PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Pharmacy aides
- Median annual wage: $35,730
- Median hourly wage: $17.18
- Total employment: 110 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in North Port
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 North Port. 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.
You may also like: The 30 most popular homes for sale in North Port
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,620
- Median hourly wage: $17.13
- Total employment: 200 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Concierges
- Median annual wage: $35,610
- Median hourly wage: $17.12
- Total employment: 90 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arsenii Palivoda // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Ophthalmic laboratory technicians
- Median annual wage: $35,560
- Median hourly wage: $17.10
- Total employment: 50 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons
- Median annual wage: $35,310
- Median hourly wage: $16.98
- Total employment: 60 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants in North Port by diners
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $35,180
- Median hourly wage: $16.91
- Total employment: 240 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $35,150
- Median hourly wage: $16.90
- Total employment: 240 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $35,120
- Median hourly wage: $16.88
- Total employment: 420 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $35,000
- Median hourly wage: $16.83
- Total employment: 360 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $34,890
- Median hourly wage: $16.77
- Total employment: 140 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Mortgage rates fall to 10‑month low, offering relief for North Port buyers
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $34,770
- Median hourly wage: $16.72
- Total employment: 420 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
O.PASH // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Animal trainers
- Median annual wage: $34,500
- Median hourly wage: $16.59
- Total employment: 70 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $34,400
- Median hourly wage: $16.54
- Total employment: 3,780 people (11.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $34,370
- Median hourly wage: $16.52
- Total employment: 910 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $34,090
- Median hourly wage: $16.39
- Total employment: 3,570 people (10.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated dessert shops in the North Port area by diners
Suteren // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Dietetic technicians
- Median annual wage: $34,000
- Median hourly wage: $16.35
- Total employment: 140 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $33,850
- Median hourly wage: $16.28
- Total employment: 590 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $33,800
- Median hourly wage: $16.25
- Total employment: 650 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $33,660
- Median hourly wage: $16.18
- Total employment: 270 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $33,650
- Median hourly wage: $16.18
- Total employment: 1,520 people (4.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: How much house does $500,000 buy you in North Port?
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $33,240
- Median hourly wage: $15.98
- Total employment: 2,550 people (7.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $32,630
- Median hourly wage: $15.69
- Total employment: 1,380 people (4.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $32,470
- Median hourly wage: $15.61
- Total employment: 12,730 people (38.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $31,510
- Median hourly wage: $15.15
- Total employment: 830 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carlovis // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Tour and travel guides
- Median annual wage: $31,470
- Median hourly wage: $15.13
- Total employment: 120 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: How gas prices have changed in North Port in the last week
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $31,220
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,560 people (4.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: Not available
Dmytro Sheremeta // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants
- Median annual wage: $31,090
- Median hourly wage: $14.95
- Total employment: 50 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $30,980
- Median hourly wage: $14.90
- Total employment: 160 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $30,780
- Median hourly wage: $14.80
- Total employment: 50 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying science jobs for people in North Port
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $30,750
- Median hourly wage: $14.79
- Total employment: 1,670 people (5.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $30,650
- Median hourly wage: $14.74
- Total employment: 60 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $30,480
- Median hourly wage: $14.66
- Total employment: 520 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Teaching assistants, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $30,300
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $29,990
- Median hourly wage: $14.42
- Total employment: 210 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the North Port area by diners
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $29,920
- Median hourly wage: $14.38
- Total employment: 970 people (2.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $29,900
- Median hourly wage: $14.37
- Total employment: 6,840 people (20.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kelvn // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Passenger attendants
- Median annual wage: $29,650
- Median hourly wage: $14.25
- Total employment: 70 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krysja // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Funeral attendants
- Median annual wage: $29,530
- Median hourly wage: $14.20
- Total employment: 50 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $29,190
- Median hourly wage: $14.03
- Total employment: 1,940 people (5.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Where people in North Port are looking to buy homes
santypan // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $28,910
- Median hourly wage: $13.90
- Total employment: 2,160 people (6.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $28,830
- Median hourly wage: $13.86
- Total employment: 9,080 people (27.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Baggage porters and bellhops
- Median annual wage: $28,450
- Median hourly wage: $13.68
- Total employment: 50 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $28,350
- Median hourly wage: $13.63
- Total employment: 200 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $28,260
- Median hourly wage: $13.59
- Total employment: 1,300 people (3.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: North Port's 2025 housing market year in review
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $28,230
- Median hourly wage: $13.57
- Total employment: 1,720 people (5.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $28,130
- Median hourly wage: $13.53
- Total employment: 8,310 people (24.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $27,990
- Median hourly wage: $13.46
- Total employment: Not available
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $27,600
- Median hourly wage: $13.27
- Total employment: 1,940 people (5.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $26,870
- Median hourly wage: $12.92
- Total employment: 330 people (0.98 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.
You may also like: Most common languages spoken at home in Greater North Port and surrounding regions
