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1 / 50#50. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $31,570
- Median hourly wage: $15.18
- Total employment: 2,030 people (17.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Columbus, Georgia
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 Columbus. 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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2 / 50#49. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
- Median annual wage: $31,430
- Median hourly wage: $15.11
- Total employment: 1,060 people (9.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
shocky // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers
- Median annual wage: $31,340
- Median hourly wage: $15.07
- Total employment: 310 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $30,660
- Median hourly wage: $14.74
- Total employment: 500 people (4.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage: $30,540
- Median hourly wage: $14.68
- Total employment: 180 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Residential advisors
- Median annual wage: $30,410
- Median hourly wage: $14.62
- Total employment: 120 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Standret // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,190
- Median hourly wage: $14.52
- Total employment: 290 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $29,910
- Median hourly wage: $14.38
- Total employment: 420 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $29,890
- Median hourly wage: $14.37
- Total employment: 1,120 people (9.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Anna Jurkovska // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Orderlies
- Median annual wage: $29,710
- Median hourly wage: $14.28
- Total employment: 70 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#39. Bakers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,660
- Median hourly wage: $14.26
- Total employment: 170 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,660
- Median hourly wage: $14.26
- Total employment: 80 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $29,430
- Median hourly wage: $14.15
- Total employment: 370 people (3.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $29,410
- Median hourly wage: $14.14
- Total employment: 710 people (6.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
15 / 50#35. Educational instruction and library workers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,150
- Median hourly wage: $14.02
- Total employment: 390 people (3.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,150
- Median hourly wage: $14.02
- Total employment: 1,490 people (12.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $28,750
- Median hourly wage: $13.82
- Total employment: 70 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krysja // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Funeral attendants
- Median annual wage: $28,250
- Median hourly wage: $13.58
- Total employment: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $28,220
- Median hourly wage: $13.57
- Total employment: 290 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leika production // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Couriers and messengers
- Median annual wage: $28,140
- Median hourly wage: $13.53
- Total employment: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $27,960
- Median hourly wage: $13.44
- Total employment: 190 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
22 / 50#28. Dishwashers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $27,750
- Median hourly wage: $13.34
- Total employment: 300 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Home health and personal care aides (tie)
- Median annual wage: $27,750
- Median hourly wage: $13.34
- Total employment: 1,370 people (11.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $27,370
- Median hourly wage: $13.16
- Total employment: 310 people (2.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Library technicians
- Median annual wage: $27,330
- Median hourly wage: $13.14
- Total employment: 30 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $27,300
- Median hourly wage: $13.13
- Total employment: 3,420 people (29.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $27,230
- Median hourly wage: $13.09
- Total employment: 110 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $27,100
- Median hourly wage: $13.03
- Total employment: 110 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $26,910
- Median hourly wage: $12.94
- Total employment: 240 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $26,590
- Median hourly wage: $12.79
- Total employment: 210 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $26,530
- Median hourly wage: $12.76
- Total employment: 2,910 people (25.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $26,360
- Median hourly wage: $12.68
- Total employment: 40 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $26,050
- Median hourly wage: $12.52
- Total employment: 360 people (3.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $25,920
- Median hourly wage: $12.46
- Total employment: 60 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $25,590
- Median hourly wage: $12.30
- Total employment: 670 people (5.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $25,560
- Median hourly wage: $12.29
- Total employment: 30 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $25,030
- Median hourly wage: $12.04
- Total employment: 670 people (5.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $24,930
- Median hourly wage: $11.98
- Total employment: 520 people (4.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $24,880
- Median hourly wage: $11.96
- Total employment: 300 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $24,480
- Median hourly wage: $11.77
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $23,940
- Median hourly wage: $11.51
- Total employment: 160 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $23,310
- Median hourly wage: $11.21
- Total employment: 350 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $23,060
- Median hourly wage: $11.09
- Total employment: 190 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $23,000
- Median hourly wage: $11.06
- Total employment: 4,660 people (40.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $22,880
- Median hourly wage: $11.00
- Total employment: 140 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $22,740
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 820 people (7.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $22,610
- Median hourly wage: $10.87
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $21,180
- Median hourly wage: $10.18
- Total employment: 60 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $19,590
- Median hourly wage: $9.42
- Total employment: 340 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $17,490
- Median hourly wage: $8.41
- Total employment: 1,870 people (16.07 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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