zhu difeng // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $32,680
- Median hourly wage: $15.71
- Total employment: 170 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in College Station
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 College Station. 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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Pressmaster // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Median annual wage: $32,570
- Median hourly wage: $15.66
- Total employment: 200 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $32,280
- Median hourly wage: $15.52
- Total employment: 480 people (3.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $32,030
- Median hourly wage: $15.40
- Total employment: 290 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $31,930
- Median hourly wage: $15.35
- Total employment: 30 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $31,830
- Median hourly wage: $15.30
- Total employment: 550 people (4.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $31,620
- Median hourly wage: $15.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $31,500
- Median hourly wage: $15.15
- Total employment: 120 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Library assistants, clerical
- Median annual wage: $31,390
- Median hourly wage: $15.09
- Total employment: 30 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $31,290
- Median hourly wage: $15.05
- Total employment: 800 people (6.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $31,010
- Median hourly wage: $14.91
- Total employment: 880 people (6.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vasin Lee // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Residential advisors
- Median annual wage: $30,830
- Median hourly wage: $14.82
- Total employment: 40 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $30,260
- Median hourly wage: $14.55
- Total employment: 1,350 people (10.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $29,880
- Median hourly wage: $14.36
- Total employment: 270 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $29,800
- Median hourly wage: $14.33
- Total employment: 300 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Leika production // Shutterstock
16 / 50#34. Couriers and messengers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,740
- Median hourly wage: $14.30
- Total employment: 40 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Cooks, restaurant (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,740
- Median hourly wage: $14.30
- Total employment: 1,380 people (10.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
encierro // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
- Median annual wage: $29,490
- Median hourly wage: $14.18
- Total employment: 100 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Socrates471 // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Audio and video technicians
- Median annual wage: $29,350
- Median hourly wage: $14.11
- Total employment: 70 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Anucha Cheechang // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Switchboard operators, including answering service
- Median annual wage: $29,320
- Median hourly wage: $14.10
- Total employment: 30 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $29,190
- Median hourly wage: $14.04
- Total employment: 980 people (7.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $29,070
- Median hourly wage: $13.98
- Total employment: 500 people (3.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $28,950
- Median hourly wage: $13.92
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $28,880
- Median hourly wage: $13.89
- Total employment: 150 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $28,660
- Median hourly wage: $13.78
- Total employment: 380 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $28,180
- Median hourly wage: $13.55
- Total employment: 270 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $28,170
- Median hourly wage: $13.54
- Total employment: 2,410 people (18.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
28 / 50#22. Self-enrichment teachers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $28,150
- Median hourly wage: $13.53
- Total employment: 140 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Maids and housekeeping cleaners (tie)
- Median annual wage: $28,150
- Median hourly wage: $13.54
- Total employment: 670 people (5.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $28,100
- Median hourly wage: $13.51
- Total employment: 3,110 people (23.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $28,090
- Median hourly wage: $13.50
- Total employment: 270 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $27,820
- Median hourly wage: $13.38
- Total employment: 270 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $27,570
- Median hourly wage: $13.26
- Total employment: 230 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $27,160
- Median hourly wage: $13.06
- Total employment: 2,600 people (19.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $26,920
- Median hourly wage: $12.94
- Total employment: 1,580 people (11.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
36 / 50#14. Childcare workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $26,800
- Median hourly wage: $12.88
- Total employment: 460 people (3.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $26,800
- Median hourly wage: $12.89
- Total employment: 1,310 people (9.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $26,620
- Median hourly wage: $12.80
- Total employment: 150 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $26,590
- Median hourly wage: $12.79
- Total employment: 190 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Sales and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $26,480
- Median hourly wage: $12.73
- Total employment: 100 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $25,990
- Median hourly wage: $12.50
- Total employment: 260 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping
- Median annual wage: $25,650
- Median hourly wage: $12.33
- Total employment: 170 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $24,980
- Median hourly wage: $12.01
- Total employment: 120 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $24,780
- Median hourly wage: $11.91
- Total employment: 390 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $24,400
- Median hourly wage: $11.73
- Total employment: 4,470 people (33.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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santypan // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $24,260
- Median hourly wage: $11.66
- Total employment: 860 people (6.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $23,400
- Median hourly wage: $11.25
- Total employment: 1,250 people (9.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $22,590
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,470 people (11.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Educational instruction and library workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $22,380
- Median hourly wage: $10.76
- Total employment: 1,120 people (8.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $21,770
- Median hourly wage: $10.47
- Total employment: 110 people (0.8 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.
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