Lowest-paying jobs in Yakima

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 Yakima. 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.

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Stockers and order fillers

- Median annual wage: $39,680
- Median hourly wage: $19.08
- Total employment: 2,100 people (21.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

encierro // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals

- Median annual wage: $39,560
- Median hourly wage: $19.02
- Total employment: 60 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kanemme6 // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Tire repairers and changers

- Median annual wage: $38,970
- Median hourly wage: $18.73
- Total employment: 130 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers

- Median annual wage: $38,740
- Median hourly wage: $18.63
- Total employment: 180 people (1.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Chay_Tee // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Tax preparers

- Median annual wage: $38,480
- Median hourly wage: $18.50
- Total employment: 40 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Educational instruction and library workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $38,430
- Median hourly wage: $18.48
- Total employment: 60 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

LightField Studios // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Emergency medical technicians

- Median annual wage: $38,380
- Median hourly wage: $18.45
- Total employment: 130 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock

8 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $38,190
- Median hourly wage: $18.36
- Total employment: 1,620 people (16.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Bakers

- Median annual wage: $37,900
- Median hourly wage: $18.22
- Total employment: 170 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders

- Median annual wage: $37,880
- Median hourly wage: $18.21
- Total employment: 90 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Cooks, restaurant

- Median annual wage: $37,850
- Median hourly wage: $18.20
- Total employment: 730 people (7.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Africa Studio // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs

- Median annual wage: $37,840
- Median hourly wage: $18.19
- Total employment: 130 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Recreation workers

- Median annual wage: $37,810
- Median hourly wage: $18.18
- Total employment: 150 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DSBfoto // Shutterstock

14 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $37,480
- Median hourly wage: $18.02
- Total employment: 1,680 people (17.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jason Person // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Cooks, short order

- Median annual wage: $37,430
- Median hourly wage: $17.99
- Total employment: Not available

Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Automotive and watercraft service attendants

- Median annual wage: $37,300
- Median hourly wage: $17.93
- Total employment: 90 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leika production // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Couriers and messengers

- Median annual wage: $37,200
- Median hourly wage: $17.88
- Total employment: 40 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vasin Lee // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Residential advisors

- Median annual wage: $37,070
- Median hourly wage: $17.82
- Total employment: 40 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Firefighters

- Median annual wage: $37,020
- Median hourly wage: $17.80
- Total employment: 400 people (4.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nejron Photo // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment

- Median annual wage: $36,860
- Median hourly wage: $17.72
- Total employment: 340 people (3.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Pharmacy aides

- Median annual wage: $36,680
- Median hourly wage: $17.64
- Total employment: 30 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Maids and housekeeping cleaners

- Median annual wage: $36,590
- Median hourly wage: $17.59
- Total employment: 460 people (4.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

worradirek // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Helpers--production workers

- Median annual wage: $36,560
- Median hourly wage: $17.58
- Total employment: 130 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Shakirov Albert // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Floral designers

- Median annual wage: $36,530
- Median hourly wage: $17.56
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

VGstockstudio // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Food servers, nonrestaurant

- Median annual wage: $36,400
- Median hourly wage: $17.50
- Total employment: 200 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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DuxX // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders

- Median annual wage: $36,340
- Median hourly wage: $17.47
- Total employment: 930 people (9.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

worradirek // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers

- Median annual wage: $36,310
- Median hourly wage: $17.46
- Total employment: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks

- Median annual wage: $36,120
- Median hourly wage: $17.36
- Total employment: 140 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SGr // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Machine feeders and offbearers

- Median annual wage: $36,100
- Median hourly wage: $17.36
- Total employment: 50 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Preschool teachers, except special education

- Median annual wage: $36,070
- Median hourly wage: $17.34
- Total employment: 400 people (4.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Food preparation workers

- Median annual wage: $36,040
- Median hourly wage: $17.33
- Total employment: 680 people (6.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

aboutsung // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers

- Median annual wage: $36,000
- Median hourly wage: $17.31
- Total employment: 120 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Childcare workers

- Median annual wage: $35,960
- Median hourly wage: $17.29
- Total employment: 110 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Retail salespersons

- Median annual wage: $35,850
- Median hourly wage: $17.23
- Total employment: 2,550 people (25.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#15. Dishwashers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $35,690
- Median hourly wage: $17.16
- Total employment: 230 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Driver/sales workers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $35,690
- Median hourly wage: $17.16
- Total employment: 300 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Martin Smith // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Parking attendants

- Median annual wage: $35,620
- Median hourly wage: $17.13
- Total employment: 40 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Demonstrators and product promoters

- Median annual wage: $35,570
- Median hourly wage: $17.10
- Total employment: 150 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers

- Median annual wage: $35,480
- Median hourly wage: $17.06
- Total employment: 110 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pressmaster // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Animal caretakers

- Median annual wage: $35,270
- Median hourly wage: $16.96
- Total employment: 100 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Amusement and recreation attendants

- Median annual wage: $35,140
- Median hourly wage: $16.89
- Total employment: 110 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dean Drobot // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Cashiers

- Median annual wage: $35,050
- Median hourly wage: $16.85
- Total employment: 2,220 people (22.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Fast food and counter workers

- Median annual wage: $34,950
- Median hourly wage: $16.80
- Total employment: 2,980 people (30.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BearFotos // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Graders and sorters, agricultural products

- Median annual wage: $34,840
- Median hourly wage: $16.75
- Total employment: 1,810 people (18.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alena Veasey // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Cooks, fast food

- Median annual wage: $34,790
- Median hourly wage: $16.73
- Total employment: 430 people (4.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Packers and packagers, hand

- Median annual wage: $34,710
- Median hourly wage: $16.69
- Total employment: 3,520 people (35.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

MAVV // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse

- Median annual wage: $34,370
- Median hourly wage: $16.52
- Total employment: 1,730 people (17.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dragon Images // Shutterstock

48 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $34,270
- Median hourly wage: $16.47
- Total employment: 190 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

49 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $34,110
- Median hourly wage: $16.40
- Total employment: 130 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other

- Median annual wage: $33,890
- Median hourly wage: $16.29
- Total employment: 30 people (0.34 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.