Kzenon // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Religious workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $38,010
- Median hourly wage: $18.27
- Total employment: Not available
Lowest-paying jobs in New Haven
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 New Haven. 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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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Library assistants, clerical
- Median annual wage: $37,910
- Median hourly wage: $18.22
- Total employment: 260 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $37,830
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 3,410 people (12.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $37,750
- Median hourly wage: $18.15
- Total employment: 5,090 people (17.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $37,640
- Median hourly wage: $18.10
- Total employment: 2,140 people (7.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $37,580
- Median hourly wage: $18.07
- Total employment: 40 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $37,330
- Median hourly wage: $17.95
- Total employment: 190 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
encierro // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
- Median annual wage: $37,270
- Median hourly wage: $17.92
- Total employment: 40 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $37,250
- Median hourly wage: $17.91
- Total employment: 6,510 people (22.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
giocalde // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Print binding and finishing workers
- Median annual wage: $36,940
- Median hourly wage: $17.76
- Total employment: 140 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $36,730
- Median hourly wage: $17.66
- Total employment: 3,250 people (11.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $36,610
- Median hourly wage: $17.60
- Total employment: 250 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitreel // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Food batchmakers
- Median annual wage: $36,580
- Median hourly wage: $17.59
- Total employment: 310 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Anucha Cheechang // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Switchboard operators, including answering service
- Median annual wage: $36,560
- Median hourly wage: $17.58
- Total employment: 90 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $36,520
- Median hourly wage: $17.56
- Total employment: 270 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $36,390
- Median hourly wage: $17.50
- Total employment: 630 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Standret // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $36,270
- Median hourly wage: $17.44
- Total employment: 660 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage: $36,230
- Median hourly wage: $17.42
- Total employment: 530 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $36,180
- Median hourly wage: $17.39
- Total employment: 270 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $35,950
- Median hourly wage: $17.28
- Total employment: 520 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Pharmacy aides
- Median annual wage: $35,940
- Median hourly wage: $17.28
- Total employment: 80 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Concierges
- Median annual wage: $35,900
- Median hourly wage: $17.26
- Total employment: 40 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
23 / 50#27. Bakers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,770
- Median hourly wage: $17.20
- Total employment: Not available
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Driver/sales workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,770
- Median hourly wage: $17.20
- Total employment: 560 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $35,630
- Median hourly wage: $17.13
- Total employment: 2,070 people (7.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $35,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.96
- Total employment: 90 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $35,270
- Median hourly wage: $16.96
- Total employment: 760 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $35,210
- Median hourly wage: $16.93
- Total employment: 140 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $35,200
- Median hourly wage: $16.93
- Total employment: 360 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Anna Jurkovska // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Orderlies
- Median annual wage: $35,110
- Median hourly wage: $16.88
- Total employment: 240 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $34,990
- Median hourly wage: $16.82
- Total employment: 6,660 people (23.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $34,940
- Median hourly wage: $16.80
- Total employment: 1,000 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $34,820
- Median hourly wage: $16.74
- Total employment: 1,070 people (3.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $34,690
- Median hourly wage: $16.68
- Total employment: 1,190 people (4.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $34,530
- Median hourly wage: $16.60
- Total employment: 1,550 people (5.47 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: $34,400
- Median hourly wage: $16.54
- Total employment: 170 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $34,270
- Median hourly wage: $16.48
- Total employment: 710 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $34,230
- Median hourly wage: $16.46
- Total employment: 90 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $34,190
- Median hourly wage: $16.44
- Total employment: 150 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $34,160
- Median hourly wage: $16.42
- Total employment: 200 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $34,020
- Median hourly wage: $16.36
- Total employment: 4,950 people (17.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $33,670
- Median hourly wage: $16.19
- Total employment: 5,400 people (19.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $33,520
- Median hourly wage: $16.11
- Total employment: 1,340 people (4.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $33,440
- Median hourly wage: $16.08
- Total employment: 530 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carlovis // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Tour and travel guides
- Median annual wage: $33,400
- Median hourly wage: $16.06
- Total employment: 60 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dragon Images // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $33,300
- Median hourly wage: $16.01
- Total employment: 590 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $32,920
- Median hourly wage: $15.83
- Total employment: 760 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $32,670
- Median hourly wage: $15.71
- Total employment: 1,140 people (4.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Manicurists and pedicurists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $32,640
- Median hourly wage: $15.69
- Total employment: 650 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Amusement and recreation attendants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $32,640
- Median hourly wage: $15.69
- Total employment: 280 people (1.0 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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