Dragon Images // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $37,640
- Median hourly wage: $18.10
- Total employment: 110 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Elizabethtown
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 Elizabethtown. 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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DuxX // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $37,550
- Median hourly wage: $18.05
- Total employment: 40 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Nursing assistants
- Median annual wage: $37,500
- Median hourly wage: $18.03
- Total employment: 430 people (8.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $37,100
- Median hourly wage: $17.84
- Total employment: 340 people (6.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $37,010
- Median hourly wage: $17.79
- Total employment: 540 people (10.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $36,920
- Median hourly wage: $17.75
- Total employment: 90 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ESB Basic // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Customer service representatives
- Median annual wage: $36,420
- Median hourly wage: $17.51
- Total employment: 1,080 people (21.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- Median annual wage: $36,330
- Median hourly wage: $17.47
- Total employment: 490 people (9.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Pharmacy technicians
- Median annual wage: $36,020
- Median hourly wage: $17.32
- Total employment: 240 people (4.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $35,970
- Median hourly wage: $17.29
- Total employment: 100 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Syda Productions // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $35,870
- Median hourly wage: $17.25
- Total employment: 170 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $35,720
- Median hourly wage: $17.17
- Total employment: 80 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ruslan Galiullin // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Office clerks, general
- Median annual wage: $35,640
- Median hourly wage: $17.14
- Total employment: 790 people (15.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $35,600
- Median hourly wage: $17.12
- Total employment: 60 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Median annual wage: $35,570
- Median hourly wage: $17.10
- Total employment: 710 people (13.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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worradirek // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers
- Median annual wage: $35,410
- Median hourly wage: $17.03
- Total employment: 30 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $34,680
- Median hourly wage: $16.67
- Total employment: 60 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $33,980
- Median hourly wage: $16.34
- Total employment: 170 people (3.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $33,650
- Median hourly wage: $16.18
- Total employment: 130 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
- Median annual wage: $33,520
- Median hourly wage: $16.12
- Total employment: 80 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DSBfoto // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $33,420
- Median hourly wage: $16.07
- Total employment: 610 people (11.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $33,090
- Median hourly wage: $15.91
- Total employment: 40 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $32,930
- Median hourly wage: $15.83
- Total employment: 760 people (14.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Fusionstudio // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks
- Median annual wage: $32,790
- Median hourly wage: $15.76
- Total employment: 840 people (16.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $32,700
- Median hourly wage: $15.72
- Total employment: 950 people (18.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage: $32,530
- Median hourly wage: $15.64
- Total employment: 110 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $31,580
- Median hourly wage: $15.19
- Total employment: 290 people (5.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $30,800
- Median hourly wage: $14.81
- Total employment: 150 people (2.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $29,260
- Median hourly wage: $14.07
- Total employment: 330 people (6.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $29,190
- Median hourly wage: $14.03
- Total employment: 360 people (6.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $29,150
- Median hourly wage: $14.02
- Total employment: 180 people (3.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Coaches and scouts
- Median annual wage: $29,140
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 30 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $29,080
- Median hourly wage: $13.98
- Total employment: 170 people (3.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $28,860
- Median hourly wage: $13.88
- Total employment: 30 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $28,730
- Median hourly wage: $13.81
- Total employment: 1,560 people (30.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $28,050
- Median hourly wage: $13.49
- Total employment: 340 people (6.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $28,010
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 700 people (13.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $27,760
- Median hourly wage: $13.34
- Total employment: 140 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $27,640
- Median hourly wage: $13.29
- Total employment: 130 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $27,600
- Median hourly wage: $13.27
- Total employment: 110 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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aboutsung // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $27,590
- Median hourly wage: $13.27
- Total employment: 60 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $27,250
- Median hourly wage: $13.10
- Total employment: 80 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $27,000
- Median hourly wage: $12.98
- Total employment: 1,420 people (27.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $26,790
- Median hourly wage: $12.88
- Total employment: 120 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $26,580
- Median hourly wage: $12.78
- Total employment: 1,270 people (24.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $25,900
- Median hourly wage: $12.45
- Total employment: 110 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $23,970
- Median hourly wage: $11.52
- Total employment: 730 people (14.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $23,800
- Median hourly wage: $11.44
- Total employment: 180 people (3.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $23,020
- Median hourly wage: $11.07
- Total employment: 690 people (13.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $22,810
- Median hourly wage: $10.97
- Total employment: 430 people (8.44 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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