Lowest-paying jobs in Florence

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 Florence. 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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UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Parts salespersons

- Median annual wage: $30,990
- Median hourly wage: $14.90
- Total employment: 140 people (2.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

giocalde // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Printing press operators

- Median annual wage: $30,890
- Median hourly wage: $14.85
- Total employment: 60 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Stockers and order fillers

- Median annual wage: $30,870
- Median hourly wage: $14.84
- Total employment: 1,190 people (21.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

New Africa // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Receptionists and information clerks

- Median annual wage: $30,170
- Median hourly wage: $14.50
- Total employment: 360 people (6.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DuxX // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Butchers and meat cutters

- Median annual wage: $30,040
- Median hourly wage: $14.44
- Total employment: 60 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Nursing assistants

- Median annual wage: $29,980
- Median hourly wage: $14.41
- Total employment: 670 people (12.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

worradirek // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Helpers--production workers

- Median annual wage: $29,850
- Median hourly wage: $14.35
- Total employment: 100 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers

- Median annual wage: $29,720
- Median hourly wage: $14.29
- Total employment: 40 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Security guards

- Median annual wage: $29,470
- Median hourly wage: $14.17
- Total employment: 170 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Recreation workers

- Median annual wage: $29,460
- Median hourly wage: $14.16
- Total employment: 160 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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guteksk7 // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing

- Median annual wage: $29,440
- Median hourly wage: $14.15
- Total employment: 90 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists

- Median annual wage: $29,310
- Median hourly wage: $14.09
- Total employment: 60 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

worradirek // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers

- Median annual wage: $28,910
- Median hourly wage: $13.90
- Total employment: 60 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nejron Photo // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment

- Median annual wage: $28,810
- Median hourly wage: $13.85
- Total employment: 150 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Cooks, restaurant

- Median annual wage: $28,800
- Median hourly wage: $13.85
- Total employment: 660 people (11.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Sewing machine operators

- Median annual wage: $28,730
- Median hourly wage: $13.81
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Maria Sbytova // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Veterinary technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $28,500
- Median hourly wage: $13.70
- Total employment: 50 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ruslan Galiullin // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Office clerks, general

- Median annual wage: $28,460
- Median hourly wage: $13.68
- Total employment: 370 people (6.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Retail salespersons

- Median annual wage: $28,420
- Median hourly wage: $13.67
- Total employment: 2,080 people (37.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kanemme6 // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Tire repairers and changers

- Median annual wage: $28,090
- Median hourly wage: $13.50
- Total employment: 50 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Cooks, institution and cafeteria

- Median annual wage: $27,490
- Median hourly wage: $13.22
- Total employment: 210 people (3.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Africa Studio // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs

- Median annual wage: $27,470
- Median hourly wage: $13.21
- Total employment: 30 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pressmaster // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Animal caretakers

- Median annual wage: $27,460
- Median hourly wage: $13.20
- Total employment: 120 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DSBfoto // Shutterstock

24 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $27,270
- Median hourly wage: $13.11
- Total employment: 720 people (13.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers

- Median annual wage: $27,180
- Median hourly wage: $13.07
- Total employment: 40 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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NIKCOA // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Medical transcriptionists

- Median annual wage: $27,000
- Median hourly wage: $12.98
- Total employment: 40 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Automotive and watercraft service attendants

- Median annual wage: $26,900
- Median hourly wage: $12.94
- Total employment: 90 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Dishwashers

- Median annual wage: $26,790
- Median hourly wage: $12.88
- Total employment: 110 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

VGstockstudio // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Food servers, nonrestaurant

- Median annual wage: $26,710
- Median hourly wage: $12.84
- Total employment: 110 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Packers and packagers, hand

- Median annual wage: $26,610
- Median hourly wage: $12.79
- Total employment: 100 people (1.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks

- Median annual wage: $26,200
- Median hourly wage: $12.60
- Total employment: 90 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dean Drobot // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Cashiers

- Median annual wage: $25,490
- Median hourly wage: $12.26
- Total employment: 1,660 people (29.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Maids and housekeeping cleaners

- Median annual wage: $25,400
- Median hourly wage: $12.21
- Total employment: 170 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jason Person // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Cooks, short order

- Median annual wage: $24,270
- Median hourly wage: $11.67
- Total employment: 40 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alena Veasey // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Cooks, fast food

- Median annual wage: $23,880
- Median hourly wage: $11.48
- Total employment: 920 people (16.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Home health and personal care aides

- Median annual wage: $23,520
- Median hourly wage: $11.31
- Total employment: 690 people (12.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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37 / 50

#14. Legislators

- Median annual wage: $22,880
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 30 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paul.J.West // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary

- Median annual wage: $22,740
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 260 people (4.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dragon Images // Shutterstock

39 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $22,680
- Median hourly wage: $10.90
- Total employment: 160 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Waiters and waitresses

- Median annual wage: $22,500
- Median hourly wage: $10.82
- Total employment: 1,080 people (19.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Food preparation workers

- Median annual wage: $22,410
- Median hourly wage: $10.78
- Total employment: 420 people (7.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Fast food and counter workers

- Median annual wage: $22,350
- Median hourly wage: $10.75
- Total employment: 1,140 people (20.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santypan // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Bartenders

- Median annual wage: $21,360
- Median hourly wage: $10.27
- Total employment: 170 people (3.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Childcare workers

- Median annual wage: $21,030
- Median hourly wage: $10.11
- Total employment: 120 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

aboutsung // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers

- Median annual wage: $20,980
- Median hourly wage: $10.09
- Total employment: 150 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Library assistants, clerical

- Median annual wage: $20,480
- Median hourly wage: $9.84
- Total employment: 30 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Amusement and recreation attendants

- Median annual wage: $20,160
- Median hourly wage: $9.69
- Total employment: 190 people (3.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vasin Lee // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Residential advisors

- Median annual wage: $18,990
- Median hourly wage: $9.13
- Total employment: 60 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DGLimages // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Teaching assistants, postsecondary

- Median annual wage: $18,760
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 550 people (9.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

LightField Studios // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Bus drivers, school

- Median annual wage: $17,500
- Median hourly wage: $8.41
- Total employment: 310 people (5.61 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.