wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- Median annual wage: $38,830
- Median hourly wage: $18.67
- Total employment: 760 people (10.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Coeur d'Alene
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 Coeur d'Alene. 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. Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers
- Median annual wage: $38,690
- Median hourly wage: $18.60
- Total employment: 70 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Nursing assistants
- Median annual wage: $38,540
- Median hourly wage: $18.53
- Total employment: 810 people (11.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
- Median annual wage: $38,130
- Median hourly wage: $18.33
- Total employment: 100 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ESB Basic // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Customer service representatives
- Median annual wage: $38,090
- Median hourly wage: $18.31
- Total employment: 1,890 people (26.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $37,890
- Median hourly wage: $18.22
- Total employment: 690 people (9.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LuckView // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $37,800
- Median hourly wage: $18.18
- Total employment: 120 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $37,580
- Median hourly wage: $18.07
- Total employment: 180 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Standret // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $37,560
- Median hourly wage: $18.06
- Total employment: 120 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $37,340
- Median hourly wage: $17.95
- Total employment: 140 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of personal service workers
- Median annual wage: $36,960
- Median hourly wage: $17.77
- Total employment: 70 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $36,940
- Median hourly wage: $17.76
- Total employment: 770 people (10.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $36,860
- Median hourly wage: $17.72
- Total employment: 160 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $36,770
- Median hourly wage: $17.68
- Total employment: 1,430 people (19.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $36,410
- Median hourly wage: $17.51
- Total employment: 1,080 people (15.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $36,250
- Median hourly wage: $17.43
- Total employment: 90 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $36,180
- Median hourly wage: $17.39
- Total employment: 2,370 people (33.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
18 / 50#32. Cooks, institution and cafeteria (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,100
- Median hourly wage: $17.36
- Total employment: 350 people (4.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,100
- Median hourly wage: $17.36
- Total employment: 200 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $36,080
- Median hourly wage: $17.35
- Total employment: 820 people (11.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $35,970
- Median hourly wage: $17.30
- Total employment: 740 people (10.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
create jobs 51 // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Legislators
- Median annual wage: $35,910
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Maria Sbytova // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Veterinary technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $35,680
- Median hourly wage: $17.16
- Total employment: 60 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Data entry keyers
- Median annual wage: $35,670
- Median hourly wage: $17.15
- Total employment: 50 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alba_alioth // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $35,620
- Median hourly wage: $17.13
- Total employment: 80 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $35,550
- Median hourly wage: $17.09
- Total employment: 200 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $35,430
- Median hourly wage: $17.03
- Total employment: 160 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $35,020
- Median hourly wage: $16.84
- Total employment: 270 people (3.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $34,920
- Median hourly wage: $16.79
- Total employment: 510 people (7.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $34,510
- Median hourly wage: $16.59
- Total employment: 220 people (3.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $34,490
- Median hourly wage: $16.58
- Total employment: 160 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NIKCOA // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Medical transcriptionists
- Median annual wage: $34,320
- Median hourly wage: $16.50
- Total employment: 70 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $33,950
- Median hourly wage: $16.32
- Total employment: 1,620 people (22.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Library technicians
- Median annual wage: $33,860
- Median hourly wage: $16.28
- Total employment: 70 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $33,260
- Median hourly wage: $15.99
- Total employment: 40 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pressmaster // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $32,040
- Median hourly wage: $15.40
- Total employment: 130 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $32,020
- Median hourly wage: $15.40
- Total employment: 60 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $31,510
- Median hourly wage: $15.15
- Total employment: 160 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 1,490 people (20.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $30,540
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 620 people (8.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $30,450
- Median hourly wage: $14.64
- Total employment: 440 people (6.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $29,410
- Median hourly wage: $14.14
- Total employment: 260 people (3.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $29,380
- Median hourly wage: $14.12
- Total employment: 2,400 people (33.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $29,080
- Median hourly wage: $13.98
- Total employment: 120 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $29,070
- Median hourly wage: $13.98
- Total employment: 80 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $29,050
- Median hourly wage: $13.97
- Total employment: 360 people (5.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $28,670
- Median hourly wage: $13.79
- Total employment: 50 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $27,460
- Median hourly wage: $13.20
- Total employment: 300 people (4.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials
- Median annual wage: $26,350
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $22,740
- Median hourly wage: $10.93
- Total employment: 500 people (6.95 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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