Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Food processing workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $36,920
- Median hourly wage: $17.75
- Total employment: 60 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Durham
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 Durham. 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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Africa Studio // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $36,880
- Median hourly wage: $17.73
- Total employment: 310 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $36,500
- Median hourly wage: $17.55
- Total employment: 2,580 people (7.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Order clerks
- Median annual wage: $36,470
- Median hourly wage: $17.53
- Total employment: 150 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Median annual wage: $36,450
- Median hourly wage: $17.53
- Total employment: 4,980 people (14.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $36,400
- Median hourly wage: $17.50
- Total employment: 610 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $36,130
- Median hourly wage: $17.37
- Total employment: 3,780 people (11.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carlovis // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Tour and travel guides
- Median annual wage: $36,070
- Median hourly wage: $17.34
- Total employment: 170 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $36,040
- Median hourly wage: $17.33
- Total employment: 2,530 people (7.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $36,010
- Median hourly wage: $17.31
- Total employment: 350 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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New Africa // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $35,790
- Median hourly wage: $17.21
- Total employment: 1,050 people (3.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $35,710
- Median hourly wage: $17.17
- Total employment: 220 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $35,660
- Median hourly wage: $17.14
- Total employment: 3,640 people (10.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krysja // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Funeral attendants
- Median annual wage: $35,390
- Median hourly wage: $17.01
- Total employment: 70 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $35,130
- Median hourly wage: $16.89
- Total employment: 590 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $34,850
- Median hourly wage: $16.76
- Total employment: 1,180 people (3.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Concierges
- Median annual wage: $34,690
- Median hourly wage: $16.68
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
18 / 50#32. Tire repairers and changers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,380
- Median hourly wage: $16.53
- Total employment: 210 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,380
- Median hourly wage: $16.53
- Total employment: 490 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $34,330
- Median hourly wage: $16.51
- Total employment: 550 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $34,320
- Median hourly wage: $16.50
- Total employment: 360 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $34,230
- Median hourly wage: $16.46
- Total employment: 100 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $33,450
- Median hourly wage: $16.08
- Total employment: 350 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $32,940
- Median hourly wage: $15.84
- Total employment: 1,160 people (3.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $32,670
- Median hourly wage: $15.71
- Total employment: 720 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jason Person // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $32,620
- Median hourly wage: $15.68
- Total employment: 250 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $31,980
- Median hourly wage: $15.38
- Total employment: 1,160 people (3.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alba_alioth // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $31,770
- Median hourly wage: $15.27
- Total employment: 110 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $31,760
- Median hourly wage: $15.27
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
30 / 50#20. Packers and packagers, hand (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,680
- Median hourly wage: $15.23
- Total employment: 1,050 people (3.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Atstock Productions // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Telemarketers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,680
- Median hourly wage: $15.23
- Total employment: 70 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $31,540
- Median hourly wage: $15.16
- Total employment: 100 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $31,490
- Median hourly wage: $15.14
- Total employment: 420 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $31,400
- Median hourly wage: $15.10
- Total employment: 3,000 people (8.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $31,330
- Median hourly wage: $15.06
- Total employment: 1,130 people (3.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $31,220
- Median hourly wage: $15.01
- Total employment: 5,630 people (16.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $30,640
- Median hourly wage: $14.73
- Total employment: 610 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $30,610
- Median hourly wage: $14.71
- Total employment: 330 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $30,280
- Median hourly wage: $14.56
- Total employment: 690 people (2.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $29,780
- Median hourly wage: $14.32
- Total employment: 3,650 people (10.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $29,580
- Median hourly wage: $14.22
- Total employment: 4,980 people (14.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $29,480
- Median hourly wage: $14.17
- Total employment: 260 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $29,130
- Median hourly wage: $14.01
- Total employment: Not available
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $29,070
- Median hourly wage: $13.98
- Total employment: 5,150 people (15.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $28,960
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,950 people (5.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $28,760
- Median hourly wage: $13.83
- Total employment: 4,440 people (12.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $28,160
- Median hourly wage: $13.54
- Total employment: 660 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $27,660
- Median hourly wage: $13.30
- Total employment: 670 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NIKCOA // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Medical transcriptionists
- Median annual wage: $25,650
- Median hourly wage: $12.33
- Total employment: 240 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $22,560
- Median hourly wage: $10.85
- Total employment: 460 people (1.36 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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