Lowest-paying jobs in Santa Cruz
The U.S. may be one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but financial inequality prevails within its borders. That divide is growing, especially between the poorest and richest U.S. residents.
The middle class is shrinking. In 2021, just half of adults lived in a middle-income household, a huge drop from 61% in the 70s. This dip meant some middle-class adults broke into the high-income bracket. At the same time, the share of lower-income residents is growing: 29% of adults lived in low-income households in 2021, compared to 25% in 1971.
Wages over this period grew at all income levels, but the rich got significantly higher bumps. Pew Charitable Trusts found that high incomes grew 69% over the past 50 years, while low incomes grew just 45%. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated and further exposed these harsh financial gaps.
The difference in pay for the highest- and lowest-paying jobs in the U.S. last year was over eightfold: from about $28,000 for entertainment attendants to over $251,000 for physicians. Nationally, most of the lowest-paying jobs are in the leisure and accommodation fields: think folks who work in food establishments, at hotels, at recreational facilities like pools and amusement parks, and other service jobs.
Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the 50 lowest-paying jobs in Santa Cruz. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2022. Any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
#50. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $37,770
- Median hourly wage: $18.16
- Total employment: 600 people (6.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#49. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $37,740
- Median hourly wage: $18.15
- Total employment: 590 people (6.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#48. Emergency medical technicians
- Median annual wage: $37,510
- Median hourly wage: $18.03
- Total employment: 130 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#47. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $37,480
- Median hourly wage: $18.02
- Total employment: 400 people (4.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#46. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $37,330
- Median hourly wage: $17.95
- Total employment: 1,060 people (10.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#45. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $37,210
- Median hourly wage: $17.89
- Total employment: 40 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#44. Data entry keyers
- Median annual wage: $37,110
- Median hourly wage: $17.84
- Total employment: 60 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#43. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $37,100
- Median hourly wage: $17.84
- Total employment: 1,590 people (16.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#42. Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping
- Median annual wage: $37,060
- Median hourly wage: $17.82
- Total employment: 80 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#41. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $36,920
- Median hourly wage: $17.75
- Total employment: 140 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#40. Residential advisors
- Median annual wage: $36,910
- Median hourly wage: $17.74
- Total employment: 50 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#38. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,880
- Median hourly wage: $17.73
- Total employment: 120 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#38. Food batchmakers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,880
- Median hourly wage: $17.73
- Total employment: 70 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#37. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $36,810
- Median hourly wage: $17.70
- Total employment: 260 people (2.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#36. Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $36,340
- Median hourly wage: $17.47
- Total employment: 60 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#35. Floral designers
- Median annual wage: $36,330
- Median hourly wage: $17.46
- Total employment: 60 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#34. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Median annual wage: $36,310
- Median hourly wage: $17.46
- Total employment: 1,270 people (13.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#33. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $36,250
- Median hourly wage: $17.43
- Total employment: 30 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#32. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $36,240
- Median hourly wage: $17.42
- Total employment: 400 people (4.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#31. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $36,170
- Median hourly wage: $17.39
- Total employment: 330 people (3.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#30. Protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,900
- Median hourly wage: $17.26
- Total employment: 170 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#29. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $35,640
- Median hourly wage: $17.14
- Total employment: 120 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#28. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $35,540
- Median hourly wage: $17.09
- Total employment: 2,090 people (21.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#27. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $35,240
- Median hourly wage: $16.94
- Total employment: 210 people (2.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#26. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $35,120
- Median hourly wage: $16.89
- Total employment: 240 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#25. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $35,070
- Median hourly wage: $16.86
- Total employment: 190 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#24. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $34,980
- Median hourly wage: $16.82
- Total employment: 1,420 people (14.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#23. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $34,970
- Median hourly wage: $16.81
- Total employment: 570 people (5.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#22. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $34,950
- Median hourly wage: $16.80
- Total employment: 210 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#21. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $34,410
- Median hourly wage: $16.54
- Total employment: 790 people (8.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#20. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $34,400
- Median hourly wage: $16.54
- Total employment: 470 people (4.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#18. Cooks, fast food (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,310
- Median hourly wage: $16.50
- Total employment: 840 people (8.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#18. Packers and packagers, hand (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,310
- Median hourly wage: $16.49
- Total employment: 550 people (5.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#17. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $34,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.48
- Total employment: 2,660 people (27.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#16. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $34,060
- Median hourly wage: $16.38
- Total employment: 2,850 people (29.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#15. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $33,760
- Median hourly wage: $16.23
- Total employment: 270 people (2.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#14. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $33,700
- Median hourly wage: $16.20
- Total employment: 710 people (7.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#13. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $33,650
- Median hourly wage: $16.18
- Total employment: 60 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#12. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $33,260
- Median hourly wage: $15.99
- Total employment: 180 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#11. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $33,190
- Median hourly wage: $15.96
- Total employment: 150 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#10. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $33,090
- Median hourly wage: $15.91
- Total employment: 590 people (6.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#9. Office and administrative support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $32,960
- Median hourly wage: $15.85
- Total employment: 300 people (3.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#8. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $32,050
- Median hourly wage: $15.41
- Total employment: 140 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#7. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $32,030
- Median hourly wage: $15.40
- Total employment: 560 people (5.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#6. Material moving workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $31,990
- Median hourly wage: $15.38
- Total employment: 50 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#5. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $31,750
- Median hourly wage: $15.26
- Total employment: 310 people (3.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#4. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $31,660
- Median hourly wage: $15.22
- Total employment: 520 people (5.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#3. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $31,300
- Median hourly wage: $15.05
- Total employment: 1,580 people (16.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#2. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $29,810
- Median hourly wage: $14.33
- Total employment: 210 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $29,150
- Median hourly wage: $14.02
- Total employment: 3,950 people (40.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
