Roschetzky Photography // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Food cooking machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $33,560
- Median hourly wage: $16.14
- Total employment: 120 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Tampa
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 Tampa. 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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UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $33,480
- Median hourly wage: $16.10
- Total employment: 800 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $33,250
- Median hourly wage: $15.99
- Total employment: 2,130 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $32,870
- Median hourly wage: $15.80
- Total employment: 2,490 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ZikG // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Fish and game wardens
- Median annual wage: $32,760
- Median hourly wage: $15.75
- Total employment: 110 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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MS Mikel // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $32,690
- Median hourly wage: $15.72
- Total employment: 60 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $32,570
- Median hourly wage: $15.66
- Total employment: 13,110 people (9.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $32,500
- Median hourly wage: $15.63
- Total employment: 820 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $32,130
- Median hourly wage: $15.45
- Total employment: 1,490 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $31,900
- Median hourly wage: $15.34
- Total employment: 3,710 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DSBfoto // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $31,760
- Median hourly wage: $15.27
- Total employment: 18,820 people (13.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $31,420
- Median hourly wage: $15.11
- Total employment: 310 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians
- Median annual wage: $31,360
- Median hourly wage: $15.08
- Total employment: 70 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
- Median annual wage: $31,300
- Median hourly wage: $15.05
- Total employment: Not available
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $31,220
- Median hourly wage: $15.01
- Total employment: 9,130 people (6.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carlovis // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Tour and travel guides
- Median annual wage: $31,150
- Median hourly wage: $14.98
- Total employment: 370 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $31,140
- Median hourly wage: $14.97
- Total employment: 300 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers
- Median annual wage: $30,880
- Median hourly wage: $14.85
- Total employment: 110 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $30,870
- Median hourly wage: $14.84
- Total employment: 6,400 people (4.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $30,820
- Median hourly wage: $14.82
- Total employment: 26,780 people (18.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $30,760
- Median hourly wage: $14.79
- Total employment: 2,650 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $30,700
- Median hourly wage: $14.76
- Total employment: 4,730 people (3.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $30,620
- Median hourly wage: $14.72
- Total employment: 42,710 people (29.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Teaching assistants, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $30,370
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 360 people (0.25 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: $30,350
- Median hourly wage: $14.59
- Total employment: 950 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $30,160
- Median hourly wage: $14.50
- Total employment: 2,570 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $30,040
- Median hourly wage: $14.44
- Total employment: 430 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $29,960
- Median hourly wage: $14.40
- Total employment: 1,820 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $29,890
- Median hourly wage: $14.37
- Total employment: 3,050 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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kelvn // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Passenger attendants
- Median annual wage: $29,830
- Median hourly wage: $14.34
- Total employment: 120 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dusan Petkovic // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $29,780
- Median hourly wage: $14.32
- Total employment: 70 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Entertainment attendants and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $29,730
- Median hourly wage: $14.29
- Total employment: 60 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $29,410
- Median hourly wage: $14.14
- Total employment: 850 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $29,380
- Median hourly wage: $14.12
- Total employment: 260 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $29,200
- Median hourly wage: $14.04
- Total employment: 23,630 people (16.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $29,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: 6,650 people (4.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $28,990
- Median hourly wage: $13.94
- Total employment: 1,440 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $28,680
- Median hourly wage: $13.79
- Total employment: 4,220 people (2.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Sewers, hand
- Median annual wage: $28,640
- Median hourly wage: $13.77
- Total employment: 70 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Martin Smith // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $28,500
- Median hourly wage: $13.70
- Total employment: 2,370 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
42 / 50#8. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $28,470
- Median hourly wage: $13.69
- Total employment: 4,430 people (3.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary (tie)
- Median annual wage: $28,470
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 7,110 people (4.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Sheremeta // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants
- Median annual wage: $28,420
- Median hourly wage: $13.66
- Total employment: 90 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $28,130
- Median hourly wage: $13.53
- Total employment: 34,020 people (23.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pressmaster // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Baggage porters and bellhops
- Median annual wage: $27,980
- Median hourly wage: $13.45
- Total employment: 440 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials
- Median annual wage: $27,890
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 120 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $27,550
- Median hourly wage: $13.25
- Total employment: 5,010 people (3.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $26,840
- Median hourly wage: $12.90
- Total employment: 5,850 people (4.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
antoniodiaz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Gambling dealers
- Median annual wage: $26,080
- Median hourly wage: $12.54
- Total employment: Not available
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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