Lowest-Paying Jobs in the US
Answer
Cooks, Fast Food ($30,890), Fast Food and Counter Workers ($31,200), Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop ($31,200) top this list. Food service, recreation and retail jobs pay the least. Many are part-time. BLS wage figures for these jobs include the tips employers report as wages.
How this ranking works
Includes: Detailed occupations with at least 10,000 US jobs. Ranked by: Median annual wage (lowest first). Data: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Occupations without a published median and the residual “all other” categories are left out. Methodology
| 1 | Cooks, Fast Food | $30,890 | $14.85 | 641,070 | No formal educational credential | +0.6% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $31,200 | $15.00 | 3,854,050 | No formal educational credential | +5.8% |
| 3 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $31,200 | $15.00 | 432,690 | No formal educational credential | +3.4% |
| 4 | Amusement and Recreation Attendants | $32,150 | $15.46 | 397,830 | No formal educational credential | +3.7% |
| 5 | Cashiers | $32,880 | $15.81 | 3,089,410 | No formal educational credential | −6.5% |
| 6 | Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers | $32,910 | $15.82 | 121,770 | No formal educational credential | +0.9% |
| 7 | Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers | $33,580 | $16.14 | 157,550 | No formal educational credential | +5.5% |
| 8 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $33,980 | $16.34 | 542,750 | No formal educational credential | +5.3% |
| 9 | Gambling Dealers | $34,320 | $16.50 | 83,910 | High school diploma or equivalent | +3.4% |
| 10 | Bartenders | $34,340 | $16.51 | 756,390 | No formal educational credential | +5.0% |
| 11 | Dishwashers | $34,810 | $16.73 | 477,450 | No formal educational credential | −1.0% |
| 12 | Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers | $34,890 | $16.78 | 198,040 | No formal educational credential | +4.3% |
| 13 | Childcare Workers | $34,980 | $16.82 | 518,910 | High school diploma or equivalent | −2.0% |
| 14 | Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials | $35,060 | $16.85 | 26,120 | No formal educational credential | −15.7% |
| 15 | Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks | $35,070 | $16.86 | 261,420 | High school diploma or equivalent | +1.8% |
| 16 | School Bus Monitors | $35,100 | $16.88 | 78,420 | High school diploma or equivalent | −1.9% |
| 17 | Parking Attendants | $35,150 | $16.90 | 137,880 | No formal educational credential | +2.0% |
| 18 | Waiters and Waitresses | $35,230 | $16.94 | 2,270,910 | No formal educational credential | +2.0% |
| 19 | Physical Therapist Aides | $35,240 | $16.94 | 48,150 | High school diploma or equivalent | +4.0% |
| 20 | Food Preparation Workers | $35,320 | $16.98 | 893,600 | No formal educational credential | −3.0% |
| 21 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $35,360 | $17.00 | 293,900 | No formal educational credential | +4.5% |
| 22 | Animal Caretakers | $35,360 | $17.00 | 266,910 | High school diploma or equivalent | +12.1% |
| 23 | Retail Salespersons | $35,410 | $17.03 | 3,897,860 | No formal educational credential | −0.3% |
| 24 | Telemarketers | $35,450 | $17.04 | 58,430 | No formal educational credential | −21.4% |
| 25 | Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians | $35,450 | $17.04 | 12,630 | High school diploma or equivalent | −1.3% |
| 26 | Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $35,510 | $17.07 | 860,670 | No formal educational credential | +0.6% |
| 27 | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | $35,660 | $17.15 | 265,500 | No formal educational credential | −2.4% |
| 28 | Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants | $35,670 | $17.15 | 102,010 | No formal educational credential | +3.8% |
| 29 | Funeral Attendants | $35,680 | $17.16 | 31,090 | High school diploma or equivalent | +2.6% |
| 30 | Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | $35,730 | $17.18 | 25,180 | No formal educational credential | −3.4% |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, national cross-industry estimates; projections and typical entry education from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Occupation names are the official BLS titles; linked names have a full pay and how-to-become page on this site.