Occupation ranking

Lowest Paying Occupations in America

All detailed occupations ranked by lowest annual median salary, where pay is the most modest.

50
Occupations ranked
$30,890
Highest (Annual Median)
$36,840
Lowest in list

This list, in one line

The #15 cutoff to make this top-15 list, $34,980, sits at the 2nd percentile among the 825 BLS occupations with a published national median.

2nd
percentile to make this list
825
occupations with published wages

Percentile reflects where this list's cutoff value falls among every occupation BLS publishes a national median wage for, not just those shown here.

This ranking surfaces 50 distinct occupations from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, each scored on the "Annual Median" dimension. The top-ranked occupation is Cooks, Fast Food at $30,890, versus $36,840 at rank 50, a spread that shows how differently the American labor market values specialized skills, credential requirements, and location-specific demand. Every row on this page links to the occupation's full national profile with state and metro-level salary breakdowns, so the ranking doubles as a launch pad for deeper research rather than a static leaderboard.

The lowest-paying occupations are concentrated in food service, hospitality, agriculture, and personal care. Many of these jobs involve physically demanding work, irregular hours, and limited advancement opportunities. Tips and supplemental income are significant for some occupations (servers, bartenders) but not captured fully in wage surveys. These occupations also tend to have high turnover rates and limited access to employer-provided benefits.

The numbers here are not marketing estimates or job-board averages. They come from the OEWS survey of roughly 1.1 million establishments representing over 95% of U.S. wage and salary workers, collected over three-year rolling panels and published each May. When you compare occupations within this list, remember that annual median means the midpoint, half the workforce earns more and half earns less, and that percentile bands within each occupation often span 2-3x the median on either side. Use this ranking to shortlist careers that match your economic goals, then drill into each occupation's individual page to see the 10th-to-90th percentile pay range, state-by-state variation, metro premiums, education requirements, and BLS-projected openings through 2033 before making a long-term commitment. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.

Lowest Paying Occupations in America

Annual median wage, 15 lowest-paid occupations

median / yr
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS / Employment Projections As of May 2025

Full ranking table

# Occupation Annual Median
1 Cooks, Fast Food $30,890
2 Fast Food and Counter Workers $31,200
3 Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop $31,200
4 Amusement and Recreation Attendants $32,150
5 Shampooers $32,600
6 Entertainment Attendants and Related Workers, All Other $32,640
7 Cashiers $32,880
8 Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers $32,910
9 Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers $33,580
10 Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $33,980
11 Gambling Dealers $34,320
12 Bartenders $34,340
13 Dishwashers $34,810
14 Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers $34,890
15 Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners $34,980
16 Childcare Workers $34,980
17 Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials $35,060
18 Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks $35,070
19 School Bus Monitors $35,100
20 Parking Attendants $35,150
21 Waiters and Waitresses $35,230
22 Physical Therapist Aides $35,240
23 Food Preparation Workers $35,320
24 Food Servers, Nonrestaurant $35,360
25 Animal Caretakers $35,360
26 Retail Salespersons $35,410
27 Telemarketers $35,450
28 Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians $35,450
29 Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $35,510
30 Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders $35,650
31 Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse $35,660
32 Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants $35,670
33 Funeral Attendants $35,680
34 Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products $35,730
35 Manicurists and Pedicurists $35,760
36 Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists $35,790
37 Home Health and Personal Care Aides $35,800
38 Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment $35,830
39 Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other $35,840
40 Cooks, Short Order $35,880
41 Gambling Change Persons and Booth Cashiers $36,220
42 Packers and Packagers, Hand $36,280
43 Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants $36,300
44 Gambling Service Workers, All Other $36,310
45 Sewers, Hand $36,480
46 Recreation Workers $36,560
47 Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals $36,670
48 Sewing Machine Operators $36,670
49 Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary $36,780
50 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $36,840

Last updated: May 2025. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS).

Percentile bands and state/metro breakouts use BLS OEWS State and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2025.

What does it take to make this list?

Where the cutoff sits nationally

Median annual wage across 825 BLS occupations with a published median

$34,980 Bottom 2% higher than 2% of 825 US occupations

$0–$20,000: 0 US occupations (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 98 US occupations (12%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$60,000: 298 US occupations (36%). Above this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 209 US occupations (25%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 82 US occupations (10%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 58 US occupations (7%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 32 US occupations (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 14 US occupations (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 9 US occupations (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 25 US occupations (3%). Above this entry. Bottom-15 cutoff $0 $200,000 every BLS occupation, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

The 15th lowest-paying occupation pays $34,980, lower than 98% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median wage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are tips included in these salary figures?

BLS attempts to include tips in wage calculations, but tip income is notoriously underreported. Occupations like servers and bartenders may actually earn significantly more than their reported median suggests, especially in high-traffic locations. However, tips are variable and inconsistent.

Can you live on these salaries?

At $30,000-35,000 per year, workers in the lowest-paying occupations often face housing cost burdens (spending over 30% of income on rent), reliance on public assistance programs, and difficulty building savings. Cost of living varies dramatically by location, the same salary goes much further in rural Mississippi than in San Francisco.

Related Rankings & Nearby Pages

Jump to another ranking lens, explore the top-ranked occupation, or compare roles side-by-side.

Highest Paying Fastest Growing Largest Employment Most Openings Highest Hourly Cooks, Fast Food →
Compare Cooks, Fast Food side-by-side with another occupation →
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How to read this ranking

Use the ranking to scope a field, then drill into a specific job

  • These are occupation medians from the BLS OEWS survey: in each role, half of workers earn more and half earn less. The ranking is a starting point, not your expected pay. Browse occupations
  • Pay rank shifts by location. A role near the top nationally can pay very differently in your state or metro, before you even adjust for cost of living. Compare states
  • Open any occupation to see its full pay band, percentiles, and outlook, so you read the number in context. All rankings

Estimates reflect the BLS May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. Rankings are computed directly from BLS OES occupational wage data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This ranking is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. National rankings reflect aggregate BLS figures and may not represent a specific employer's actual pay, consult a qualified career counselor or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.