UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $36,860
- Median hourly wage: $17.72
- Total employment: 150 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Hartford
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 Hartford. 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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Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $36,750
- Median hourly wage: $17.67
- Total employment: 460 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $36,740
- Median hourly wage: $17.66
- Total employment: Not available
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $36,650
- Median hourly wage: $17.62
- Total employment: 910 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $36,610
- Median hourly wage: $17.60
- Total employment: 400 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $36,430
- Median hourly wage: $17.51
- Total employment: 7,070 people (11.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Anucha Cheechang // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Switchboard operators, including answering service
- Median annual wage: $36,410
- Median hourly wage: $17.51
- Total employment: 130 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stoyan Yotov // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Coil winders, tapers, and finishers
- Median annual wage: $36,340
- Median hourly wage: $17.47
- Total employment: 120 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $36,300
- Median hourly wage: $17.45
- Total employment: 580 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Standret // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $36,290
- Median hourly wage: $17.45
- Total employment: 1,260 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SGr // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Machine feeders and offbearers
- Median annual wage: $36,280
- Median hourly wage: $17.44
- Total employment: 80 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $36,050
- Median hourly wage: $17.33
- Total employment: 460 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $35,950
- Median hourly wage: $17.29
- Total employment: 9,250 people (15.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $35,850
- Median hourly wage: $17.24
- Total employment: 540 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Anna Jurkovska // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Orderlies
- Median annual wage: $35,840
- Median hourly wage: $17.23
- Total employment: 490 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $35,810
- Median hourly wage: $17.22
- Total employment: 860 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Pharmacy aides
- Median annual wage: $35,740
- Median hourly wage: $17.19
- Total employment: 90 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $35,730
- Median hourly wage: $17.18
- Total employment: 160 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#31. Refuse and recyclable material collectors (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,650
- Median hourly wage: $17.14
- Total employment: 360 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Food servers, nonrestaurant (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,650
- Median hourly wage: $17.14
- Total employment: 1,650 people (2.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $35,630
- Median hourly wage: $17.13
- Total employment: 1,480 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $35,600
- Median hourly wage: $17.12
- Total employment: 1,150 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $35,370
- Median hourly wage: $17.01
- Total employment: 270 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
encierro // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,290
- Median hourly wage: $16.97
- Total employment: Not available
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $35,270
- Median hourly wage: $16.96
- Total employment: 230 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $35,100
- Median hourly wage: $16.87
- Total employment: 1,640 people (2.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Concierges
- Median annual wage: $35,080
- Median hourly wage: $16.87
- Total employment: 80 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $34,870
- Median hourly wage: $16.77
- Total employment: 2,190 people (3.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $34,850
- Median hourly wage: $16.75
- Total employment: 480 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nataliia Maksymenko // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Slaughterers and meat packers
- Median annual wage: $34,790
- Median hourly wage: $16.73
- Total employment: 40 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $34,780
- Median hourly wage: $16.72
- Total employment: 14,240 people (24.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $34,620
- Median hourly wage: $16.64
- Total employment: 2,410 people (4.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $34,530
- Median hourly wage: $16.60
- Total employment: 3,560 people (6.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $34,330
- Median hourly wage: $16.51
- Total employment: 130 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
36 / 50#14. Childcare workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,270
- Median hourly wage: $16.48
- Total employment: 3,010 people (5.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Driver/sales workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,270
- Median hourly wage: $16.48
- Total employment: 1,230 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $34,070
- Median hourly wage: $16.38
- Total employment: 2,940 people (4.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $33,920
- Median hourly wage: $16.31
- Total employment: 10,310 people (17.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $33,700
- Median hourly wage: $16.20
- Total employment: 10,950 people (18.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $33,440
- Median hourly wage: $16.08
- Total employment: 420 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $33,420
- Median hourly wage: $16.07
- Total employment: 340 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
APChanel // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Transportation workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $33,400
- Median hourly wage: $16.06
- Total employment: 130 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carlovis // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Tour and travel guides
- Median annual wage: $33,380
- Median hourly wage: $16.05
- Total employment: 140 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $33,140
- Median hourly wage: $15.93
- Total employment: 1,530 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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shocky // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers
- Median annual wage: $32,950
- Median hourly wage: $15.84
- Total employment: 190 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $32,900
- Median hourly wage: $15.82
- Total employment: 1,390 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $32,690
- Median hourly wage: $15.72
- Total employment: 2,110 people (3.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Amusement and recreation attendants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $32,640
- Median hourly wage: $15.69
- Total employment: 620 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Manicurists and pedicurists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $32,640
- Median hourly wage: $15.69
- Total employment: 1,320 people (2.23 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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