guteksk7 // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing
- Median annual wage: $35,660
- Median hourly wage: $17.15
- Total employment: 150 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Richmond
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 Richmond. 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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Blanscape // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Conveyor operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $35,500
- Median hourly wage: $17.07
- Total employment: 210 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carlovis // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Tour and travel guides
- Median annual wage: $35,420
- Median hourly wage: $17.03
- Total employment: 150 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Pharmacy aides
- Median annual wage: $35,320
- Median hourly wage: $16.98
- Total employment: 110 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Concierges
- Median annual wage: $35,210
- Median hourly wage: $16.93
- Total employment: 280 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Korotkov // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Crossing guards and flaggers
- Median annual wage: $35,150
- Median hourly wage: $16.90
- Total employment: 550 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $34,960
- Median hourly wage: $16.81
- Total employment: 80 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $34,910
- Median hourly wage: $16.79
- Total employment: 770 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krysja // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Funeral attendants
- Median annual wage: $34,850
- Median hourly wage: $16.76
- Total employment: 200 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $34,840
- Median hourly wage: $16.75
- Total employment: 1,510 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Indypendenz // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service
- Median annual wage: $34,820
- Median hourly wage: $16.74
- Total employment: 340 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $34,810
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 3,930 people (6.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NIKCOA // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Medical transcriptionists
- Median annual wage: $34,470
- Median hourly wage: $16.57
- Total employment: 190 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 50#36. Substitute teachers, short-term (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,810
- Median hourly wage: $16.25
- Total employment: 3,920 people (6.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,810
- Median hourly wage: $16.26
- Total employment: 1,270 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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MarijaBazarova // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Skincare specialists
- Median annual wage: $33,800
- Median hourly wage: $16.25
- Total employment: 230 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $33,170
- Median hourly wage: $15.95
- Total employment: 1,240 people (1.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $33,080
- Median hourly wage: $15.90
- Total employment: 9,630 people (14.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Cooks, all other
- Median annual wage: $32,480
- Median hourly wage: $15.61
- Total employment: 80 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
shocky // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers
- Median annual wage: $32,420
- Median hourly wage: $15.59
- Total employment: 110 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $31,970
- Median hourly wage: $15.37
- Total employment: 1,350 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $31,710
- Median hourly wage: $15.24
- Total employment: 590 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $31,560
- Median hourly wage: $15.18
- Total employment: 2,250 people (3.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#26. Retail salespersons (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,240
- Median hourly wage: $15.02
- Total employment: 16,180 people (24.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Cooks, short order (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,240
- Median hourly wage: $15.02
- Total employment: Not available
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Motortion Films // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 160 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $30,990
- Median hourly wage: $14.90
- Total employment: 1,060 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $30,850
- Median hourly wage: $14.83
- Total employment: 3,220 people (4.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $30,590
- Median hourly wage: $14.71
- Total employment: 1,800 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,560
- Median hourly wage: $14.69
- Total employment: 970 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $29,940
- Median hourly wage: $14.40
- Total employment: 930 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $29,900
- Median hourly wage: $14.38
- Total employment: 1,190 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $29,850
- Median hourly wage: $14.35
- Total employment: 280 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $29,760
- Median hourly wage: $14.31
- Total employment: 13,860 people (21.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $29,730
- Median hourly wage: $14.30
- Total employment: 420 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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aboutsung // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $29,700
- Median hourly wage: $14.28
- Total employment: 1,370 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $29,570
- Median hourly wage: $14.22
- Total employment: 1,430 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $29,420
- Median hourly wage: $14.15
- Total employment: 230 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $29,190
- Median hourly wage: $14.03
- Total employment: 2,630 people (4.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
40 / 50#10. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: Not available
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Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Cooks, fast food (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: 2,710 people (4.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $28,790
- Median hourly wage: $13.84
- Total employment: 70 people (0.1 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: $28,720
- Median hourly wage: $13.81
- Total employment: 1,640 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $28,460
- Median hourly wage: $13.69
- Total employment: 16,920 people (25.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $28,410
- Median hourly wage: $13.66
- Total employment: 160 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $28,200
- Median hourly wage: $13.56
- Total employment: 10,020 people (15.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $27,890
- Median hourly wage: $13.41
- Total employment: 1,730 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $27,520
- Median hourly wage: $13.23
- Total employment: 460 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
hedgehog94 // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Shampooers
- Median annual wage: $27,310
- Median hourly wage: $13.13
- Total employment: 110 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $26,820
- Median hourly wage: $12.89
- 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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