Kzenon // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $37,440
- Median hourly wage: $18.00
- Total employment: 140 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Champaign
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 Champaign. 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: $37,100
- Median hourly wage: $17.84
- Total employment: 420 people (4.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $36,910
- Median hourly wage: $17.74
- Total employment: 50 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $36,850
- Median hourly wage: $17.72
- Total employment: 160 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Emergency medical technicians
- Median annual wage: $36,830
- Median hourly wage: $17.71
- Total employment: 180 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Goldsithney // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Psychiatric technicians
- Median annual wage: $36,670
- Median hourly wage: $17.63
- Total employment: 90 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Anna Jurkovska // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Orderlies
- Median annual wage: $36,640
- Median hourly wage: $17.61
- Total employment: 50 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $36,550
- Median hourly wage: $17.57
- Total employment: 400 people (3.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Blanscape // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Conveyor operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $36,430
- Median hourly wage: $17.52
- Total employment: 60 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leika production // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Couriers and messengers
- Median annual wage: $36,290
- Median hourly wage: $17.45
- Total employment: 50 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $36,250
- Median hourly wage: $17.43
- Total employment: 620 people (5.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $35,780
- Median hourly wage: $17.20
- Total employment: 770 people (7.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $35,530
- Median hourly wage: $17.08
- Total employment: 130 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Healthcare support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,420
- Median hourly wage: $17.03
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service
- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 90 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Korotkov // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Crossing guards and flaggers
- Median annual wage: $35,260
- Median hourly wage: $16.95
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $35,100
- Median hourly wage: $16.87
- Total employment: 70 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
18 / 50#32. Home health and personal care aides (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,020
- Median hourly wage: $16.84
- Total employment: 720 people (6.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Packers and packagers, hand (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,020
- Median hourly wage: $16.84
- Total employment: 320 people (3.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $35,000
- Median hourly wage: $16.83
- Total employment: 2,170 people (20.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Shakirov Albert // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Floral designers
- Median annual wage: $34,610
- Median hourly wage: $16.64
- Total employment: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $34,600
- Median hourly wage: $16.64
- Total employment: 190 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $34,500
- Median hourly wage: $16.59
- Total employment: 570 people (5.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $34,490
- Median hourly wage: $16.58
- Total employment: 1,130 people (10.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $34,480
- Median hourly wage: $16.58
- Total employment: 210 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Library assistants, clerical
- Median annual wage: $34,450
- Median hourly wage: $16.56
- Total employment: 150 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $34,350
- Median hourly wage: $16.52
- Total employment: 130 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $34,240
- Median hourly wage: $16.46
- Total employment: 90 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $33,370
- Median hourly wage: $16.04
- Total employment: 130 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $33,110
- Median hourly wage: $15.92
- Total employment: 50 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $32,950
- Median hourly wage: $15.84
- Total employment: 250 people (2.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $32,480
- Median hourly wage: $15.62
- Total employment: 300 people (2.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $32,380
- Median hourly wage: $15.57
- Total employment: 290 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $32,350
- Median hourly wage: $15.55
- Total employment: 2,240 people (21.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $32,050
- Median hourly wage: $15.41
- Total employment: 80 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $31,580
- Median hourly wage: $15.18
- Total employment: 490 people (4.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $30,980
- Median hourly wage: $14.90
- Total employment: 500 people (4.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,440
- Median hourly wage: $14.63
- Total employment: 150 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $30,420
- Median hourly wage: $14.63
- Total employment: 270 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $30,270
- Median hourly wage: $14.55
- Total employment: 2,780 people (26.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $30,020
- Median hourly wage: $14.43
- Total employment: 2,090 people (19.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $29,960
- Median hourly wage: $14.41
- Total employment: 160 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $29,600
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 980 people (9.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $29,550
- Median hourly wage: $14.21
- Total employment: 1,010 people (9.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $29,530
- Median hourly wage: $14.20
- Total employment: 330 people (3.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dragon Images // Shutterstock
46 / 50#1. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: 290 people (2.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. Waiters and waitresses (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: 1,640 people (15.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: 190 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: 440 people (4.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Amusement and recreation attendants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: 290 people (2.8 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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