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1 / 50#50. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
- Median annual wage: $41,340
- Median hourly wage: $19.88
- Total employment: 60 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Lewiston, Maine
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 Lewiston. 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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2 / 50#49. Light truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $41,310
- Median hourly wage: $19.86
- Total employment: 480 people (9.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Private detectives and investigators
- Median annual wage: $41,250
- Median hourly wage: $19.83
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $41,230
- Median hourly wage: $19.82
- Total employment: 80 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $40,910
- Median hourly wage: $19.67
- Total employment: 220 people (4.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $40,610
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 770 people (15.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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7 / 50#44. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $39,960
- Median hourly wage: $19.21
- Total employment: 1,180 people (24.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olaf Speier // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Shoe machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $39,830
- Median hourly wage: $19.15
- Total employment: 90 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Pharmacy technicians
- Median annual wage: $39,790
- Median hourly wage: $19.13
- Total employment: 170 people (3.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $39,410
- Median hourly wage: $18.95
- Total employment: 50 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $39,400
- Median hourly wage: $18.94
- Total employment: 190 people (3.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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12 / 50#39. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $39,390
- Median hourly wage: $18.94
- Total employment: 60 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $39,380
- Median hourly wage: $18.93
- Total employment: 190 people (3.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
- Median annual wage: $39,330
- Median hourly wage: $18.91
- Total employment: 90 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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15 / 50#36. Textile winding, twisting, and drawing out machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $39,110
- Median hourly wage: $18.80
- Total employment: 80 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing
- Median annual wage: $39,010
- Median hourly wage: $18.76
- Total employment: 70 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Standret // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $38,770
- Median hourly wage: $18.64
- Total employment: 70 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $38,740
- Median hourly wage: $18.63
- Total employment: 420 people (8.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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19 / 50#32. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $38,310
- Median hourly wage: $18.42
- Total employment: 160 people (3.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50#31. Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood
- Median annual wage: $38,300
- Median hourly wage: $18.42
- Total employment: 90 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $38,000
- Median hourly wage: $18.27
- Total employment: 40 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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22 / 50#29. Production workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $37,600
- Median hourly wage: $18.08
- Total employment: 140 people (2.99 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: $37,390
- Median hourly wage: $17.98
- Total employment: 1,790 people (37.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $37,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.96
- Total employment: 750 people (15.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $37,330
- Median hourly wage: $17.95
- Total employment: 60 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $36,840
- Median hourly wage: $17.71
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $36,810
- Median hourly wage: $17.70
- Total employment: 220 people (4.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $36,450
- Median hourly wage: $17.52
- Total employment: 1,260 people (26.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $36,170
- Median hourly wage: $17.39
- Total employment: 30 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $36,090
- Median hourly wage: $17.35
- Total employment: 100 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kitreel // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Food batchmakers
- Median annual wage: $35,990
- Median hourly wage: $17.30
- Total employment: 80 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $35,880
- Median hourly wage: $17.25
- Total employment: 160 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $35,710
- Median hourly wage: $17.17
- Total employment: 110 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $35,630
- Median hourly wage: $17.13
- Total employment: 200 people (4.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $35,190
- Median hourly wage: $16.92
- Total employment: 260 people (5.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#14. Automotive and watercraft service attendants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,870
- Median hourly wage: $16.77
- Total employment: 40 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,870
- Median hourly wage: $16.77
- Total employment: 90 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $34,730
- Median hourly wage: $16.70
- Total employment: 120 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shakirov Albert // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Floral designers
- Median annual wage: $34,670
- Median hourly wage: $16.67
- Total employment: 40 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $34,470
- Median hourly wage: $16.57
- Total employment: 80 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#9. Cashiers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,320
- Median hourly wage: $16.50
- Total employment: 1,090 people (22.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Animal caretakers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,320
- Median hourly wage: $16.50
- Total employment: 70 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $34,310
- Median hourly wage: $16.49
- Total employment: 400 people (8.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $34,030
- Median hourly wage: $16.36
- Total employment: 150 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $33,550
- Median hourly wage: $16.13
- Total employment: 1,440 people (29.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $33,340
- Median hourly wage: $16.03
- Total employment: 90 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $32,420
- Median hourly wage: $15.59
- Total employment: 40 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $32,280
- Median hourly wage: $15.52
- Total employment: 60 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $32,100
- Median hourly wage: $15.43
- Total employment: 360 people (7.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $30,920
- Median hourly wage: $14.87
- Total employment: 110 people (2.29 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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