Roman Korotkov // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Crossing guards and flaggers
- Median annual wage: $35,970
- Median hourly wage: $17.29
- Total employment: 790 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Salt Lake City
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 Salt Lake City. 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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Shakirov Albert // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Floral designers
- Median annual wage: $35,960
- Median hourly wage: $17.29
- Total employment: 390 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $35,810
- Median hourly wage: $17.22
- Total employment: 630 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Office and administrative support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,790
- Median hourly wage: $17.21
- Total employment: 1,270 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Concierges
- Median annual wage: $35,350
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 130 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $35,260
- Median hourly wage: $16.95
- Total employment: 670 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $35,240
- Median hourly wage: $16.94
- Total employment: 1,920 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
8 / 50#42. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,230
- Median hourly wage: $16.94
- Total employment: 80 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Grusho Anna // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Set and exhibit designers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,230
- Median hourly wage: $16.94
- Total employment: 240 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $35,120
- Median hourly wage: $16.89
- Total employment: 90 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $35,100
- Median hourly wage: $16.87
- Total employment: 2,970 people (3.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $35,060
- Median hourly wage: $16.86
- Total employment: 260 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $35,000
- Median hourly wage: $16.83
- Total employment: 290 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $34,990
- Median hourly wage: $16.82
- Total employment: 16,930 people (20.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ramon Espelt Photography // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Home appliance repairers
- Median annual wage: $34,920
- Median hourly wage: $16.79
- Total employment: 130 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $34,830
- Median hourly wage: $16.75
- Total employment: 870 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $34,580
- Median hourly wage: $16.63
- Total employment: 1,090 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $34,210
- Median hourly wage: $16.45
- Total employment: 1,900 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $34,000
- Median hourly wage: $16.35
- Total employment: 90 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gansstock // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Grinding and polishing workers, hand
- Median annual wage: $33,450
- Median hourly wage: $16.08
- Total employment: 50 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pressmaster // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $32,860
- Median hourly wage: $15.80
- Total employment: 990 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $32,660
- Median hourly wage: $15.70
- Total employment: 1,400 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Cineberg // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Helpers, construction trades, all other
- Median annual wage: $32,610
- Median hourly wage: $15.68
- Total employment: 80 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $32,090
- Median hourly wage: $15.43
- Total employment: 4,460 people (5.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Agenturfotografin // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Historians
- Median annual wage: $32,000
- Median hourly wage: $15.39
- Total employment: 80 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $31,900
- Median hourly wage: $15.34
- Total employment: 1,990 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $31,580
- Median hourly wage: $15.19
- Total employment: 1,670 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $31,530
- Median hourly wage: $15.16
- Total employment: 2,360 people (2.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $31,240
- Median hourly wage: $15.02
- Total employment: 10,990 people (13.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
George Rudy // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Directors, religious activities and education
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $31,190
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 6,470 people (7.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Sound engineering technicians
- Median annual wage: $30,830
- Median hourly wage: $14.82
- Total employment: 270 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $30,810
- Median hourly wage: $14.81
- Total employment: 10,550 people (12.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $30,350
- Median hourly wage: $14.59
- Total employment: 7,780 people (9.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Teaching assistants, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $30,010
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,590 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials
- Median annual wage: $29,920
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 400 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $29,360
- Median hourly wage: $14.11
- Total employment: 1,920 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $29,330
- Median hourly wage: $14.10
- Total employment: 570 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $29,240
- Median hourly wage: $14.06
- Total employment: 1,850 people (2.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $29,190
- Median hourly wage: $14.04
- Total employment: 1,050 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $29,060
- Median hourly wage: $13.97
- Total employment: 19,210 people (23.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $28,820
- Median hourly wage: $13.86
- Total employment: 2,400 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Exercise physiologists
- Median annual wage: $27,820
- Median hourly wage: $13.38
- Total employment: 140 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $27,600
- Median hourly wage: $13.27
- Total employment: 1,540 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $27,030
- Median hourly wage: $13.00
- Total employment: 740 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $26,640
- Median hourly wage: $12.81
- Total employment: 340 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $26,310
- Median hourly wage: $12.65
- Total employment: 1,810 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Barbers
- Median annual wage: $25,640
- Median hourly wage: $12.33
- Total employment: 210 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Sheremeta // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants
- Median annual wage: $22,880
- Median hourly wage: $11.00
- Total employment: 80 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Broadcast technicians
- Median annual wage: $20,890
- Median hourly wage: $10.05
- Total employment: 240 people (0.29 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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