SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $37,050
- Median hourly wage: $17.81
- Total employment: 550 people (1.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Syracuse
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 Syracuse. 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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New Africa // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $37,000
- Median hourly wage: $17.79
- Total employment: 2,560 people (8.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $36,960
- Median hourly wage: $17.77
- Total employment: 100 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $36,930
- Median hourly wage: $17.75
- Total employment: 1,370 people (4.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Korotkov // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Crossing guards and flaggers
- Median annual wage: $36,830
- Median hourly wage: $17.71
- Total employment: 110 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DSBfoto // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $36,800
- Median hourly wage: $17.69
- Total employment: 5,900 people (19.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $36,560
- Median hourly wage: $17.58
- Total employment: 40 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $36,510
- Median hourly wage: $17.55
- Total employment: 7,490 people (25.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leika production // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Couriers and messengers
- Median annual wage: $36,480
- Median hourly wage: $17.54
- Total employment: 240 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $36,200
- Median hourly wage: $17.40
- Total employment: 650 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dusan Petkovic // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $36,190
- Median hourly wage: $17.40
- Total employment: 70 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
shocky // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers
- Median annual wage: $36,120
- Median hourly wage: $17.36
- Total employment: 120 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Aircraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $35,980
- Median hourly wage: $17.30
- Total employment: 60 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $35,960
- Median hourly wage: $17.29
- Total employment: 120 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $35,950
- Median hourly wage: $17.29
- Total employment: 220 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Office machine operators, except computer
- Median annual wage: $35,790
- Median hourly wage: $17.21
- Total employment: 70 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $35,720
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 4,510 people (15.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Atstock Productions // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Telemarketers
- Median annual wage: $35,580
- Median hourly wage: $17.11
- Total employment: Not available
Jason Person // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: Not available
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $35,290
- Median hourly wage: $16.96
- Total employment: 600 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $35,260
- Median hourly wage: $16.95
- Total employment: 370 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $35,060
- Median hourly wage: $16.86
- Total employment: 490 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $34,670
- Median hourly wage: $16.67
- Total employment: 740 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Pharmacy aides
- Median annual wage: $34,560
- Median hourly wage: $16.61
- Total employment: 160 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
encierro // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
- Median annual wage: $34,410
- Median hourly wage: $16.55
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $34,340
- Median hourly wage: $16.51
- Total employment: 1,710 people (5.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $34,320
- Median hourly wage: $16.50
- Total employment: 7,940 people (26.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Baggage porters and bellhops
- Median annual wage: $34,300
- Median hourly wage: $16.49
- Total employment: 40 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $34,200
- Median hourly wage: $16.44
- Total employment: 540 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
KarepaStock // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Grounds maintenance workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $34,030
- Median hourly wage: $16.36
- Total employment: 60 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Library assistants, clerical
- Median annual wage: $34,020
- Median hourly wage: $16.36
- Total employment: 320 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $33,980
- Median hourly wage: $16.34
- Total employment: 540 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $33,910
- Median hourly wage: $16.30
- Total employment: 7,070 people (23.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $33,790
- Median hourly wage: $16.24
- Total employment: 1,760 people (5.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $33,780
- Median hourly wage: $16.24
- Total employment: 430 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $33,710
- Median hourly wage: $16.21
- Total employment: 1,170 people (3.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $33,570
- Median hourly wage: $16.14
- Total employment: 410 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Broadcast technicians
- Median annual wage: $33,390
- Median hourly wage: $16.05
- Total employment: 40 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $33,260
- Median hourly wage: $15.99
- Total employment: 350 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $33,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.96
- Total employment: 990 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $33,180
- Median hourly wage: $15.95
- Total employment: 390 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Concierges
- Median annual wage: $33,140
- Median hourly wage: $15.93
- Total employment: 50 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $32,790
- Median hourly wage: $15.76
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $32,670
- Median hourly wage: $15.71
- Total employment: 1,040 people (3.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitreel // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Food batchmakers
- Median annual wage: $32,250
- Median hourly wage: $15.51
- Total employment: 250 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $32,000
- Median hourly wage: $15.39
- Total employment: 6,130 people (20.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $31,730
- Median hourly wage: $15.26
- Total employment: 410 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $31,710
- Median hourly wage: $15.24
- Total employment: 720 people (2.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Manicurists and pedicurists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 420 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Physical therapist aides (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.17 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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