UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage: $34,890
- Median hourly wage: $16.77
- Total employment: 410 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Palm Bay
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 Palm Bay. 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: $34,820
- Median hourly wage: $16.74
- Total employment: 140 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
3 / 50#47. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,700
- Median hourly wage: $16.69
- Total employment: 170 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,700
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,230 people (5.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $34,560
- Median hourly wage: $16.62
- Total employment: 3,760 people (15.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Library technicians
- Median annual wage: $34,370
- Median hourly wage: $16.53
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
- Median annual wage: $34,300
- Median hourly wage: $16.49
- Total employment: 230 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Korotkov // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Crossing guards and flaggers
- Median annual wage: $34,110
- Median hourly wage: $16.40
- Total employment: 160 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $33,810
- Median hourly wage: $16.26
- Total employment: 430 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $33,700
- Median hourly wage: $16.20
- Total employment: 160 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $33,650
- Median hourly wage: $16.18
- Total employment: 920 people (3.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Sales and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $33,610
- Median hourly wage: $16.16
- Total employment: 100 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $33,570
- Median hourly wage: $16.14
- Total employment: 300 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Anna Jurkovska // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Orderlies
- Median annual wage: $33,540
- Median hourly wage: $16.12
- Total employment: 130 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $33,210
- Median hourly wage: $15.97
- Total employment: 240 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $33,180
- Median hourly wage: $15.95
- Total employment: 2,330 people (9.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $32,830
- Median hourly wage: $15.78
- Total employment: 340 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $32,760
- Median hourly wage: $15.75
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $32,740
- Median hourly wage: $15.74
- Total employment: 120 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $31,950
- Median hourly wage: $15.36
- Total employment: 2,270 people (9.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
21 / 50#29. Automotive and watercraft service attendants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,910
- Median hourly wage: $15.34
- Total employment: 170 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Childcare workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,910
- Median hourly wage: $15.34
- Total employment: 620 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $31,700
- Median hourly wage: $15.24
- Total employment: 2,890 people (11.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Anucha Cheechang // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Switchboard operators, including answering service
- Median annual wage: $31,670
- Median hourly wage: $15.23
- Total employment: 60 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Concierges
- Median annual wage: $31,640
- Median hourly wage: $15.21
- Total employment: 50 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $31,550
- Median hourly wage: $15.17
- Total employment: 160 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $31,260
- Median hourly wage: $15.03
- Total employment: 680 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Photographers
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NIKCOA // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Medical transcriptionists
- Median annual wage: $31,050
- Median hourly wage: $14.93
- Total employment: 120 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $30,980
- Median hourly wage: $14.89
- Total employment: 690 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $30,960
- Median hourly wage: $14.88
- Total employment: 260 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $30,730
- Median hourly wage: $14.78
- Total employment: 7,550 people (31.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,670
- Median hourly wage: $14.75
- Total employment: 360 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $30,520
- Median hourly wage: $14.67
- Total employment: 540 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $30,160
- Median hourly wage: $14.50
- Total employment: 1,230 people (5.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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santypan // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $29,650
- Median hourly wage: $14.26
- Total employment: 1,370 people (5.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $29,640
- Median hourly wage: $14.25
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $29,340
- Median hourly wage: $14.11
- Total employment: 980 people (4.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $29,210
- Median hourly wage: $14.04
- Total employment: 140 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $29,200
- Median hourly wage: $14.04
- Total employment: 230 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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aboutsung // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $29,150
- Median hourly wage: $14.02
- Total employment: 880 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $28,860
- Median hourly wage: $13.87
- Total employment: 5,650 people (23.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $28,710
- Median hourly wage: $13.80
- Total employment: 4,770 people (19.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $28,250
- Median hourly wage: $13.58
- Total employment: 160 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $27,960
- Median hourly wage: $13.44
- Total employment: 7,450 people (30.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $27,860
- Median hourly wage: $13.39
- Total employment: 590 people (2.45 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: $27,760
- Median hourly wage: $13.34
- Total employment: 850 people (3.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $26,770
- Median hourly wage: $12.87
- Total employment: 730 people (3.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Pharmacy aides
- Median annual wage: $26,290
- Median hourly wage: $12.64
- Total employment: Not available
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $24,960
- Median hourly wage: $12.00
- Total employment: 150 people (0.62 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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