Irene Miller // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $47,320
- Median hourly wage: $22.75
- Total employment: 70 people (3.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Hinesville
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 Hinesville. 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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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $47,050
- Median hourly wage: $22.62
- Total employment: 90 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $46,910
- Median hourly wage: $22.55
- Total employment: 60 people (3.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Median annual wage: $46,500
- Median hourly wage: $22.35
- Total employment: 190 people (9.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $46,190
- Median hourly wage: $22.21
- Total employment: Not available
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Fusionstudio // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks
- Median annual wage: $45,360
- Median hourly wage: $21.81
- Total employment: 110 people (5.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
- Median annual wage: $45,330
- Median hourly wage: $21.79
- Total employment: 110 people (5.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $44,730
- Median hourly wage: $21.51
- Total employment: 50 people (2.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Glenn Highcove // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Industrial truck and tractor operators
- Median annual wage: $44,380
- Median hourly wage: $21.34
- Total employment: 300 people (14.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Paralegals and legal assistants
- Median annual wage: $41,300
- Median hourly wage: $19.86
- Total employment: 70 people (3.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Billing and posting clerks
- Median annual wage: $40,560
- Median hourly wage: $19.50
- Total employment: 40 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
12 / 50#38. Dental assistants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $39,560
- Median hourly wage: $19.02
- Total employment: 70 people (3.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ruslan Galiullin // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Office clerks, general (tie)
- Median annual wage: $39,560
- Median hourly wage: $19.02
- Total employment: 460 people (22.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $39,460
- Median hourly wage: $18.97
- Total employment: 60 people (3.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Pharmacy technicians
- Median annual wage: $39,100
- Median hourly wage: $18.80
- Total employment: 60 people (3.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Lee Charlie // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $38,910
- Median hourly wage: $18.71
- Total employment: 40 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Automotive service technicians and mechanics
- Median annual wage: $38,080
- Median hourly wage: $18.31
- Total employment: 120 people (5.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $37,540
- Median hourly wage: $18.05
- Total employment: 220 people (10.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Office and administrative support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $37,440
- Median hourly wage: $18.00
- Total employment: 30 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $36,820
- Median hourly wage: $17.70
- Total employment: 50 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Milkovasa // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Medical assistants
- Median annual wage: $36,440
- Median hourly wage: $17.52
- Total employment: 80 people (3.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $36,350
- Median hourly wage: $17.47
- Total employment: 80 people (3.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $36,150
- Median hourly wage: $17.38
- Total employment: 50 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
- Median annual wage: $35,520
- Median hourly wage: $17.08
- Total employment: 220 people (11.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- Median annual wage: $35,500
- Median hourly wage: $17.07
- Total employment: 290 people (14.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Construction laborers
- Median annual wage: $35,450
- Median hourly wage: $17.04
- Total employment: 60 people (3.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Medical secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $35,350
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 50 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ESB Basic // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Customer service representatives
- Median annual wage: $35,140
- Median hourly wage: $16.90
- Total employment: 280 people (13.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $34,930
- Median hourly wage: $16.79
- Total employment: 70 people (3.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $34,070
- Median hourly wage: $16.38
- Total employment: 510 people (25.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Standret // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $32,090
- Median hourly wage: $15.43
- Total employment: 60 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
nullplus // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Light truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $31,640
- Median hourly wage: $15.21
- Total employment: 50 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $31,270
- Median hourly wage: $15.03
- Total employment: 30 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,770
- Median hourly wage: $14.79
- Total employment: 130 people (6.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
35 / 50#15. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners (tie)
- Median annual wage: $30,440
- Median hourly wage: $14.64
- Total employment: 270 people (13.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Nursing assistants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $30,440
- Median hourly wage: $14.64
- Total employment: 70 people (3.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $29,310
- Median hourly wage: $14.09
- Total employment: 40 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $29,160
- Median hourly wage: $14.02
- Total employment: 80 people (3.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $28,760
- Median hourly wage: $13.83
- Total employment: 40 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $28,270
- Median hourly wage: $13.59
- Total employment: 700 people (34.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $27,440
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 310 people (15.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $27,360
- Median hourly wage: $13.15
- Total employment: 160 people (7.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $27,270
- Median hourly wage: $13.11
- Total employment: 500 people (24.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $27,140
- Median hourly wage: $13.05
- Total employment: 200 people (9.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $27,040
- Median hourly wage: $13.00
- Total employment: 60 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $24,390
- Median hourly wage: $11.73
- Total employment: 110 people (5.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $23,190
- Median hourly wage: $11.15
- Total employment: 1,060 people (52.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $21,820
- Median hourly wage: $10.49
- Total employment: 70 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $20,980
- Median hourly wage: $10.09
- Total employment: 40 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $18,560
- Median hourly wage: $8.92
- Total employment: 250 people (12.42 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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