Kzenon // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $39,160
- Median hourly wage: $18.83
- Total employment: 70 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Great Falls
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 Great Falls. 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.
Yuriy Golub // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Glaziers
- Median annual wage: $39,110
- Median hourly wage: $18.81
- Total employment: 50 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Medical secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $39,000
- Median hourly wage: $18.75
- Total employment: 310 people (8.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Median annual wage: $38,870
- Median hourly wage: $18.69
- Total employment: 380 people (10.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- Median annual wage: $38,670
- Median hourly wage: $18.59
- Total employment: 400 people (10.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $38,270
- Median hourly wage: $18.40
- Total employment: 60 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Fusionstudio // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks
- Median annual wage: $38,240
- Median hourly wage: $18.38
- Total employment: 100 people (2.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Nursing assistants
- Median annual wage: $38,200
- Median hourly wage: $18.36
- Total employment: 510 people (13.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Data entry keyers
- Median annual wage: $38,010
- Median hourly wage: $18.27
- Total employment: 30 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $37,900
- Median hourly wage: $18.22
- Total employment: 230 people (6.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Community and social service specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $37,820
- Median hourly wage: $18.19
- Total employment: 60 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Production workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $37,630
- Median hourly wage: $18.09
- Total employment: 40 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lee Charlie // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $37,540
- Median hourly wage: $18.05
- Total employment: 50 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Library technicians
- Median annual wage: $36,940
- Median hourly wage: $17.76
- Total employment: 30 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Standret // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $36,830
- Median hourly wage: $17.71
- Total employment: 110 people (2.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $36,640
- Median hourly wage: $17.62
- Total employment: 100 people (2.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $36,240
- Median hourly wage: $17.42
- Total employment: 160 people (4.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $35,980
- Median hourly wage: $17.30
- Total employment: 670 people (18.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $35,870
- Median hourly wage: $17.25
- Total employment: 180 people (4.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $35,810
- Median hourly wage: $17.22
- Total employment: 110 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $35,570
- Median hourly wage: $17.10
- Total employment: 550 people (14.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $35,480
- Median hourly wage: $17.06
- Total employment: 830 people (22.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $35,050
- Median hourly wage: $16.85
- Total employment: 50 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $34,830
- Median hourly wage: $16.75
- Total employment: 100 people (2.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $34,730
- Median hourly wage: $16.70
- Total employment: 50 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
encierro // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
- Median annual wage: $34,400
- Median hourly wage: $16.54
- Total employment: 50 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $34,000
- Median hourly wage: $16.35
- Total employment: 400 people (11.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $33,910
- Median hourly wage: $16.30
- Total employment: 110 people (3.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $33,400
- Median hourly wage: $16.06
- Total employment: 120 people (3.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. File clerks
- Median annual wage: $33,370
- Median hourly wage: $16.04
- Total employment: 50 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $33,160
- Median hourly wage: $15.94
- Total employment: 60 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $32,440
- Median hourly wage: $15.60
- Total employment: 1,180 people (32.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation
- Median annual wage: $32,340
- Median hourly wage: $15.55
- Total employment: 30 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $31,910
- Median hourly wage: $15.34
- Total employment: 150 people (4.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $31,250
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 300 people (8.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 70 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $30,890
- Median hourly wage: $14.85
- Total employment: 90 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $30,580
- Median hourly wage: $14.70
- Total employment: 50 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $29,940
- Median hourly wage: $14.40
- Total employment: 220 people (5.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $29,910
- Median hourly wage: $14.38
- Total employment: 210 people (5.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $29,240
- Median hourly wage: $14.06
- Total employment: 810 people (22.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $28,990
- Median hourly wage: $13.94
- Total employment: 780 people (21.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $28,640
- Median hourly wage: $13.77
- Total employment: 1,420 people (38.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $28,270
- Median hourly wage: $13.59
- Total employment: 140 people (3.92 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: $27,960
- Median hourly wage: $13.44
- Total employment: 100 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $27,230
- Median hourly wage: $13.09
- Total employment: 130 people (3.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $26,620
- Median hourly wage: $12.80
- Total employment: 80 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $26,590
- Median hourly wage: $12.79
- Total employment: 70 people (1.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $22,450
- Median hourly wage: $10.80
- Total employment: 370 people (10.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $22,420
- Median hourly wage: $10.78
- Total employment: 440 people (12.04 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.
