Syda Productions // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $37,930
- Median hourly wage: $18.24
- Total employment: 290 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Eau Claire
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 Eau Claire. 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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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- Median annual wage: $37,870
- Median hourly wage: $18.21
- Total employment: 740 people (8.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $37,590
- Median hourly wage: $18.07
- Total employment: 310 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
giocalde // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Print binding and finishing workers
- Median annual wage: $37,220
- Median hourly wage: $17.90
- Total employment: 30 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
worradirek // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers
- Median annual wage: $37,060
- Median hourly wage: $17.82
- Total employment: 30 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $36,930
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 780 people (9.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Coaches and scouts
- Median annual wage: $36,890
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 220 people (2.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Milton Rodriguez // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Prepress technicians and workers
- Median annual wage: $36,160
- Median hourly wage: $17.38
- Total employment: 40 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $36,150
- Median hourly wage: $17.38
- Total employment: 1,220 people (14.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $36,090
- Median hourly wage: $17.35
- Total employment: 740 people (8.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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zhu difeng // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $35,950
- Median hourly wage: $17.29
- Total employment: 100 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $35,880
- Median hourly wage: $17.25
- Total employment: 120 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $35,820
- Median hourly wage: $17.22
- Total employment: 80 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $35,750
- Median hourly wage: $17.19
- Total employment: 200 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Goldsithney // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Psychiatric technicians
- Median annual wage: $35,640
- Median hourly wage: $17.13
- Total employment: 80 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $35,470
- Median hourly wage: $17.06
- Total employment: 180 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $35,410
- Median hourly wage: $17.03
- Total employment: 100 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $35,050
- Median hourly wage: $16.85
- Total employment: 330 people (3.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $34,900
- Median hourly wage: $16.78
- Total employment: 130 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $34,820
- Median hourly wage: $16.74
- Total employment: 1,540 people (18.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $34,560
- Median hourly wage: $16.62
- Total employment: 60 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $34,370
- Median hourly wage: $16.52
- Total employment: 490 people (5.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $33,760
- Median hourly wage: $16.23
- Total employment: 550 people (6.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $33,630
- Median hourly wage: $16.17
- Total employment: 2,930 people (34.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $33,040
- Median hourly wage: $15.89
- Total employment: 640 people (7.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $32,450
- Median hourly wage: $15.60
- Total employment: 2,640 people (31.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $31,830
- Median hourly wage: $15.30
- Total employment: 170 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shakirov Albert // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Floral designers
- Median annual wage: $31,800
- Median hourly wage: $15.29
- Total employment: 30 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $31,590
- Median hourly wage: $15.19
- Total employment: 170 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $31,230
- Median hourly wage: $15.01
- Total employment: 160 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $30,320
- Median hourly wage: $14.58
- Total employment: 2,340 people (27.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $29,950
- Median hourly wage: $14.40
- Total employment: 70 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Library technicians
- Median annual wage: $29,090
- Median hourly wage: $13.99
- Total employment: 50 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $28,650
- Median hourly wage: $13.77
- Total employment: 1,150 people (13.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vasin Lee // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Residential advisors
- Median annual wage: $28,540
- Median hourly wage: $13.72
- Total employment: 40 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dragon Images // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $28,490
- Median hourly wage: $13.70
- Total employment: 210 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $28,210
- Median hourly wage: $13.56
- Total employment: 2,070 people (24.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
38 / 50#12. Childcare workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $28,170
- Median hourly wage: $13.54
- Total employment: 120 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs (tie)
- Median annual wage: $28,170
- Median hourly wage: $13.54
- Total employment: 190 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#10. Driver/sales workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $27,880
- Median hourly wage: $13.41
- Total employment: 360 people (4.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Tutors (tie)
- Median annual wage: $27,880
- Median hourly wage: $13.40
- Total employment: 80 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $27,540
- Median hourly wage: $13.24
- Total employment: 160 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $27,310
- Median hourly wage: $13.13
- Total employment: 320 people (3.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $27,050
- Median hourly wage: $13.00
- Total employment: 90 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $25,180
- Median hourly wage: $12.11
- Total employment: 170 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Cameris // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Taxi drivers
- Median annual wage: $23,520
- Median hourly wage: $11.31
- Total employment: 50 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $23,500
- Median hourly wage: $11.30
- Total employment: 40 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $22,530
- Median hourly wage: $10.83
- Total employment: 270 people (3.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $22,120
- Median hourly wage: $10.64
- Total employment: 870 people (10.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $22,030
- Median hourly wage: $10.59
- Total employment: 110 people (1.34 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.
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