Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $43,230
- Median hourly wage: $20.78
- Total employment: 620 people (4.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Kennewick
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 Kennewick. 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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VH-studio // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $42,970
- Median hourly wage: $20.66
- Total employment: 50 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kanemme6 // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $42,290
- Median hourly wage: $20.33
- Total employment: 300 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
- Median annual wage: $41,820
- Median hourly wage: $20.11
- Total employment: 300 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
worradirek // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers
- Median annual wage: $41,660
- Median hourly wage: $20.03
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $41,190
- Median hourly wage: $19.80
- Total employment: 60 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Production workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $40,690
- Median hourly wage: $19.56
- Total employment: 60 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $40,370
- Median hourly wage: $19.41
- Total employment: 980 people (7.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $40,260
- Median hourly wage: $19.36
- Total employment: 120 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $39,420
- Median hourly wage: $18.95
- Total employment: 310 people (2.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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worradirek // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Helpers--production workers
- Median annual wage: $39,360
- Median hourly wage: $18.92
- Total employment: 190 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $39,340
- Median hourly wage: $18.91
- Total employment: 1,130 people (8.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Median annual wage: $39,290
- Median hourly wage: $18.89
- Total employment: 1,980 people (15.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $39,010
- Median hourly wage: $18.75
- Total employment: 2,220 people (17.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chay_Tee // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Tax preparers
- Median annual wage: $38,840
- Median hourly wage: $18.67
- Total employment: Not available
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ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $38,710
- Median hourly wage: $18.61
- Total employment: 110 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leika production // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Couriers and messengers
- Median annual wage: $38,560
- Median hourly wage: $18.54
- Total employment: 80 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $38,390
- Median hourly wage: $18.46
- Total employment: 520 people (4.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $38,380
- Median hourly wage: $18.45
- Total employment: 160 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $38,370
- Median hourly wage: $18.45
- Total employment: 180 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $38,140
- Median hourly wage: $18.34
- Total employment: 410 people (3.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $38,050
- Median hourly wage: $18.29
- Total employment: 1,050 people (8.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Pharmacy aides
- Median annual wage: $37,780
- Median hourly wage: $18.17
- Total employment: 30 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $37,500
- Median hourly wage: $18.03
- Total employment: 150 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $37,440
- Median hourly wage: $18.00
- Total employment: 170 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $37,330
- Median hourly wage: $17.95
- Total employment: 760 people (5.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $37,270
- Median hourly wage: $17.92
- Total employment: 100 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $37,150
- Median hourly wage: $17.86
- Total employment: 1,100 people (8.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $37,020
- Median hourly wage: $17.80
- Total employment: 120 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $36,930
- Median hourly wage: $17.75
- Total employment: 600 people (4.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $36,920
- Median hourly wage: $17.75
- Total employment: 1,330 people (10.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shakirov Albert // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Floral designers
- Median annual wage: $36,910
- Median hourly wage: $17.74
- Total employment: 50 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $36,790
- Median hourly wage: $17.69
- Total employment: 220 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $36,600
- Median hourly wage: $17.59
- Total employment: 190 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $36,560
- Median hourly wage: $17.58
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $36,540
- Median hourly wage: $17.57
- Total employment: 3,490 people (27.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $36,290
- Median hourly wage: $17.45
- Total employment: 230 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $36,220
- Median hourly wage: $17.42
- Total employment: 260 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Food processing workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $36,160
- Median hourly wage: $17.38
- Total employment: 60 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $36,120
- Median hourly wage: $17.36
- Total employment: 310 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $35,870
- Median hourly wage: $17.25
- Total employment: 130 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $35,740
- Median hourly wage: $17.18
- Total employment: 2,410 people (18.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Graders and sorters, agricultural products
- Median annual wage: $35,640
- Median hourly wage: $17.13
- Total employment: 540 people (4.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $35,480
- Median hourly wage: $17.06
- Total employment: 3,880 people (30.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Demonstrators and product promoters
- Median annual wage: $35,270
- Median hourly wage: $16.96
- Total employment: 460 people (3.61 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: $35,080
- Median hourly wage: $16.87
- Total employment: 370 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $34,900
- Median hourly wage: $16.78
- Total employment: 400 people (3.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $33,960
- Median hourly wage: $16.33
- Total employment: 480 people (3.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Amusement and recreation attendants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,860
- Median hourly wage: $16.28
- Total employment: 260 people (2.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $33,860
- Median hourly wage: $16.28
- Total employment: 70 people (0.57 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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