Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
1 / 50#49. Driver/sales workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,750
- Median hourly wage: $17.67
- Total employment: 240 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Charlottesville
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 Charlottesville. 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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Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,750
- Median hourly wage: $17.67
- Total employment: 640 people (5.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Anna Jurkovska // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Orderlies
- Median annual wage: $36,740
- Median hourly wage: $17.66
- Total employment: 100 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $36,730
- Median hourly wage: $17.66
- Total employment: 1,370 people (12.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $36,630
- Median hourly wage: $17.61
- Total employment: 90 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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MAVV // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $36,620
- Median hourly wage: $17.61
- Total employment: 130 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Community health workers
- Median annual wage: $36,580
- Median hourly wage: $17.59
- Total employment: Not available
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $36,410
- Median hourly wage: $17.50
- Total employment: 140 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $36,240
- Median hourly wage: $17.42
- Total employment: 260 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Photographers
- Median annual wage: $35,990
- Median hourly wage: $17.30
- Total employment: 70 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $35,930
- Median hourly wage: $17.28
- Total employment: 270 people (2.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Concierges
- Median annual wage: $35,560
- Median hourly wage: $17.10
- Total employment: 70 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $35,130
- Median hourly wage: $16.89
- Total employment: 80 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $35,070
- Median hourly wage: $16.86
- Total employment: 1,500 people (13.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
15 / 50#35. Library assistants, clerical (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,030
- Median hourly wage: $16.84
- Total employment: 70 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Recreation workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,030
- Median hourly wage: $16.84
- Total employment: 310 people (2.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suteren // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Dietetic technicians
- Median annual wage: $35,000
- Median hourly wage: $16.83
- Total employment: 40 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carlovis // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Tour and travel guides
- Median annual wage: $34,980
- Median hourly wage: $16.82
- Total employment: 90 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $34,770
- Median hourly wage: $16.71
- Total employment: 270 people (2.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $34,620
- Median hourly wage: $16.64
- Total employment: 90 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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worradirek // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Helpers--production workers
- Median annual wage: $34,590
- Median hourly wage: $16.63
- Total employment: 30 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $34,570
- Median hourly wage: $16.62
- Total employment: 1,230 people (10.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MarijaBazarova // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Skincare specialists
- Median annual wage: $34,560
- Median hourly wage: $16.61
- Total employment: 50 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
24 / 50#26. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,460
- Median hourly wage: $16.57
- Total employment: 130 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Parts salespersons (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,460
- Median hourly wage: $16.57
- Total employment: 140 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
26 / 50#24. Maids and housekeeping cleaners (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,800
- Median hourly wage: $16.25
- Total employment: 1,420 people (12.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,800
- Median hourly wage: $16.25
- Total employment: 230 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
28 / 50#22. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,760
- Median hourly wage: $16.23
- Total employment: 170 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Food preparation workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,760
- Median hourly wage: $16.23
- Total employment: 490 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $33,410
- Median hourly wage: $16.06
- Total employment: 310 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $33,340
- Median hourly wage: $16.03
- Total employment: 520 people (4.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $32,810
- Median hourly wage: $15.78
- Total employment: 270 people (2.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $32,500
- Median hourly wage: $15.63
- Total employment: 130 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $31,510
- Median hourly wage: $15.15
- Total employment: 400 people (3.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 2,610 people (23.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $31,010
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 950 people (8.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials
- Median annual wage: $30,920
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $30,620
- Median hourly wage: $14.72
- Total employment: 160 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $30,230
- Median hourly wage: $14.54
- Total employment: 60 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $30,140
- Median hourly wage: $14.49
- Total employment: 2,860 people (25.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $30,100
- Median hourly wage: $14.47
- Total employment: 400 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
42 / 50#8. Cashiers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,800
- Median hourly wage: $14.33
- Total employment: 2,020 people (17.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Substitute teachers, short-term (tie)
- Median annual wage: $29,800
- Median hourly wage: $14.33
- Total employment: 560 people (4.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $29,790
- Median hourly wage: $14.32
- Total employment: 340 people (3.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $29,650
- Median hourly wage: $14.25
- Total employment: 350 people (3.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dragon Images // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $29,570
- Median hourly wage: $14.22
- Total employment: 360 people (3.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $29,400
- Median hourly wage: $14.14
- Total employment: 280 people (2.45 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: $27,690
- Median hourly wage: $13.31
- Total employment: 1,730 people (15.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $27,680
- Median hourly wage: $13.31
- Total employment: 70 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $27,100
- Median hourly wage: $13.03
- Total employment: Not available
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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