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1 / 50#50. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $34,980
- Median hourly wage: $16.82
- Total employment: 470 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Raleigh
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 Raleigh. 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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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $34,790
- Median hourly wage: $16.73
- Total employment: 1,170 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $34,750
- Median hourly wage: $16.71
- Total employment: 770 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $34,670
- Median hourly wage: $16.67
- Total employment: 12,420 people (17.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $34,320
- Median hourly wage: $16.50
- Total employment: 3,200 people (4.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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santypan // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $34,290
- Median hourly wage: $16.48
- Total employment: 2,750 people (3.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $34,160
- Median hourly wage: $16.42
- Total employment: 2,640 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Sheremeta // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants
- Median annual wage: $33,750
- Median hourly wage: $16.23
- Total employment: 40 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $33,400
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 4,640 people (6.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $33,380
- Median hourly wage: $16.05
- Total employment: 6,960 people (9.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $33,310
- Median hourly wage: $16.02
- Total employment: 3,640 people (5.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $33,210
- Median hourly wage: $15.97
- Total employment: 510 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $33,070
- Median hourly wage: $15.90
- Total employment: 930 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $33,030
- Median hourly wage: $15.88
- Total employment: 300 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Concierges
- Median annual wage: $32,870
- Median hourly wage: $15.80
- Total employment: 140 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $32,630
- Median hourly wage: $15.69
- Total employment: 2,290 people (3.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $32,360
- Median hourly wage: $15.56
- Total employment: 330 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dusan Petkovic // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Counselors, all other
- Median annual wage: $32,330
- Median hourly wage: $15.55
- Total employment: 150 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $32,090
- Median hourly wage: $15.43
- Total employment: 18,030 people (24.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $32,060
- Median hourly wage: $15.42
- Total employment: 1,880 people (2.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $31,370
- Median hourly wage: $15.08
- Total employment: 6,990 people (9.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
22 / 50#28. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 990 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Cooks, short order (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: Not available
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $30,440
- Median hourly wage: $14.63
- Total employment: 370 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $30,090
- Median hourly wage: $14.47
- Total employment: 580 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $29,970
- Median hourly wage: $14.41
- Total employment: 11,880 people (16.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $29,830
- Median hourly wage: $14.34
- Total employment: 1,770 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $29,820
- Median hourly wage: $14.34
- Total employment: 90 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $29,450
- Median hourly wage: $14.16
- Total employment: 11,110 people (15.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suteren // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Dietetic technicians
- Median annual wage: $29,350
- Median hourly wage: $14.11
- Total employment: 70 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pressmaster // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Baggage porters and bellhops
- Median annual wage: $29,130
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: 110 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $29,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: 2,040 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carlovis // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Tour and travel guides
- Median annual wage: $29,090
- Median hourly wage: $13.98
- Total employment: 210 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $28,850
- Median hourly wage: $13.87
- Total employment: 1,430 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $28,800
- Median hourly wage: $13.85
- Total employment: 15,020 people (20.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $28,430
- Median hourly wage: $13.67
- Total employment: 650 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $28,290
- Median hourly wage: $13.60
- Total employment: 2,090 people (2.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $28,220
- Median hourly wage: $13.57
- Total employment: Not available
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $28,020
- Median hourly wage: $13.47
- Total employment: 420 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $27,890
- Median hourly wage: $13.41
- Total employment: 6,030 people (8.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $27,850
- Median hourly wage: $13.39
- Total employment: 2,750 people (3.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $27,440
- Median hourly wage: $13.19
- Total employment: 10,610 people (14.67 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: $27,040
- Median hourly wage: $13.00
- Total employment: 920 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NIKCOA // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Medical transcriptionists
- Median annual wage: $26,990
- Median hourly wage: $12.98
- Total employment: 150 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $26,920
- Median hourly wage: $12.94
- Total employment: 2,030 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $26,370
- Median hourly wage: $12.68
- Total employment: 540 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $26,100
- Median hourly wage: $12.55
- Total employment: 1,290 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kelvn // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Passenger attendants
- Median annual wage: $25,490
- Median hourly wage: $12.25
- Total employment: 110 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Library assistants, clerical
- Median annual wage: $24,110
- Median hourly wage: $11.59
- Total employment: 250 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $21,670
- Median hourly wage: $10.42
- Total employment: 1,740 people (2.4 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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