Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
- Median annual wage: $38,760
- Median hourly wage: $18.63
- Total employment: 420 people (2.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Salinas
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 Salinas. 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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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $38,670
- Median hourly wage: $18.59
- Total employment: 950 people (5.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $38,660
- Median hourly wage: $18.59
- Total employment: 850 people (4.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Baggage porters and bellhops
- Median annual wage: $38,650
- Median hourly wage: $18.58
- Total employment: 60 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $38,600
- Median hourly wage: $18.56
- Total employment: 1,890 people (10.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $38,330
- Median hourly wage: $18.43
- Total employment: 180 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
maxbelchenko // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Agricultural workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $38,320
- Median hourly wage: $18.42
- Total employment: 70 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $38,120
- Median hourly wage: $18.33
- Total employment: 30 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Cooks, all other
- Median annual wage: $38,080
- Median hourly wage: $18.31
- Total employment: Not available
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Production workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $38,060
- Median hourly wage: $18.30
- Total employment: 330 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $38,000
- Median hourly wage: $18.27
- Total employment: 350 people (1.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
12 / 50#38. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment (tie)
- Median annual wage: $37,960
- Median hourly wage: $18.25
- Total employment: 830 people (4.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Cooks, fast food (tie)
- Median annual wage: $37,960
- Median hourly wage: $18.25
- Total employment: 1,040 people (5.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $37,930
- Median hourly wage: $18.24
- Total employment: 320 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $37,920
- Median hourly wage: $18.23
- Total employment: 280 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Pharmacy aides
- Median annual wage: $37,910
- Median hourly wage: $18.23
- Total employment: 60 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitreel // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Food batchmakers
- Median annual wage: $37,790
- Median hourly wage: $18.17
- Total employment: 180 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
18 / 50#32. Material moving workers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $37,730
- Median hourly wage: $18.14
- Total employment: 50 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $37,730
- Median hourly wage: $18.14
- Total employment: 280 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dusan Petkovic // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping
- Median annual wage: $37,720
- Median hourly wage: $18.14
- Total employment: 130 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $37,690
- Median hourly wage: $18.12
- Total employment: 600 people (3.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $37,600
- Median hourly wage: $18.08
- Total employment: 190 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials
- Median annual wage: $37,570
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $37,540
- Median hourly wage: $18.05
- Total employment: 490 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
alexdov // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood
- Median annual wage: $37,470
- Median hourly wage: $18.02
- Total employment: 50 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $37,440
- Median hourly wage: $18.00
- Total employment: 4,400 people (23.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $37,380
- Median hourly wage: $17.97
- Total employment: 28,120 people (151.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
shocky // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers
- Median annual wage: $36,980
- Median hourly wage: $17.78
- Total employment: 50 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $36,970
- Median hourly wage: $17.78
- Total employment: 3,560 people (19.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
RossHelen // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $36,940
- Median hourly wage: $17.76
- Total employment: 260 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $36,910
- Median hourly wage: $17.75
- Total employment: 960 people (5.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leika production // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Couriers and messengers
- Median annual wage: $36,820
- Median hourly wage: $17.70
- Total employment: 50 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $36,740
- Median hourly wage: $17.66
- Total employment: 70 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $36,610
- Median hourly wage: $17.60
- Total employment: 120 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Graders and sorters, agricultural products
- Median annual wage: $36,590
- Median hourly wage: $17.59
- Total employment: 650 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Median annual wage: $36,510
- Median hourly wage: $17.56
- Total employment: 4,300 people (23.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $36,470
- Median hourly wage: $17.53
- Total employment: 3,990 people (21.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $36,370
- Median hourly wage: $17.49
- Total employment: 440 people (2.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Food processing workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,890
- Median hourly wage: $17.25
- Total employment: 130 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $35,850
- Median hourly wage: $17.24
- Total employment: 120 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,770
- Median hourly wage: $17.20
- Total employment: 370 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $35,570
- Median hourly wage: $17.10
- Total employment: 850 people (4.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $35,540
- Median hourly wage: $17.09
- Total employment: 580 people (3.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $35,530
- Median hourly wage: $17.08
- Total employment: 210 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $35,520
- Median hourly wage: $17.08
- Total employment: 2,450 people (13.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $35,480
- Median hourly wage: $17.06
- Total employment: 70 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $35,390
- Median hourly wage: $17.01
- Total employment: 3,460 people (18.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 1,020 people (5.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $34,810
- Median hourly wage: $16.74
- Total employment: 360 people (1.92 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: $33,580
- Median hourly wage: $16.15
- Total employment: 6,410 people (34.45 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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