Lowest-paying jobs in Burlington, North Carolina

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 Burlington. 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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michaeljung // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#49. Textile winding, twisting, and drawing out machine setters, operators, and tenders (tie)

- Median annual wage: $35,600
- Median hourly wage: $17.12
- Total employment: 170 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Bus drivers, transit and intercity (tie)

- Median annual wage: $35,600
- Median hourly wage: $17.11
- Total employment: 60 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

LightField Studios // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Bus drivers, school

- Median annual wage: $35,540
- Median hourly wage: $17.09
- Total employment: 90 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leika production // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Couriers and messengers

- Median annual wage: $35,520
- Median hourly wage: $17.08
- Total employment: 350 people (5.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

worradirek // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Helpers--production workers

- Median annual wage: $35,320
- Median hourly wage: $16.98
- Total employment: 40 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock

6 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $35,190
- Median hourly wage: $16.92
- Total employment: 2,150 people (31.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Med Photo Studio // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $35,010
- Median hourly wage: $16.83
- Total employment: 310 people (4.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DuxX // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Butchers and meat cutters

- Median annual wage: $34,990
- Median hourly wage: $16.82
- Total employment: 70 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Stockers and order fillers

- Median annual wage: $34,960
- Median hourly wage: $16.81
- Total employment: 1,710 people (25.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lucky Business // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors

- Median annual wage: $34,950
- Median hourly wage: $16.80
- Total employment: 150 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Parts salespersons

- Median annual wage: $34,530
- Median hourly wage: $16.60
- Total employment: 180 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Production workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $34,260
- Median hourly wage: $16.47
- Total employment: 380 people (5.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Cooks, restaurant

- Median annual wage: $34,110
- Median hourly wage: $16.40
- Total employment: 750 people (10.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Cooks, institution and cafeteria

- Median annual wage: $34,010
- Median hourly wage: $16.35
- Total employment: 160 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kanemme6 // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Tire repairers and changers

- Median annual wage: $33,970
- Median hourly wage: $16.33
- Total employment: 70 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DSBfoto // Shutterstock

16 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $33,860
- Median hourly wage: $16.28
- Total employment: 820 people (12.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

17 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $33,310
- Median hourly wage: $16.02
- Total employment: 40 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

zhu difeng // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers

- Median annual wage: $32,980
- Median hourly wage: $15.86
- Total employment: 80 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Efired // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Bill and account collectors

- Median annual wage: $32,730
- Median hourly wage: $15.73
- Total employment: Not available

SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Packers and packagers, hand

- Median annual wage: $32,220
- Median hourly wage: $15.49
- Total employment: 730 people (10.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Security guards

- Median annual wage: $32,140
- Median hourly wage: $15.45
- Total employment: 160 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Dishwashers

- Median annual wage: $30,910
- Median hourly wage: $14.86
- Total employment: 270 people (3.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Automotive and watercraft service attendants

- Median annual wage: $30,740
- Median hourly wage: $14.78
- Total employment: 70 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Sewing machine operators

- Median annual wage: $29,950
- Median hourly wage: $14.40
- Total employment: 180 people (2.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Brian Goodman // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders

- Median annual wage: $29,870
- Median hourly wage: $14.36
- Total employment: 140 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists

- Median annual wage: $29,420
- Median hourly wage: $14.14
- Total employment: 80 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers

- Median annual wage: $29,370
- Median hourly wage: $14.12
- Total employment: 160 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Maids and housekeeping cleaners

- Median annual wage: $29,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: 330 people (4.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Africa Studio // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs

- Median annual wage: $29,000
- Median hourly wage: $13.94
- Total employment: 40 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Preschool teachers, except special education

- Median annual wage: $28,910
- Median hourly wage: $13.90
- Total employment: 250 people (3.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pressmaster // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Animal caretakers

- Median annual wage: $28,660
- Median hourly wage: $13.78
- Total employment: 100 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Home health and personal care aides

- Median annual wage: $28,590
- Median hourly wage: $13.74
- Total employment: 830 people (12.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Food preparation workers

- Median annual wage: $28,380
- Median hourly wage: $13.64
- Total employment: 370 people (5.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Retail salespersons

- Median annual wage: $28,300
- Median hourly wage: $13.61
- Total employment: 2,370 people (34.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vasin Lee // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Residential advisors

- Median annual wage: $28,230
- Median hourly wage: $13.57
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks

- Median annual wage: $28,190
- Median hourly wage: $13.56
- Total employment: 70 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Fast food and counter workers

- Median annual wage: $28,110
- Median hourly wage: $13.52
- Total employment: 1,460 people (21.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santypan // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Bartenders

- Median annual wage: $27,890
- Median hourly wage: $13.41
- Total employment: 220 people (3.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nejron Photo // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment

- Median annual wage: $27,750
- Median hourly wage: $13.34
- Total employment: 190 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paul.J.West // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary

- Median annual wage: $27,740
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 530 people (7.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nature's Charm // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $27,370
- Median hourly wage: $13.16
- Total employment: 100 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Amusement and recreation attendants

- Median annual wage: $27,300
- Median hourly wage: $13.12
- Total employment: 190 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#7. Childcare workers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $27,260
- Median hourly wage: $13.11
- Total employment: 120 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dean Drobot // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Cashiers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $27,260
- Median hourly wage: $13.10
- Total employment: 1,980 people (29.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alena Veasey // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Cooks, fast food

- Median annual wage: $26,660
- Median hourly wage: $12.82
- Total employment: 1,750 people (25.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Recreation workers

- Median annual wage: $26,570
- Median hourly wage: $12.77
- Total employment: 170 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

VGstockstudio // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Food servers, nonrestaurant

- Median annual wage: $26,270
- Median hourly wage: $12.63
- Total employment: 60 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dragon Images // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop

- Median annual wage: $25,620
- Median hourly wage: $12.32
- Total employment: 230 people (3.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)