Tong_stocker // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Helpers--carpenters
- Median annual wage: $30,200
- Median hourly wage: $14.52
- Total employment: 40 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Houma
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 Houma. 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.
Maria Sbytova // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Veterinary technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $30,170
- Median hourly wage: $14.50
- Total employment: 30 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,160
- Median hourly wage: $14.50
- Total employment: 650 people (7.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Median annual wage: $29,900
- Median hourly wage: $14.38
- Total employment: 1,620 people (19.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Pharmacy aides
- Median annual wage: $29,750
- Median hourly wage: $14.31
- Total employment: 30 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $29,530
- Median hourly wage: $14.20
- Total employment: 70 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leika production // Shutterstock
7 / 50#43. Couriers and messengers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,270
- Median hourly wage: $14.07
- Total employment: 60 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Nursing assistants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,270
- Median hourly wage: $14.07
- Total employment: 600 people (7.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Cineberg // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Helpers, construction trades, all other
- Median annual wage: $29,180
- Median hourly wage: $14.03
- Total employment: 230 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
10 / 50#40. Medical equipment preparers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,110
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Automotive and watercraft service attendants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,110
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $29,030
- Median hourly wage: $13.96
- Total employment: 120 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $28,830
- Median hourly wage: $13.86
- Total employment: 2,030 people (24.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Food processing workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $28,420
- Median hourly wage: $13.66
- Total employment: 30 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $28,250
- Median hourly wage: $13.58
- Total employment: 550 people (6.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ruslan Galiullin // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Office clerks, general
- Median annual wage: $28,200
- Median hourly wage: $13.56
- Total employment: 1,170 people (14.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $28,130
- Median hourly wage: $13.53
- Total employment: 420 people (5.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $27,910
- Median hourly wage: $13.42
- Total employment: 40 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage: $27,860
- Median hourly wage: $13.39
- Total employment: 290 people (3.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $27,370
- Median hourly wage: $13.16
- Total employment: Not available
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $27,270
- Median hourly wage: $13.11
- Total employment: 70 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $26,790
- Median hourly wage: $12.88
- Total employment: 90 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $26,710
- Median hourly wage: $12.84
- Total employment: 60 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $26,020
- Median hourly wage: $12.51
- Total employment: 60 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $25,950
- Median hourly wage: $12.48
- Total employment: 430 people (5.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Sales and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $25,620
- Median hourly wage: $12.32
- Total employment: 60 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $25,080
- Median hourly wage: $12.06
- Total employment: 170 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $24,960
- Median hourly wage: $12.00
- Total employment: 80 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
shocky // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers
- Median annual wage: $23,840
- Median hourly wage: $11.46
- Total employment: 140 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $23,580
- Median hourly wage: $11.34
- Total employment: 140 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $23,230
- Median hourly wage: $11.17
- Total employment: 870 people (10.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $23,110
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 520 people (6.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $22,870
- Median hourly wage: $11.00
- Total employment: 80 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $22,720
- Median hourly wage: $10.92
- Total employment: 300 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $22,680
- Median hourly wage: $10.91
- Total employment: 1,310 people (15.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $22,600
- Median hourly wage: $10.86
- Total employment: 60 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $22,580
- Median hourly wage: $10.86
- Total employment: 2,370 people (28.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Bus drivers, school
- Median annual wage: $22,450
- Median hourly wage: $10.79
- Total employment: 240 people (2.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $22,140
- Median hourly wage: $10.64
- Total employment: 170 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $22,120
- Median hourly wage: $10.64
- Total employment: 1,460 people (17.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $22,080
- Median hourly wage: $10.62
- Total employment: 310 people (3.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
grivet // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Gambling change persons and booth cashiers
- Median annual wage: $22,000
- Median hourly wage: $10.58
- Total employment: 50 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $21,820
- Median hourly wage: $10.49
- Total employment: 1,370 people (16.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $21,600
- Median hourly wage: $10.38
- Total employment: 100 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $21,150
- Median hourly wage: $10.17
- Total employment: 160 people (1.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $20,800
- Median hourly wage: $10.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $20,110
- Median hourly wage: $9.67
- Total employment: 100 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $17,900
- Median hourly wage: $8.60
- Total employment: 300 people (3.63 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: $16,770
- Median hourly wage: $8.06
- Total employment: 240 people (2.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $15,940
- Median hourly wage: $7.67
- Total employment: 1,180 people (14.27 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.
