Dragon Images // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $43,830
- Median hourly wage: $21.07
- Total employment: 250 people (5.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Hanford
Uncertainty clouds the current job market. On one hand, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports unemployment rates at 4.2% as of May 2025—and that hasn't changed much in the past year, a typical indicator of a positive economy. At the same time, average weekly earnings have increased by 3.9% over the 12 months ending May 2025 to reach $1,243.03.
However, the American economy may soon shift. The Trump administration's federal budget cuts have eliminated tens of thousands of jobs, and constant changes in import tariffs leave companies unable to plan for their future employment needs.
With these factors in mind, minimum or low-wage jobs are increasingly unsustainable for most. In 2025, a full-time job at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour puts a worker under the poverty threshold, according to the Economic Policy Institute. While states can opt to have higher minimum wages, 20 states are at or below the federal minimum as of 2025.
Salaries can also vary by gender, race, and educational attainment. According to a March 2025 report from the Pew Research Center, women's earnings are about 85% of men's, and women also remain overrepresented in low-paying jobs. Meanwhile, April 2025 BLS data shows that Hispanic workers' median earnings lag behind those of other race and ethnicity groups, and full-time workers without a high school diploma earned the least compared to their more educated counterparts.
It's important to note, though, that low pay doesn't always equal low job satisfaction. Some people feel drawn to a particular field, seek a certain work environment, or aim for work-life balance. No matter the reason, Stacker used BLS data to find the 50 lowest-paying jobs in Hanford. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $42,600
- Median hourly wage: $20.48
- Total employment: 60 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $42,170
- Median hourly wage: $20.27
- Total employment: 130 people (2.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dusan Petkovic // Shutterstock
4 / 50#46. Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders (tie)
- Median annual wage: $42,030
- Median hourly wage: $20.21
- Total employment: 30 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Security guards (tie)
- Median annual wage: $42,030
- Median hourly wage: $20.21
- Total employment: 280 people (5.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Africa Studio // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $41,600
- Median hourly wage: $20.00
- Total employment: 80 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $41,260
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 850 people (17.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $40,230
- Median hourly wage: $19.34
- Total employment: 170 people (3.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping
- Median annual wage: $39,690
- Median hourly wage: $19.08
- Total employment: 60 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $39,480
- Median hourly wage: $18.98
- Total employment: 600 people (12.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Light truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $39,360
- Median hourly wage: $18.92
- Total employment: 170 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $39,340
- Median hourly wage: $18.91
- Total employment: 30 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $38,760
- Median hourly wage: $18.64
- Total employment: 800 people (16.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $38,690
- Median hourly wage: $18.60
- Total employment: 160 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $38,400
- Median hourly wage: $18.46
- Total employment: 180 people (3.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DuxX // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $38,180
- Median hourly wage: $18.36
- Total employment: 190 people (4.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $38,140
- Median hourly wage: $18.34
- Total employment: 270 people (5.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Standret // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $38,050
- Median hourly wage: $18.29
- Total employment: 130 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $37,900
- Median hourly wage: $18.22
- Total employment: 110 people (2.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage: $37,430
- Median hourly wage: $18.00
- Total employment: 90 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kzenon // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $37,340
- Median hourly wage: $17.95
- Total employment: 70 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $37,170
- Median hourly wage: $17.87
- Total employment: 40 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Agricultural equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $36,970
- Median hourly wage: $17.78
- Total employment: 220 people (4.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $36,840
- Median hourly wage: $17.71
- Total employment: 1,720 people (36.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $36,780
- Median hourly wage: $17.68
- Total employment: 240 people (5.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $36,740
- Median hourly wage: $17.66
- Total employment: 330 people (6.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $36,330
- Median hourly wage: $17.47
- Total employment: 30 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $36,300
- Median hourly wage: $17.45
- Total employment: 230 people (4.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
29 / 50#21. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,280
- Median hourly wage: $17.44
- Total employment: 80 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Retail salespersons (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,280
- Median hourly wage: $17.44
- Total employment: 810 people (17.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $36,140
- Median hourly wage: $17.37
- Total employment: 50 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $36,130
- Median hourly wage: $17.37
- Total employment: 50 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $36,120
- Median hourly wage: $17.36
- Total employment: 50 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $36,030
- Median hourly wage: $17.32
- Total employment: 170 people (3.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $35,830
- Median hourly wage: $17.22
- Total employment: 30 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pressmaster // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $35,820
- Median hourly wage: $17.22
- Total employment: 70 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $35,780
- Median hourly wage: $17.20
- Total employment: 560 people (11.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Graders and sorters, agricultural products
- Median annual wage: $35,740
- Median hourly wage: $17.18
- Total employment: 290 people (6.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $35,720
- Median hourly wage: $17.17
- Total employment: 2,790 people (59.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,260
- Median hourly wage: $16.95
- Total employment: 60 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $35,140
- Median hourly wage: $16.89
- Total employment: 1,190 people (25.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $35,070
- Median hourly wage: $16.86
- Total employment: 410 people (8.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $34,790
- Median hourly wage: $16.73
- Total employment: 80 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $34,080
- Median hourly wage: $16.39
- Total employment: 70 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $34,070
- Median hourly wage: $16.38
- Total employment: 140 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $33,970
- Median hourly wage: $16.33
- Total employment: 3,040 people (64.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $33,880
- Median hourly wage: $16.29
- Total employment: 90 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $33,750
- Median hourly wage: $16.23
- Total employment: 60 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $33,740
- Median hourly wage: $16.22
- Total employment: 260 people (5.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $33,390
- Median hourly wage: $16.05
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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