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1 / 50#50. Cutters and trimmers, hand
- Median annual wage: $32,130
- Median hourly wage: $15.45
- Total employment: 80 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Dallas
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 Dallas. 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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Virrage Images // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $32,080
- Median hourly wage: $15.43
- Total employment: 890 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians
- Median annual wage: $32,010
- Median hourly wage: $15.39
- Total employment: 90 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carlovis // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Tour and travel guides
- Median annual wage: $31,920
- Median hourly wage: $15.35
- Total employment: 520 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $31,820
- Median hourly wage: $15.30
- Total employment: 94,100 people (23.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $31,670
- Median hourly wage: $15.23
- Total employment: 10,060 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $31,650
- Median hourly wage: $15.22
- Total employment: 5,520 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $31,630
- Median hourly wage: $15.21
- Total employment: 17,440 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $31,490
- Median hourly wage: $15.14
- Total employment: 11,220 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Survey researchers
- Median annual wage: $31,370
- Median hourly wage: $15.08
- Total employment: 240 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $31,300
- Median hourly wage: $15.05
- Total employment: 4,630 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
12 / 50#37. Food servers, nonrestaurant (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 4,620 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
13 / 50#37. Cooks, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 1,710 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martin Smith // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Parking attendants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 4,960 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Richard Thornton // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. School bus monitors
- Median annual wage: $30,900
- Median hourly wage: $14.86
- Total employment: 1,130 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $30,820
- Median hourly wage: $14.82
- Total employment: 9,870 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
APChanel // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Transportation workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $30,720
- Median hourly wage: $14.77
- Total employment: Not available
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $30,610
- Median hourly wage: $14.72
- Total employment: 4,610 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $30,450
- Median hourly wage: $14.64
- Total employment: 18,290 people (4.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $30,360
- Median hourly wage: $14.60
- Total employment: 7,170 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $30,250
- Median hourly wage: $14.54
- Total employment: 24,250 people (6.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $30,120
- Median hourly wage: $14.48
- Total employment: 3,920 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kelvn // Shutterstock
23 / 50#27. Passenger attendants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $30,090
- Median hourly wage: $14.46
- Total employment: Not available
Krysja // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Funeral attendants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $30,090
- Median hourly wage: $14.47
- Total employment: 380 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ruwan Muhandiramge // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $29,950
- Median hourly wage: $14.40
- Total employment: 210 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $29,760
- Median hourly wage: $14.31
- Total employment: 11,350 people (2.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Przybysz // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
- Median annual wage: $29,630
- Median hourly wage: $14.25
- Total employment: 750 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $29,550
- Median hourly wage: $14.21
- Total employment: 2,560 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Entertainment attendants and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $29,530
- Median hourly wage: $14.20
- Total employment: 220 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nick_Nick // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Gambling and sports book writers and runners
- Median annual wage: $29,210
- Median hourly wage: $14.04
- Total employment: 140 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $29,190
- Median hourly wage: $14.03
- Total employment: 71,200 people (17.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nature's Charm // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $29,170
- Median hourly wage: $14.02
- Total employment: 1,560 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NIKCOA // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Medical transcriptionists
- Median annual wage: $29,160
- Median hourly wage: $14.02
- Total employment: 1,190 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $29,050
- Median hourly wage: $13.97
- Total employment: 4,200 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $28,920
- Median hourly wage: $13.90
- Total employment: 6,730 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kzenon // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Religious workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $28,880
- Median hourly wage: $13.89
- Total employment: Not available
Andrei Zveaghintev // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Gambling service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $28,810
- Median hourly wage: $13.85
- Total employment: 250 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $28,770
- Median hourly wage: $13.83
- Total employment: Not available
Suteren // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Dietetic technicians
- Median annual wage: $28,750
- Median hourly wage: $13.82
- Total employment: 610 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $28,610
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 26,150 people (6.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $28,590
- Median hourly wage: $13.75
- Total employment: 59,730 people (14.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Adwo // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Painting, coating, and decorating workers
- Median annual wage: $28,570
- Median hourly wage: $13.74
- Total employment: 330 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Sewers, hand
- Median annual wage: $28,420
- Median hourly wage: $13.66
- Total employment: Not available
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $28,260
- Median hourly wage: $13.59
- Total employment: 7,510 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Median annual wage: $27,880
- Median hourly wage: $13.41
- Total employment: 4,530 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $27,670
- Median hourly wage: $13.30
- Total employment: 12,060 people (3.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $27,610
- Median hourly wage: $13.27
- Total employment: 121,610 people (30.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $27,210
- Median hourly wage: $13.08
- Total employment: 710 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $26,900
- Median hourly wage: $12.93
- Total employment: 14,080 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $26,030
- Median hourly wage: $12.51
- Total employment: 55,460 people (13.85 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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