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1 / 50#50. Customer service representatives
- Median annual wage: $34,060
- Median hourly wage: $16.38
- Total employment: 1,050 people (19.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Valdosta
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 Valdosta. 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. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $33,780
- Median hourly wage: $16.24
- Total employment: 50 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
- Median annual wage: $33,750
- Median hourly wage: $16.23
- Total employment: 610 people (11.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $33,690
- Median hourly wage: $16.20
- Total employment: 50 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Median annual wage: $33,440
- Median hourly wage: $16.08
- Total employment: 1,190 people (21.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $33,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.00
- Total employment: 130 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
- Median annual wage: $33,270
- Median hourly wage: $15.99
- Total employment: 310 people (5.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Nursing assistants
- Median annual wage: $33,140
- Median hourly wage: $15.94
- Total employment: 530 people (9.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $32,100
- Median hourly wage: $15.43
- Total employment: 40 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $31,970
- Median hourly wage: $15.37
- Total employment: Not available
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11 / 50#40. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $31,960
- Median hourly wage: $15.37
- Total employment: 230 people (4.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $31,800
- Median hourly wage: $15.29
- Total employment: 190 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,760
- Median hourly wage: $14.79
- Total employment: 510 people (9.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Standret // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,750
- Median hourly wage: $14.79
- Total employment: 160 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $30,600
- Median hourly wage: $14.71
- Total employment: 130 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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hedgehog94 // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Pest control workers
- Median annual wage: $30,590
- Median hourly wage: $14.71
- Total employment: 60 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $30,350
- Median hourly wage: $14.59
- Total employment: 40 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $30,310
- Median hourly wage: $14.57
- Total employment: 280 people (5.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. First-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services
- Median annual wage: $29,600
- Median hourly wage: $14.23
- Total employment: 40 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
worradirek // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers
- Median annual wage: $29,410
- Median hourly wage: $14.14
- Total employment: 50 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $29,370
- Median hourly wage: $14.12
- Total employment: 120 people (2.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $29,280
- Median hourly wage: $14.08
- Total employment: 70 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $29,170
- Median hourly wage: $14.03
- Total employment: 140 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Office and administrative support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $29,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $29,090
- Median hourly wage: $13.99
- Total employment: 300 people (5.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $28,960
- Median hourly wage: $13.93
- Total employment: 680 people (12.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $28,610
- Median hourly wage: $13.76
- Total employment: 200 people (3.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $28,410
- Median hourly wage: $13.66
- Total employment: 620 people (11.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $28,370
- Median hourly wage: $13.64
- Total employment: 110 people (2.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $27,780
- Median hourly wage: $13.36
- Total employment: 80 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $27,080
- Median hourly wage: $13.02
- Total employment: 140 people (2.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $26,990
- Median hourly wage: $12.98
- Total employment: 90 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $26,640
- Median hourly wage: $12.81
- Total employment: 2,040 people (37.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Atstock Productions // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Telemarketers
- Median annual wage: $26,490
- Median hourly wage: $12.74
- Total employment: 100 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $26,440
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 490 people (9.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $25,560
- Median hourly wage: $12.29
- Total employment: 30 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $25,430
- Median hourly wage: $12.23
- Total employment: 360 people (6.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $24,400
- Median hourly wage: $11.73
- Total employment: 620 people (11.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $24,340
- Median hourly wage: $11.70
- Total employment: 160 people (2.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $24,260
- Median hourly wage: $11.66
- Total employment: 1,400 people (25.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $24,230
- Median hourly wage: $11.65
- Total employment: 80 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $24,080
- Median hourly wage: $11.58
- Total employment: 100 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $23,730
- Median hourly wage: $11.41
- Total employment: 190 people (3.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $23,630
- Median hourly wage: $11.36
- Total employment: 120 people (2.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $22,920
- Median hourly wage: $11.02
- Total employment: 2,700 people (49.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $22,610
- Median hourly wage: $10.87
- Total employment: 500 people (9.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $21,500
- Median hourly wage: $10.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $20,290
- Median hourly wage: $9.75
- Total employment: 130 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $18,910
- Median hourly wage: $9.09
- Total employment: 190 people (3.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $17,620
- Median hourly wage: $8.47
- Total employment: 1,050 people (19.3 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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