Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $37,190
- Median hourly wage: $17.88
- Total employment: 140 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Duluth
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 Duluth. 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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ibnu alias // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $36,730
- Median hourly wage: $17.66
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $36,520
- Median hourly wage: $17.56
- Total employment: 490 people (3.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MarijaBazarova // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Skincare specialists
- Median annual wage: $36,420
- Median hourly wage: $17.51
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $36,290
- Median hourly wage: $17.45
- Total employment: 1,820 people (14.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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kanemme6 // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $36,240
- Median hourly wage: $17.42
- Total employment: 90 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $36,190
- Median hourly wage: $17.40
- Total employment: 1,520 people (12.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $36,140
- Median hourly wage: $17.38
- Total employment: 50 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitreel // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Food batchmakers
- Median annual wage: $36,010
- Median hourly wage: $17.31
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $36,000
- Median hourly wage: $17.31
- Total employment: 5,300 people (42.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krysja // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Funeral attendants
- Median annual wage: $35,770
- Median hourly wage: $17.20
- Total employment: 60 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $35,750
- Median hourly wage: $17.19
- Total employment: 300 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
- Median annual wage: $35,520
- Median hourly wage: $17.08
- Total employment: 240 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Sales and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,490
- Median hourly wage: $17.06
- Total employment: 30 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shakirov Albert // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Floral designers
- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $35,250
- Median hourly wage: $16.95
- Total employment: 390 people (3.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $35,220
- Median hourly wage: $16.93
- Total employment: 190 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Pharmacy aides
- Median annual wage: $34,930
- Median hourly wage: $16.79
- Total employment: 40 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $34,570
- Median hourly wage: $16.62
- Total employment: 430 people (3.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $34,350
- Median hourly wage: $16.52
- Total employment: 560 people (4.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Ground Picture // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $34,310
- Median hourly wage: $16.49
- Total employment: 1,930 people (15.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $34,150
- Median hourly wage: $16.42
- Total employment: 690 people (5.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $34,040
- Median hourly wage: $16.37
- Total employment: 970 people (7.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $34,000
- Median hourly wage: $16.34
- Total employment: 220 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $33,480
- Median hourly wage: $16.10
- Total employment: 3,310 people (26.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $33,010
- Median hourly wage: $15.87
- Total employment: 900 people (7.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Library assistants, clerical
- Median annual wage: $32,680
- Median hourly wage: $15.71
- Total employment: 100 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carlovis // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Tour and travel guides
- Median annual wage: $31,830
- Median hourly wage: $15.30
- Total employment: 40 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $31,710
- Median hourly wage: $15.24
- Total employment: 110 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $31,470
- Median hourly wage: $15.13
- Total employment: 260 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Virrage Images // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $31,270
- Median hourly wage: $15.04
- Total employment: 30 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $30,940
- Median hourly wage: $14.88
- Total employment: 160 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $30,670
- Median hourly wage: $14.74
- Total employment: 330 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
grivet // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Gambling change persons and booth cashiers
- Median annual wage: $30,590
- Median hourly wage: $14.71
- Total employment: 40 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $30,570
- Median hourly wage: $14.70
- Total employment: 60 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $30,150
- Median hourly wage: $14.49
- Total employment: 3,290 people (26.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $29,340
- Median hourly wage: $14.11
- Total employment: 2,950 people (23.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $28,970
- Median hourly wage: $13.93
- Total employment: 80 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $28,810
- Median hourly wage: $13.85
- Total employment: 340 people (2.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $28,760
- Median hourly wage: $13.83
- Total employment: 260 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $28,700
- Median hourly wage: $13.80
- Total employment: 450 people (3.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $28,490
- Median hourly wage: $13.70
- Total employment: 440 people (3.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrei Zveaghintev // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Gambling service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $27,960
- Median hourly wage: $13.44
- Total employment: 100 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $27,480
- Median hourly wage: $13.21
- Total employment: 80 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $27,020
- Median hourly wage: $12.99
- Total employment: 410 people (3.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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aboutsung // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $26,520
- Median hourly wage: $12.75
- Total employment: 420 people (3.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $26,260
- Median hourly wage: $12.62
- Total employment: 80 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Data entry keyers
- Median annual wage: $25,640
- Median hourly wage: $12.33
- Total employment: 80 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $23,160
- Median hourly wage: $11.13
- Total employment: 1,630 people (13.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $22,570
- Median hourly wage: $10.85
- Total employment: 2,130 people (17.1 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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