Maria Sbytova // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Veterinary technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $31,710
- Median hourly wage: $15.24
- Total employment: 670 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Birmingham
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 Birmingham. 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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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
2 / 50#48. Library assistants, clerical (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,320
- Median hourly wage: $15.06
- Total employment: 240 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,320
- Median hourly wage: $15.06
- Total employment: 570 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carlovis // Shutterstock
4 / 50#46. Tour and travel guides (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 80 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Cooks, restaurant (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 4,760 people (9.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $31,160
- Median hourly wage: $14.98
- Total employment: 310 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Demonstrators and product promoters
- Median annual wage: $31,070
- Median hourly wage: $14.94
- Total employment: Not available
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $30,640
- Median hourly wage: $14.73
- Total employment: 5,360 people (10.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $30,240
- Median hourly wage: $14.54
- Total employment: 15,150 people (29.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,060
- Median hourly wage: $14.45
- Total employment: 780 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $29,990
- Median hourly wage: $14.42
- Total employment: 5,520 people (10.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $29,840
- Median hourly wage: $14.34
- Total employment: 310 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $29,820
- Median hourly wage: $14.34
- Total employment: Not available
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $29,480
- Median hourly wage: $14.18
- Total employment: 660 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krysja // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Funeral attendants
- Median annual wage: $29,260
- Median hourly wage: $14.07
- Total employment: 100 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $29,050
- Median hourly wage: $13.97
- Total employment: 550 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $28,990
- Median hourly wage: $13.94
- Total employment: 1,030 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $28,810
- Median hourly wage: $13.85
- Total employment: Not available
Roman Korotkov // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Crossing guards and flaggers
- Median annual wage: $28,770
- Median hourly wage: $13.83
- Total employment: 50 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $28,710
- Median hourly wage: $13.80
- Total employment: 800 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $28,650
- Median hourly wage: $13.78
- Total employment: 320 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $28,530
- Median hourly wage: $13.71
- Total employment: 1,510 people (2.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $28,420
- Median hourly wage: $13.66
- Total employment: 11,300 people (21.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $28,270
- Median hourly wage: $13.59
- Total employment: 1,420 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vasin Lee // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Residential advisors
- Median annual wage: $28,080
- Median hourly wage: $13.50
- Total employment: 510 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $28,060
- Median hourly wage: $13.49
- Total employment: 4,280 people (8.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $28,000
- Median hourly wage: $13.46
- Total employment: 510 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $27,990
- Median hourly wage: $13.46
- Total employment: 420 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $27,970
- Median hourly wage: $13.45
- Total employment: 1,720 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $27,850
- Median hourly wage: $13.39
- Total employment: 3,750 people (7.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $27,650
- Median hourly wage: $13.30
- Total employment: 5,590 people (10.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $27,580
- Median hourly wage: $13.26
- Total employment: 190 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $27,470
- Median hourly wage: $13.21
- Total employment: 100 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $27,280
- Median hourly wage: $13.11
- Total employment: 2,360 people (4.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $27,040
- Median hourly wage: $13.00
- Total employment: 1,080 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $26,580
- Median hourly wage: $12.78
- Total employment: 1,380 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $26,500
- Median hourly wage: $12.74
- Total employment: Not available
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $26,450
- Median hourly wage: $12.72
- Total employment: 1,090 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $25,430
- Median hourly wage: $12.23
- Total employment: 9,100 people (17.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
create jobs 51 // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Legislators
- Median annual wage: $24,790
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 230 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $24,630
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 2,390 people (4.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Recreational vehicle service technicians
- Median annual wage: $24,500
- Median hourly wage: $11.78
- Total employment: 80 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
43 / 50#7. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $23,430
- Median hourly wage: $11.26
- Total employment: 800 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Bartenders (tie)
- Median annual wage: $23,430
- Median hourly wage: $11.26
- Total employment: 1,470 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $22,710
- Median hourly wage: $10.92
- Total employment: 1,040 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $22,430
- Median hourly wage: $10.79
- Total employment: 1,760 people (3.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $21,930
- Median hourly wage: $10.54
- Total employment: 6,820 people (13.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $21,040
- Median hourly wage: $10.11
- Total employment: 290 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $19,960
- Median hourly wage: $9.59
- Total employment: Not available
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Bus drivers, school
- Median annual wage: $18,550
- Median hourly wage: $8.92
- Total employment: 2,080 people (4.01 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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