Lowest-paying jobs in Charleston, West Virginia

·Stacker

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

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 Charleston. 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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#50. Counter and rental clerks

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1 / 50

#50. Counter and rental clerks

- Median annual wage: $31,040
- Median hourly wage: $14.92
- Total employment: 250 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#49. Couriers and messengers

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2 / 50

#49. Couriers and messengers

- Median annual wage: $31,020
- Median hourly wage: $14.91
- Total employment: 110 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#48. Tax preparers

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3 / 50

#48. Tax preparers

- Median annual wage: $30,940
- Median hourly wage: $14.87
- Total employment: 80 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#47. Stockers and order fillers

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4 / 50

#47. Stockers and order fillers

- Median annual wage: $30,870
- Median hourly wage: $14.84
- Total employment: 1,210 people (11.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#45. Library technicians

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6 / 50

#45. Library technicians

- Median annual wage: $30,760
- Median hourly wage: $14.79
- Total employment: Not available

#44. Emergency medical technicians

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7 / 50

#44. Emergency medical technicians

- Median annual wage: $30,620
- Median hourly wage: $14.72
- Total employment: 100 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#43. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers

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8 / 50

#43. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers

- Median annual wage: $30,580
- Median hourly wage: $14.70
- Total employment: 100 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#42. Crossing guards and flaggers

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9 / 50

#42. Crossing guards and flaggers

- Median annual wage: $30,170
- Median hourly wage: $14.50
- Total employment: 200 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#41. Bus drivers, school

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10 / 50

#41. Bus drivers, school

- Median annual wage: $30,110
- Median hourly wage: $14.48
- Total employment: 530 people (4.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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

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11 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $29,790
- Median hourly wage: $14.32
- Total employment: 1,390 people (13.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#39. Receptionists and information clerks

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12 / 50

#39. Receptionists and information clerks

- Median annual wage: $29,740
- Median hourly wage: $14.30
- Total employment: 800 people (7.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#38. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers

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13 / 50

#38. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers

- Median annual wage: $29,550
- Median hourly wage: $14.21
- Total employment: 920 people (8.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#37. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers

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14 / 50

#37. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers

- Median annual wage: $29,400
- Median hourly wage: $14.14
- Total employment: 390 people (3.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#35. Residential advisors

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16 / 50

#35. Residential advisors

- Median annual wage: $29,020
- Median hourly wage: $13.95
- Total employment: 140 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#34. Tire repairers and changers

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17 / 50

#34. Tire repairers and changers

- Median annual wage: $28,920
- Median hourly wage: $13.90
- Total employment: 100 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#33. Food servers, nonrestaurant

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18 / 50

#33. Food servers, nonrestaurant

- Median annual wage: $28,880
- Median hourly wage: $13.89
- Total employment: 70 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#32. Cooks, restaurant

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19 / 50

#32. Cooks, restaurant

- Median annual wage: $28,820
- Median hourly wage: $13.86
- Total employment: 770 people (7.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#30. Cooks, institution and cafeteria

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21 / 50

#30. Cooks, institution and cafeteria

- Median annual wage: $28,600
- Median hourly wage: $13.75
- Total employment: 700 people (6.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#29. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary

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22 / 50

#29. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary

- Median annual wage: $28,590
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 690 people (6.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#27. Bartenders (tie)

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23 / 50

#27. Bartenders (tie)

- Median annual wage: $28,550
- Median hourly wage: $13.73
- Total employment: 310 people (2.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#27. Preschool teachers, except special education (tie)

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24 / 50

#27. Preschool teachers, except special education (tie)

- Median annual wage: $28,550
- Median hourly wage: $13.73
- Total employment: 260 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#25. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers

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26 / 50

#25. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers

- Median annual wage: $28,430
- Median hourly wage: $13.67
- Total employment: 120 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#24. Maids and housekeeping cleaners

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27 / 50

#24. Maids and housekeeping cleaners

- Median annual wage: $28,240
- Median hourly wage: $13.58
- Total employment: 830 people (7.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#23. Packers and packagers, hand

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28 / 50

#23. Packers and packagers, hand

- Median annual wage: $28,170
- Median hourly wage: $13.54
- Total employment: 70 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#22. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks

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29 / 50

#22. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks

- Median annual wage: $27,900
- Median hourly wage: $13.42
- Total employment: 160 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#20. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment

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31 / 50

#20. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment

- Median annual wage: $27,700
- Median hourly wage: $13.32
- Total employment: 180 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#19. Sales and related workers, all other

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32 / 50

#19. Sales and related workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $27,660
- Median hourly wage: $13.30
- Total employment: 50 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#18. Retail salespersons

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33 / 50

#18. Retail salespersons

- Median annual wage: $27,650
- Median hourly wage: $13.29
- Total employment: 2,490 people (23.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#17. Parking attendants

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34 / 50

#17. Parking attendants

- Median annual wage: $27,620
- Median hourly wage: $13.28
- Total employment: 70 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#15. Home health and personal care aides

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36 / 50

#15. Home health and personal care aides

- Median annual wage: $27,310
- Median hourly wage: $13.13
- Total employment: 2,940 people (27.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#14. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers

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37 / 50

#14. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers

- Median annual wage: $27,040
- Median hourly wage: $13.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#13. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers

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38 / 50

#13. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers

- Median annual wage: $26,700
- Median hourly wage: $12.84
- Total employment: 110 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#12. Dishwashers

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39 / 50

#12. Dishwashers

- Median annual wage: $25,810
- Median hourly wage: $12.41
- Total employment: 220 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#10. Library assistants, clerical

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41 / 50

#10. Library assistants, clerical

- Median annual wage: $25,090
- Median hourly wage: $12.06
- Total employment: 70 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#9. Childcare workers

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42 / 50

#9. Childcare workers

- Median annual wage: $24,090
- Median hourly wage: $11.58
- Total employment: 150 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#8. Cashiers

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43 / 50

#8. Cashiers

- Median annual wage: $23,580
- Median hourly wage: $11.34
- Total employment: 2,150 people (20.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#7. Fast food and counter workers

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44 / 50

#7. Fast food and counter workers

- Median annual wage: $23,490
- Median hourly wage: $11.29
- Total employment: 720 people (6.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#5. Amusement and recreation attendants

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46 / 50

#5. Amusement and recreation attendants

- Median annual wage: $23,280
- Median hourly wage: $11.19
- Total employment: 60 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#4. Tour and travel guides

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47 / 50

#4. Tour and travel guides

- Median annual wage: $23,190
- Median hourly wage: $11.15
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#3. Floral designers

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48 / 50

#3. Floral designers

- Median annual wage: $23,120
- Median hourly wage: $11.11
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#2. Cooks, fast food

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49 / 50

#2. Cooks, fast food

- Median annual wage: $22,950
- Median hourly wage: $11.03
- Total employment: 2,410 people (22.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#1. Driver/sales workers

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50 / 50

#1. Driver/sales workers

- Median annual wage: $22,890
- Median hourly wage: $11.00
- Total employment: 360 people (3.36 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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