ESB Basic // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Customer service representatives
- Median annual wage: $39,500
- Median hourly wage: $18.99
- Total employment: 440 people (9.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Cheyenne
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 Cheyenne. 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. Tire repairers and changers
- Median annual wage: $39,390
- Median hourly wage: $18.94
- Total employment: 100 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $39,000
- Median hourly wage: $18.75
- Total employment: 290 people (6.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
- Median annual wage: $38,430
- Median hourly wage: $18.48
- Total employment: 70 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Maria Sbytova // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Veterinary technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $38,410
- Median hourly wage: $18.47
- Total employment: 30 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $38,400
- Median hourly wage: $18.46
- Total employment: 170 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
- Median annual wage: $38,380
- Median hourly wage: $18.45
- Total employment: 180 people (3.74 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: $38,210
- Median hourly wage: $18.37
- Total employment: 660 people (13.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $37,650
- Median hourly wage: $18.10
- Total employment: 210 people (4.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- Median annual wage: $37,290
- Median hourly wage: $17.93
- Total employment: 420 people (8.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Median annual wage: $37,150
- Median hourly wage: $17.86
- Total employment: 40 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
nullplus // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Light truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $36,830
- Median hourly wage: $17.71
- Total employment: 290 people (6.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $36,540
- Median hourly wage: $17.57
- Total employment: 210 people (4.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $36,320
- Median hourly wage: $17.46
- Total employment: 310 people (6.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $36,270
- Median hourly wage: $17.44
- Total employment: 430 people (9.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $36,100
- Median hourly wage: $17.36
- Total employment: 60 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $35,510
- Median hourly wage: $17.07
- Total employment: 40 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service
- Median annual wage: $35,150
- Median hourly wage: $16.90
- Total employment: 50 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DSBfoto // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $35,130
- Median hourly wage: $16.89
- Total employment: 810 people (17.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $34,990
- Median hourly wage: $16.82
- Total employment: 190 people (4.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $34,840
- Median hourly wage: $16.75
- Total employment: 250 people (5.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vasin Lee // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Residential advisors
- Median annual wage: $34,660
- Median hourly wage: $16.66
- Total employment: 30 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $34,370
- Median hourly wage: $16.53
- Total employment: 160 people (3.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $32,640
- Median hourly wage: $15.69
- Total employment: 120 people (2.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $32,330
- Median hourly wage: $15.54
- Total employment: 890 people (18.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Library assistants, clerical
- Median annual wage: $32,170
- Median hourly wage: $15.47
- Total employment: 50 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $31,970
- Median hourly wage: $15.37
- Total employment: 750 people (15.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $31,950
- Median hourly wage: $15.36
- Total employment: 160 people (3.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $31,690
- Median hourly wage: $15.24
- Total employment: 190 people (3.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. First-line supervisors of personal service workers
- Median annual wage: $31,510
- Median hourly wage: $15.15
- Total employment: 40 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Educational instruction and library workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $31,290
- Median hourly wage: $15.04
- Total employment: 70 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $31,140
- Median hourly wage: $14.97
- Total employment: 1,660 people (35.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $30,930
- Median hourly wage: $14.87
- Total employment: 70 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $30,410
- Median hourly wage: $14.62
- Total employment: 40 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $30,290
- Median hourly wage: $14.56
- Total employment: 60 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $30,170
- Median hourly wage: $14.50
- Total employment: 90 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $30,060
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 490 people (10.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $29,970
- Median hourly wage: $14.41
- Total employment: 100 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Physical therapist aides
- Median annual wage: $29,810
- Median hourly wage: $14.33
- Total employment: 40 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $29,570
- Median hourly wage: $14.22
- Total employment: 60 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $29,180
- Median hourly wage: $14.03
- Total employment: 290 people (6.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $28,820
- Median hourly wage: $13.86
- Total employment: 1,310 people (27.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $28,750
- Median hourly wage: $13.82
- Total employment: 590 people (12.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $28,190
- Median hourly wage: $13.55
- Total employment: 170 people (3.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $27,530
- Median hourly wage: $13.24
- Total employment: 280 people (5.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $25,760
- Median hourly wage: $12.38
- Total employment: 140 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $23,350
- Median hourly wage: $11.23
- Total employment: 60 people (1.35 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: $23,100
- Median hourly wage: $11.11
- Total employment: 100 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $22,890
- Median hourly wage: $11.01
- Total employment: 90 people (1.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $21,600
- Median hourly wage: $10.39
- Total employment: 390 people (8.16 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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