UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage: $36,270
- Median hourly wage: $17.44
- Total employment: 230 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Topeka
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 Topeka. 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.
Rido // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $36,230
- Median hourly wage: $17.42
- Total employment: 80 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $36,190
- Median hourly wage: $17.40
- Total employment: 730 people (6.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $35,830
- Median hourly wage: $17.23
- Total employment: 40 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $35,470
- Median hourly wage: $17.05
- Total employment: 350 people (3.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
- Median annual wage: $35,450
- Median hourly wage: $17.04
- Total employment: 260 people (2.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $35,250
- Median hourly wage: $16.95
- Total employment: 100 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service
- Median annual wage: $35,120
- Median hourly wage: $16.89
- Total employment: 150 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
worradirek // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers
- Median annual wage: $34,800
- Median hourly wage: $16.73
- Total employment: 30 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $34,480
- Median hourly wage: $16.58
- Total employment: 560 people (4.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $34,390
- Median hourly wage: $16.54
- Total employment: 70 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $34,380
- Median hourly wage: $16.53
- Total employment: 70 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Production workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $34,000
- Median hourly wage: $16.35
- Total employment: 80 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Data entry keyers
- Median annual wage: $33,690
- Median hourly wage: $16.20
- Total employment: 180 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Sales and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $32,880
- Median hourly wage: $15.81
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $32,720
- Median hourly wage: $15.73
- Total employment: 200 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $32,240
- Median hourly wage: $15.50
- Total employment: 1,370 people (12.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krysja // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Funeral attendants
- Median annual wage: $31,920
- Median hourly wage: $15.35
- Total employment: 30 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Demonstrators and product promoters
- Median annual wage: $31,880
- Median hourly wage: $15.33
- Total employment: 60 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $31,830
- Median hourly wage: $15.30
- Total employment: 530 people (4.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $31,580
- Median hourly wage: $15.19
- Total employment: 1,300 people (11.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $31,400
- Median hourly wage: $15.10
- Total employment: 50 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $30,960
- Median hourly wage: $14.88
- Total employment: 820 people (7.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $30,840
- Median hourly wage: $14.83
- Total employment: 1,840 people (16.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $30,770
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,520 people (13.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $30,710
- Median hourly wage: $14.76
- Total employment: 550 people (4.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $30,530
- Median hourly wage: $14.68
- Total employment: 3,070 people (27.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $30,380
- Median hourly wage: $14.61
- Total employment: 720 people (6.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $30,230
- Median hourly wage: $14.53
- Total employment: 170 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $29,480
- Median hourly wage: $14.17
- Total employment: 670 people (5.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $29,360
- Median hourly wage: $14.11
- Total employment: 170 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $29,330
- Median hourly wage: $14.10
- Total employment: 120 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $29,280
- Median hourly wage: $14.08
- Total employment: 620 people (5.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $28,830
- Median hourly wage: $13.86
- Total employment: 610 people (5.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Pharmacy aides
- Median annual wage: $28,800
- Median hourly wage: $13.85
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $28,770
- Median hourly wage: $13.83
- Total employment: 170 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $28,540
- Median hourly wage: $13.72
- Total employment: 110 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ruslan Galiullin // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Office clerks, general
- Median annual wage: $28,340
- Median hourly wage: $13.63
- Total employment: 340 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $28,330
- Median hourly wage: $13.62
- Total employment: 150 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $28,040
- Median hourly wage: $13.48
- Total employment: 220 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NIKCOA // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Medical transcriptionists
- Median annual wage: $27,690
- Median hourly wage: $13.31
- Total employment: 90 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $27,610
- Median hourly wage: $13.27
- Total employment: 200 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $27,460
- Median hourly wage: $13.20
- Total employment: 2,540 people (22.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $27,300
- Median hourly wage: $13.13
- Total employment: 3,220 people (28.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $26,960
- Median hourly wage: $12.96
- Total employment: 510 people (4.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $26,830
- Median hourly wage: $12.90
- Total employment: 270 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $26,350
- Median hourly wage: $12.67
- Total employment: 190 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $24,960
- Median hourly wage: $12.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $23,870
- Median hourly wage: $11.48
- Total employment: 240 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $23,590
- Median hourly wage: $11.34
- Total employment: 30 people (0.3 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.
