Lowest-paying jobs in Lancaster

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 Lancaster. 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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DSBfoto // Shutterstock

1 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $35,380
- Median hourly wage: $17.01
- Total employment: 3,870 people (15.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Africa Studio // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#48. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs (tie)

- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 730 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leika production // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Couriers and messengers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 110 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nejron Photo // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment

- Median annual wage: $35,290
- Median hourly wage: $16.97
- Total employment: 760 people (3.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Stockers and order fillers

- Median annual wage: $35,260
- Median hourly wage: $16.95
- Total employment: 4,760 people (19.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Indypendenz // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#44. Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service (tie)

- Median annual wage: $35,010
- Median hourly wage: $16.83
- Total employment: 90 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DuxX // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Butchers and meat cutters (tie)

- Median annual wage: $35,010
- Median hourly wage: $16.83
- Total employment: 240 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Shakirov Albert // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Floral designers

- Median annual wage: $34,890
- Median hourly wage: $16.77
- Total employment: 80 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Krysja // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Funeral attendants

- Median annual wage: $34,680
- Median hourly wage: $16.67
- Total employment: 90 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Bakers

- Median annual wage: $34,500
- Median hourly wage: $16.59
- Total employment: 860 people (3.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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VH-studio // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Protective service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $34,480
- Median hourly wage: $16.58
- Total employment: 120 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Standret // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Bicycle repairers

- Median annual wage: $34,440
- Median hourly wage: $16.56
- Total employment: 40 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Sewing machine operators

- Median annual wage: $34,420
- Median hourly wage: $16.55
- Total employment: 230 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Recreation workers

- Median annual wage: $34,220
- Median hourly wage: $16.45
- Total employment: 500 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paul.J.West // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary

- Median annual wage: $34,210
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,940 people (7.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers

- Median annual wage: $34,180
- Median hourly wage: $16.43
- Total employment: 310 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Maids and housekeeping cleaners

- Median annual wage: $33,800
- Median hourly wage: $16.25
- Total employment: 1,520 people (6.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lee Charlie // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Court, municipal, and license clerks

- Median annual wage: $33,510
- Median hourly wage: $16.11
- Total employment: 120 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Demonstrators and product promoters

- Median annual wage: $33,430
- Median hourly wage: $16.07
- Total employment: 50 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Office and administrative support workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $33,410
- Median hourly wage: $16.06
- Total employment: 80 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Kzenon // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Religious workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $33,320
- Median hourly wage: $16.02
- Total employment: 60 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Carlovis // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Tour and travel guides

- Median annual wage: $32,580
- Median hourly wage: $15.67
- Total employment: 130 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Cooks, all other

- Median annual wage: $32,090
- Median hourly wage: $15.43
- Total employment: 80 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks

- Median annual wage: $31,290
- Median hourly wage: $15.05
- Total employment: 520 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Preschool teachers, except special education

- Median annual wage: $31,100
- Median hourly wage: $14.95
- Total employment: 640 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pressmaster // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Animal caretakers

- Median annual wage: $30,900
- Median hourly wage: $14.85
- Total employment: 480 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Martin Smith // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Parking attendants

- Median annual wage: $30,580
- Median hourly wage: $14.70
- Total employment: 100 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists

- Median annual wage: $30,280
- Median hourly wage: $14.56
- Total employment: 730 people (2.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Automotive and watercraft service attendants

- Median annual wage: $30,100
- Median hourly wage: $14.47
- Total employment: 60 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Food preparation workers

- Median annual wage: $30,030
- Median hourly wage: $14.44
- Total employment: 980 people (3.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers

- Median annual wage: $29,910
- Median hourly wage: $14.38
- Total employment: 140 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Retail salespersons

- Median annual wage: $29,690
- Median hourly wage: $14.27
- Total employment: 7,430 people (29.69 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: $29,630
- Median hourly wage: $14.25
- Total employment: 6,420 people (25.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Waiters and waitresses

- Median annual wage: $29,450
- Median hourly wage: $14.16
- Total employment: 3,520 people (14.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Dishwashers

- Median annual wage: $29,010
- Median hourly wage: $13.95
- Total employment: 830 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Fast food and counter workers

- Median annual wage: $28,570
- Median hourly wage: $13.74
- Total employment: 6,280 people (25.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

VGstockstudio // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Food servers, nonrestaurant

- Median annual wage: $28,550
- Median hourly wage: $13.72
- Total employment: 1,290 people (5.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

aboutsung // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers

- Median annual wage: $28,530
- Median hourly wage: $13.72
- Total employment: 890 people (3.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santypan // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Bartenders

- Median annual wage: $28,410
- Median hourly wage: $13.66
- Total employment: 1,370 people (5.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Library assistants, clerical

- Median annual wage: $28,350
- Median hourly wage: $13.63
- Total employment: 180 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Dean Drobot // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Cashiers

- Median annual wage: $28,250
- Median hourly wage: $13.58
- Total employment: 5,380 people (21.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Childcare workers

- Median annual wage: $28,130
- Median hourly wage: $13.52
- Total employment: 500 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dragon Images // Shutterstock

43 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $28,030
- Median hourly wage: $13.47
- Total employment: 720 people (2.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alena Veasey // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Cooks, fast food

- Median annual wage: $27,730
- Median hourly wage: $13.33
- Total employment: 700 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Finist4 // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Manicurists and pedicurists

- Median annual wage: $27,400
- Median hourly wage: $13.17
- Total employment: 330 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lucky Business // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Sales and related workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $27,200
- Median hourly wage: $13.08
- Total employment: 130 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Amusement and recreation attendants

- Median annual wage: $27,000
- Median hourly wage: $12.98
- Total employment: 860 people (3.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

48 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $26,880
- Median hourly wage: $12.92
- Total employment: 170 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jason Person // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Cooks, short order

- Median annual wage: $24,630
- Median hourly wage: $11.84
- Total employment: Not available

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50 / 50

#1. Motor vehicle operators, all other

- Median annual wage: $22,720
- Median hourly wage: $10.92
- Total employment: 120 people (0.47 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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