wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Production workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $35,240
- Median hourly wage: $16.94
- Total employment: Not available
Lowest-paying jobs in Parkersburg
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 Parkersburg. 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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2 / 50#49. Industrial truck and tractor operators
- Median annual wage: $34,820
- Median hourly wage: $16.74
- Total employment: 50 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Weerayuth Kanchanacharoen // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Median annual wage: $34,640
- Median hourly wage: $16.65
- Total employment: 610 people (16.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ESB Basic // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Customer service representatives
- Median annual wage: $34,580
- Median hourly wage: $16.63
- Total employment: 380 people (10.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Phlebotomists
- Median annual wage: $33,020
- Median hourly wage: $15.87
- Total employment: 50 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $32,810
- Median hourly wage: $15.78
- Total employment: 680 people (18.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
- Median annual wage: $32,440
- Median hourly wage: $15.60
- Total employment: 70 people (2.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
zhu difeng // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $31,970
- Median hourly wage: $15.37
- Total employment: 60 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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9 / 50#42. Light truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $31,730
- Median hourly wage: $15.25
- Total employment: 200 people (5.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ruslan Galiullin // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Office clerks, general
- Median annual wage: $31,660
- Median hourly wage: $15.22
- Total employment: 520 people (14.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $31,400
- Median hourly wage: $15.10
- Total employment: 180 people (4.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $31,300
- Median hourly wage: $15.05
- Total employment: 710 people (19.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $30,770
- Median hourly wage: $14.79
- Total employment: 150 people (3.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $30,550
- Median hourly wage: $14.69
- Total employment: 90 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,470
- Median hourly wage: $14.65
- Total employment: 390 people (10.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,390
- Median hourly wage: $14.61
- Total employment: 90 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $30,230
- Median hourly wage: $14.53
- Total employment: 120 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage: $30,010
- Median hourly wage: $14.43
- Total employment: 130 people (3.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- Median annual wage: $29,620
- Median hourly wage: $14.24
- Total employment: 400 people (10.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $29,420
- Median hourly wage: $14.15
- Total employment: 400 people (10.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Residential advisors
- Median annual wage: $29,370
- Median hourly wage: $14.12
- Total employment: 60 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $28,930
- Median hourly wage: $13.91
- Total employment: 50 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $28,620
- Median hourly wage: $13.76
- Total employment: 150 people (3.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $28,550
- Median hourly wage: $13.73
- Total employment: Not available
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $28,530
- Median hourly wage: $13.71
- Total employment: 180 people (4.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krysja // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Funeral attendants
- Median annual wage: $28,520
- Median hourly wage: $13.71
- Total employment: 60 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $28,240
- Median hourly wage: $13.58
- Total employment: 40 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $28,190
- Median hourly wage: $13.55
- Total employment: 240 people (6.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $28,140
- Median hourly wage: $13.53
- Total employment: 460 people (12.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $28,050
- Median hourly wage: $13.49
- Total employment: 70 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $27,860
- Median hourly wage: $13.40
- Total employment: 180 people (4.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $27,790
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 220 people (5.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $27,680
- Median hourly wage: $13.31
- Total employment: 70 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $27,550
- Median hourly wage: $13.25
- Total employment: 80 people (2.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $27,460
- Median hourly wage: $13.20
- Total employment: 300 people (8.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $27,320
- Median hourly wage: $13.14
- Total employment: 50 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $27,270
- Median hourly wage: $13.11
- Total employment: 390 people (10.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $27,110
- Median hourly wage: $13.03
- Total employment: 1,660 people (44.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $27,060
- Median hourly wage: $13.01
- Total employment: 200 people (5.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $27,020
- Median hourly wage: $12.99
- Total employment: 1,280 people (34.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Crossing guards and flaggers
- Median annual wage: $26,430
- Median hourly wage: $12.71
- Total employment: 60 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $25,740
- Median hourly wage: $12.38
- Total employment: 70 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $25,330
- Median hourly wage: $12.18
- Total employment: 100 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $23,870
- Median hourly wage: $11.48
- Total employment: 150 people (4.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $23,830
- Median hourly wage: $11.46
- Total employment: 80 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $23,450
- Median hourly wage: $11.27
- Total employment: 80 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $23,070
- Median hourly wage: $11.09
- Total employment: 880 people (23.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $22,280
- Median hourly wage: $10.71
- Total employment: 930 people (25.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
grivet // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Gambling change persons and booth cashiers
- Median annual wage: $21,020
- Median hourly wage: $10.11
- Total employment: 120 people (3.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $19,890
- Median hourly wage: $9.56
- Total employment: 30 people (0.81 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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