Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $37,770
- Median hourly wage: $18.16
- Total employment: 570 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Trenton
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 Trenton. 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 barbecue restaurants in the Trenton area by diners
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $37,740
- Median hourly wage: $18.15
- Total employment: 120 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Median annual wage: $37,720
- Median hourly wage: $18.13
- Total employment: 3,800 people (15.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $37,530
- Median hourly wage: $18.05
- Total employment: 1,340 people (5.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $37,500
- Median hourly wage: $18.03
- Total employment: 80 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best restaurants for 4 cuisines in Trenton
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $37,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.96
- Total employment: 2,200 people (9.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $37,300
- Median hourly wage: $17.93
- Total employment: 400 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $37,180
- Median hourly wage: $17.88
- Total employment: 220 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $36,910
- Median hourly wage: $17.75
- Total employment: 4,470 people (18.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $36,830
- Median hourly wage: $17.71
- Total employment: 3,470 people (14.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated Mexican restaurants in the Trenton area by diners
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $36,730
- Median hourly wage: $17.66
- Total employment: 3,200 people (13.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $36,600
- Median hourly wage: $17.59
- Total employment: 120 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $36,280
- Median hourly wage: $17.44
- Total employment: 170 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $36,180
- Median hourly wage: $17.39
- Total employment: 180 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $36,060
- Median hourly wage: $17.34
- Total employment: 300 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying management jobs for people in Trenton
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $35,910
- Median hourly wage: $17.26
- Total employment: 70 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Concierges
- Median annual wage: $35,870
- Median hourly wage: $17.24
- Total employment: 60 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $35,790
- Median hourly wage: $17.21
- Total employment: 190 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $35,690
- Median hourly wage: $17.16
- Total employment: 930 people (3.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Educational instruction and library workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated delis in Trenton by diners
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $35,240
- Median hourly wage: $16.94
- Total employment: 3,020 people (12.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $35,200
- Median hourly wage: $16.93
- Total employment: 3,570 people (14.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $35,050
- Median hourly wage: $16.85
- Total employment: 1,140 people (4.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $34,950
- Median hourly wage: $16.80
- Total employment: 280 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $34,860
- Median hourly wage: $16.76
- Total employment: 100 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated breakfast restaurants in the Trenton area by diners
Kitreel // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Food batchmakers
- Median annual wage: $34,840
- Median hourly wage: $16.75
- Total employment: 40 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Pharmacy aides
- Median annual wage: $34,800
- Median hourly wage: $16.73
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $34,770
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 2,480 people (10.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $34,700
- Median hourly wage: $16.68
- Total employment: 190 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $34,520
- Median hourly wage: $16.60
- Total employment: 990 people (4.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: How much house does $500,000 buy you in Trenton?
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $34,450
- Median hourly wage: $16.56
- Total employment: 50 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
hedgehog94 // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Shampooers
- Median annual wage: $34,360
- Median hourly wage: $16.52
- Total employment: 80 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $34,340
- Median hourly wage: $16.51
- Total employment: 140 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $34,270
- Median hourly wage: $16.48
- Total employment: 380 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $34,250
- Median hourly wage: $16.46
- Total employment: 480 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated dessert shops in the Trenton area by diners
Alba_alioth // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $34,210
- Median hourly wage: $16.45
- Total employment: 50 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $34,140
- Median hourly wage: $16.41
- Total employment: 30 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Demonstrators and product promoters
- Median annual wage: $34,060
- Median hourly wage: $16.37
- Total employment: 170 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $33,890
- Median hourly wage: $16.29
- Total employment: 510 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $33,880
- Median hourly wage: $16.29
- Total employment: 360 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants with outdoor seating in Trenton by diners
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $33,850
- Median hourly wage: $16.27
- Total employment: 350 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $33,650
- Median hourly wage: $16.18
- Total employment: 460 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $33,620
- Median hourly wage: $16.16
- Total employment: 4,160 people (17.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $33,540
- Median hourly wage: $16.12
- Total employment: 450 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $33,530
- Median hourly wage: $16.12
- Total employment: 4,140 people (17.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated fine dining restaurants in the Trenton area by diners
Finist4 // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $33,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.00
- Total employment: 390 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $33,020
- Median hourly wage: $15.87
- Total employment: 230 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $31,720
- Median hourly wage: $15.25
- Total employment: 220 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Office machine operators, except computer (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,470
- Median hourly wage: $15.13
- Total employment: 80 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Amusement and recreation attendants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,470
- Median hourly wage: $15.13
- Total employment: 310 people (1.29 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: Coat drives near Trenton
