA $35,798

Santa Rosa, CA $35,792

Los Angeles, CA $35,782

Juneau, AK $35,698

Washington, DC $35,662

Orange, CA $35,547

Santa Ana, CA $35,461

Long Beach, CA $35,429

Anaheim, CA $35,422

Anchorage, AK $35,406

Santa Maria, CA $35,309

Everett, WA $35,303

Danbury, CT $35,189

Bremerton, WA $35,144

Tacoma, WA $35,027

New Suffolk, NY $35,027

Sacramento, CA $35,018

Santa Barbara, CA $34,982

Trenton, NJ $34,946

San Diego, CA $34,946

Brockton, MA $34,911

Fairbanks, AK $34,831

Lompoc, CA $34,749

Lowell, MA $34,723

Ventura, CA $34,717

Nashua, NH $34,710

Stockton, CA $34,707

Modesto, CA $34,470

Poughkeepsie, NY $34,399

Olympia, WA $34,338

Kennewick, WA $34,338

New Haven, CT $34,325

Lawrence, MA $34,208

Hartford, CT $34,176

Riverside, CA $34,169

New Bedford, MA $34,137

Richland, WA $34,137

Bakersfield, CA $34,091

San Bernardino, CA $34,079

New Britain, CT $34,075

Atlantic City, NJ $34,075

New London, CT $34,062

Norwich, CT $34,053

Portsmouth, NH $34,046

Boulder, CO $33,977

Portland, OR $33,933

Worcester, MA $33,930

Minneapolis, MN $33,829

Philadelphia, PA $33,784

Honolulu, HI $33,677

Saint Paul, MN $33,661

Vineland, NJ $33,654

Providence, RI $33,560

Chicago, IL $33,466

Bellingham, WA $33,428

Springfield, MA $33,402

Baltimore, MD $33,392

Chico, CA $33,311

Pittsfield, MA $33,224

Manchester, NH $33,162

Spokane, WA $33,020

Denver, CO $33,016

Albany, NY $32,864

Troy, NY $32,851

Nassau, NY $32,816

Schenectady, NY $32,783

Wilmington, DE $32,757

Burlington, VT $32,712

Salem, OR $32,699

Portland, ME $32,599

Yakima, WA $32,566

Rochester, MN $32,466

Reno, NV $32,450

Fresno, CA $32,450

Milwaukee, WI $32,420

Detroit, MI $32,388

Ann Arbor, MI $32,383

Allentown, PA $32,378

Colorado Springs, CO $32,323

Syracuse, NY $32,307

Carson City, NV $32,307

Houston, TX $32,262

Eugene, OR $32,246

Gary, IN $32,207

Springfield, OR $32,181

Bismarck, ND $32,174

Galveston, TX $32,152

Medford, OR $32,103

Fort Collins, CO $32,090

Concord, NH $32,074

Austin, TX $32,064

Mesa, AZ $31,996

Reading, PA $31,993

Phoenix, AZ $31,990

Dallas, TX $31,980

Saint Cloud, MN $31,949

Madison, WI $31,906

Utica, NY $31,818

Rochester, NY $31,766

Des Moines, IA $31,763

Raleigh, NC $31,760

Atlanta, GA $31,711

Battle Creek, MI $31,701

Salt Lake City, UT $31,692

Lancaster, PA $31,643

Harrisburg, PA $31,598

Kansas City, MO $31,565

Champaign, IL $31,559

Kansas City, KS $31,559

Fort Worth, TX $31,556

Columbus, OH $31,550

Boca Raton, FL $31,543

Pittsburgh, PA $31,530

Richmond, VA $31,517

Indianapolis, IN $31,510

Cleveland, OH $31,507

Las Vegas, NV $31,468

Cincinnati, OH $31,468

Petersburg, VA $31,420

Huntsville, AL $31,371

Lansing, MI $31,349

Lebanon, PA $31,345

Pueblo, CO $31,342

Appleton, WI $31,332

Buffalo, NY $31,319

Dayton, OH $31,310

Racine, WI $31,303

Charlotte, NC $31,300

Saint Louis, MO $31,290

York, PA $31,271

Elkhart, IN $31,271

Gastonia, NC $31,265

Billings, MT $31,257

Beaumont, TX $31,248

Lorain, OH $31,242

Benton Harbor, MI $31,235

Toledo, OH $31,229

Binghamton, NY $31,212

Rock Hill, SC $31,209

Rockford, IL $31,193

Springfield, IL $31,180

Elyria, OH $31,177

Fargo, ND $31,177

Flagstaff, AZ $31,154

Fort Lauderdale, FL $31,135

Duluth, MN $31,115

Miami, FL $31,115

Cheyenne, WY $31,093

Grand Forks, ND $31,093

Bangor, ME $31,021

Cedar Rapids, IA $30,986

Durham, NC $30,972

Louisville, KY $30,970

Grand Rapids, MI $30,963

Hialeah, FL $30,960

Casper, WY $30,915

Scranton, PA $30,876

New Orleans, LA $30,866

Virginia Beach, VA $30,863

Akron, OH $30,847

Peoria, IL $30,804

Sarasota, FL $30,798

Nashville, TN $30,775

Omaha, NE $30,775

Green Bay, WI $30,775

Baton Rouge, LA $30,759

Charleston, SC $30,753

Jamestown, NY $30,736

Davenport, IA $30,736

Tucson, AZ $30,720

Saint Petersburg, FL $30,701

Tampa, FL $30,694

Evansville, IN $30,675

Port Arthur, TX $30,675

Bradenton, FL $30,662

Santa Fe, NM $30,604

Orlando, FL $30,545

Clearwater, FL $30,536

Canton, OH $30,468

La Crosse, WI $30,468

Albuquerque, NM $30,448

Newport News, VA $30,445

High Point, NC $30,435

Ogden, UT $30,422

Corpus Christi, TX $30,396

Norfolk, VA $30,377

Laramie, WY $30,377

Rock Island, IL $30,358

Saginaw, MI $30,351

Jacksonville, FL $30,348

Salisbury, NC $30,341

Boise, ID $30,335

Moline, IL $30,319

Fort Myers, FL $30,309

Memphis, TN $30,302

Tulsa, OK $30,286

Waterloo, IA $30,267

Spartanburg, SC $30,234

Lincoln, NE $30,218

Fort Wayne, IN $30,212

Provo, UT $30,209

Cedar Falls, IA $30,170

San Antonio, TX $30,157

Greensboro, NC $30,144

South Bend, IN $30,141

Savannah, GA $30,105

Muskegon, MI $30,092

Birmingham, AL $30,089

Winston Salem, NC $30,073

Lake Charles, LA $29,995

Anderson, IN $29,988

Lexington, KY $29,979

Augusta, GA $29,969

Greenville, SC $29,969

Lima, OH $29,943

Wichita, KS $29,940

Tuscaloosa, AL $29,940

Columbia, SC $29,911

Springfield, OH $29,904

Asheville, NC $29,852

Bloomington, IN $29,830

Knoxville, TN $29,713

Shreveport, LA $29,710

Wilmington, NC $29,668

Roanoke, VA $29,668

Topeka, KS $29,609

Frankfort, KY $29,606

Oklahoma City, OK $29,584

Chillicothe, OH $29,571

Longview, TX $29,567

Melbourne, FL $29,564

Sioux Falls, SD $29,512

Mobile, AL $29,509

Terre Haute, IN $29,496

Altoona, PA $29,477

Amarillo, TX $29,454

Killeen, TX $29,444

Fayetteville, AR $29,418

Chattanooga, TN $29,409

Sioux City, IA $29,379

Idaho Falls, ID $29,373

Lynchburg, VA $29,347

Gainesville, FL $29,305

Portsmouth, OH $29,289

Little Rock, AR $29,282

Lafayette, LA $29,269

Youngstown, OH $29,269

Daytona Beach, FL $29,250

Clarksville, TN $29,247

Pensacola, FL $29,243

Temple, TX $29,241

Hopkinsville, KY $29,146

Erie, PA $29,140

Florence, SC $29,127

Charleston, WV $29,075

Great Falls, MT $29,059

Macon, GA $29,014

Tallahassee, FL $29,010

Fayetteville, NC $29,004

Waco, TX $28,997

Helena, MT $28,975

Pine Bluff, AR $28,962

Vincennes, IN $28,923

Lubbock, TX $28,910

Alamogordo, NM $28,890

Twin Falls, ID $28,861

Rapid City, SD $28,852

Jackson, MS $28,793

Huntington, WV $28,791

Greenville, MS $28,790

Parkersburg, WV $28,757

Montgomery, AL $28,751

Wichita Falls, TX $28,719

Springfield, MO $28,719

Biloxi, MS $28,703

Monroe, LA $28,670

Johnstown, PA $28,648

Sumter, SC $28,635

Columbus, GA $28,631

Pascagoula, MS $28,570

Abilene, TX $28,570

Kingsport, TN $28,486

Albany, GA $28,486

Gulfport, MS $28,476

Alexandria, LA $28,369

Fort Smith, AR $28,288

El Paso, TX $28,201

Las Cruces, NM $28,055

Harlingen, TX $27,973

Pocatello, ID $27,968

Florence, AL $27,925

Brownsville, TX $27,919

Mcallen, TX $27,851

Dothan, AL $27,806

Columbus, MS $27,613

Altus, OK $27,462

Lawton, OK $27,401

Pierre, SD $27,284

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.

See More Skills

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	$37,890	17%
Hard Working	$34,652	7%
Organizing	$34,652	7%
Problem Solving	$34,652	7%
Organizational Skills	$34,328	6%
Commitment	$34,004	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 June 01, 2026

$29,830

Average $32,385/year

$34,708

$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	$34,708	$2,892	$667	$17
Average	$32,385	$2,699	$623	$16
25th Percentile	$29,830	$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

Time Off (days)

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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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