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 Boise. 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.
You may also like: Highest-rated delis in Boise by diners
Alba_alioth // Shutterstock
1 / 50- Median annual wage: $35,400
- Median hourly wage: $17.02
- Total employment: 80 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
2 / 50- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 120 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vasin Lee // Shutterstock
3 / 50- Median annual wage: $35,340
- Median hourly wage: $16.99
- Total employment: 190 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
4 / 50- Median annual wage: $35,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.96
- Total employment: 3,620 people (9.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
5 / 50- Median annual wage: $35,260
- Median hourly wage: $16.95
- Total employment: 1,950 people (5.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Coat drives near Boise
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
6 / 50- Median annual wage: $35,230
- Median hourly wage: $16.94
- Total employment: 1,030 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
7 / 50- Median annual wage: $35,140
- Median hourly wage: $16.89
- Total employment: 50 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
8 / 50- Median annual wage: $35,110
- Median hourly wage: $16.88
- Total employment: 140 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
9 / 50- Median annual wage: $35,050
- Median hourly wage: $16.85
- Total employment: 570 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
10 / 50- Median annual wage: $34,820
- Median hourly wage: $16.74
- Total employment: 120 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Boise's 2025 housing market year in review
paul rushton // Shutterstock
11 / 50- Median annual wage: $34,790
- Median hourly wage: $16.73
- Total employment: 50 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
12 / 50- Median annual wage: $34,710
- Median hourly wage: $16.69
- Total employment: 350 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
13 / 50- Median annual wage: $34,290
- Median hourly wage: $16.48
- Total employment: 1,520 people (3.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
14 / 50- Median annual wage: $34,140
- Median hourly wage: $16.41
- Total employment: 2,010 people (5.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
15 / 50- Median annual wage: $34,100
- Median hourly wage: $16.39
- Total employment: 1,040 people (2.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Boise that require a bachelor's degree
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
16 / 50- Median annual wage: $33,880
- Median hourly wage: $16.29
- Total employment: 9,340 people (24.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
17 / 50- Median annual wage: $33,800
- Median hourly wage: $16.25
- Total employment: 1,570 people (4.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
18 / 50- Median annual wage: $33,390
- Median hourly wage: $16.05
- Total employment: 7,880 people (20.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50- Median annual wage: $32,990
- Median hourly wage: $15.86
- Total employment: 100 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
20 / 50- Median annual wage: $32,780
- Median hourly wage: $15.76
- Total employment: Not available
You may also like: Top 10 Cities to Rent an Apartment: Boise, Idaho
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
21 / 50- Median annual wage: $32,380
- Median hourly wage: $15.57
- Total employment: 180 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
22 / 50- Median annual wage: $32,080
- Median hourly wage: $15.42
- Total employment: 50 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
23 / 50- Median annual wage: $31,920
- Median hourly wage: $15.35
- Total employment: 240 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
24 / 50- Median annual wage: $31,620
- Median hourly wage: $15.20
- Total employment: 330 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50- Median annual wage: $31,610
- Median hourly wage: $15.20
- Total employment: 5,120 people (13.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated campgrounds in the Boise area by visitors
MAVV // Shutterstock
26 / 50- Median annual wage: $31,590
- Median hourly wage: $15.19
- Total employment: 890 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
27 / 50- Median annual wage: $31,530
- Median hourly wage: $15.16
- Total employment: 550 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suteren // Shutterstock
28 / 50- Median annual wage: $31,340
- Median hourly wage: $15.07
- Total employment: 80 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shakirov Albert // Shutterstock
29 / 50- Median annual wage: $31,340
- Median hourly wage: $15.07
- Total employment: 150 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 390 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Boise that require a bachelor's degree
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
31 / 50- Median annual wage: $31,030
- Median hourly wage: $14.92
- Total employment: 6,620 people (17.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
32 / 50- Median annual wage: $30,930
- Median hourly wage: $14.87
- Total employment: 220 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
33 / 50- Median annual wage: $30,920
- Median hourly wage: $14.86
- Total employment: 200 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
34 / 50- Median annual wage: $30,730
- Median hourly wage: $14.77
- Total employment: 940 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
35 / 50- Median annual wage: $30,070
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 3,150 people (8.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Most expensive homes for sale in Boise
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
36 / 50- Median annual wage: $29,910
- Median hourly wage: $14.38
- Total employment: 850 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50- Median annual wage: $29,620
- Median hourly wage: $14.24
- Total employment: 2,570 people (6.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
38 / 50- Median annual wage: $29,170
- Median hourly wage: $14.02
- Total employment: 800 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
39 / 50- Median annual wage: $29,080
- Median hourly wage: $13.98
- Total employment: 10,800 people (27.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
40 / 50- Median annual wage: $28,730
- Median hourly wage: $13.81
- Total employment: 1,150 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best private high schools in the Boise metro area
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
41 / 50- Median annual wage: $28,690
- Median hourly wage: $13.80
- Total employment: 210 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
42 / 50- Median annual wage: $28,420
- Median hourly wage: $13.66
- Total employment: 480 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
43 / 50- Median annual wage: $28,320
- Median hourly wage: $13.62
- Total employment: 200 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
44 / 50- Median annual wage: $28,310
- Median hourly wage: $13.61
- Total employment: 280 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
45 / 50- Median annual wage: $28,290
- Median hourly wage: $13.60
- Total employment: 1,030 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated brunch restaurants in Boise
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
46 / 50- Median annual wage: $27,440
- Median hourly wage: $13.19
- Total employment: 1,050 people (2.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
47 / 50- Median annual wage: $25,910
- Median hourly wage: $12.46
- Total employment: 1,930 people (5.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock
48 / 50- Median annual wage: $25,230
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 140 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
49 / 50- Median annual wage: $22,100
- Median hourly wage: $10.63
- Total employment: Not available
create jobs 51 // Shutterstock
50 / 50- Median annual wage: $19,900
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 210 people (0.54 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.
You may also like: Biggest sources of immigrants to Boise
