DGLimages // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Teaching assistants, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $37,410
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 12,930 people (59.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Ann Arbor
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 Ann Arbor. 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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aappp // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Aircraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $37,320
- Median hourly wage: $17.94
- Total employment: 40 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $37,210
- Median hourly wage: $17.89
- Total employment: 340 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Production workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $37,070
- Median hourly wage: $17.82
- Total employment: 250 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $37,030
- Median hourly wage: $17.80
- Total employment: 610 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $36,910
- Median hourly wage: $17.74
- Total employment: 390 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $36,790
- Median hourly wage: $17.69
- Total employment: 950 people (4.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $36,770
- Median hourly wage: $17.68
- Total employment: 220 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $36,710
- Median hourly wage: $17.65
- Total employment: 300 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leika production // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Couriers and messengers
- Median annual wage: $36,550
- Median hourly wage: $17.57
- Total employment: 30 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $36,520
- Median hourly wage: $17.56
- Total employment: 60 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $36,510
- Median hourly wage: $17.55
- Total employment: 2,480 people (11.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shakirov Albert // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Floral designers
- Median annual wage: $36,400
- Median hourly wage: $17.50
- Total employment: 60 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $36,380
- Median hourly wage: $17.49
- Total employment: 3,460 people (15.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $36,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.48
- Total employment: 2,750 people (12.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
- Median annual wage: $36,210
- Median hourly wage: $17.41
- Total employment: 30 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $35,870
- Median hourly wage: $17.24
- Total employment: 1,840 people (8.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
18 / 50#32. Manicurists and pedicurists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,810
- Median hourly wage: $17.22
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Anna Jurkovska // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Orderlies (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,810
- Median hourly wage: $17.22
- Total employment: 220 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $35,690
- Median hourly wage: $17.16
- Total employment: 120 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Africa Studio // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Writers and authors
- Median annual wage: $35,530
- Median hourly wage: $17.08
- Total employment: 140 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $35,510
- Median hourly wage: $17.07
- Total employment: 280 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $35,450
- Median hourly wage: $17.04
- Total employment: 110 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#26. Motor vehicle operators, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,400
- Median hourly wage: $17.02
- Total employment: 70 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Food preparation workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,400
- Median hourly wage: $17.02
- Total employment: 590 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $34,890
- Median hourly wage: $16.77
- Total employment: 80 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $34,850
- Median hourly wage: $16.76
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $34,640
- Median hourly wage: $16.66
- Total employment: 600 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $34,160
- Median hourly wage: $16.42
- Total employment: 220 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $34,150
- Median hourly wage: $16.42
- Total employment: 40 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $33,970
- Median hourly wage: $16.33
- Total employment: 4,280 people (19.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $33,840
- Median hourly wage: $16.27
- Total employment: 160 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $33,820
- Median hourly wage: $16.26
- Total employment: 80 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Library assistants, clerical
- Median annual wage: $33,530
- Median hourly wage: $16.12
- Total employment: 830 people (3.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vasin Lee // Shutterstock
35 / 50#15. Residential advisors (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,520
- Median hourly wage: $16.12
- Total employment: 340 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Recreation workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,520
- Median hourly wage: $16.12
- Total employment: 3,500 people (16.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $33,230
- Median hourly wage: $15.97
- Total employment: 610 people (2.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials
- Median annual wage: $32,900
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 180 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
amarklc // Shutterstock
39 / 50#11. Museum technicians and conservators (tie)
- Median annual wage: $32,420
- Median hourly wage: $15.59
- Total employment: 70 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary (tie)
- Median annual wage: $32,420
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,710 people (7.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $31,580
- Median hourly wage: $15.19
- Total employment: 520 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Korotkov // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Crossing guards and flaggers
- Median annual wage: $31,160
- Median hourly wage: $14.98
- Total employment: 50 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $30,740
- Median hourly wage: $14.78
- Total employment: 3,410 people (15.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $30,260
- Median hourly wage: $14.55
- Total employment: 520 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $30,150
- Median hourly wage: $14.49
- Total employment: 340 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $30,090
- Median hourly wage: $14.47
- Total employment: 5,450 people (25.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $30,000
- Median hourly wage: $14.42
- Total employment: 750 people (3.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $29,500
- Median hourly wage: $14.18
- Total employment: 300 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $29,480
- Median hourly wage: $14.17
- Total employment: 170 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $28,950
- Median hourly wage: $13.92
- Total employment: 530 people (2.43 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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