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1 / 50#50. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $35,540
- Median hourly wage: $17.09
- Total employment: 540 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Milwaukee
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 Milwaukee. 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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Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $35,530
- Median hourly wage: $17.08
- Total employment: 1,880 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 3,460 people (4.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $35,330
- Median hourly wage: $16.99
- Total employment: 990 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
5 / 50#45. Material moving workers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,250
- Median hourly wage: $16.95
- Total employment: 130 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials (tie)
- Median annual wage: $35,250
- Median hourly wage: $16.95
- Total employment: 210 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $35,240
- Median hourly wage: $16.94
- Total employment: 940 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $35,060
- Median hourly wage: $16.86
- Total employment: 1,580 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $34,980
- Median hourly wage: $16.82
- Total employment: 3,980 people (4.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shakirov Albert // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Floral designers
- Median annual wage: $34,960
- Median hourly wage: $16.81
- Total employment: 200 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Couriers and messengers
- Median annual wage: $34,920
- Median hourly wage: $16.79
- Total employment: 910 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $34,880
- Median hourly wage: $16.77
- Total employment: 630 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $34,820
- Median hourly wage: $16.74
- Total employment: 4,360 people (5.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAVV // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Median annual wage: $34,610
- Median hourly wage: $16.64
- Total employment: 240 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MarijaBazarova // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Skincare specialists
- Median annual wage: $34,480
- Median hourly wage: $16.58
- Total employment: 460 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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shocky // Shutterstock
16 / 50#34. Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,410
- Median hourly wage: $16.54
- Total employment: 120 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Library technicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $34,410
- Median hourly wage: $16.54
- Total employment: 650 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $34,100
- Median hourly wage: $16.40
- Total employment: 1,620 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Atstock Productions // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Telemarketers
- Median annual wage: $33,990
- Median hourly wage: $16.34
- Total employment: 470 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $33,850
- Median hourly wage: $16.27
- Total employment: 11,680 people (14.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Parking attendants
- Median annual wage: $33,660
- Median hourly wage: $16.18
- Total employment: 520 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $33,650
- Median hourly wage: $16.18
- Total employment: 18,360 people (22.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Baggage porters and bellhops
- Median annual wage: $33,610
- Median hourly wage: $16.16
- Total employment: 60 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $33,280
- Median hourly wage: $16.00
- Total employment: 5,240 people (6.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $32,930
- Median hourly wage: $15.83
- Total employment: 29,420 people (35.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Cooks, all other
- Median annual wage: $32,760
- Median hourly wage: $15.75
- Total employment: 60 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Finist4 // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Manicurists and pedicurists
- Median annual wage: $31,990
- Median hourly wage: $15.38
- Total employment: 1,070 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $31,890
- Median hourly wage: $15.33
- Total employment: 100 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Teaching assistants, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $30,770
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 970 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $30,490
- Median hourly wage: $14.66
- Total employment: 1,610 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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kelvn // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Passenger attendants
- Median annual wage: $30,300
- Median hourly wage: $14.57
- Total employment: Not available
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $30,050
- Median hourly wage: $14.45
- Total employment: 780 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $29,950
- Median hourly wage: $14.40
- Total employment: 1,570 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $29,910
- Median hourly wage: $14.38
- Total employment: 11,170 people (13.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $29,680
- Median hourly wage: $14.27
- Total employment: 1,530 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $29,430
- Median hourly wage: $14.15
- Total employment: 16,970 people (20.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $29,050
- Median hourly wage: $13.97
- Total employment: 1,290 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
encierro // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
- Median annual wage: $28,910
- Median hourly wage: $13.90
- Total employment: 70 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $28,830
- Median hourly wage: $13.86
- Total employment: 2,420 people (2.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $28,820
- Median hourly wage: $13.85
- Total employment: 2,400 people (2.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $28,800
- Median hourly wage: $13.85
- Total employment: 2,350 people (2.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $28,210
- Median hourly wage: $13.56
- Total employment: 17,010 people (20.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Cameris // Shutterstock
43 / 50#7. Taxi drivers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $28,070
- Median hourly wage: $13.50
- Total employment: 130 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $28,070
- Median hourly wage: $13.50
- Total employment: 810 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $27,310
- Median hourly wage: $13.13
- Total employment: 100 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jason Person // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $27,300
- Median hourly wage: $13.13
- Total employment: Not available
aboutsung // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $26,680
- Median hourly wage: $12.83
- Total employment: 1,920 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $26,180
- Median hourly wage: $12.59
- Total employment: 1,290 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $24,470
- Median hourly wage: $11.77
- Total employment: 7,090 people (8.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Sheremeta // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants
- Median annual wage: $18,960
- Median hourly wage: $9.12
- Total employment: 110 people (0.14 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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