Efired // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Bill and account collectors
- Median annual wage: $39,200
- Median hourly wage: $18.84
- Total employment: 60 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Grand Island
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 Grand Island. 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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ESB Basic // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Customer service representatives
- Median annual wage: $38,980
- Median hourly wage: $18.74
- Total employment: 380 people (9.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
brizmaker // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Roofers
- Median annual wage: $38,480
- Median hourly wage: $18.50
- Total employment: 60 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Nursing assistants
- Median annual wage: $38,280
- Median hourly wage: $18.41
- Total employment: 620 people (15.79 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: $38,220
- Median hourly wage: $18.38
- Total employment: 350 people (8.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
- Median annual wage: $37,930
- Median hourly wage: $18.24
- Total employment: 30 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Noin90650 // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers
- Median annual wage: $37,790
- Median hourly wage: $18.17
- Total employment: 30 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $37,620
- Median hourly wage: $18.09
- Total employment: 40 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $37,400
- Median hourly wage: $17.98
- Total employment: 40 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $37,380
- Median hourly wage: $17.97
- Total employment: 60 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DuxX // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $37,060
- Median hourly wage: $17.82
- Total employment: 40 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $37,030
- Median hourly wage: $17.80
- Total employment: 210 people (5.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Phlebotomists
- Median annual wage: $36,720
- Median hourly wage: $17.65
- Total employment: 30 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $36,690
- Median hourly wage: $17.64
- Total employment: 440 people (11.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Standret // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $36,540
- Median hourly wage: $17.57
- Total employment: 140 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Ruslan Galiullin // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Office clerks, general
- Median annual wage: $36,510
- Median hourly wage: $17.55
- Total employment: 410 people (10.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $36,470
- Median hourly wage: $17.54
- Total employment: Not available
New Africa // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $36,440
- Median hourly wage: $17.52
- Total employment: 220 people (5.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $36,080
- Median hourly wage: $17.35
- Total employment: 30 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $36,030
- Median hourly wage: $17.32
- Total employment: 180 people (4.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $35,790
- Median hourly wage: $17.21
- Total employment: 510 people (12.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $35,450
- Median hourly wage: $17.04
- Total employment: 140 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $35,380
- Median hourly wage: $17.01
- Total employment: 210 people (5.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $35,000
- Median hourly wage: $16.83
- Total employment: 40 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $34,780
- Median hourly wage: $16.72
- Total employment: 100 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Ground Picture // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $33,920
- Median hourly wage: $16.31
- Total employment: 770 people (19.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
27 / 50#23. Home health and personal care aides (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,810
- Median hourly wage: $16.25
- Total employment: 310 people (7.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Recreation workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,810
- Median hourly wage: $16.25
- Total employment: 40 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $33,380
- Median hourly wage: $16.05
- Total employment: 40 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $31,320
- Median hourly wage: $15.06
- Total employment: 160 people (4.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 270 people (6.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $30,970
- Median hourly wage: $14.89
- Total employment: 40 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $30,410
- Median hourly wage: $14.62
- Total employment: 90 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,290
- Median hourly wage: $14.56
- Total employment: 90 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $30,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.48
- Total employment: 1,050 people (26.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $29,850
- Median hourly wage: $14.35
- Total employment: 70 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $29,710
- Median hourly wage: $14.28
- Total employment: 70 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
38 / 50#12. Cashiers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,480
- Median hourly wage: $14.17
- Total employment: 860 people (21.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Fast food and counter workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,480
- Median hourly wage: $14.18
- Total employment: 1,260 people (31.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $29,340
- Median hourly wage: $14.11
- Total employment: 230 people (5.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dragon Images // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $28,960
- Median hourly wage: $13.92
- Total employment: 100 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $28,900
- Median hourly wage: $13.90
- Total employment: 50 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $28,830
- Median hourly wage: $13.86
- Total employment: 220 people (5.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $28,760
- Median hourly wage: $13.83
- Total employment: 70 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $28,720
- Median hourly wage: $13.81
- Total employment: 80 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $28,160
- Median hourly wage: $13.54
- Total employment: 250 people (6.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $28,000
- Median hourly wage: $13.46
- Total employment: 70 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $27,810
- Median hourly wage: $13.37
- Total employment: 240 people (6.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary (tie)
- Median annual wage: $24,960
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 420 people (10.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Amusement and recreation attendants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $24,960
- Median hourly wage: $12.00
- Total employment: 70 people (1.78 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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