PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $36,040
- Median hourly wage: $17.33
- Total employment: 30 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in South Bend
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 South Bend. 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.
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in South Bend that don't require a college degree
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $35,930
- Median hourly wage: $17.27
- Total employment: 2,410 people (18.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $35,850
- Median hourly wage: $17.24
- Total employment: 260 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Anna Jurkovska // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Orderlies
- Median annual wage: $35,750
- Median hourly wage: $17.19
- Total employment: 60 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $35,690
- Median hourly wage: $17.16
- Total employment: 680 people (5.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Car insurance rates in South Bend October 2025
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Broadcast technicians
- Median annual wage: $35,650
- Median hourly wage: $17.14
- Total employment: 70 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $35,480
- Median hourly wage: $17.06
- Total employment: 2,150 people (16.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $35,430
- Median hourly wage: $17.04
- Total employment: 350 people (2.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Library technicians
- Median annual wage: $35,190
- Median hourly wage: $16.92
- Total employment: 170 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $35,160
- Median hourly wage: $16.90
- Total employment: 1,350 people (10.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants for tacos in the South Bend area by diners
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,130
- Median hourly wage: $16.89
- Total employment: 30 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $34,750
- Median hourly wage: $16.71
- Total employment: 140 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $34,570
- Median hourly wage: $16.62
- Total employment: 100 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $34,410
- Median hourly wage: $16.55
- Total employment: 270 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $34,080
- Median hourly wage: $16.39
- Total employment: 320 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated fine dining restaurants in the South Bend area by diners
Shakirov Albert // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Floral designers
- Median annual wage: $33,600
- Median hourly wage: $16.16
- Total employment: 30 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $33,590
- Median hourly wage: $16.15
- Total employment: 110 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krysja // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Funeral attendants
- Median annual wage: $33,360
- Median hourly wage: $16.04
- Total employment: 50 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $33,340
- Median hourly wage: $16.03
- Total employment: 180 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Library assistants, clerical
- Median annual wage: $33,180
- Median hourly wage: $15.95
- Total employment: 60 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best high schools in the South Bend metro area
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $32,230
- Median hourly wage: $15.49
- Total employment: 210 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $31,500
- Median hourly wage: $15.15
- Total employment: 170 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $31,450
- Median hourly wage: $15.12
- Total employment: 40 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $31,410
- Median hourly wage: $15.10
- Total employment: 3,140 people (23.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
25 / 50#25. Cooks, short order (tie)
- Median annual wage: $30,470
- Median hourly wage: $14.65
- Total employment: 120 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: How gas prices have changed in South Bend in the last week
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks (tie)
- Median annual wage: $30,470
- Median hourly wage: $14.65
- Total employment: 280 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Sales and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $30,440
- Median hourly wage: $14.64
- Total employment: 40 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $30,420
- Median hourly wage: $14.63
- Total employment: 690 people (5.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $30,340
- Median hourly wage: $14.59
- Total employment: 640 people (4.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $30,310
- Median hourly wage: $14.57
- Total employment: 3,910 people (29.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best private K-12 schools in the South Bend metro area
Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $30,210
- Median hourly wage: $14.53
- Total employment: 70 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $30,120
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,250 people (9.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $30,090
- Median hourly wage: $14.47
- Total employment: 200 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Educational instruction and library workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $30,070
- Median hourly wage: $14.46
- Total employment: 70 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $29,630
- Median hourly wage: $14.25
- Total employment: 340 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants with outdoor seating in South Bend by diners
aboutsung // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $29,620
- Median hourly wage: $14.24
- Total employment: 600 people (4.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $29,570
- Median hourly wage: $14.22
- Total employment: 80 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $29,180
- Median hourly wage: $14.03
- Total employment: 220 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $29,140
- Median hourly wage: $14.01
- Total employment: 360 people (2.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $28,740
- Median hourly wage: $13.82
- Total employment: 110 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Most common languages spoken at home in Greater South Bend and surrounding regions
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $28,680
- Median hourly wage: $13.79
- Total employment: 2,850 people (21.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $28,670
- Median hourly wage: $13.78
- Total employment: 330 people (2.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $28,510
- Median hourly wage: $13.71
- Total employment: 1,920 people (14.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $28,360
- Median hourly wage: $13.64
- Total employment: 310 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $27,790
- Median hourly wage: $13.36
- Total employment: 4,890 people (37.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: How gas prices have changed in South Bend in the last week
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $27,650
- Median hourly wage: $13.29
- Total employment: 210 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $27,630
- Median hourly wage: $13.28
- Total employment: 420 people (3.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carlovis // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Tour and travel guides
- Median annual wage: $27,350
- Median hourly wage: $13.15
- Total employment: 40 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $22,940
- Median hourly wage: $11.03
- Total employment: 50 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $22,920
- Median hourly wage: $11.02
- Total employment: 680 people (5.2 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.
You may also like: Highest-rated campgrounds in the South Bend area by visitors
