Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $38,850
- Median hourly wage: $18.68
- Total employment: 240 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Anchorage
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 Anchorage. 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.
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $38,810
- Median hourly wage: $18.66
- Total employment: 2,690 people (15.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service
- Median annual wage: $38,020
- Median hourly wage: $18.28
- Total employment: 50 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tong_stocker // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Helpers--carpenters
- Median annual wage: $37,930
- Median hourly wage: $18.23
- Total employment: 120 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $37,700
- Median hourly wage: $18.13
- Total employment: 4,280 people (24.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Photographers
- Median annual wage: $37,610
- Median hourly wage: $18.08
- Total employment: 40 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
alexdov // Shutterstock
7 / 50#43. Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood (tie)
- Median annual wage: $37,480
- Median hourly wage: $18.02
- Total employment: Not available
DuxX // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders (tie)
- Median annual wage: $37,480
- Median hourly wage: $18.02
- Total employment: 170 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $37,410
- Median hourly wage: $17.99
- Total employment: 240 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $37,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.96
- Total employment: 570 people (3.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $37,150
- Median hourly wage: $17.86
- Total employment: 1,080 people (6.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $36,980
- Median hourly wage: $17.78
- Total employment: 4,700 people (26.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $36,920
- Median hourly wage: $17.75
- Total employment: 70 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $36,870
- Median hourly wage: $17.73
- Total employment: 460 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $36,810
- Median hourly wage: $17.70
- Total employment: 250 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
shocky // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers
- Median annual wage: $36,640
- Median hourly wage: $17.62
- Total employment: 90 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Anucha Cheechang // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Switchboard operators, including answering service
- Median annual wage: $36,600
- Median hourly wage: $17.60
- Total employment: 50 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $36,560
- Median hourly wage: $17.58
- Total employment: 360 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $36,480
- Median hourly wage: $17.54
- Total employment: 1,500 people (8.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Coaches and scouts
- Median annual wage: $36,230
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 250 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Median annual wage: $36,120
- Median hourly wage: $17.36
- Total employment: 50 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $36,110
- Median hourly wage: $17.36
- Total employment: 2,790 people (15.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $35,950
- Median hourly wage: $17.29
- Total employment: 70 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $35,920
- Median hourly wage: $17.27
- Total employment: 90 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
25 / 50#25. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,820
- Median hourly wage: $17.22
- Total employment: 330 people (1.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Cooks, fast food (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,820
- Median hourly wage: $17.22
- Total employment: 2,010 people (11.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $35,810
- Median hourly wage: $17.22
- Total employment: 150 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $35,660
- Median hourly wage: $17.15
- Total employment: 190 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $35,380
- Median hourly wage: $17.01
- Total employment: 360 people (2.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
30 / 50#20. Preschool teachers, except special education (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,980
- Median hourly wage: $16.82
- Total employment: 360 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Childcare workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,980
- Median hourly wage: $16.82
- Total employment: 760 people (4.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $34,860
- Median hourly wage: $16.76
- Total employment: 3,040 people (17.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $34,720
- Median hourly wage: $16.69
- Total employment: 380 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Baggage porters and bellhops
- Median annual wage: $34,660
- Median hourly wage: $16.66
- Total employment: 40 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $34,210
- Median hourly wage: $16.45
- Total employment: Not available
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $34,050
- Median hourly wage: $16.37
- Total employment: 790 people (4.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $33,850
- Median hourly wage: $16.27
- Total employment: 50 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
O.PASH // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Animal trainers
- Median annual wage: $33,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NIKCOA // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Medical transcriptionists
- Median annual wage: $31,940
- Median hourly wage: $15.36
- Total employment: 60 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
APChanel // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Transportation workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $31,720
- Median hourly wage: $15.25
- Total employment: Not available
santypan // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $31,270
- Median hourly wage: $15.03
- Total employment: 1,160 people (6.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $30,840
- Median hourly wage: $14.83
- Total employment: 140 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $30,820
- Median hourly wage: $14.82
- Total employment: 200 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $29,770
- Median hourly wage: $14.31
- Total employment: 210 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $29,540
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,500 people (8.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Sheremeta // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants
- Median annual wage: $29,410
- Median hourly wage: $14.14
- Total employment: 100 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $29,280
- Median hourly wage: $14.08
- Total employment: 2,390 people (13.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrei Zveaghintev // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Gambling service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $27,460
- Median hourly wage: $13.20
- Total employment: 200 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $25,930
- Median hourly wage: $12.47
- Total employment: 170 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall
- Median annual wage: $24,400
- Median hourly wage: $11.73
- Total employment: 70 people (0.39 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.
