Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Agricultural equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $37,700
- Median hourly wage: $18.12
- Total employment: 650 people (3.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Visalia
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 Visalia. 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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Standret // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $37,680
- Median hourly wage: $18.12
- Total employment: 470 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $37,630
- Median hourly wage: $18.09
- Total employment: 750 people (4.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $37,620
- Median hourly wage: $18.09
- Total employment: 70 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
maxbelchenko // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Agricultural workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $37,500
- Median hourly wage: $18.03
- Total employment: 60 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Africa Studio // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $37,260
- Median hourly wage: $17.92
- Total employment: 170 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
encierro // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
- Median annual wage: $37,200
- Median hourly wage: $17.89
- Total employment: 130 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $37,190
- Median hourly wage: $17.88
- Total employment: 120 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Metal workers and plastic workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $37,060
- Median hourly wage: $17.82
- Total employment: 50 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
hedgehog94 // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Pest control workers
- Median annual wage: $36,900
- Median hourly wage: $17.74
- Total employment: 170 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Demonstrators and product promoters
- Median annual wage: $36,760
- Median hourly wage: $17.67
- Total employment: 80 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $36,650
- Median hourly wage: $17.62
- Total employment: 270 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitreel // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Food batchmakers
- Median annual wage: $36,540
- Median hourly wage: $17.57
- Total employment: 360 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $36,520
- Median hourly wage: $17.56
- Total employment: 2,220 people (13.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $36,450
- Median hourly wage: $17.52
- Total employment: 100 people (0.6 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: $36,390
- Median hourly wage: $17.49
- Total employment: 4,860 people (28.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $36,340
- Median hourly wage: $17.47
- Total employment: 300 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Pharmacy aides
- Median annual wage: $36,250
- Median hourly wage: $17.43
- Total employment: 40 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $36,030
- Median hourly wage: $17.32
- Total employment: 90 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $35,880
- Median hourly wage: $17.25
- Total employment: 1,530 people (9.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage: $35,830
- Median hourly wage: $17.23
- Total employment: 360 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $35,730
- Median hourly wage: $17.18
- Total employment: 660 people (3.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $35,700
- Median hourly wage: $17.16
- Total employment: 780 people (4.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $35,680
- Median hourly wage: $17.15
- Total employment: 110 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MarijaBazarova // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Skincare specialists
- Median annual wage: $35,610
- Median hourly wage: $17.12
- Total employment: 80 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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NIKCOA // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Medical transcriptionists
- Median annual wage: $35,600
- Median hourly wage: $17.12
- Total employment: 40 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
27 / 50#23. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,380
- Median hourly wage: $17.01
- Total employment: 630 people (3.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Cooks, short order (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,380
- Median hourly wage: $17.01
- Total employment: 380 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $35,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.96
- Total employment: 120 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suteren // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Dietetic technicians
- Median annual wage: $35,240
- Median hourly wage: $16.94
- Total employment: 60 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Virrage Images // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,140
- Median hourly wage: $16.89
- Total employment: 50 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $35,080
- Median hourly wage: $16.86
- Total employment: 220 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
33 / 50#17. Graders and sorters, agricultural products (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,050
- Median hourly wage: $16.85
- Total employment: 600 people (3.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,050
- Median hourly wage: $16.85
- Total employment: 21,750 people (127.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $35,000
- Median hourly wage: $16.83
- Total employment: 220 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $34,900
- Median hourly wage: $16.78
- Total employment: 3,620 people (21.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $34,710
- Median hourly wage: $16.69
- Total employment: 50 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $34,630
- Median hourly wage: $16.65
- Total employment: 780 people (4.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $34,610
- Median hourly wage: $16.64
- Total employment: 480 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $34,520
- Median hourly wage: $16.60
- Total employment: 4,220 people (24.79 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: $34,210
- Median hourly wage: $16.45
- Total employment: 130 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Emergency medical technicians
- Median annual wage: $34,060
- Median hourly wage: $16.38
- Total employment: 170 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $33,800
- Median hourly wage: $16.25
- Total employment: 1,770 people (10.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $33,650
- Median hourly wage: $16.18
- Total employment: 1,430 people (8.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $33,590
- Median hourly wage: $16.15
- Total employment: 300 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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santypan // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $33,510
- Median hourly wage: $16.11
- Total employment: 390 people (2.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $33,480
- Median hourly wage: $16.10
- Total employment: 190 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $33,460
- Median hourly wage: $16.09
- Total employment: 210 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $33,400
- Median hourly wage: $16.06
- Total employment: 400 people (2.37 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: $33,330
- Median hourly wage: $16.03
- Total employment: 7,840 people (46.07 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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