Roschetzky Photography // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Food cooking machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $34,870
- Median hourly wage: $16.76
- Total employment: 60 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Springfield
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 Springfield. 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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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $34,580
- Median hourly wage: $16.63
- Total employment: 280 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $34,530
- Median hourly wage: $16.60
- Total employment: 1,420 people (6.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
worradirek // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers
- Median annual wage: $34,420
- Median hourly wage: $16.55
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $33,770
- Median hourly wage: $16.24
- Total employment: 210 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DSBfoto // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $33,740
- Median hourly wage: $16.22
- Total employment: 2,450 people (11.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $33,400
- Median hourly wage: $16.06
- Total employment: 150 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Sales and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $33,260
- Median hourly wage: $15.99
- Total employment: 130 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks
- Median annual wage: $33,220
- Median hourly wage: $15.97
- Total employment: 490 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials
- Median annual wage: $33,090
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Africa Studio // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $32,660
- Median hourly wage: $15.70
- Total employment: 290 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $31,520
- Median hourly wage: $15.16
- Total employment: 420 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $31,280
- Median hourly wage: $15.04
- Total employment: 240 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $30,720
- Median hourly wage: $14.77
- Total employment: 5,280 people (23.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $30,600
- Median hourly wage: $14.71
- Total employment: 900 people (4.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,580
- Median hourly wage: $14.70
- Total employment: 350 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $30,480
- Median hourly wage: $14.65
- Total employment: 980 people (4.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $30,380
- Median hourly wage: $14.60
- Total employment: 970 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $30,330
- Median hourly wage: $14.58
- Total employment: 40 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $30,310
- Median hourly wage: $14.57
- Total employment: 2,280 people (10.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $30,290
- Median hourly wage: $14.56
- Total employment: 740 people (3.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $30,140
- Median hourly wage: $14.49
- Total employment: 580 people (2.6 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: $29,900
- Median hourly wage: $14.38
- Total employment: 6,230 people (28.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $29,890
- Median hourly wage: $14.37
- Total employment: 1,180 people (5.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $29,850
- Median hourly wage: $14.35
- Total employment: 350 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Carlovis // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Tour and travel guides
- Median annual wage: $29,680
- Median hourly wage: $14.27
- Total employment: 60 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $29,530
- Median hourly wage: $14.20
- Total employment: 540 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $29,520
- Median hourly wage: $14.19
- Total employment: 60 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $29,290
- Median hourly wage: $14.08
- Total employment: Not available
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $29,280
- Median hourly wage: $14.08
- Total employment: 490 people (2.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $28,980
- Median hourly wage: $13.94
- Total employment: 840 people (3.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $28,900
- Median hourly wage: $13.90
- Total employment: 200 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $28,720
- Median hourly wage: $13.81
- Total employment: 5,360 people (24.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shakirov Albert // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Floral designers
- Median annual wage: $28,690
- Median hourly wage: $13.80
- Total employment: 100 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $28,500
- Median hourly wage: $13.70
- Total employment: 400 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
36 / 50#14. Cooks, fast food (tie)
- Median annual wage: $28,400
- Median hourly wage: $13.66
- Total employment: 4,810 people (21.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $28,400
- Median hourly wage: $13.65
- Total employment: 320 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Atstock Productions // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Telemarketers
- Median annual wage: $28,380
- Median hourly wage: $13.64
- Total employment: 740 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $28,290
- Median hourly wage: $13.60
- Total employment: 510 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $28,260
- Median hourly wage: $13.59
- Total employment: 2,470 people (11.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $27,620
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,570 people (7.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Library assistants, clerical
- Median annual wage: $27,300
- Median hourly wage: $13.13
- Total employment: 140 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $27,270
- Median hourly wage: $13.11
- Total employment: 610 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $27,160
- Median hourly wage: $13.06
- Total employment: 600 people (2.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $26,900
- Median hourly wage: $12.93
- Total employment: 170 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $26,670
- Median hourly wage: $12.82
- Total employment: 610 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $26,070
- Median hourly wage: $12.54
- Total employment: 800 people (3.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $26,050
- Median hourly wage: $12.52
- Total employment: 60 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $25,670
- Median hourly wage: $12.34
- Total employment: 3,370 people (15.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $25,580
- Median hourly wage: $12.30
- Total employment: Not available
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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