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1 / 50#50. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $34,670
- Median hourly wage: $16.67
- Total employment: 3,480 people (18.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Wilmington
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 Wilmington. 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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Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $34,410
- Median hourly wage: $16.54
- Total employment: 290 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $34,390
- Median hourly wage: $16.53
- Total employment: 290 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service
- Median annual wage: $34,330
- Median hourly wage: $16.51
- Total employment: 50 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Pharmacy aides
- Median annual wage: $34,290
- Median hourly wage: $16.49
- Total employment: 50 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $34,240
- Median hourly wage: $16.46
- Total employment: 140 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $33,990
- Median hourly wage: $16.34
- Total employment: 520 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Korotkov // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Crossing guards and flaggers
- Median annual wage: $33,850
- Median hourly wage: $16.27
- Total employment: 100 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#41. Food processing workers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,520
- Median hourly wage: $16.11
- Total employment: 60 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,520
- Median hourly wage: $16.11
- Total employment: 250 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DSBfoto // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $33,420
- Median hourly wage: $16.07
- Total employment: 1,840 people (9.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Atstock Productions // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Telemarketers
- Median annual wage: $33,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $32,780
- Median hourly wage: $15.76
- Total employment: 390 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $32,350
- Median hourly wage: $15.55
- Total employment: 950 people (5.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $32,050
- Median hourly wage: $15.41
- Total employment: 130 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $31,750
- Median hourly wage: $15.27
- Total employment: 1,240 people (6.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $31,390
- Median hourly wage: $15.09
- Total employment: 110 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $31,110
- Median hourly wage: $14.96
- Total employment: 100 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $31,060
- Median hourly wage: $14.93
- Total employment: 190 people (1.03 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: $30,820
- Median hourly wage: $14.82
- Total employment: 620 people (3.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $30,790
- Median hourly wage: $14.80
- Total employment: Not available
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,180
- Median hourly wage: $14.51
- Total employment: 430 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carlovis // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Tour and travel guides
- Median annual wage: $29,970
- Median hourly wage: $14.41
- Total employment: 70 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $29,940
- Median hourly wage: $14.40
- Total employment: 230 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $29,930
- Median hourly wage: $14.39
- Total employment: 210 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $29,660
- Median hourly wage: $14.26
- Total employment: 2,480 people (13.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $29,650
- Median hourly wage: $14.25
- Total employment: 1,440 people (7.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $29,570
- Median hourly wage: $14.22
- Total employment: 610 people (3.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $29,560
- Median hourly wage: $14.21
- Total employment: 470 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $29,520
- Median hourly wage: $14.19
- Total employment: 6,150 people (32.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $29,470
- Median hourly wage: $14.17
- Total employment: 430 people (2.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $29,430
- Median hourly wage: $14.15
- Total employment: 1,160 people (6.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $29,380
- Median hourly wage: $14.13
- Total employment: 60 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $29,190
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,190 people (6.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $29,010
- Median hourly wage: $13.95
- Total employment: 850 people (4.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $28,910
- Median hourly wage: $13.90
- Total employment: 4,440 people (23.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Information and record clerks, all other
- Median annual wage: $28,870
- Median hourly wage: $13.88
- Total employment: 180 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $28,050
- Median hourly wage: $13.48
- Total employment: 510 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $27,700
- Median hourly wage: $13.32
- Total employment: 640 people (3.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $27,530
- Median hourly wage: $13.23
- Total employment: 5,310 people (28.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $27,520
- Median hourly wage: $13.23
- Total employment: 100 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $26,740
- Median hourly wage: $12.86
- Total employment: 4,310 people (23.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $25,580
- Median hourly wage: $12.30
- Total employment: 190 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $24,740
- Median hourly wage: $11.89
- Total employment: 200 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $24,490
- Median hourly wage: $11.77
- Total employment: 970 people (5.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $21,980
- Median hourly wage: $10.57
- Total employment: 1,030 people (5.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
shocky // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers
- Median annual wage: $21,960
- Median hourly wage: $10.56
- Total employment: 110 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $21,600
- Median hourly wage: $10.39
- Total employment: 510 people (2.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $21,540
- Median hourly wage: $10.36
- Total employment: 5,050 people (27.03 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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