Atstock Productions // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Telemarketers
- Median annual wage: $38,420
- Median hourly wage: $18.47
- Total employment: 1,540 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in New York City
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 New York 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.
michaeljung // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Textile winding, twisting, and drawing out machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $38,350
- Median hourly wage: $18.44
- Total employment: 100 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
3 / 50#47. Cooks, short order (tie)
- Median annual wage: $38,210
- Median hourly wage: $18.37
- Total employment: Not available
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Stockers and order fillers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $38,210
- Median hourly wage: $18.37
- Total employment: 130,860 people (13.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
KarepaStock // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Grounds maintenance workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $38,180
- Median hourly wage: $18.35
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $38,010
- Median hourly wage: $18.28
- Total employment: 3,150 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $37,990
- Median hourly wage: $18.27
- Total employment: 605,590 people (64.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $37,950
- Median hourly wage: $18.25
- Total employment: 16,140 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Brian Goodman // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $37,940
- Median hourly wage: $18.24
- Total employment: 210 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $37,650
- Median hourly wage: $18.10
- Total employment: 14,540 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $37,390
- Median hourly wage: $17.98
- Total employment: 19,070 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Library assistants, clerical
- Median annual wage: $37,370
- Median hourly wage: $17.97
- Total employment: 5,660 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $37,350
- Median hourly wage: $17.96
- Total employment: 212,470 people (22.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alba_alioth // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $37,320
- Median hourly wage: $17.94
- Total employment: 3,300 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $37,250
- Median hourly wage: $17.91
- Total employment: 37,610 people (4.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitreel // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Food batchmakers
- Median annual wage: $37,190
- Median hourly wage: $17.88
- Total employment: 7,200 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Pharmacy aides
- Median annual wage: $37,150
- Median hourly wage: $17.86
- Total employment: 2,340 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Shoe and leather workers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $37,090
- Median hourly wage: $17.83
- Total employment: 340 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $37,070
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 123,210 people (13.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arsenii Palivoda // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Ophthalmic laboratory technicians
- Median annual wage: $37,020
- Median hourly wage: $17.80
- Total employment: 770 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
shocky // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers
- Median annual wage: $36,870
- Median hourly wage: $17.73
- Total employment: 1,780 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $36,780
- Median hourly wage: $17.68
- Total employment: 15,840 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians
- Median annual wage: $36,720
- Median hourly wage: $17.65
- Total employment: 600 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers
- Median annual wage: $36,690
- Median hourly wage: $17.64
- Total employment: 210 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $36,670
- Median hourly wage: $17.63
- Total employment: 10,920 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $36,620
- Median hourly wage: $17.61
- Total employment: 8,380 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Etchers and engravers
- Median annual wage: $36,610
- Median hourly wage: $17.60
- Total employment: 340 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $36,540
- Median hourly wage: $17.57
- Total employment: 46,800 people (5.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $36,510
- Median hourly wage: $17.55
- Total employment: 6,160 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $36,440
- Median hourly wage: $17.52
- Total employment: 7,370 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $36,390
- Median hourly wage: $17.50
- Total employment: 26,620 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $36,330
- Median hourly wage: $17.47
- Total employment: 54,130 people (5.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Sewers, hand
- Median annual wage: $36,260
- Median hourly wage: $17.44
- Total employment: 210 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
34 / 50#16. Automotive and watercraft service attendants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,000
- Median hourly wage: $17.31
- Total employment: 8,210 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Dishwashers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,000
- Median hourly wage: $17.31
- Total employment: 26,610 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dusan Petkovic // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $35,940
- Median hourly wage: $17.28
- Total employment: Not available
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $35,510
- Median hourly wage: $17.07
- Total employment: 15,450 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
38 / 50#12. Cashiers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,440
- Median hourly wage: $17.04
- Total employment: 163,130 people (17.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Physical therapist aides (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,440
- Median hourly wage: $17.04
- Total employment: 5,150 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $35,420
- Median hourly wage: $17.03
- Total employment: 175,790 people (18.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 2,700 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $35,300
- Median hourly wage: $16.97
- Total employment: 13,490 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Sheremeta // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants
- Median annual wage: $35,200
- Median hourly wage: $16.92
- Total employment: 1,510 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $34,980
- Median hourly wage: $16.82
- Total employment: 2,260 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nataliia Maksymenko // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Slaughterers and meat packers
- Median annual wage: $34,570
- Median hourly wage: $16.62
- Total employment: 980 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $34,320
- Median hourly wage: $16.50
- Total employment: 13,550 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $34,180
- Median hourly wage: $16.43
- Total employment: 17,550 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $33,740
- Median hourly wage: $16.22
- Total employment: 23,850 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $33,380
- Median hourly wage: $16.05
- Total employment: 3,590 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
hedgehog94 // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Shampooers
- Median annual wage: $32,050
- Median hourly wage: $15.41
- Total employment: 1,450 people (0.15 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.
