Dragon Images // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $35,420
- Median hourly wage: $17.03
- Total employment: 220 people (2.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Bowling Green
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 Bowling Green. 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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Leika production // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Couriers and messengers
- Median annual wage: $35,350
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peakstock // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Ophthalmic medical technicians
- Median annual wage: $35,310
- Median hourly wage: $16.98
- Total employment: 130 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $34,920
- Median hourly wage: $16.79
- Total employment: 250 people (3.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $34,770
- Median hourly wage: $16.72
- Total employment: 50 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $34,690
- Median hourly wage: $16.68
- Total employment: 40 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Standret // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $33,760
- Median hourly wage: $16.23
- Total employment: 110 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $33,060
- Median hourly wage: $15.90
- Total employment: 1,710 people (21.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $33,020
- Median hourly wage: $15.88
- Total employment: 690 people (8.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage: $32,870
- Median hourly wage: $15.80
- Total employment: 200 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $32,650
- Median hourly wage: $15.70
- Total employment: 330 people (4.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Socrates471 // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Audio and video technicians
- Median annual wage: $32,440
- Median hourly wage: $15.60
- Total employment: 40 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $31,640
- Median hourly wage: $15.21
- Total employment: 60 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Maria Sbytova // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Veterinary technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $31,500
- Median hourly wage: $15.14
- Total employment: 70 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vasin Lee // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Residential advisors
- Median annual wage: $31,190
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 80 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $30,850
- Median hourly wage: $14.83
- Total employment: 500 people (6.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Median annual wage: $30,700
- Median hourly wage: $14.76
- Total employment: 120 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $30,180
- Median hourly wage: $14.51
- Total employment: 560 people (6.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $29,900
- Median hourly wage: $14.38
- Total employment: 50 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $29,670
- Median hourly wage: $14.27
- Total employment: 70 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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New Africa // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $29,630
- Median hourly wage: $14.24
- Total employment: 520 people (6.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $29,540
- Median hourly wage: $14.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
antoniodiaz // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys
- Median annual wage: $29,210
- Median hourly wage: $14.04
- Total employment: 40 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
24 / 50#26. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,190
- Median hourly wage: $14.03
- Total employment: 290 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Preschool teachers, except special education (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,190
- Median hourly wage: $14.04
- Total employment: 270 people (3.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $28,860
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 550 people (6.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $28,800
- Median hourly wage: $13.84
- Total employment: 230 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $28,730
- Median hourly wage: $13.81
- Total employment: 2,410 people (29.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Teachers and instructors, all other
- Median annual wage: $28,680
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 170 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Library technicians
- Median annual wage: $28,350
- Median hourly wage: $13.63
- Total employment: 160 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $28,120
- Median hourly wage: $13.52
- Total employment: 450 people (5.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $27,820
- Median hourly wage: $13.38
- Total employment: 170 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $27,790
- Median hourly wage: $13.36
- Total employment: 240 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $27,580
- Median hourly wage: $13.26
- Total employment: 2,250 people (28.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $27,390
- Median hourly wage: $13.17
- Total employment: 160 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $27,350
- Median hourly wage: $13.15
- Total employment: 100 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $27,200
- Median hourly wage: $13.08
- Total employment: 110 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $27,180
- Median hourly wage: $13.07
- Total employment: 150 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $26,930
- Median hourly wage: $12.95
- Total employment: 60 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $26,390
- Median hourly wage: $12.69
- Total employment: 1,550 people (19.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $26,380
- Median hourly wage: $12.68
- Total employment: 70 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $25,970
- Median hourly wage: $12.49
- Total employment: 230 people (2.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $25,630
- Median hourly wage: $12.32
- Total employment: 50 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $25,220
- Median hourly wage: $12.13
- Total employment: 110 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $24,320
- Median hourly wage: $11.69
- Total employment: 330 people (4.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $24,080
- Median hourly wage: $11.58
- Total employment: 610 people (7.6 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: $23,890
- Median hourly wage: $11.49
- Total employment: 300 people (3.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $23,350
- Median hourly wage: $11.22
- Total employment: 910 people (11.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $21,120
- Median hourly wage: $10.15
- Total employment: 40 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $20,950
- Median hourly wage: $10.07
- Total employment: 1,260 people (15.61 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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