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1 / 50#50. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $33,460
- Median hourly wage: $16.09
- Total employment: 1,020 people (7.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Myrtle Beach
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 Myrtle Beach. 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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2 / 50#49. Sales and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $33,400
- Median hourly wage: $16.06
- Total employment: 100 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Photographers
- Median annual wage: $32,990
- Median hourly wage: $15.86
- Total employment: 70 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $32,820
- Median hourly wage: $15.78
- Total employment: 330 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Anucha Cheechang // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Switchboard operators, including answering service
- Median annual wage: $32,140
- Median hourly wage: $15.45
- Total employment: 30 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $31,830
- Median hourly wage: $15.30
- Total employment: 70 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $31,590
- Median hourly wage: $15.19
- Total employment: 1,780 people (12.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $31,110
- Median hourly wage: $14.96
- Total employment: 1,120 people (7.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $31,080
- Median hourly wage: $14.94
- Total employment: 1,070 people (7.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $31,000
- Median hourly wage: $14.91
- Total employment: 430 people (3.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
11 / 50#39. Parts salespersons (tie)
- Median annual wage: $30,780
- Median hourly wage: $14.80
- Total employment: 300 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders (tie)
- Median annual wage: $30,780
- Median hourly wage: $14.80
- Total employment: 50 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $30,630
- Median hourly wage: $14.73
- Total employment: 220 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $30,050
- Median hourly wage: $14.45
- Total employment: 1,580 people (10.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $29,960
- Median hourly wage: $14.40
- Total employment: 220 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $29,740
- Median hourly wage: $14.30
- Total employment: 1,810 people (12.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $29,730
- Median hourly wage: $14.29
- Total employment: 100 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $29,590
- Median hourly wage: $14.23
- Total employment: 380 people (2.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Bus drivers, school
- Median annual wage: $29,530
- Median hourly wage: $14.20
- Total employment: 330 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
antoniodiaz // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys
- Median annual wage: $29,250
- Median hourly wage: $14.06
- Total employment: 30 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DSBfoto // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $28,990
- Median hourly wage: $13.94
- Total employment: 1,980 people (13.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $28,970
- Median hourly wage: $13.93
- Total employment: 500 people (3.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MarijaBazarova // Shutterstock
23 / 50#27. Skincare specialists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $28,890
- Median hourly wage: $13.89
- Total employment: 110 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Dishwashers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $28,890
- Median hourly wage: $13.89
- Total employment: 940 people (6.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $28,780
- Median hourly wage: $13.84
- Total employment: 360 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $28,750
- Median hourly wage: $13.82
- Total employment: 90 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $28,500
- Median hourly wage: $13.70
- Total employment: 7,930 people (54.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Library technicians
- Median annual wage: $28,460
- Median hourly wage: $13.68
- Total employment: 70 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks
- Median annual wage: $28,290
- Median hourly wage: $13.60
- Total employment: 210 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $28,230
- Median hourly wage: $13.57
- Total employment: 1,770 people (12.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jason Person // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $28,070
- Median hourly wage: $13.50
- Total employment: 80 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $27,610
- Median hourly wage: $13.27
- Total employment: 170 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $27,410
- Median hourly wage: $13.18
- Total employment: 5,010 people (34.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $27,280
- Median hourly wage: $13.11
- Total employment: 590 people (4.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chay_Tee // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Tax preparers
- Median annual wage: $27,220
- Median hourly wage: $13.09
- Total employment: 80 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $27,210
- Median hourly wage: $13.08
- Total employment: 5,470 people (37.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $27,070
- Median hourly wage: $13.01
- Total employment: 270 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $26,220
- Median hourly wage: $12.61
- Total employment: 290 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $25,950
- Median hourly wage: $12.48
- Total employment: 1,390 people (9.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $24,930
- Median hourly wage: $11.99
- Total employment: 60 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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aboutsung // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $23,710
- Median hourly wage: $11.40
- Total employment: 850 people (5.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $23,640
- Median hourly wage: $11.36
- Total employment: 220 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $23,420
- Median hourly wage: $11.26
- Total employment: 1,450 people (10.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $23,210
- Median hourly wage: $11.16
- Total employment: 1,040 people (7.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $22,720
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 700 people (4.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $21,580
- Median hourly wage: $10.38
- Total employment: Not available
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Baggage porters and bellhops
- Median annual wage: $21,480
- Median hourly wage: $10.33
- Total employment: 80 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kelvn // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Passenger attendants
- Median annual wage: $21,390
- Median hourly wage: $10.28
- Total employment: 70 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $18,310
- Median hourly wage: $8.80
- Total employment: 6,200 people (42.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $17,260
- Median hourly wage: $8.30
- Total employment: 1,720 people (11.9 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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