Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $31,500
- Median hourly wage: $15.14
- Total employment: 4,600 people (10.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Tulsa
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 Tulsa. 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.
You may also like: The most expensive homes sold in Tulsa this year
Jason Person // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $31,320
- Median hourly wage: $15.06
- Total employment: Not available
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $31,150
- Median hourly wage: $14.98
- Total employment: 5,180 people (11.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $30,880
- Median hourly wage: $14.85
- Total employment: 590 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roschetzky Photography // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Food cooking machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $30,760
- Median hourly wage: $14.79
- Total employment: Not available
You may also like: Cities with the fastest-growing home prices in the Tulsa metro area
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $30,690
- Median hourly wage: $14.76
- Total employment: 250 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dusan Petkovic // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $30,440
- Median hourly wage: $14.64
- Total employment: 70 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $30,360
- Median hourly wage: $14.60
- Total employment: 640 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NIKCOA // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Medical transcriptionists
- Median annual wage: $30,200
- Median hourly wage: $14.52
- Total employment: 180 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $30,100
- Median hourly wage: $14.47
- Total employment: 1,290 people (2.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Where people in Tulsa are looking to buy homes
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $29,990
- Median hourly wage: $14.42
- Total employment: 11,770 people (25.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $29,980
- Median hourly wage: $14.41
- Total employment: 2,470 people (5.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $29,750
- Median hourly wage: $14.30
- Total employment: 260 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $29,730
- Median hourly wage: $14.29
- Total employment: 500 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Milton Rodriguez // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Prepress technicians and workers
- Median annual wage: $29,720
- Median hourly wage: $14.29
- Total employment: 60 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants for tacos in the Tulsa area by diners
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $29,650
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 3,280 people (7.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Library technicians
- Median annual wage: $29,530
- Median hourly wage: $14.20
- Total employment: 50 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
grivet // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Gambling change persons and booth cashiers
- Median annual wage: $29,350
- Median hourly wage: $14.11
- Total employment: 260 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Rehabilitation counselors
- Median annual wage: $29,340
- Median hourly wage: $14.11
- Total employment: 670 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $29,010
- Median hourly wage: $13.95
- Total employment: 370 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: The 30 most popular homes for sale in Tulsa
Shakirov Albert // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Floral designers
- Median annual wage: $28,950
- Median hourly wage: $13.92
- Total employment: 100 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $28,920
- Median hourly wage: $13.90
- Total employment: 1,070 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $28,540
- Median hourly wage: $13.72
- Total employment: 710 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $28,330
- Median hourly wage: $13.62
- Total employment: 3,280 people (7.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Korotkov // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Crossing guards and flaggers
- Median annual wage: $28,300
- Median hourly wage: $13.60
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated Italian restaurants in Tulsa by diners
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $28,150
- Median hourly wage: $13.53
- Total employment: 460 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $28,090
- Median hourly wage: $13.50
- Total employment: 10,100 people (22.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $28,020
- Median hourly wage: $13.47
- Total employment: 140 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $27,860
- Median hourly wage: $13.39
- Total employment: 690 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $27,820
- Median hourly wage: $13.37
- Total employment: 150 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated dessert shops in the Tulsa area by diners
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $27,780
- Median hourly wage: $13.36
- Total employment: 670 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $27,530
- Median hourly wage: $13.23
- Total employment: 2,480 people (5.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $27,220
- Median hourly wage: $13.09
- Total employment: 5,450 people (12.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $27,200
- Median hourly wage: $13.08
- Total employment: 2,060 people (4.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $27,150
- Median hourly wage: $13.05
- Total employment: 1,030 people (2.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: How much house $1 million buys you in Tulsa
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $26,740
- Median hourly wage: $12.86
- Total employment: 400 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $26,710
- Median hourly wage: $12.84
- Total employment: 920 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $26,360
- Median hourly wage: $12.67
- Total employment: 13,010 people (28.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $25,480
- Median hourly wage: $12.25
- Total employment: 1,150 people (2.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Baggage porters and bellhops
- Median annual wage: $24,720
- Median hourly wage: $11.88
- Total employment: 30 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Cities with the most expensive homes in the Tulsa metro area
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Library assistants, clerical
- Median annual wage: $23,950
- Median hourly wage: $11.52
- Total employment: 130 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $23,500
- Median hourly wage: $11.30
- Total employment: 340 people (0.76 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: $23,360
- Median hourly wage: $11.23
- Total employment: 110 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $22,720
- Median hourly wage: $10.93
- Total employment: 100 people (0.22 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: $22,410
- Median hourly wage: $10.78
- Total employment: 1,330 people (2.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Coat drives near Tulsa
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $22,260
- Median hourly wage: $10.70
- Total employment: 1,580 people (3.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $21,840
- Median hourly wage: $10.50
- Total employment: 1,500 people (3.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $21,650
- Median hourly wage: $10.41
- Total employment: 680 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $21,450
- Median hourly wage: $10.31
- Total employment: 2,360 people (5.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $20,330
- Median hourly wage: $9.77
- Total employment: 7,160 people (15.8 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.
You may also like: Best public middle schools in the Tulsa metro area
