Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $39,720
- Median hourly wage: $19.10
- Total employment: 380 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Modesto
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 Modesto. 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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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $39,610
- Median hourly wage: $19.04
- Total employment: 490 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Agricultural equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $39,490
- Median hourly wage: $18.98
- Total employment: 280 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $39,300
- Median hourly wage: $18.89
- Total employment: 2,440 people (12.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
guteksk7 // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing
- Median annual wage: $39,230
- Median hourly wage: $18.86
- Total employment: 120 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $39,070
- Median hourly wage: $18.78
- Total employment: 160 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $38,900
- Median hourly wage: $18.70
- Total employment: 1,010 people (5.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $38,770
- Median hourly wage: $18.64
- Total employment: 1,550 people (7.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $38,750
- Median hourly wage: $18.63
- Total employment: 4,620 people (23.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $38,690
- Median hourly wage: $18.60
- Total employment: 1,090 people (5.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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alexdov // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood
- Median annual wage: $38,650
- Median hourly wage: $18.58
- Total employment: 50 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $38,410
- Median hourly wage: $18.47
- Total employment: 200 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Material moving workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $37,810
- Median hourly wage: $18.18
- Total employment: 120 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
encierro // Shutterstock
14 / 50#36. Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals (tie)
- Median annual wage: $37,720
- Median hourly wage: $18.13
- Total employment: 110 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $37,720
- Median hourly wage: $18.14
- Total employment: 80 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $37,430
- Median hourly wage: $18.00
- Total employment: 7,250 people (37.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Teaching assistants, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $37,270
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $37,070
- Median hourly wage: $17.82
- Total employment: 160 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $36,910
- Median hourly wage: $17.74
- Total employment: 30 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Graders and sorters, agricultural products
- Median annual wage: $36,870
- Median hourly wage: $17.73
- Total employment: 270 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krysja // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Funeral attendants
- Median annual wage: $36,850
- Median hourly wage: $17.72
- Total employment: 40 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $36,810
- Median hourly wage: $17.70
- Total employment: 280 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
shocky // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers
- Median annual wage: $36,750
- Median hourly wage: $17.67
- Total employment: 220 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $36,700
- Median hourly wage: $17.65
- Total employment: 920 people (4.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Pharmacy aides
- Median annual wage: $36,670
- Median hourly wage: $17.63
- Total employment: 90 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $36,650
- Median hourly wage: $17.62
- Total employment: 1,700 people (8.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $36,620
- Median hourly wage: $17.61
- Total employment: 450 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Demonstrators and product promoters
- Median annual wage: $36,530
- Median hourly wage: $17.56
- Total employment: 110 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $36,400
- Median hourly wage: $17.50
- Total employment: 290 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $36,320
- Median hourly wage: $17.46
- Total employment: 1,080 people (5.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $36,210
- Median hourly wage: $17.41
- Total employment: 4,910 people (25.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MarijaBazarova // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Skincare specialists
- Median annual wage: $36,130
- Median hourly wage: $17.37
- Total employment: 150 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $36,030
- Median hourly wage: $17.32
- Total employment: 4,980 people (25.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $35,940
- Median hourly wage: $17.28
- Total employment: 370 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $35,890
- Median hourly wage: $17.26
- Total employment: 370 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $35,750
- Median hourly wage: $17.19
- Total employment: 150 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $35,500
- Median hourly wage: $17.07
- Total employment: 910 people (4.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Atstock Productions // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Telemarketers
- Median annual wage: $35,490
- Median hourly wage: $17.06
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,450
- Median hourly wage: $17.04
- Total employment: 40 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $35,400
- Median hourly wage: $17.02
- Total employment: 760 people (3.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 110 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $34,750
- Median hourly wage: $16.71
- Total employment: 80 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $34,670
- Median hourly wage: $16.67
- Total employment: 580 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $34,600
- Median hourly wage: $16.63
- Total employment: 200 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $34,350
- Median hourly wage: $16.52
- Total employment: 650 people (3.33 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: $34,340
- Median hourly wage: $16.51
- Total employment: 320 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $34,310
- Median hourly wage: $16.50
- Total employment: 2,280 people (11.7 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: $34,220
- Median hourly wage: $16.45
- Total employment: 460 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $33,420
- Median hourly wage: $16.07
- Total employment: 360 people (1.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $33,380
- Median hourly wage: $16.05
- Total employment: 8,370 people (43.02 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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