Lowest-paying jobs in Indianapolis

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 Indianapolis. 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.

Anucha Cheechang // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Switchboard operators, including answering service

- Median annual wage: $36,060
- Median hourly wage: $17.34
- Total employment: 130 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Krysja // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#48. Funeral attendants (tie)

- Median annual wage: $36,040
- Median hourly wage: $17.33
- Total employment: 260 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Cooks, restaurant (tie)

- Median annual wage: $36,040
- Median hourly wage: $17.33
- Total employment: 9,210 people (8.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Flamingo Images // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Word processors and typists

- Median annual wage: $36,010
- Median hourly wage: $17.31
- Total employment: 70 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists

- Median annual wage: $35,940
- Median hourly wage: $17.28
- Total employment: 2,350 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Ground Picture // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Stockers and order fillers

- Median annual wage: $35,740
- Median hourly wage: $17.18
- Total employment: 22,000 people (20.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DSBfoto // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners

- Median annual wage: $35,600
- Median hourly wage: $17.12
- Total employment: 16,290 people (14.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Shakirov Albert // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Floral designers

- Median annual wage: $35,210
- Median hourly wage: $16.93
- Total employment: 240 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

zhu difeng // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers

- Median annual wage: $35,110
- Median hourly wage: $16.88
- Total employment: 1,170 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Flamingo Images // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Concierges

- Median annual wage: $34,970
- Median hourly wage: $16.81
- Total employment: Not available

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Lucky Business // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Sales and related workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $34,860
- Median hourly wage: $16.76
- Total employment: 330 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#38. Automotive and watercraft service attendants (tie)

- Median annual wage: $34,690
- Median hourly wage: $16.68
- Total employment: 1,190 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kzenon // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Religious workers, all other (tie)

- Median annual wage: $34,690
- Median hourly wage: $16.68
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Africa Studio // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs

- Median annual wage: $34,330
- Median hourly wage: $16.51
- Total employment: 1,480 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Atstock Productions // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Telemarketers

- Median annual wage: $34,270
- Median hourly wage: $16.47
- Total employment: 110 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Nejron Photo // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment

- Median annual wage: $34,110
- Median hourly wage: $16.40
- Total employment: 2,580 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Carlovis // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Tour and travel guides

- Median annual wage: $33,860
- Median hourly wage: $16.28
- Total employment: 340 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

VGstockstudio // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Food servers, nonrestaurant

- Median annual wage: $33,170
- Median hourly wage: $15.95
- Total employment: 1,300 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Library technicians

- Median annual wage: $32,980
- Median hourly wage: $15.86
- Total employment: 180 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Physical therapist aides

- Median annual wage: $32,930
- Median hourly wage: $15.83
- Total employment: 240 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Richard Thornton // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. School bus monitors

- Median annual wage: $32,850
- Median hourly wage: $15.79
- Total employment: 720 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Suteren // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Dietetic technicians

- Median annual wage: $32,740
- Median hourly wage: $15.74
- Total employment: 170 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pressmaster // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Baggage porters and bellhops

- Median annual wage: $32,050
- Median hourly wage: $15.41
- Total employment: 110 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Maids and housekeeping cleaners

- Median annual wage: $31,640
- Median hourly wage: $15.21
- Total employment: 5,160 people (4.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Home health and personal care aides

- Median annual wage: $31,490
- Median hourly wage: $15.14
- Total employment: 21,760 people (19.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Food preparation workers

- Median annual wage: $31,180
- Median hourly wage: $14.99
- Total employment: 5,150 people (4.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks

- Median annual wage: $30,910
- Median hourly wage: $14.86
- Total employment: 1,550 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paul.J.West // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary

- Median annual wage: $30,890
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 8,190 people (7.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Retail salespersons

- Median annual wage: $30,710
- Median hourly wage: $14.77
- Total employment: 28,710 people (26.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jason Person // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Cooks, short order

- Median annual wage: $30,700
- Median hourly wage: $14.76
- Total employment: 630 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Martin Smith // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Parking attendants

- Median annual wage: $30,560
- Median hourly wage: $14.69
- Total employment: 1,210 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alena Veasey // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Cooks, fast food

- Median annual wage: $30,440
- Median hourly wage: $14.64
- Total employment: 1,770 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers

- Median annual wage: $29,720
- Median hourly wage: $14.29
- Total employment: 1,590 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dragon Images // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop

- Median annual wage: $29,650
- Median hourly wage: $14.26
- Total employment: 3,720 people (3.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Childcare workers

- Median annual wage: $29,620
- Median hourly wage: $14.24
- Total employment: 3,110 people (2.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers

- Median annual wage: $29,530
- Median hourly wage: $14.20
- Total employment: 1,270 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Recreation workers

- Median annual wage: $29,490
- Median hourly wage: $14.18
- Total employment: 2,210 people (2.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

aboutsung // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers

- Median annual wage: $29,320
- Median hourly wage: $14.10
- Total employment: 4,000 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers

- Median annual wage: $29,210
- Median hourly wage: $14.04
- Total employment: 1,100 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pressmaster // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Animal caretakers

- Median annual wage: $29,090
- Median hourly wage: $13.99
- Total employment: 2,630 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Dean Drobot // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Cashiers

- Median annual wage: $29,010
- Median hourly wage: $13.95
- Total employment: 20,070 people (18.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Fast food and counter workers

- Median annual wage: $28,760
- Median hourly wage: $13.83
- Total employment: 30,950 people (28.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Dishwashers

- Median annual wage: $28,580
- Median hourly wage: $13.74
- Total employment: 2,290 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Waiters and waitresses

- Median annual wage: $28,180
- Median hourly wage: $13.55
- Total employment: 15,910 people (14.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Motortion Films // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Personal care and service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $28,110
- Median hourly wage: $13.52
- Total employment: 60 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Virrage Images // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Motor vehicle operators, all other

- Median annual wage: $27,380
- Median hourly wage: $13.16
- Total employment: 230 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Library assistants, clerical

- Median annual wage: $26,920
- Median hourly wage: $12.94
- Total employment: 310 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Amusement and recreation attendants

- Median annual wage: $26,650
- Median hourly wage: $12.81
- Total employment: 2,410 people (2.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santypan // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Bartenders

- Median annual wage: $23,610
- Median hourly wage: $11.35
- Total employment: 4,030 people (3.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

grivet // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Gambling change persons and booth cashiers

- Median annual wage: $20,380
- Median hourly wage: $9.80
- Total employment: 90 people (0.08 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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