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1 / 50#49. Customer service representatives (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,550
- Median hourly wage: $17.57
- Total employment: 700 people (15.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Rome
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 Rome. 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. Parts salespersons (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,550
- Median hourly wage: $17.57
- Total employment: 60 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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3 / 50#48. Light truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $36,400
- Median hourly wage: $17.50
- Total employment: 200 people (4.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $36,340
- Median hourly wage: $17.47
- Total employment: 30 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $36,190
- Median hourly wage: $17.40
- Total employment: 80 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $36,170
- Median hourly wage: $17.39
- Total employment: 70 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- Median annual wage: $36,160
- Median hourly wage: $17.39
- Total employment: 530 people (12.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $35,930
- Median hourly wage: $17.27
- Total employment: 1,420 people (32.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Production workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,690
- Median hourly wage: $17.16
- Total employment: 420 people (9.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $35,490
- Median hourly wage: $17.06
- Total employment: 150 people (3.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. File clerks
- Median annual wage: $35,130
- Median hourly wage: $16.89
- Total employment: 40 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $34,750
- Median hourly wage: $16.71
- Total employment: 200 people (4.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Median annual wage: $34,360
- Median hourly wage: $16.52
- Total employment: 1,610 people (36.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $34,300
- Median hourly wage: $16.49
- Total employment: Not available
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $34,150
- Median hourly wage: $16.42
- Total employment: Not available
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Dragon Images // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $34,040
- Median hourly wage: $16.37
- Total employment: 170 people (3.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Nursing assistants
- Median annual wage: $33,840
- Median hourly wage: $16.27
- Total employment: 880 people (19.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $33,770
- Median hourly wage: $16.24
- Total employment: 200 people (4.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
- Median annual wage: $33,120
- Median hourly wage: $15.92
- Total employment: 890 people (20.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $32,870
- Median hourly wage: $15.80
- Total employment: 390 people (8.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $32,790
- Median hourly wage: $15.76
- Total employment: 90 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $32,140
- Median hourly wage: $15.45
- Total employment: 200 people (4.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leika production // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Couriers and messengers
- Median annual wage: $31,960
- Median hourly wage: $15.37
- Total employment: 40 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $31,440
- Median hourly wage: $15.11
- Total employment: 50 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Educational instruction and library workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $30,660
- Median hourly wage: $14.74
- Total employment: 30 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $30,290
- Median hourly wage: $14.56
- Total employment: 400 people (9.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $30,260
- Median hourly wage: $14.55
- Total employment: 300 people (6.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $30,210
- Median hourly wage: $14.52
- Total employment: 600 people (13.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $29,990
- Median hourly wage: $14.42
- Total employment: 100 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $29,820
- Median hourly wage: $14.34
- Total employment: 50 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $28,600
- Median hourly wage: $13.75
- Total employment: 60 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $27,810
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 310 people (7.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#17. Driver/sales workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $27,630
- Median hourly wage: $13.28
- Total employment: 120 people (2.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Cashiers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $27,630
- Median hourly wage: $13.29
- Total employment: 890 people (20.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $27,430
- Median hourly wage: $13.19
- Total employment: 60 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $27,310
- Median hourly wage: $13.13
- Total employment: 110 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $27,280
- Median hourly wage: $13.12
- Total employment: 360 people (8.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $27,270
- Median hourly wage: $13.11
- Total employment: 1,390 people (31.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $26,370
- Median hourly wage: $12.68
- Total employment: 110 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $25,890
- Median hourly wage: $12.45
- Total employment: 230 people (5.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $25,310
- Median hourly wage: $12.17
- Total employment: 30 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $24,390
- Median hourly wage: $11.73
- Total employment: 60 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $24,320
- Median hourly wage: $11.69
- Total employment: 1,830 people (41.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $23,120
- Median hourly wage: $11.12
- Total employment: 40 people (0.88 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: $22,850
- Median hourly wage: $10.99
- Total employment: 110 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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santypan // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $22,790
- Median hourly wage: $10.96
- Total employment: 80 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $22,190
- Median hourly wage: $10.67
- Total employment: 150 people (3.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $21,930
- Median hourly wage: $10.54
- Total employment: 190 people (4.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $21,820
- Median hourly wage: $10.49
- Total employment: 40 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $21,560
- Median hourly wage: $10.36
- Total employment: 780 people (17.6 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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