Lowest-paying jobs in Lynchburg

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 Lynchburg. 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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Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers

- Median annual wage: $35,260
- Median hourly wage: $16.95
- Total employment: 660 people (6.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Undrey // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Data entry keyers

- Median annual wage: $35,200
- Median hourly wage: $16.92
- Total employment: 40 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Africa Studio // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs

- Median annual wage: $35,190
- Median hourly wage: $16.92
- Total employment: 110 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nejron Photo // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment

- Median annual wage: $35,090
- Median hourly wage: $16.87
- Total employment: 230 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Packers and packagers, hand

- Median annual wage: $35,060
- Median hourly wage: $16.86
- Total employment: 160 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Cooks, restaurant

- Median annual wage: $34,790
- Median hourly wage: $16.73
- Total employment: 1,050 people (10.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

NIKCOA // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Medical transcriptionists

- Median annual wage: $34,630
- Median hourly wage: $16.65
- Total employment: 30 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers

- Median annual wage: $34,220
- Median hourly wage: $16.45
- Total employment: 120 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

- Median annual wage: $34,150
- Median hourly wage: $16.42
- Total employment: 1,090 people (11.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Parts salespersons

- Median annual wage: $34,110
- Median hourly wage: $16.40
- Total employment: 270 people (2.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Khromova Anna // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Fence erectors

- Median annual wage: $33,930
- Median hourly wage: $16.31
- Total employment: 40 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

VH-studio // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Protective service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $33,750
- Median hourly wage: $16.23
- Total employment: 130 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lucky Business // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors

- Median annual wage: $33,570
- Median hourly wage: $16.14
- Total employment: 300 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

New Africa // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Receptionists and information clerks

- Median annual wage: $33,530
- Median hourly wage: $16.12
- Total employment: 590 people (6.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tong_stocker // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Helpers--carpenters

- Median annual wage: $33,210
- Median hourly wage: $15.97
- Total employment: 50 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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SGr // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Machine feeders and offbearers

- Median annual wage: $32,240
- Median hourly wage: $15.50
- Total employment: 50 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Library assistants, clerical

- Median annual wage: $31,160
- Median hourly wage: $14.98
- Total employment: 40 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Stockers and order fillers

- Median annual wage: $31,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.96
- Total employment: 2,030 people (20.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Krysja // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Funeral attendants

- Median annual wage: $31,110
- Median hourly wage: $14.96
- Total employment: 100 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Recreation workers

- Median annual wage: $31,060
- Median hourly wage: $14.93
- Total employment: 200 people (2.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Maids and housekeeping cleaners

- Median annual wage: $30,890
- Median hourly wage: $14.85
- Total employment: 620 people (6.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers

- Median annual wage: $30,800
- Median hourly wage: $14.81
- Total employment: 130 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Cooks, institution and cafeteria

- Median annual wage: $30,440
- Median hourly wage: $14.64
- Total employment: 540 people (5.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

VGstockstudio // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Food servers, nonrestaurant

- Median annual wage: $30,360
- Median hourly wage: $14.60
- Total employment: 250 people (2.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Driver/sales workers

- Median annual wage: $30,350
- Median hourly wage: $14.59
- Total employment: 340 people (3.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Finist4 // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Manicurists and pedicurists

- Median annual wage: $29,940
- Median hourly wage: $14.40
- Total employment: 30 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DSBfoto // Shutterstock

27 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $29,790
- Median hourly wage: $14.32
- Total employment: 1,560 people (16.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Preschool teachers, except special education

- Median annual wage: $29,680
- Median hourly wage: $14.27
- Total employment: 290 people (3.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Food preparation workers

- Median annual wage: $29,410
- Median hourly wage: $14.14
- Total employment: 410 people (4.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#20. Retail salespersons (tie)

- Median annual wage: $29,280
- Median hourly wage: $14.08
- Total employment: 3,480 people (35.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kanemme6 // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Tire repairers and changers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $29,280
- Median hourly wage: $14.08
- Total employment: 50 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

32 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $29,200
- Median hourly wage: $14.04
- Total employment: 130 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paul.J.West // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary

- Median annual wage: $28,930
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 990 people (10.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Automotive and watercraft service attendants

- Median annual wage: $28,900
- Median hourly wage: $13.89
- Total employment: 80 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Richard Thornton // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. School bus monitors

- Median annual wage: $28,870
- Median hourly wage: $13.88
- Total employment: 50 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Dishwashers

- Median annual wage: $28,710
- Median hourly wage: $13.81
- Total employment: 270 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

aboutsung // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers

- Median annual wage: $28,610
- Median hourly wage: $13.76
- Total employment: 240 people (2.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pressmaster // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Animal caretakers

- Median annual wage: $28,090
- Median hourly wage: $13.51
- Total employment: 190 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Library technicians

- Median annual wage: $28,080
- Median hourly wage: $13.50
- Total employment: 30 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dean Drobot // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Cashiers

- Median annual wage: $28,010
- Median hourly wage: $13.47
- Total employment: 2,530 people (26.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Alena Veasey // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Cooks, fast food

- Median annual wage: $27,950
- Median hourly wage: $13.44
- Total employment: 490 people (5.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Home health and personal care aides

- Median annual wage: $27,860
- Median hourly wage: $13.40
- Total employment: 2,000 people (20.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Substitute teachers, short-term

- Median annual wage: $27,570
- Median hourly wage: $13.26
- Total employment: 650 people (6.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Childcare workers

- Median annual wage: $27,490
- Median hourly wage: $13.21
- Total employment: 270 people (2.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Bakers

- Median annual wage: $27,470
- Median hourly wage: $13.21
- Total employment: 170 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Fast food and counter workers

- Median annual wage: $27,190
- Median hourly wage: $13.07
- Total employment: 3,280 people (33.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dragon Images // Shutterstock

47 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $26,840
- Median hourly wage: $12.91
- Total employment: 260 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Amusement and recreation attendants

- Median annual wage: $25,750
- Median hourly wage: $12.38
- Total employment: 170 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stokkete // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Information and record clerks, all other

- Median annual wage: $25,490
- Median hourly wage: $12.26
- Total employment: 120 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service

- Median annual wage: $25,400
- Median hourly wage: $12.21
- Total employment: 60 people (0.67 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.