Lowest-paying jobs in Tyler

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 Tyler. 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: Highest-paying computer and engineering jobs in Tyler

Goldsithney // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Psychiatric technicians

- Median annual wage: $33,660
- Median hourly wage: $16.19
- Total employment: 80 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers

- Median annual wage: $33,230
- Median hourly wage: $15.97
- Total employment: 1,080 people (9.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

MAVV // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse

- Median annual wage: $33,180
- Median hourly wage: $15.95
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

NIKCOA // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Medical transcriptionists

- Median annual wage: $33,090
- Median hourly wage: $15.91
- Total employment: 80 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kzenon // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Self-enrichment teachers

- Median annual wage: $32,780
- Median hourly wage: $15.76
- Total employment: 90 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DuxX // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders

- Median annual wage: $31,960
- Median hourly wage: $15.37
- Total employment: 320 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rido // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Opticians, dispensing

- Median annual wage: $31,700
- Median hourly wage: $15.24
- Total employment: 60 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DGLimages // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Healthcare support workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $31,620
- Median hourly wage: $15.20
- Total employment: 190 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

New Africa // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Receptionists and information clerks

- Median annual wage: $31,580
- Median hourly wage: $15.18
- Total employment: 840 people (7.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Security guards

- Median annual wage: $31,520
- Median hourly wage: $15.15
- Total employment: 440 people (3.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Tyler 7-day weather forecast

Standret // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Counter and rental clerks

- Median annual wage: $30,610
- Median hourly wage: $14.71
- Total employment: 290 people (2.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DSBfoto // Shutterstock

12 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $29,950
- Median hourly wage: $14.40
- Total employment: 1,800 people (15.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pressmaster // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Animal caretakers

- Median annual wage: $29,910
- Median hourly wage: $14.38
- Total employment: 200 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Martin Smith // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Parking attendants

- Median annual wage: $29,800
- Median hourly wage: $14.33
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Packers and packagers, hand

- Median annual wage: $29,780
- Median hourly wage: $14.32
- Total employment: 190 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DuxX // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Butchers and meat cutters

- Median annual wage: $29,740
- Median hourly wage: $14.30
- Total employment: 60 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DGLimages // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Teaching assistants, postsecondary

- Median annual wage: $29,620
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Preschool teachers, except special education

- Median annual wage: $29,540
- Median hourly wage: $14.20
- Total employment: 320 people (2.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Cooks, restaurant

- Median annual wage: $29,420
- Median hourly wage: $14.15
- Total employment: 1,010 people (8.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#30. Cooks, institution and cafeteria (tie)

- Median annual wage: $29,340
- Median hourly wage: $14.10
- Total employment: 400 people (3.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Tyler

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Retail salespersons (tie)

- Median annual wage: $29,340
- Median hourly wage: $14.11
- Total employment: 3,690 people (32.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Automotive and watercraft service attendants

- Median annual wage: $29,310
- Median hourly wage: $14.09
- Total employment: 120 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

23 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $29,290
- Median hourly wage: $14.08
- Total employment: 50 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Sewing machine operators

- Median annual wage: $29,110
- Median hourly wage: $14.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Shakirov Albert // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Floral designers

- Median annual wage: $29,030
- Median hourly wage: $13.96
- Total employment: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Highest-rated cafes in the Tyler area by diners

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers

- Median annual wage: $28,400
- Median hourly wage: $13.66
- Total employment: 190 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nejron Photo // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment

- Median annual wage: $28,330
- Median hourly wage: $13.62
- Total employment: 340 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jason Person // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Cooks, short order

- Median annual wage: $28,250
- Median hourly wage: $13.58
- Total employment: 60 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Recreation workers

- Median annual wage: $28,140
- Median hourly wage: $13.53
- Total employment: 240 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#20. Bakers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $27,830
- Median hourly wage: $13.38
- Total employment: 200 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Top 25 songs in Tyler on Shazam in the past week

VGstockstudio // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Food servers, nonrestaurant (tie)

- Median annual wage: $27,830
- Median hourly wage: $13.38
- Total employment: 70 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Waiters and waitresses

- Median annual wage: $27,710
- Median hourly wage: $13.32
- Total employment: 1,650 people (14.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santypan // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Bartenders

- Median annual wage: $27,670
- Median hourly wage: $13.30
- Total employment: 370 people (3.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks

- Median annual wage: $27,390
- Median hourly wage: $13.17
- Total employment: 190 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Maids and housekeeping cleaners

- Median annual wage: $27,120
- Median hourly wage: $13.04
- Total employment: 550 people (4.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Dishwashers

- Median annual wage: $26,710
- Median hourly wage: $12.84
- Total employment: 300 people (2.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

encierro // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals

- Median annual wage: $26,470
- Median hourly wage: $12.73
- Total employment: 30 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dean Drobot // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Cashiers

- Median annual wage: $26,120
- Median hourly wage: $12.56
- Total employment: 2,290 people (20.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Childcare workers

- Median annual wage: $26,110
- Median hourly wage: $12.55
- Total employment: 260 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lucky Business // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Sales and related workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $25,680
- Median hourly wage: $12.35
- Total employment: 100 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Richard Thornton // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. School bus monitors

- Median annual wage: $25,210
- Median hourly wage: $12.12
- Total employment: 60 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Food preparation workers

- Median annual wage: $25,020
- Median hourly wage: $12.03
- Total employment: 1,040 people (9.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists

- Median annual wage: $24,670
- Median hourly wage: $11.86
- Total employment: 180 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Home health and personal care aides

- Median annual wage: $24,660
- Median hourly wage: $11.86
- Total employment: 5,160 people (45.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

aboutsung // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers

- Median annual wage: $24,210
- Median hourly wage: $11.64
- Total employment: 430 people (3.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Cheapest gas stations in Tyler

Dragon Images // Shutterstock

46 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $24,010
- Median hourly wage: $11.54
- Total employment: 260 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Fast food and counter workers

- Median annual wage: $23,630
- Median hourly wage: $11.36
- Total employment: 3,980 people (35.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Amusement and recreation attendants

- Median annual wage: $23,430
- Median hourly wage: $11.27
- Total employment: 140 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paul.J.West // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary

- Median annual wage: $22,890
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 910 people (8.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Substitute teachers, short-term

- Median annual wage: $18,610
- Median hourly wage: $8.95
- Total employment: 480 people (4.21 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: Highest-rated brunch restaurants in Tyler