zhu difeng // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $34,330
- Median hourly wage: $16.51
- Total employment: 170 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Alexandria
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 Alexandria. 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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Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $34,020
- Median hourly wage: $16.36
- Total employment: 380 people (6.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Child, family, and school social workers
- Median annual wage: $33,700
- Median hourly wage: $16.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Medical secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $33,460
- Median hourly wage: $16.09
- Total employment: 140 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
- Median annual wage: $32,960
- Median hourly wage: $15.85
- Total employment: 50 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DuxX // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $32,280
- Median hourly wage: $15.52
- Total employment: 50 people (0.79 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: $32,120
- Median hourly wage: $15.44
- Total employment: 1,820 people (30.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Emergency medical technicians
- Median annual wage: $31,700
- Median hourly wage: $15.24
- Total employment: 100 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $31,370
- Median hourly wage: $15.08
- Total employment: 50 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Milkovasa // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Medical assistants
- Median annual wage: $31,340
- Median hourly wage: $15.07
- Total employment: 490 people (8.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Ruslan Galiullin // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Office clerks, general
- Median annual wage: $31,250
- Median hourly wage: $15.03
- Total employment: 1,490 people (25.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $31,140
- Median hourly wage: $14.97
- Total employment: 820 people (13.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $30,780
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 480 people (8.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
KarepaStock // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Grounds maintenance workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $30,690
- Median hourly wage: $14.76
- Total employment: 40 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,610
- Median hourly wage: $14.71
- Total employment: 400 people (6.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- Median annual wage: $30,250
- Median hourly wage: $14.55
- Total employment: 550 people (9.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $30,220
- Median hourly wage: $14.53
- Total employment: 30 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Nursing assistants
- Median annual wage: $30,020
- Median hourly wage: $14.43
- Total employment: 910 people (15.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Medical equipment preparers
- Median annual wage: $29,630
- Median hourly wage: $14.25
- Total employment: 30 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage: $29,620
- Median hourly wage: $14.24
- Total employment: 140 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Standret // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $29,540
- Median hourly wage: $14.20
- Total employment: 100 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $28,800
- Median hourly wage: $13.85
- Total employment: 90 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $28,610
- Median hourly wage: $13.76
- Total employment: 40 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Goldsithney // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Psychiatric technicians
- Median annual wage: $28,400
- Median hourly wage: $13.66
- Total employment: 160 people (2.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Healthcare support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $28,130
- Median hourly wage: $13.53
- Total employment: 190 people (3.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pressmaster // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $28,090
- Median hourly wage: $13.51
- Total employment: 90 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $27,950
- Median hourly wage: $13.44
- Total employment: 320 people (5.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $27,840
- Median hourly wage: $13.39
- Total employment: 770 people (13.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $27,810
- Median hourly wage: $13.37
- Total employment: 340 people (5.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $26,960
- Median hourly wage: $12.96
- Total employment: 1,980 people (33.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Africa Studio // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $26,900
- Median hourly wage: $12.93
- Total employment: 30 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $26,610
- Median hourly wage: $12.79
- Total employment: 140 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $25,860
- Median hourly wage: $12.43
- Total employment: 100 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $25,560
- Median hourly wage: $12.29
- Total employment: 50 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $24,550
- Median hourly wage: $11.80
- Total employment: 120 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jason Person // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $23,810
- Median hourly wage: $11.45
- Total employment: 140 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $23,560
- Median hourly wage: $11.33
- Total employment: 100 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $22,780
- Median hourly wage: $10.95
- Total employment: 1,660 people (28.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $22,720
- Median hourly wage: $10.92
- Total employment: 320 people (5.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $22,680
- Median hourly wage: $10.91
- Total employment: 120 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $22,410
- Median hourly wage: $10.77
- Total employment: 50 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $22,390
- Median hourly wage: $10.76
- Total employment: 1,160 people (19.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $21,890
- Median hourly wage: $10.53
- Total employment: 1,110 people (18.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $21,630
- Median hourly wage: $10.40
- Total employment: 320 people (5.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $21,520
- Median hourly wage: $10.34
- Total employment: 2,830 people (47.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $21,490
- Median hourly wage: $10.33
- Total employment: 110 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $21,020
- Median hourly wage: $10.11
- Total employment: 150 people (2.48 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: $19,570
- Median hourly wage: $9.41
- Total employment: 150 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $16,700
- Median hourly wage: $8.03
- Total employment: 170 people (2.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $16,490
- Median hourly wage: $7.93
- Total employment: 680 people (11.53 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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