Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
- Median annual wage: $38,550
- Median hourly wage: $18.54
- Total employment: 880 people (21.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Monroe, Michigan
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 Monroe. 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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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $38,510
- Median hourly wage: $18.51
- Total employment: 360 people (8.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
evgenii mitroshin // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers
- Median annual wage: $38,470
- Median hourly wage: $18.50
- Total employment: 50 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Medical secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $38,240
- Median hourly wage: $18.38
- Total employment: 200 people (4.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LuckView // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $38,060
- Median hourly wage: $18.30
- Total employment: 280 people (6.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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guteksk7 // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing
- Median annual wage: $37,930
- Median hourly wage: $18.24
- Total employment: 30 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $37,890
- Median hourly wage: $18.22
- Total employment: 70 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Nursing assistants
- Median annual wage: $37,550
- Median hourly wage: $18.05
- Total employment: 410 people (9.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Pharmacy technicians
- Median annual wage: $37,440
- Median hourly wage: $18.00
- Total employment: 140 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Milkovasa // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Medical assistants
- Median annual wage: $37,290
- Median hourly wage: $17.93
- Total employment: 200 people (4.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $37,090
- Median hourly wage: $17.83
- Total employment: 260 people (6.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alba_alioth // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $36,970
- Median hourly wage: $17.77
- Total employment: 160 people (3.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $36,950
- Median hourly wage: $17.76
- Total employment: 70 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Median annual wage: $36,500
- Median hourly wage: $17.55
- Total employment: 960 people (23.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $36,420
- Median hourly wage: $17.51
- Total employment: 50 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
16 / 50#34. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,390
- Median hourly wage: $17.50
- Total employment: 390 people (9.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,390
- Median hourly wage: $17.50
- Total employment: 80 people (2.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $36,120
- Median hourly wage: $17.37
- Total employment: 1,060 people (25.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $36,070
- Median hourly wage: $17.34
- Total employment: 50 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Art of pixels // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $35,820
- Median hourly wage: $17.22
- Total employment: 110 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $35,810
- Median hourly wage: $17.21
- Total employment: 120 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $35,800
- Median hourly wage: $17.21
- Total employment: 170 people (4.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $35,790
- Median hourly wage: $17.21
- Total employment: 400 people (9.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
24 / 50#26. Receptionists and information clerks (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,700
- Median hourly wage: $17.16
- Total employment: 210 people (5.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Waiters and waitresses (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,700
- Median hourly wage: $17.16
- Total employment: 620 people (15.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $35,620
- Median hourly wage: $17.12
- Total employment: 120 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#23. Tutors (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,210
- Median hourly wage: $16.93
- Total employment: 40 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Butchers and meat cutters (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,210
- Median hourly wage: $16.93
- Total employment: 50 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $34,560
- Median hourly wage: $16.61
- Total employment: 390 people (9.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Production workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $33,760
- Median hourly wage: $16.23
- Total employment: 150 people (3.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $33,750
- Median hourly wage: $16.23
- Total employment: 790 people (19.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $33,440
- Median hourly wage: $16.08
- Total employment: 70 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $32,250
- Median hourly wage: $15.51
- Total employment: 190 people (4.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $31,640
- Median hourly wage: $15.21
- Total employment: 1,290 people (31.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $31,100
- Median hourly wage: $14.95
- Total employment: 60 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,920
- Median hourly wage: $14.87
- Total employment: 70 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $30,600
- Median hourly wage: $14.71
- Total employment: 40 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $30,520
- Median hourly wage: $14.67
- Total employment: 100 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krysja // Shutterstock
39 / 50#11. Funeral attendants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $30,430
- Median hourly wage: $14.63
- Total employment: 40 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary (tie)
- Median annual wage: $30,430
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 580 people (14.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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aboutsung // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $29,480
- Median hourly wage: $14.17
- Total employment: 140 people (3.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $29,350
- Median hourly wage: $14.11
- Total employment: 160 people (3.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $29,110
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: 130 people (3.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $28,900
- Median hourly wage: $13.90
- Total employment: 130 people (3.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $28,820
- Median hourly wage: $13.85
- Total employment: 1,110 people (27.12 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: $28,360
- Median hourly wage: $13.63
- Total employment: 1,490 people (36.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $28,080
- Median hourly wage: $13.50
- Total employment: 60 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $28,030
- Median hourly wage: $13.48
- Total employment: 120 people (2.95 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: $27,710
- Median hourly wage: $13.32
- Total employment: 120 people (3.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $27,410
- Median hourly wage: $13.18
- Total employment: 90 people (2.32 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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