wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- Median annual wage: $36,500
- Median hourly wage: $17.55
- Total employment: 280 people (8.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Bay City
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 Bay City. 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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Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $36,400
- Median hourly wage: $17.50
- Total employment: 60 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
3 / 50#47. Production workers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,270
- Median hourly wage: $17.44
- Total employment: 80 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Pharmacy technicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,270
- Median hourly wage: $17.44
- Total employment: 140 people (4.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $36,080
- Median hourly wage: $17.35
- Total employment: 170 people (5.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
- Median annual wage: $35,680
- Median hourly wage: $17.15
- Total employment: 320 people (9.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Standret // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $35,630
- Median hourly wage: $17.13
- Total employment: 140 people (4.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
8 / 50#42. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.96
- Total employment: 70 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.96
- Total employment: 30 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $35,240
- Median hourly wage: $16.94
- Total employment: 90 people (2.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dragon Images // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $35,140
- Median hourly wage: $16.90
- Total employment: 100 people (2.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $35,040
- Median hourly wage: $16.85
- Total employment: 560 people (16.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
13 / 50#37. Self-enrichment teachers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,010
- Median hourly wage: $16.83
- Total employment: 30 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,010
- Median hourly wage: $16.83
- Total employment: 440 people (13.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alba_alioth // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $34,910
- Median hourly wage: $16.78
- Total employment: 90 people (2.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $34,820
- Median hourly wage: $16.74
- Total employment: 60 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $34,530
- Median hourly wage: $16.60
- Total employment: 270 people (8.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $34,520
- Median hourly wage: $16.60
- Total employment: 40 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $34,420
- Median hourly wage: $16.55
- Total employment: 100 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $34,310
- Median hourly wage: $16.49
- Total employment: 120 people (3.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $34,030
- Median hourly wage: $16.36
- Total employment: 390 people (11.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitreel // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Food batchmakers
- Median annual wage: $33,800
- Median hourly wage: $16.25
- Total employment: 30 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $33,680
- Median hourly wage: $16.19
- Total employment: 90 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $33,650
- Median hourly wage: $16.18
- Total employment: 250 people (7.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $33,240
- Median hourly wage: $15.98
- Total employment: 110 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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nullplus // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Light truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $32,550
- Median hourly wage: $15.65
- Total employment: 250 people (7.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $32,430
- Median hourly wage: $15.59
- Total employment: 780 people (23.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $31,410
- Median hourly wage: $15.10
- Total employment: 950 people (28.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $31,070
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 290 people (8.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $30,730
- Median hourly wage: $14.77
- Total employment: 60 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $30,170
- Median hourly wage: $14.50
- Total employment: 60 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $30,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.48
- Total employment: 1,030 people (30.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $29,550
- Median hourly wage: $14.21
- Total employment: 180 people (5.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Library assistants, clerical
- Median annual wage: $29,340
- Median hourly wage: $14.11
- Total employment: 70 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $29,290
- Median hourly wage: $14.08
- Total employment: 90 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DSBfoto // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $29,230
- Median hourly wage: $14.05
- Total employment: 690 people (20.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $29,220
- Median hourly wage: $14.05
- Total employment: 40 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $28,990
- Median hourly wage: $13.94
- Total employment: 30 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $28,780
- Median hourly wage: $13.84
- Total employment: 50 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $28,140
- Median hourly wage: $13.53
- Total employment: 50 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $27,980
- Median hourly wage: $13.45
- Total employment: 190 people (5.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $27,820
- Median hourly wage: $13.37
- Total employment: 920 people (27.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $27,780
- Median hourly wage: $13.36
- Total employment: 90 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krysja // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Funeral attendants
- Median annual wage: $27,560
- Median hourly wage: $13.25
- Total employment: 40 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $27,300
- Median hourly wage: $13.13
- Total employment: 80 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $26,940
- Median hourly wage: $12.95
- Total employment: 100 people (3.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $26,930
- Median hourly wage: $12.95
- Total employment: 1,460 people (43.62 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: $26,420
- Median hourly wage: $12.70
- Total employment: 90 people (2.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $25,840
- Median hourly wage: $12.42
- Total employment: 150 people (4.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $23,670
- Median hourly wage: $11.38
- Total employment: 50 people (1.35 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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