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 Carson City. 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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Aleksandr Rybalko // Shutterstock
1 / 50- Median annual wage: $40,200
- Median hourly wage: $19.33
- Total employment: 50 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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2 / 50- Median annual wage: $40,040
- Median hourly wage: $19.25
- Total employment: 220 people (7.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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3 / 50- Median annual wage: $39,450
- Median hourly wage: $18.97
- Total employment: 310 people (10.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
4 / 50- Median annual wage: $39,350
- Median hourly wage: $18.92
- Total employment: 200 people (6.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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5 / 50- Median annual wage: $39,160
- Median hourly wage: $18.83
- Total employment: 40 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50- Median annual wage: $38,920
- Median hourly wage: $18.71
- Total employment: 50 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
7 / 50- Median annual wage: $38,880
- Median hourly wage: $18.69
- Total employment: 100 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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8 / 50- Median annual wage: $38,620
- Median hourly wage: $18.57
- Total employment: 490 people (15.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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9 / 50- Median annual wage: $38,610
- Median hourly wage: $18.56
- Total employment: 50 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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10 / 50- Median annual wage: $38,480
- Median hourly wage: $18.50
- Total employment: 200 people (6.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50- Median annual wage: $38,110
- Median hourly wage: $18.32
- Total employment: 80 people (2.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
12 / 50- Median annual wage: $38,100
- Median hourly wage: $18.32
- Total employment: 230 people (7.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
13 / 50- Median annual wage: $37,700
- Median hourly wage: $18.12
- Total employment: 120 people (3.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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14 / 50- Median annual wage: $37,650
- Median hourly wage: $18.10
- Total employment: 90 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
15 / 50- Median annual wage: $37,510
- Median hourly wage: $18.04
- Total employment: 190 people (6.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50- Median annual wage: $37,440
- Median hourly wage: $18.00
- Total employment: 310 people (10.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
17 / 50- Median annual wage: $37,390
- Median hourly wage: $17.98
- Total employment: 120 people (4.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
18 / 50- Median annual wage: $37,250
- Median hourly wage: $17.91
- Total employment: 30 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
19 / 50- Median annual wage: $36,770
- Median hourly wage: $17.68
- Total employment: 90 people (2.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50- Median annual wage: $36,760
- Median hourly wage: $17.67
- Total employment: 50 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50- Median annual wage: $36,540
- Median hourly wage: $17.57
- Total employment: 710 people (22.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
22 / 50- Median annual wage: $36,370
- Median hourly wage: $17.48
- Total employment: 130 people (4.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
23 / 50- Median annual wage: $35,930
- Median hourly wage: $17.28
- Total employment: 40 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
24 / 50- Median annual wage: $35,610
- Median hourly wage: $17.12
- Total employment: 170 people (5.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
25 / 50- Median annual wage: $34,740
- Median hourly wage: $16.70
- Total employment: 360 people (11.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50- Median annual wage: $34,520
- Median hourly wage: $16.59
- Total employment: 50 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
27 / 50- Median annual wage: $34,320
- Median hourly wage: $16.50
- Total employment: 60 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
28 / 50- Median annual wage: $34,300
- Median hourly wage: $16.49
- Total employment: 340 people (10.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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29 / 50- Median annual wage: $34,160
- Median hourly wage: $16.42
- Total employment: 30 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
30 / 50- Median annual wage: $33,430
- Median hourly wage: $16.07
- Total employment: 90 people (2.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50- Median annual wage: $33,120
- Median hourly wage: $15.92
- Total employment: Not available
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32 / 50- Median annual wage: $32,740
- Median hourly wage: $15.74
- Total employment: 60 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock
33 / 50- Median annual wage: $32,270
- Median hourly wage: $15.52
- Total employment: 880 people (28.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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34 / 50- Median annual wage: $32,050
- Median hourly wage: $15.41
- Total employment: 550 people (17.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
35 / 50- Median annual wage: $32,030
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
36 / 50- Median annual wage: $31,300
- Median hourly wage: $15.05
- Total employment: 130 people (4.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50- Median annual wage: $30,910
- Median hourly wage: $14.86
- Total employment: 50 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
38 / 50- Median annual wage: $30,310
- Median hourly wage: $14.57
- Total employment: 630 people (20.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
39 / 50- Median annual wage: $29,520
- Median hourly wage: $14.19
- Total employment: 50 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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40 / 50- Median annual wage: $29,470
- Median hourly wage: $14.17
- Total employment: 50 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50- Median annual wage: $29,310
- Median hourly wage: $14.09
- Total employment: 40 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
42 / 50- Median annual wage: $29,180
- Median hourly wage: $14.03
- Total employment: 70 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
43 / 50- Median annual wage: $29,140
- Median hourly wage: $14.01
- Total employment: 50 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50- Median annual wage: $29,010
- Median hourly wage: $13.95
- Total employment: 70 people (2.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nick_Nick // Shutterstock
45 / 50- Median annual wage: $28,140
- Median hourly wage: $13.53
- Total employment: 30 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
46 / 50- Median annual wage: $26,210
- Median hourly wage: $12.60
- Total employment: 40 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50- Median annual wage: $26,100
- Median hourly wage: $12.55
- Total employment: 400 people (13.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
48 / 50- Median annual wage: $26,000
- Median hourly wage: $12.50
- Total employment: 130 people (4.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
49 / 50- Median annual wage: $25,720
- Median hourly wage: $12.36
- Total employment: 80 people (2.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
50 / 50- Median annual wage: $24,730
- Median hourly wage: $11.89
- Total employment: 230 people (7.31 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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