Lowest-paying jobs in Atlanta

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 Atlanta. 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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Robilad Co // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Craft artists

- Median annual wage: $34,040
- Median hourly wage: $16.37
- Total employment: 40 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers

- Median annual wage: $33,940
- Median hourly wage: $16.32
- Total employment: 1,810 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Bakers

- Median annual wage: $33,880
- Median hourly wage: $16.29
- Total employment: 5,220 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Suteren // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Dietetic technicians

- Median annual wage: $33,840
- Median hourly wage: $16.27
- Total employment: 200 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Packers and packagers, hand

- Median annual wage: $33,520
- Median hourly wage: $16.11
- Total employment: 12,530 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Visual Intermezzo // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Photographic process workers and processing machine operators

- Median annual wage: $33,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.00
- Total employment: 80 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dean Drobot // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Shoe and leather workers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $33,130
- Median hourly wage: $15.93
- Total employment: 110 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmytro Sheremeta // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants

- Median annual wage: $32,840
- Median hourly wage: $15.79
- Total employment: 140 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

MAVV // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse

- Median annual wage: $32,740
- Median hourly wage: $15.74
- Total employment: 850 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Physical therapist aides

- Median annual wage: $32,570
- Median hourly wage: $15.66
- Total employment: 620 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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encierro // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#39. Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals (tie)

- Median annual wage: $32,430
- Median hourly wage: $15.59
- Total employment: 100 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Atstock Productions // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Telemarketers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $32,430
- Median hourly wage: $15.59
- Total employment: 1,070 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pressmaster // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Baggage porters and bellhops

- Median annual wage: $32,000
- Median hourly wage: $15.39
- Total employment: 350 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nejron Photo // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment

- Median annual wage: $31,470
- Median hourly wage: $15.13
- Total employment: 6,970 people (2.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Maids and housekeeping cleaners

- Median annual wage: $31,410
- Median hourly wage: $15.10
- Total employment: 9,070 people (3.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Flamingo Images // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Word processors and typists

- Median annual wage: $31,310
- Median hourly wage: $15.06
- Total employment: 300 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Virrage Images // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Motor vehicle operators, all other

- Median annual wage: $31,290
- Median hourly wage: $15.04
- Total employment: 1,640 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Dishwashers

- Median annual wage: $31,130
- Median hourly wage: $14.96
- Total employment: 6,780 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians

- Median annual wage: $31,100
- Median hourly wage: $14.95
- Total employment: 310 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Retail salespersons

- Median annual wage: $30,890
- Median hourly wage: $14.85
- Total employment: 83,160 people (28.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Richard Thornton // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. School bus monitors

- Median annual wage: $30,880
- Median hourly wage: $14.84
- Total employment: 1,170 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists

- Median annual wage: $30,850
- Median hourly wage: $14.83
- Total employment: 5,160 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nature's Charm // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $30,090
- Median hourly wage: $14.46
- Total employment: 980 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

aboutsung // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers

- Median annual wage: $29,950
- Median hourly wage: $14.40
- Total employment: 8,740 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#25. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $29,740
- Median hourly wage: $14.30
- Total employment: 2,540 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Martin Smith // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Parking attendants (tie)

- Median annual wage: $29,740
- Median hourly wage: $14.30
- Total employment: 2,820 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks

- Median annual wage: $29,640
- Median hourly wage: $14.25
- Total employment: 4,330 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Automotive and watercraft service attendants

- Median annual wage: $29,580
- Median hourly wage: $14.22
- Total employment: 2,120 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers

- Median annual wage: $29,400
- Median hourly wage: $14.13
- Total employment: 970 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Standret // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Bicycle repairers

- Median annual wage: $29,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: Not available

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Dragon Images // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop

- Median annual wage: $29,060
- Median hourly wage: $13.97
- Total employment: 10,600 people (3.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pressmaster // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Animal caretakers

- Median annual wage: $29,010
- Median hourly wage: $13.95
- Total employment: 6,600 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dean Drobot // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Cashiers

- Median annual wage: $28,920
- Median hourly wage: $13.90
- Total employment: 53,900 people (18.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paul.J.West // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary

- Median annual wage: $28,770
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 18,500 people (6.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Home health and personal care aides

- Median annual wage: $28,720
- Median hourly wage: $13.81
- Total employment: 27,390 people (9.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Childcare workers

- Median annual wage: $28,480
- Median hourly wage: $13.69
- Total employment: 15,600 people (5.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Fast food and counter workers

- Median annual wage: $28,160
- Median hourly wage: $13.54
- Total employment: 80,930 people (28.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

NIKCOA // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Medical transcriptionists

- Median annual wage: $27,530
- Median hourly wage: $13.24
- Total employment: 1,290 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

hedgehog94 // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Shampooers

- Median annual wage: $26,520
- Median hourly wage: $12.75
- Total employment: 460 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Finist4 // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Manicurists and pedicurists

- Median annual wage: $26,500
- Median hourly wage: $12.74
- Total employment: 1,260 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

maxbelchenko // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Agricultural workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $26,350
- Median hourly wage: $12.67
- Total employment: 50 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alena Veasey // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Cooks, fast food

- Median annual wage: $26,150
- Median hourly wage: $12.57
- Total employment: 3,870 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Amusement and recreation attendants

- Median annual wage: $25,720
- Median hourly wage: $12.37
- Total employment: 6,830 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rudenkois // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Musical instrument repairers and tuners

- Median annual wage: $25,420
- Median hourly wage: $12.22
- Total employment: 230 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santypan // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Bartenders

- Median annual wage: $24,930
- Median hourly wage: $11.99
- Total employment: 10,050 people (3.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#4. Educational instruction and library workers, all other (tie)

- Median annual wage: $23,900
- Median hourly wage: $11.49
- Total employment: 3,680 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Entertainment attendants and related workers, all other (tie)

- Median annual wage: $23,900
- Median hourly wage: $11.49
- Total employment: 670 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Motortion Films // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Personal care and service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $23,380
- Median hourly wage: $11.24
- Total employment: 1,930 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials

- Median annual wage: $21,600
- Median hourly wage: $10.38
- Total employment: 730 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)