DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $36,220
- Median hourly wage: $17.41
- Total employment: 1,980 people (4.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Fresno
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 Fresno. 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
2 / 50#49. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $36,110
- Median hourly wage: $17.36
- Total employment: 100 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
amarklc // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Museum technicians and conservators
- Median annual wage: $36,050
- Median hourly wage: $17.33
- Total employment: 50 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Anna Jurkovska // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Orderlies
- Median annual wage: $36,040
- Median hourly wage: $17.33
- Total employment: 210 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
5 / 50#45. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,900
- Median hourly wage: $17.26
- Total employment: 490 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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KarepaStock // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Grounds maintenance workers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,900
- Median hourly wage: $17.26
- Total employment: Not available
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
7 / 50#43. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,790
- Median hourly wage: $17.21
- Total employment: 1,970 people (4.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Animal caretakers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,790
- Median hourly wage: $17.21
- Total employment: 650 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Occupational therapy aides
- Median annual wage: $35,780
- Median hourly wage: $17.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $35,710
- Median hourly wage: $17.17
- Total employment: 290 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $35,690
- Median hourly wage: $17.16
- Total employment: 690 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $35,640
- Median hourly wage: $17.14
- Total employment: 12,340 people (26.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Concierges
- Median annual wage: $35,610
- Median hourly wage: $17.12
- Total employment: 40 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $35,560
- Median hourly wage: $17.10
- Total employment: 2,100 people (4.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $35,540
- Median hourly wage: $17.09
- Total employment: 360 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Yevgen Belich // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Gambling cage workers
- Median annual wage: $35,530
- Median hourly wage: $17.08
- Total employment: 50 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Material moving workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 220 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $35,340
- Median hourly wage: $16.99
- Total employment: 110 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Food processing workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,310
- Median hourly wage: $16.98
- Total employment: 470 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suteren // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Dietetic technicians
- Median annual wage: $35,300
- Median hourly wage: $16.97
- Total employment: 100 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Production workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.96
- Total employment: 1,030 people (2.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Graders and sorters, agricultural products
- Median annual wage: $35,230
- Median hourly wage: $16.94
- Total employment: 950 people (2.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $35,220
- Median hourly wage: $16.93
- Total employment: 510 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $35,180
- Median hourly wage: $16.91
- Total employment: 610 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $35,160
- Median hourly wage: $16.90
- Total employment: 4,610 people (9.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kzenon // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Metal workers and plastic workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,110
- Median hourly wage: $16.88
- Total employment: 80 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $35,070
- Median hourly wage: $16.86
- Total employment: 8,830 people (18.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
grivet // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Gambling change persons and booth cashiers
- Median annual wage: $34,910
- Median hourly wage: $16.79
- Total employment: 170 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $34,820
- Median hourly wage: $16.74
- Total employment: 570 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $34,790
- Median hourly wage: $16.73
- Total employment: 27,680 people (58.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $34,590
- Median hourly wage: $16.63
- Total employment: 1,420 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrei Zveaghintev // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Gambling service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $34,390
- Median hourly wage: $16.53
- Total employment: 80 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $34,380
- Median hourly wage: $16.53
- Total employment: 1,190 people (2.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $34,340
- Median hourly wage: $16.51
- Total employment: 9,720 people (20.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $34,330
- Median hourly wage: $16.51
- Total employment: 5,030 people (10.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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santypan // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $34,210
- Median hourly wage: $16.45
- Total employment: 1,240 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $34,200
- Median hourly wage: $16.44
- Total employment: 910 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
encierro // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
- Median annual wage: $34,130
- Median hourly wage: $16.41
- Total employment: Not available
MarijaBazarova // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Skincare specialists
- Median annual wage: $34,020
- Median hourly wage: $16.36
- Total employment: 270 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $33,970
- Median hourly wage: $16.33
- Total employment: 770 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmytro Sheremeta // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants
- Median annual wage: $33,920
- Median hourly wage: $16.31
- Total employment: 60 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $33,770
- Median hourly wage: $16.24
- Total employment: 1,260 people (2.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $33,580
- Median hourly wage: $16.15
- Total employment: 130 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $33,500
- Median hourly wage: $16.11
- Total employment: 100 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $33,470
- Median hourly wage: $16.09
- Total employment: 770 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $33,410
- Median hourly wage: $16.06
- Total employment: 300 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $33,290
- Median hourly wage: $16.00
- Total employment: 4,500 people (9.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Amusement and recreation attendants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.00
- Total employment: 1,330 people (2.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
antoniodiaz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Gambling dealers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.00
- Total employment: 500 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Home health and personal care aides (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.00
- Total employment: 28,680 people (60.97 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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