ESB Basic // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Customer service representatives
- Median annual wage: $35,940
- Median hourly wage: $17.28
- Total employment: 850 people (16.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Manhattan
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 Manhattan. 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.
goodluz // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $35,890
- Median hourly wage: $17.26
- Total employment: 90 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Rehabilitation counselors
- Median annual wage: $35,850
- Median hourly wage: $17.24
- Total employment: 50 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
- Median annual wage: $35,840
- Median hourly wage: $17.23
- Total employment: 90 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $35,610
- Median hourly wage: $17.12
- Total employment: 50 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $35,480
- Median hourly wage: $17.06
- Total employment: 110 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Median annual wage: $35,430
- Median hourly wage: $17.03
- Total employment: 890 people (16.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
encierro // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
- Median annual wage: $35,420
- Median hourly wage: $17.03
- Total employment: 80 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 230 people (4.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $34,980
- Median hourly wage: $16.82
- Total employment: 170 people (3.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $33,790
- Median hourly wage: $16.25
- Total employment: 140 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $33,380
- Median hourly wage: $16.05
- Total employment: 920 people (17.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $33,230
- Median hourly wage: $15.98
- Total employment: 480 people (9.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $32,670
- Median hourly wage: $15.71
- Total employment: 140 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $32,660
- Median hourly wage: $15.70
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $32,180
- Median hourly wage: $15.47
- Total employment: 330 people (6.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Library assistants, clerical
- Median annual wage: $31,930
- Median hourly wage: $15.35
- Total employment: 100 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $31,880
- Median hourly wage: $15.33
- Total employment: 30 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $31,450
- Median hourly wage: $15.12
- Total employment: 340 people (6.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $30,670
- Median hourly wage: $14.74
- Total employment: 1,000 people (18.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $30,540
- Median hourly wage: $14.68
- Total employment: 1,250 people (23.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
- Median annual wage: $30,450
- Median hourly wage: $14.64
- Total employment: 170 people (3.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
worradirek // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Helpers--production workers
- Median annual wage: $30,380
- Median hourly wage: $14.61
- Total employment: 30 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $29,960
- Median hourly wage: $14.40
- Total employment: 100 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $29,950
- Median hourly wage: $14.40
- Total employment: 400 people (7.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $29,830
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,040 people (19.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $29,730
- Median hourly wage: $14.29
- Total employment: 70 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $29,640
- Median hourly wage: $14.25
- Total employment: 640 people (12.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $29,550
- Median hourly wage: $14.21
- Total employment: 510 people (9.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $29,510
- Median hourly wage: $14.19
- Total employment: 530 people (10.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $29,420
- Median hourly wage: $14.15
- Total employment: 60 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $29,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: 110 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $28,970
- Median hourly wage: $13.93
- Total employment: 40 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $28,960
- Median hourly wage: $13.93
- Total employment: 40 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $28,490
- Median hourly wage: $13.70
- Total employment: 300 people (5.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $27,680
- Median hourly wage: $13.31
- Total employment: 110 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $27,660
- Median hourly wage: $13.30
- Total employment: 120 people (2.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $27,210
- Median hourly wage: $13.08
- Total employment: 230 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $26,990
- Median hourly wage: $12.98
- Total employment: 280 people (5.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vasin Lee // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Residential advisors
- Median annual wage: $26,840
- Median hourly wage: $12.91
- Total employment: 50 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
41 / 50#9. Fast food and counter workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $26,810
- Median hourly wage: $12.89
- Total employment: 2,210 people (41.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Cashiers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $26,810
- Median hourly wage: $12.89
- Total employment: 1,570 people (29.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $26,040
- Median hourly wage: $12.52
- Total employment: 60 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $25,850
- Median hourly wage: $12.43
- Total employment: Not available
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $24,680
- Median hourly wage: $11.86
- Total employment: 50 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $24,590
- Median hourly wage: $11.82
- Total employment: 110 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $23,990
- Median hourly wage: $11.53
- Total employment: 300 people (5.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $23,770
- Median hourly wage: $11.43
- Total employment: 60 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $23,270
- Median hourly wage: $11.19
- Total employment: 190 people (3.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $21,030
- Median hourly wage: $10.11
- Total employment: 90 people (1.67 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.
