worradirek // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Helpers--production workers
- Median annual wage: $33,540
- Median hourly wage: $16.13
- Total employment: 90 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Wichita Falls
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 Wichita Falls. 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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Philip Lange // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $33,500
- Median hourly wage: $16.11
- Total employment: 50 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. First-line supervisors of personal service workers
- Median annual wage: $33,320
- Median hourly wage: $16.02
- Total employment: 50 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Median annual wage: $33,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.96
- Total employment: 90 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ruslan Galiullin // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Office clerks, general
- Median annual wage: $33,000
- Median hourly wage: $15.86
- Total employment: 910 people (15.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Undrey // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Data entry keyers
- Median annual wage: $32,770
- Median hourly wage: $15.76
- Total employment: Not available
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $32,180
- Median hourly wage: $15.47
- Total employment: 60 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $31,750
- Median hourly wage: $15.27
- Total employment: 180 people (3.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Emergency medical technicians
- Median annual wage: $31,720
- Median hourly wage: $15.25
- Total employment: 60 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Standret // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $31,450
- Median hourly wage: $15.12
- Total employment: 150 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DGLimages // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Healthcare support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $31,380
- Median hourly wage: $15.09
- Total employment: 160 people (2.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $31,260
- Median hourly wage: $15.03
- Total employment: 260 people (4.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $30,490
- Median hourly wage: $14.66
- Total employment: 50 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $30,480
- Median hourly wage: $14.65
- Total employment: 210 people (3.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $30,220
- Median hourly wage: $14.53
- Total employment: 230 people (4.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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New Africa // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,070
- Median hourly wage: $14.46
- Total employment: 410 people (7.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $29,900
- Median hourly wage: $14.38
- Total employment: 30 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $29,560
- Median hourly wage: $14.21
- Total employment: 990 people (17.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $29,350
- Median hourly wage: $14.11
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $29,270
- Median hourly wage: $14.07
- Total employment: 30 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $29,180
- Median hourly wage: $14.03
- Total employment: 40 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $29,090
- Median hourly wage: $13.98
- Total employment: 270 people (4.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Sales and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $29,060
- Median hourly wage: $13.97
- Total employment: 90 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage: $28,900
- Median hourly wage: $13.89
- Total employment: 120 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $28,800
- Median hourly wage: $13.85
- Total employment: 130 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $28,670
- Median hourly wage: $13.79
- Total employment: 1,490 people (26.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $28,620
- Median hourly wage: $13.76
- Total employment: 540 people (9.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $28,300
- Median hourly wage: $13.61
- Total employment: 130 people (2.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $28,150
- Median hourly wage: $13.53
- Total employment: 310 people (5.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $28,080
- Median hourly wage: $13.50
- Total employment: 80 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $27,940
- Median hourly wage: $13.43
- Total employment: 170 people (2.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $27,600
- Median hourly wage: $13.27
- Total employment: 420 people (7.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $26,970
- Median hourly wage: $12.97
- Total employment: 110 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $26,830
- Median hourly wage: $12.90
- Total employment: 70 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $26,740
- Median hourly wage: $12.86
- Total employment: 40 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $26,460
- Median hourly wage: $12.72
- Total employment: 110 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $26,440
- Median hourly wage: $12.71
- Total employment: 260 people (4.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $26,140
- Median hourly wage: $12.57
- Total employment: 700 people (12.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $26,050
- Median hourly wage: $12.53
- Total employment: 1,360 people (24.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $25,670
- Median hourly wage: $12.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $24,490
- Median hourly wage: $11.77
- Total employment: 30 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $24,330
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 590 people (10.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $23,910
- Median hourly wage: $11.49
- Total employment: 490 people (8.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $23,750
- Median hourly wage: $11.42
- Total employment: 240 people (4.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $23,600
- Median hourly wage: $11.34
- Total employment: 900 people (15.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $23,310
- Median hourly wage: $11.21
- Total employment: 50 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $23,040
- Median hourly wage: $11.08
- Total employment: 140 people (2.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $22,960
- Median hourly wage: $11.04
- Total employment: 1,990 people (35.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $22,740
- Median hourly wage: $10.93
- Total employment: 150 people (2.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $22,470
- Median hourly wage: $10.80
- Total employment: 1,360 people (23.9 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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