worradirek // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Helpers--production workers
- Median annual wage: $33,370
- Median hourly wage: $16.04
- Total employment: 40 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Hot Springs
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 Hot Springs. 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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New Africa // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Median annual wage: $33,260
- Median hourly wage: $15.99
- Total employment: 50 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $33,030
- Median hourly wage: $15.88
- Total employment: Not available
Standret // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $33,020
- Median hourly wage: $15.88
- Total employment: 140 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $32,760
- Median hourly wage: $15.75
- Total employment: 40 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $32,520
- Median hourly wage: $15.64
- Total employment: 90 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lee Charlie // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $32,320
- Median hourly wage: $15.54
- Total employment: 50 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $32,170
- Median hourly wage: $15.47
- Total employment: 60 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $31,000
- Median hourly wage: $14.90
- Total employment: 900 people (23.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Goldsithney // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Psychiatric technicians
- Median annual wage: $30,810
- Median hourly wage: $14.81
- Total employment: 30 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $30,750
- Median hourly wage: $14.78
- Total employment: 60 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $30,650
- Median hourly wage: $14.74
- Total employment: 100 people (2.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,570
- Median hourly wage: $14.70
- Total employment: 430 people (11.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Median annual wage: $30,550
- Median hourly wage: $14.69
- Total employment: 400 people (10.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage: $30,440
- Median hourly wage: $14.64
- Total employment: 80 people (2.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- Median annual wage: $30,380
- Median hourly wage: $14.61
- Total employment: 470 people (12.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $30,350
- Median hourly wage: $14.59
- Total employment: 40 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $30,230
- Median hourly wage: $14.54
- Total employment: 320 people (8.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alba_alioth // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $30,140
- Median hourly wage: $14.49
- Total employment: 130 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $30,100
- Median hourly wage: $14.47
- Total employment: 220 people (5.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $29,750
- Median hourly wage: $14.31
- Total employment: 120 people (3.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Nursing assistants
- Median annual wage: $29,560
- Median hourly wage: $14.21
- Total employment: 890 people (23.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $29,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: 70 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $28,990
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 270 people (7.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $28,840
- Median hourly wage: $13.86
- Total employment: 1,480 people (39.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $28,830
- Median hourly wage: $13.86
- Total employment: 60 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $28,770
- Median hourly wage: $13.83
- Total employment: 600 people (15.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $28,670
- Median hourly wage: $13.78
- Total employment: 90 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $28,540
- Median hourly wage: $13.72
- Total employment: 150 people (3.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $28,110
- Median hourly wage: $13.52
- Total employment: 200 people (5.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DSBfoto // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $27,590
- Median hourly wage: $13.26
- Total employment: 530 people (14.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $27,480
- Median hourly wage: $13.21
- Total employment: 90 people (2.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $27,290
- Median hourly wage: $13.12
- Total employment: 1,150 people (30.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $27,240
- Median hourly wage: $13.10
- Total employment: 280 people (7.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $27,030
- Median hourly wage: $13.00
- Total employment: 220 people (5.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $26,610
- Median hourly wage: $12.79
- Total employment: 100 people (2.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $26,560
- Median hourly wage: $12.77
- Total employment: 160 people (4.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $26,550
- Median hourly wage: $12.77
- Total employment: 440 people (11.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $26,440
- Median hourly wage: $12.71
- Total employment: 60 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $26,110
- Median hourly wage: $12.56
- Total employment: 50 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Martin Smith // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $26,000
- Median hourly wage: $12.50
- Total employment: 40 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $25,810
- Median hourly wage: $12.41
- Total employment: 100 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $25,760
- Median hourly wage: $12.38
- Total employment: 210 people (5.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $25,750
- Median hourly wage: $12.38
- Total employment: 970 people (25.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $25,380
- Median hourly wage: $12.20
- Total employment: 720 people (19.13 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: $25,050
- Median hourly wage: $12.04
- Total employment: 150 people (4.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $24,990
- Median hourly wage: $12.01
- Total employment: 1,450 people (38.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $23,890
- Median hourly wage: $11.48
- Total employment: 190 people (4.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $23,330
- Median hourly wage: $11.22
- Total employment: 80 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $23,200
- Median hourly wage: $11.15
- Total employment: 160 people (4.29 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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