Undrey // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Data entry keyers
- Median annual wage: $37,500
- Median hourly wage: $18.03
- Total employment: 40 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Lake Havasu City
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 Lake Havasu City. 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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Dragon Images // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $37,440
- Median hourly wage: $18.00
- Total employment: 120 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $36,940
- Median hourly wage: $17.76
- Total employment: 360 people (6.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $36,910
- Median hourly wage: $17.74
- Total employment: 150 people (2.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $36,890
- Median hourly wage: $17.73
- Total employment: 280 people (5.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Ground Picture // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $36,640
- Median hourly wage: $17.61
- Total employment: 1,320 people (23.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Median annual wage: $36,540
- Median hourly wage: $17.57
- Total employment: 910 people (16.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $36,390
- Median hourly wage: $17.50
- Total employment: 270 people (4.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $36,340
- Median hourly wage: $17.47
- Total employment: 60 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Standret // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $36,250
- Median hourly wage: $17.43
- Total employment: 230 people (4.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Chay_Tee // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Tax preparers
- Median annual wage: $36,160
- Median hourly wage: $17.38
- Total employment: 50 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
- Median annual wage: $36,140
- Median hourly wage: $17.37
- Total employment: 320 people (5.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $35,780
- Median hourly wage: $17.20
- Total employment: 120 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage: $35,720
- Median hourly wage: $17.17
- Total employment: 130 people (2.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
worradirek // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers
- Median annual wage: $35,620
- Median hourly wage: $17.13
- Total employment: 70 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $35,450
- Median hourly wage: $17.04
- Total employment: 50 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $35,380
- Median hourly wage: $17.01
- Total employment: 90 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $35,310
- Median hourly wage: $16.97
- Total employment: 40 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $35,250
- Median hourly wage: $16.95
- Total employment: 590 people (10.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $35,150
- Median hourly wage: $16.90
- Total employment: 110 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $35,110
- Median hourly wage: $16.88
- Total employment: 800 people (14.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $34,980
- Median hourly wage: $16.82
- Total employment: 1,280 people (23.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $34,770
- Median hourly wage: $16.72
- Total employment: 130 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $34,490
- Median hourly wage: $16.58
- Total employment: 2,120 people (38.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $34,170
- Median hourly wage: $16.43
- Total employment: 50 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DSBfoto // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $33,880
- Median hourly wage: $16.29
- Total employment: 670 people (12.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $33,840
- Median hourly wage: $16.27
- Total employment: 330 people (5.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $33,700
- Median hourly wage: $16.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $33,640
- Median hourly wage: $16.18
- Total employment: 580 people (10.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
30 / 50#20. Food preparation workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,550
- Median hourly wage: $16.13
- Total employment: 370 people (6.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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aboutsung // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,550
- Median hourly wage: $16.13
- Total employment: 140 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $33,520
- Median hourly wage: $16.12
- Total employment: 90 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $33,330
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 580 people (10.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $33,090
- Median hourly wage: $15.91
- Total employment: 80 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $32,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.48
- Total employment: 410 people (7.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $32,070
- Median hourly wage: $15.42
- Total employment: 150 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $31,940
- Median hourly wage: $15.36
- Total employment: 220 people (4.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $31,910
- Median hourly wage: $15.34
- Total employment: 110 people (1.96 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: $31,880
- Median hourly wage: $15.33
- Total employment: 220 people (3.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $31,580
- Median hourly wage: $15.19
- Total employment: 70 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $31,500
- Median hourly wage: $15.14
- Total employment: 100 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $31,440
- Median hourly wage: $15.12
- Total employment: 200 people (3.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $31,410
- Median hourly wage: $15.10
- Total employment: 2,170 people (39.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $31,400
- Median hourly wage: $15.10
- Total employment: 50 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Emergency medical technicians
- Median annual wage: $31,090
- Median hourly wage: $14.95
- Total employment: 80 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $31,010
- Median hourly wage: $14.91
- Total employment: 140 people (2.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $30,750
- Median hourly wage: $14.79
- Total employment: 2,590 people (46.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $30,480
- Median hourly wage: $14.65
- Total employment: 30 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $29,940
- Median hourly wage: $14.39
- Total employment: 100 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $29,850
- Median hourly wage: $14.35
- Total employment: 60 people (1.17 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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