Lowest-paying jobs in Ithaca

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 Ithaca. 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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evgenii mitroshin // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers

- Median annual wage: $44,140
- Median hourly wage: $21.22
- Total employment: 80 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Preschool teachers, except special education

- Median annual wage: $43,720
- Median hourly wage: $21.02
- Total employment: 130 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DC Studio // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance

- Median annual wage: $42,540
- Median hourly wage: $20.45
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Tellers

- Median annual wage: $41,350
- Median hourly wage: $19.88
- Total employment: 120 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Fusionstudio // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks

- Median annual wage: $40,330
- Median hourly wage: $19.39
- Total employment: 100 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

LightField Studios // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Emergency medical technicians

- Median annual wage: $40,250
- Median hourly wage: $19.35
- Total employment: 60 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

VGstockstudio // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Food servers, nonrestaurant

- Median annual wage: $40,230
- Median hourly wage: $19.34
- Total employment: 100 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Nursing assistants

- Median annual wage: $39,910
- Median hourly wage: $19.19
- Total employment: 450 people (9.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Standret // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Counter and rental clerks

- Median annual wage: $39,520
- Median hourly wage: $19.00
- Total employment: 90 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers

- Median annual wage: $39,360
- Median hourly wage: $18.92
- Total employment: 340 people (7.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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nullplus // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Light truck drivers

- Median annual wage: $39,320
- Median hourly wage: $18.91
- Total employment: 180 people (3.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Pharmacy technicians

- Median annual wage: $38,960
- Median hourly wage: $18.73
- Total employment: 70 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers

- Median annual wage: $38,480
- Median hourly wage: $18.50
- Total employment: 90 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

New Africa // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Receptionists and information clerks

- Median annual wage: $38,240
- Median hourly wage: $18.38
- Total employment: 380 people (7.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Stockers and order fillers

- Median annual wage: $38,120
- Median hourly wage: $18.33
- Total employment: 700 people (14.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Cooks, restaurant

- Median annual wage: $37,870
- Median hourly wage: $18.21
- Total employment: 270 people (5.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Parts salespersons

- Median annual wage: $37,680
- Median hourly wage: $18.12
- Total employment: 50 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jason Person // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Cooks, short order

- Median annual wage: $37,560
- Median hourly wage: $18.06
- Total employment: 110 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Library assistants, clerical

- Median annual wage: $37,510
- Median hourly wage: $18.03
- Total employment: 50 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Africa Studio // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs

- Median annual wage: $37,460
- Median hourly wage: $18.01
- Total employment: 50 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

- Median annual wage: $37,440
- Median hourly wage: $18.00
- Total employment: 260 people (5.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DSBfoto // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners

- Median annual wage: $37,250
- Median hourly wage: $17.91
- Total employment: 880 people (18.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dragon Images // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#27. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop (tie)

- Median annual wage: $37,200
- Median hourly wage: $17.89
- Total employment: 90 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Substitute teachers, short-term (tie)

- Median annual wage: $37,200
- Median hourly wage: $17.89
- Total employment: 230 people (4.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DuxX // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#25. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders (tie)

- Median annual wage: $37,140
- Median hourly wage: $17.86
- Total employment: 30 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Maids and housekeeping cleaners (tie)

- Median annual wage: $37,140
- Median hourly wage: $17.86
- Total employment: 260 people (5.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ruslan Galiullin // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Office clerks, general

- Median annual wage: $36,740
- Median hourly wage: $17.67
- Total employment: 710 people (14.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Home health and personal care aides

- Median annual wage: $36,700
- Median hourly wage: $17.64
- Total employment: 920 people (19.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Office machine operators, except computer

- Median annual wage: $36,610
- Median hourly wage: $17.60
- Total employment: 30 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Recreation workers

- Median annual wage: $36,300
- Median hourly wage: $17.45
- Total employment: 110 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Pressmaster // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Animal caretakers

- Median annual wage: $36,220
- Median hourly wage: $17.41
- Total employment: 80 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Childcare workers

- Median annual wage: $36,150
- Median hourly wage: $17.38
- Total employment: 310 people (6.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Food preparation workers

- Median annual wage: $35,990
- Median hourly wage: $17.30
- Total employment: 270 people (5.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks

- Median annual wage: $35,770
- Median hourly wage: $17.20
- Total employment: 90 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Bakers

- Median annual wage: $35,630
- Median hourly wage: $17.13
- Total employment: 140 people (2.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Driver/sales workers

- Median annual wage: $35,620
- Median hourly wage: $17.13
- Total employment: 130 people (2.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

aboutsung // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers

- Median annual wage: $35,570
- Median hourly wage: $17.10
- Total employment: 250 people (5.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Packers and packagers, hand

- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists

- Median annual wage: $35,300
- Median hourly wage: $16.97
- Total employment: 40 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paul.J.West // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary

- Median annual wage: $35,180
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 670 people (13.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Retail salespersons

- Median annual wage: $35,010
- Median hourly wage: $16.83
- Total employment: 1,060 people (22.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers

- Median annual wage: $34,850
- Median hourly wage: $16.76
- Total employment: 30 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers

- Median annual wage: $34,480
- Median hourly wage: $16.58
- Total employment: 50 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Richard Thornton // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. School bus monitors

- Median annual wage: $34,390
- Median hourly wage: $16.54
- Total employment: 40 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dean Drobot // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Cashiers

- Median annual wage: $34,290
- Median hourly wage: $16.48
- Total employment: 940 people (19.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Fast food and counter workers

- Median annual wage: $34,090
- Median hourly wage: $16.39
- Total employment: 920 people (19.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Dishwashers

- Median annual wage: $33,630
- Median hourly wage: $16.17
- Total employment: 200 people (4.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nejron Photo // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment

- Median annual wage: $33,320
- Median hourly wage: $16.02
- Total employment: 150 people (3.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers

- Median annual wage: $32,220
- Median hourly wage: $15.49
- Total employment: 70 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Krysja // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Funeral attendants

- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.74 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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