worradirek // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Helpers--production workers
- Median annual wage: $33,120
- Median hourly wage: $15.92
- Total employment: 630 people (4.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Waco
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 Waco. 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: Closest national parks to Waco
Roman Korotkov // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Crossing guards and flaggers
- Median annual wage: $32,950
- Median hourly wage: $15.84
- Total employment: 30 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Anucha Cheechang // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Switchboard operators, including answering service
- Median annual wage: $32,690
- Median hourly wage: $15.72
- Total employment: 50 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
worradirek // Shutterstock
4 / 50#46. Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $32,670
- Median hourly wage: $15.71
- Total employment: 120 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $32,670
- Median hourly wage: $15.71
- Total employment: 120 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated breakfast restaurants in the Waco area by diners
MAVV // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $32,260
- Median hourly wage: $15.51
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $32,130
- Median hourly wage: $15.45
- Total employment: 130 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $32,040
- Median hourly wage: $15.41
- Total employment: 80 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $32,020
- Median hourly wage: $15.40
- Total employment: 350 people (2.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $31,850
- Median hourly wage: $15.31
- Total employment: 760 people (5.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated sushi restaurants in the Waco area by diners
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $31,570
- Median hourly wage: $15.18
- Total employment: 180 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $31,310
- Median hourly wage: $15.06
- Total employment: 510 people (3.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $30,900
- Median hourly wage: $14.86
- Total employment: 690 people (5.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $30,720
- Median hourly wage: $14.77
- Total employment: 70 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $30,400
- Median hourly wage: $14.62
- Total employment: 1,870 people (14.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Waco 7-day weather forecast
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $30,350
- Median hourly wage: $14.59
- Total employment: 600 people (4.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $29,940
- Median hourly wage: $14.39
- Total employment: 1,100 people (8.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Cooks, all other
- Median annual wage: $29,870
- Median hourly wage: $14.36
- Total employment: 70 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Emergency medical technicians
- Median annual wage: $29,750
- Median hourly wage: $14.31
- Total employment: 120 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $29,550
- Median hourly wage: $14.21
- Total employment: 150 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Waco that require a graduate degree
Kzenon // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $29,480
- Median hourly wage: $14.17
- Total employment: 130 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $29,300
- Median hourly wage: $14.09
- Total employment: 80 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $29,250
- Median hourly wage: $14.06
- Total employment: 230 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $29,180
- Median hourly wage: $14.03
- Total employment: 200 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $29,080
- Median hourly wage: $13.98
- Total employment: 3,050 people (23.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Waco for high school graduates
Carlovis // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Tour and travel guides
- Median annual wage: $29,050
- Median hourly wage: $13.97
- Total employment: 40 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $28,800
- Median hourly wage: $13.85
- Total employment: 40 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $28,540
- Median hourly wage: $13.72
- Total employment: 160 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $28,390
- Median hourly wage: $13.65
- Total employment: 170 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
encierro // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
- Median annual wage: $28,340
- Median hourly wage: $13.63
- Total employment: 100 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated comfort food restaurants in Waco by diners
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $28,220
- Median hourly wage: $13.57
- Total employment: 280 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $28,120
- Median hourly wage: $13.52
- Total employment: 1,610 people (12.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $27,840
- Median hourly wage: $13.39
- Total employment: 1,330 people (10.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $27,730
- Median hourly wage: $13.33
- Total employment: 300 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $27,520
- Median hourly wage: $13.23
- Total employment: 730 people (5.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: How gas prices have changed in Waco in the last week
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Sales and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $27,490
- Median hourly wage: $13.21
- Total employment: 140 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $27,270
- Median hourly wage: $13.11
- Total employment: 4,620 people (35.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $27,220
- Median hourly wage: $13.09
- Total employment: 340 people (2.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $27,160
- Median hourly wage: $13.06
- Total employment: 40 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $27,070
- Median hourly wage: $13.02
- Total employment: 2,570 people (19.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Waco's 2025 housing market year in review
aboutsung // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $26,770
- Median hourly wage: $12.87
- Total employment: 430 people (3.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $26,620
- Median hourly wage: $12.80
- Total employment: 510 people (3.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $26,490
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,360 people (10.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $25,860
- Median hourly wage: $12.43
- Total employment: 60 people (0.43 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: $25,760
- Median hourly wage: $12.38
- Total employment: 320 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Cheapest gas stations in Waco
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $25,240
- Median hourly wage: $12.13
- Total employment: 100 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $24,500
- Median hourly wage: $11.78
- Total employment: 470 people (3.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $23,650
- Median hourly wage: $11.37
- Total employment: 2,100 people (16.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $22,860
- Median hourly wage: $10.99
- Total employment: 180 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $22,800
- Median hourly wage: $10.96
- Total employment: 210 people (1.61 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: Cities with the fastest-growing home prices in the Waco metro area
