Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $30,860
- Median hourly wage: $14.84
- Total employment: 950 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Oklahoma City
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 Oklahoma City. 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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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $30,600
- Median hourly wage: $14.71
- Total employment: 2,340 people (3.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krysja // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Funeral attendants
- Median annual wage: $30,400
- Median hourly wage: $14.62
- Total employment: 190 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
alexdov // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood
- Median annual wage: $30,140
- Median hourly wage: $14.49
- Total employment: 50 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Standret // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $29,960
- Median hourly wage: $14.40
- Total employment: 1,790 people (2.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $29,900
- Median hourly wage: $14.38
- Total employment: 960 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $29,830
- Median hourly wage: $14.34
- Total employment: 17,310 people (25.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $29,690
- Median hourly wage: $14.27
- Total employment: 2,330 people (3.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $29,620
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 3,950 people (5.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ruwan Muhandiramge // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $29,450
- Median hourly wage: $14.16
- Total employment: 30 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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encierro // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
- Median annual wage: $29,360
- Median hourly wage: $14.12
- Total employment: 120 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Demonstrators and product promoters
- Median annual wage: $29,340
- Median hourly wage: $14.11
- Total employment: 170 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $29,330
- Median hourly wage: $14.10
- Total employment: 3,330 people (4.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $29,260
- Median hourly wage: $14.07
- Total employment: 900 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SGr // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Machine feeders and offbearers
- Median annual wage: $29,170
- Median hourly wage: $14.03
- Total employment: 60 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Library technicians
- Median annual wage: $28,950
- Median hourly wage: $13.92
- Total employment: 320 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Concierges
- Median annual wage: $28,590
- Median hourly wage: $13.74
- Total employment: 250 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $28,560
- Median hourly wage: $13.73
- Total employment: 1,870 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NIKCOA // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Medical transcriptionists
- Median annual wage: $28,440
- Median hourly wage: $13.67
- Total employment: 280 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shakirov Albert // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Floral designers
- Median annual wage: $28,430
- Median hourly wage: $13.67
- Total employment: 200 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $28,170
- Median hourly wage: $13.55
- Total employment: 350 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $28,080
- Median hourly wage: $13.50
- Total employment: 3,360 people (5.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $27,910
- Median hourly wage: $13.42
- Total employment: 1,130 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $27,840
- Median hourly wage: $13.38
- Total employment: 1,480 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
grivet // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Gambling change persons and booth cashiers
- Median annual wage: $27,820
- Median hourly wage: $13.37
- Total employment: 120 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Martin Smith // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $27,800
- Median hourly wage: $13.37
- Total employment: 430 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $27,700
- Median hourly wage: $13.32
- Total employment: 1,190 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $27,650
- Median hourly wage: $13.30
- Total employment: 4,320 people (6.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $27,630
- Median hourly wage: $13.28
- Total employment: 170 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $27,560
- Median hourly wage: $13.25
- Total employment: 13,880 people (20.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $27,370
- Median hourly wage: $13.16
- Total employment: 480 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $27,190
- Median hourly wage: $13.07
- Total employment: 1,620 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $27,140
- Median hourly wage: $13.05
- Total employment: 6,710 people (10.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $26,320
- Median hourly wage: $12.65
- Total employment: 2,280 people (3.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $25,990
- Median hourly wage: $12.50
- Total employment: 23,600 people (35.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $25,850
- Median hourly wage: $12.43
- Total employment: 1,100 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carlovis // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Tour and travel guides
- Median annual wage: $25,330
- Median hourly wage: $12.18
- Total employment: 200 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $24,980
- Median hourly wage: $12.01
- Total employment: 440 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MarijaBazarova // Shutterstock
39 / 50#11. Skincare specialists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $24,960
- Median hourly wage: $12.00
- Total employment: 270 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $24,960
- Median hourly wage: $12.00
- Total employment: 190 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials
- Median annual wage: $24,180
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $23,740
- Median hourly wage: $11.41
- Total employment: 3,690 people (5.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $22,700
- Median hourly wage: $10.91
- Total employment: 1,510 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $22,520
- Median hourly wage: $10.83
- Total employment: 200 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $22,350
- Median hourly wage: $10.74
- Total employment: 1,040 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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santypan // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $21,780
- Median hourly wage: $10.47
- Total employment: 2,650 people (3.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Milton Rodriguez // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Prepress technicians and workers
- Median annual wage: $21,670
- Median hourly wage: $10.42
- Total employment: 30 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
hedgehog94 // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Shampooers
- Median annual wage: $21,600
- Median hourly wage: $10.39
- Total employment: Not available
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $20,150
- Median hourly wage: $9.69
- Total employment: 11,350 people (16.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Sheremeta // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants
- Median annual wage: $18,590
- Median hourly wage: $8.94
- Total employment: Not available
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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