ESB Basic // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Customer service representatives
- Median annual wage: $35,370
- Median hourly wage: $17.01
- Total employment: 540 people (14.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in The Villages
The U.S. may be one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but financial inequality prevails within its borders. That divide is growing, especially between the poorest and richest U.S. residents.
The middle class is shrinking. In 2021, just half of adults lived in a middle-income household, a huge drop from 61% in the 70s. This dip meant some middle-class adults broke into the high-income bracket. At the same time, the share of lower-income residents is growing: 29% of adults lived in low-income households in 2021, compared to 25% in 1971.
Wages over this period grew at all income levels, but the rich got significantly higher bumps. Pew Charitable Trusts found that high incomes grew 69% over the past 50 years, while low incomes grew just 45%. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated and further exposed these harsh financial gaps.
The difference in pay for the highest- and lowest-paying jobs in the U.S. last year was over eightfold: from about $28,000 for entertainment attendants to over $251,000 for physicians. Nationally, most of the lowest-paying jobs are in the leisure and accommodation fields: think folks who work in food establishments, at hotels, at recreational facilities like pools and amusement parks, and other service jobs.
Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the 50 lowest-paying jobs in The Villages. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2022. Any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Pharmacy technicians
- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 170 people (4.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Medical secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $35,220
- Median hourly wage: $16.93
- Total employment: 380 people (10.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
- Median annual wage: $35,210
- Median hourly wage: $16.93
- Total employment: 50 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
5 / 50#46. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Median annual wage: $34,820
- Median hourly wage: $16.74
- Total employment: 380 people (10.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $34,500
- Median hourly wage: $16.59
- Total employment: 40 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Phlebotomists
- Median annual wage: $33,650
- Median hourly wage: $16.18
- Total employment: 80 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Data entry keyers
- Median annual wage: $32,630
- Median hourly wage: $15.69
- Total employment: 40 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Community and social service specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $32,180
- Median hourly wage: $15.47
- Total employment: 30 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
nullplus // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Light truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $32,070
- Median hourly wage: $15.42
- Total employment: 120 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Canva
11 / 50#39. Bakers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,750
- Median hourly wage: $15.27
- Total employment: 30 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Bus drivers, school (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,750
- Median hourly wage: $15.27
- Total employment: 70 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
13 / 50#38. Construction laborers
- Median annual wage: $31,730
- Median hourly wage: $15.25
- Total employment: 650 people (18.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
14 / 50#37. Pest control workers
- Median annual wage: $31,610
- Median hourly wage: $15.20
- Total employment: 50 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
15 / 50#36. Helpers--production workers
- Median annual wage: $31,130
- Median hourly wage: $14.97
- Total employment: 40 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
- Median annual wage: $31,110
- Median hourly wage: $14.96
- Total employment: 70 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Nursing assistants
- Median annual wage: $30,700
- Median hourly wage: $14.76
- Total employment: 490 people (13.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
18 / 50#33. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $30,440
- Median hourly wage: $14.64
- Total employment: 880 people (24.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,050
- Median hourly wage: $14.45
- Total employment: 370 people (10.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
20 / 50#31. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $30,040
- Median hourly wage: $14.44
- Total employment: 640 people (17.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $29,660
- Median hourly wage: $14.26
- Total employment: 140 people (3.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
22 / 50#29. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Median annual wage: $29,520
- Median hourly wage: $14.19
- Total employment: 180 people (5.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
23 / 50#28. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $28,910
- Median hourly wage: $13.90
- Total employment: 310 people (8.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Standret // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $28,820
- Median hourly wage: $13.86
- Total employment: 50 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage: $28,800
- Median hourly wage: $13.85
- Total employment: 40 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Canva
26 / 50#25. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $28,750
- Median hourly wage: $13.82
- Total employment: 160 people (4.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
27 / 50#24. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $28,740
- Median hourly wage: $13.82
- Total employment: 680 people (18.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $28,660
- Median hourly wage: $13.78
- Total employment: 170 people (4.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Order clerks
- Median annual wage: $28,640
- Median hourly wage: $13.77
- Total employment: 30 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
30 / 50#21. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $28,580
- Median hourly wage: $13.74
- Total employment: 420 people (11.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $28,130
- Median hourly wage: $13.52
- Total employment: 60 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $28,110
- Median hourly wage: $13.52
- Total employment: 50 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
33 / 50#18. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $28,100
- Median hourly wage: $13.51
- Total employment: Not available
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $27,830
- Median hourly wage: $13.38
- Total employment: 1,200 people (33.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
35 / 50#16. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $27,710
- Median hourly wage: $13.32
- Total employment: 180 people (4.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $27,640
- Median hourly wage: $13.29
- Total employment: 120 people (3.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $27,500
- Median hourly wage: $13.22
- Total employment: 1,180 people (32.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $27,380
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 190 people (5.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $27,100
- Median hourly wage: $13.03
- Total employment: 100 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $27,050
- Median hourly wage: $13.01
- Total employment: 220 people (6.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Canva
41 / 50#10. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $27,040
- Median hourly wage: $13.00
- Total employment: 230 people (6.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
42 / 50#9. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $27,020
- Median hourly wage: $12.99
- Total employment: 420 people (11.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $26,990
- Median hourly wage: $12.98
- Total employment: 170 people (4.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $26,290
- Median hourly wage: $12.64
- Total employment: 130 people (3.52 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: $25,720
- Median hourly wage: $12.37
- Total employment: 240 people (6.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $25,430
- Median hourly wage: $12.23
- Total employment: 1,170 people (32.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $24,230
- Median hourly wage: $11.65
- Total employment: 680 people (18.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $24,040
- Median hourly wage: $11.56
- Total employment: 110 people (2.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $23,270
- Median hourly wage: $11.19
- Total employment: 210 people (5.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
50 / 50#1. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $23,110
- Median hourly wage: $11.11
- Total employment: 130 people (3.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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