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1 / 50#50. Conveyor operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $44,080
- Median hourly wage: $21.19
- Total employment: 310 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in San Francisco
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 San Francisco. 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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Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $44,070
- Median hourly wage: $21.19
- Total employment: 6,330 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kelvn // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Passenger attendants
- Median annual wage: $43,710
- Median hourly wage: $21.01
- Total employment: 520 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $43,530
- Median hourly wage: $20.93
- Total employment: 31,140 people (12.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $43,480
- Median hourly wage: $20.91
- Total employment: 4,720 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $43,460
- Median hourly wage: $20.89
- Total employment: 970 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $43,400
- Median hourly wage: $20.86
- Total employment: 5,200 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitreel // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Food batchmakers
- Median annual wage: $43,280
- Median hourly wage: $20.81
- Total employment: 1,720 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $43,110
- Median hourly wage: $20.72
- Total employment: 1,680 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
adriaticfoto // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Textile, apparel, and furnishings workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $42,970
- Median hourly wage: $20.66
- Total employment: 90 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Material moving workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $42,880
- Median hourly wage: $20.62
- Total employment: 990 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Etchers and engravers
- Median annual wage: $42,800
- Median hourly wage: $20.58
- Total employment: 100 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $42,590
- Median hourly wage: $20.48
- Total employment: 3,520 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $42,500
- Median hourly wage: $20.43
- Total employment: 3,220 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $42,490
- Median hourly wage: $20.43
- Total employment: 37,380 people (15.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Cutters and trimmers, hand
- Median annual wage: $42,420
- Median hourly wage: $20.40
- Total employment: 40 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $42,300
- Median hourly wage: $20.34
- Total employment: 3,860 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
grivet // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Gambling change persons and booth cashiers
- Median annual wage: $42,280
- Median hourly wage: $20.33
- Total employment: 60 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Demonstrators and product promoters
- Median annual wage: $42,170
- Median hourly wage: $20.28
- Total employment: 1,720 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $41,980
- Median hourly wage: $20.18
- Total employment: 10,540 people (4.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $41,930
- Median hourly wage: $20.16
- Total employment: 2,410 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Sheremeta // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants
- Median annual wage: $41,720
- Median hourly wage: $20.06
- Total employment: 210 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $41,650
- Median hourly wage: $20.02
- Total employment: 2,480 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Cooks, all other
- Median annual wage: $41,600
- Median hourly wage: $20.00
- Total employment: 940 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Food processing workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $41,570
- Median hourly wage: $19.99
- Total employment: 830 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $41,430
- Median hourly wage: $19.92
- Total employment: 790 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $41,390
- Median hourly wage: $19.90
- Total employment: 730 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
shocky // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers
- Median annual wage: $41,020
- Median hourly wage: $19.72
- Total employment: 690 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
29 / 50#21. Packers and packagers, hand (tie)
- Median annual wage: $40,750
- Median hourly wage: $19.59
- Total employment: 5,620 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials (tie)
- Median annual wage: $40,750
- Median hourly wage: $19.59
- Total employment: 580 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $40,470
- Median hourly wage: $19.46
- Total employment: 47,330 people (19.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $40,280
- Median hourly wage: $19.37
- Total employment: 2,170 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $40,180
- Median hourly wage: $19.32
- Total employment: 8,440 people (3.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrei Zveaghintev // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Gambling service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $40,060
- Median hourly wage: $19.26
- Total employment: 70 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $39,660
- Median hourly wage: $19.07
- Total employment: 12,470 people (5.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $39,580
- Median hourly wage: $19.03
- Total employment: 1,870 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $39,520
- Median hourly wage: $19.00
- Total employment: 40,350 people (16.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $39,050
- Median hourly wage: $18.78
- Total employment: 5,560 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $38,960
- Median hourly wage: $18.73
- Total employment: 3,670 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Cameris // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Taxi drivers
- Median annual wage: $38,500
- Median hourly wage: $18.51
- Total employment: Not available
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santypan // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $38,430
- Median hourly wage: $18.48
- Total employment: 11,590 people (4.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $38,270
- Median hourly wage: $18.40
- Total employment: 10,440 people (4.34 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: $38,160
- Median hourly wage: $18.35
- Total employment: 5,090 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $37,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.96
- Total employment: 30,450 people (12.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yevgen Belich // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Gambling cage workers
- Median annual wage: $37,120
- Median hourly wage: $17.85
- Total employment: 80 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians
- Median annual wage: $36,860
- Median hourly wage: $17.72
- Total employment: 100 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $36,490
- Median hourly wage: $17.54
- Total employment: 4,090 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nick_Nick // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Gambling and sports book writers and runners
- Median annual wage: $36,400
- Median hourly wage: $17.50
- Total employment: 100 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $35,870
- Median hourly wage: $17.24
- Total employment: 109,070 people (45.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
antoniodiaz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Gambling dealers
- Median annual wage: $35,240
- Median hourly wage: $16.94
- Total employment: 1,260 people (0.52 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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