wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Production workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $38,650
- Median hourly wage: $18.58
- Total employment: 160 people (2.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Ames
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 Ames. 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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ESB Basic // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Customer service representatives
- Median annual wage: $38,550
- Median hourly wage: $18.53
- Total employment: 600 people (10.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $38,490
- Median hourly wage: $18.51
- Total employment: 180 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
evgenii mitroshin // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers
- Median annual wage: $37,810
- Median hourly wage: $18.18
- Total employment: Not available
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $37,510
- Median hourly wage: $18.03
- Total employment: 170 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $37,400
- Median hourly wage: $17.98
- Total employment: 160 people (2.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $37,050
- Median hourly wage: $17.81
- Total employment: 220 people (3.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $37,000
- Median hourly wage: $17.79
- Total employment: 200 people (3.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Phlebotomists
- Median annual wage: $36,850
- Median hourly wage: $17.72
- Total employment: 60 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. First-line supervisors of personal service workers
- Median annual wage: $36,370
- Median hourly wage: $17.48
- Total employment: 30 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $36,310
- Median hourly wage: $17.46
- Total employment: 640 people (11.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $36,220
- Median hourly wage: $17.41
- Total employment: 70 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $36,180
- Median hourly wage: $17.39
- Total employment: 1,120 people (19.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $35,330
- Median hourly wage: $16.99
- Total employment: 350 people (6.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $35,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.96
- Total employment: 150 people (2.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jason Person // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $34,880
- Median hourly wage: $16.77
- Total employment: 90 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $34,580
- Median hourly wage: $16.63
- Total employment: 70 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $34,220
- Median hourly wage: $16.45
- Total employment: 980 people (17.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $34,050
- Median hourly wage: $16.37
- Total employment: 50 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Standret // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $33,790
- Median hourly wage: $16.25
- Total employment: 90 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $33,690
- Median hourly wage: $16.20
- Total employment: 60 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $33,590
- Median hourly wage: $16.15
- Total employment: Not available
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
- Median annual wage: $32,930
- Median hourly wage: $15.83
- Total employment: 100 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $32,140
- Median hourly wage: $15.45
- Total employment: 170 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $31,340
- Median hourly wage: $15.07
- Total employment: 160 people (2.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Coaches and scouts
- Median annual wage: $30,700
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 130 people (2.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $30,640
- Median hourly wage: $14.73
- Total employment: 50 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $30,540
- Median hourly wage: $14.68
- Total employment: 70 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $30,510
- Median hourly wage: $14.67
- Total employment: 170 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $30,400
- Median hourly wage: $14.62
- Total employment: 140 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
31 / 50#19. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment (tie)
- Median annual wage: $30,330
- Median hourly wage: $14.58
- Total employment: 90 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Retail salespersons (tie)
- Median annual wage: $30,330
- Median hourly wage: $14.58
- Total employment: 1,350 people (24.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $29,850
- Median hourly wage: $14.35
- Total employment: 270 people (4.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $29,800
- Median hourly wage: $14.33
- Total employment: 160 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $29,710
- Median hourly wage: $14.29
- Total employment: 210 people (3.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Library assistants, clerical
- Median annual wage: $29,220
- Median hourly wage: $14.05
- Total employment: 90 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $29,180
- Median hourly wage: $14.03
- Total employment: 260 people (4.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $29,170
- Median hourly wage: $14.02
- Total employment: 1,540 people (27.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $28,990
- Median hourly wage: $13.94
- Total employment: 170 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $28,950
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 800 people (14.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $28,910
- Median hourly wage: $13.90
- Total employment: 240 people (4.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $28,890
- Median hourly wage: $13.89
- Total employment: 1,490 people (26.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $28,660
- Median hourly wage: $13.78
- Total employment: 980 people (17.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $27,880
- Median hourly wage: $13.41
- Total employment: 130 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $27,580
- Median hourly wage: $13.26
- Total employment: 200 people (3.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dragon Images // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $27,560
- Median hourly wage: $13.25
- Total employment: 160 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $26,140
- Median hourly wage: $12.57
- Total employment: 100 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $25,550
- Median hourly wage: $12.28
- Total employment: 90 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $23,920
- Median hourly wage: $11.50
- Total employment: 30 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $22,610
- Median hourly wage: $10.87
- Total employment: 410 people (7.35 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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