Lowest-paying jobs in Nashville

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 Nashville. 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.

Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Bakers

- Median annual wage: $35,030
- Median hourly wage: $16.84
- Total employment: 1,370 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DSBfoto // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners

- Median annual wage: $34,930
- Median hourly wage: $16.79
- Total employment: 10,290 people (9.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Packers and packagers, hand

- Median annual wage: $34,780
- Median hourly wage: $16.72
- Total employment: 4,630 people (4.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitreel // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Food batchmakers

- Median annual wage: $34,760
- Median hourly wage: $16.71
- Total employment: 560 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Parts salespersons

- Median annual wage: $34,680
- Median hourly wage: $16.67
- Total employment: 1,870 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

MAVV // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse

- Median annual wage: $34,540
- Median hourly wage: $16.61
- Total employment: 340 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Automotive and watercraft service attendants

- Median annual wage: $34,480
- Median hourly wage: $16.58
- Total employment: 900 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Dishwashers

- Median annual wage: $34,350
- Median hourly wage: $16.52
- Total employment: 2,970 people (2.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials

- Median annual wage: $34,300
- Median hourly wage: $16.49
- Total employment: 140 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Maids and housekeeping cleaners

- Median annual wage: $34,260
- Median hourly wage: $16.47
- Total employment: 6,750 people (6.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Retail salespersons

- Median annual wage: $34,120
- Median hourly wage: $16.41
- Total employment: 28,140 people (25.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks

- Median annual wage: $34,060
- Median hourly wage: $16.37
- Total employment: 2,120 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SGr // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Machine feeders and offbearers

- Median annual wage: $33,900
- Median hourly wage: $16.30
- Total employment: 110 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vasin Lee // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Residential advisors

- Median annual wage: $33,520
- Median hourly wage: $16.12
- Total employment: 970 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Office machine operators, except computer

- Median annual wage: $33,450
- Median hourly wage: $16.08
- Total employment: 80 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DGLimages // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Healthcare support workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $33,290
- Median hourly wage: $16.01
- Total employment: 670 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

maxbelchenko // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Agricultural workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $33,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.00
- Total employment: 90 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Home health and personal care aides

- Median annual wage: $33,110
- Median hourly wage: $15.92
- Total employment: 9,280 people (8.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Food preparation workers

- Median annual wage: $32,770
- Median hourly wage: $15.76
- Total employment: 7,790 people (7.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tong_stocker // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Helpers--carpenters

- Median annual wage: $32,610
- Median hourly wage: $15.68
- Total employment: 240 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Cooks, all other

- Median annual wage: $32,240
- Median hourly wage: $15.50
- Total employment: 800 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nature's Charm // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $32,190
- Median hourly wage: $15.48
- Total employment: 530 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Martin Smith // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Parking attendants

- Median annual wage: $31,850
- Median hourly wage: $15.31
- Total employment: 1,530 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Flamingo Images // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Concierges

- Median annual wage: $31,800
- Median hourly wage: $15.29
- Total employment: 100 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alena Veasey // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Cooks, fast food

- Median annual wage: $31,650
- Median hourly wage: $15.22
- Total employment: 5,310 people (4.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

VGstockstudio // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Food servers, nonrestaurant

- Median annual wage: $31,480
- Median hourly wage: $15.14
- Total employment: 1,900 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#23. Entertainment attendants and related workers, all other (tie)

- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 340 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Atstock Productions // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Telemarketers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 830 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Physical therapist aides

- Median annual wage: $31,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.96
- Total employment: 180 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pressmaster // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Animal caretakers

- Median annual wage: $31,080
- Median hourly wage: $14.94
- Total employment: 2,540 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Krysja // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Funeral attendants

- Median annual wage: $31,060
- Median hourly wage: $14.93
- Total employment: 270 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Childcare workers

- Median annual wage: $30,980
- Median hourly wage: $14.89
- Total employment: 5,090 people (4.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jason Person // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Cooks, short order

- Median annual wage: $30,730
- Median hourly wage: $14.77
- Total employment: 970 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Waiters and waitresses

- Median annual wage: $30,300
- Median hourly wage: $14.57
- Total employment: 20,060 people (18.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

aboutsung // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers

- Median annual wage: $30,000
- Median hourly wage: $14.43
- Total employment: 3,970 people (3.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Dean Drobot // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Cashiers

- Median annual wage: $29,900
- Median hourly wage: $14.37
- Total employment: 19,560 people (17.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paul.J.West // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary

- Median annual wage: $29,850
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 5,900 people (5.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists

- Median annual wage: $29,680
- Median hourly wage: $14.27
- Total employment: 2,300 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Fast food and counter workers

- Median annual wage: $29,460
- Median hourly wage: $14.17
- Total employment: 27,180 people (24.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Substitute teachers, short-term

- Median annual wage: $29,410
- Median hourly wage: $14.14
- Total employment: 2,390 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dragon Images // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop

- Median annual wage: $29,320
- Median hourly wage: $14.10
- Total employment: 4,030 people (3.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Richard Thornton // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. School bus monitors

- Median annual wage: $29,090
- Median hourly wage: $13.98
- Total employment: 250 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Demonstrators and product promoters

- Median annual wage: $28,700
- Median hourly wage: $13.80
- Total employment: 40 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers

- Median annual wage: $28,500
- Median hourly wage: $13.70
- Total employment: 1,090 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Motortion Films // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Personal care and service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $28,490
- Median hourly wage: $13.70
- Total employment: 260 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers

- Median annual wage: $27,530
- Median hourly wage: $13.24
- Total employment: 530 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lucky Business // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Sales and related workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $27,340
- Median hourly wage: $13.15
- Total employment: 650 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Amusement and recreation attendants

- Median annual wage: $27,000
- Median hourly wage: $12.98
- Total employment: 1,830 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santypan // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Bartenders

- Median annual wage: $23,110
- Median hourly wage: $11.11
- Total employment: 4,320 people (3.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)