New Africa // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $38,600
- Median hourly wage: $18.56
- Total employment: 760 people (10.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lowest-paying jobs in Wausau
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 Wausau. 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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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $38,320
- Median hourly wage: $18.42
- Total employment: 150 people (2.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $38,090
- Median hourly wage: $18.31
- Total employment: 250 people (3.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Sewing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $37,840
- Median hourly wage: $18.19
- Total employment: 40 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Nursing assistants
- Median annual wage: $37,770
- Median hourly wage: $18.16
- Total employment: 600 people (8.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $37,760
- Median hourly wage: $18.15
- Total employment: 210 people (3.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- Median annual wage: $37,490
- Median hourly wage: $18.02
- Total employment: 500 people (7.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Medical equipment preparers
- Median annual wage: $37,440
- Median hourly wage: $18.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
giocalde // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Print binding and finishing workers
- Median annual wage: $37,400
- Median hourly wage: $17.98
- Total employment: 50 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $37,210
- Median hourly wage: $17.89
- Total employment: 410 people (5.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Pharmacy technicians
- Median annual wage: $37,070
- Median hourly wage: $17.82
- Total employment: 180 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Rehabilitation counselors
- Median annual wage: $36,950
- Median hourly wage: $17.77
- Total employment: Not available
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Phlebotomists
- Median annual wage: $36,870
- Median hourly wage: $17.73
- Total employment: 90 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $36,670
- Median hourly wage: $17.63
- Total employment: 510 people (7.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $36,610
- Median hourly wage: $17.60
- Total employment: 180 people (2.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pearl PhotoPix // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Median annual wage: $36,490
- Median hourly wage: $17.54
- Total employment: 140 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oksana Shufrych // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $35,720
- Median hourly wage: $17.17
- Total employment: 70 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paul.J.West // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $35,530
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 520 people (7.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Olena Yakobchuk // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Automotive and watercraft service attendants
- Median annual wage: $35,470
- Median hourly wage: $17.06
- Total employment: 40 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $35,360
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 1,330 people (18.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DSBfoto // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $35,290
- Median hourly wage: $16.97
- Total employment: 900 people (12.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Library technicians
- Median annual wage: $34,910
- Median hourly wage: $16.78
- Total employment: 40 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $34,730
- Median hourly wage: $16.70
- Total employment: 170 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $34,710
- Median hourly wage: $16.69
- Total employment: 1,040 people (14.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Food servers, nonrestaurant
- Median annual wage: $34,520
- Median hourly wage: $16.59
- Total employment: 190 people (2.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ORION PRODUCTION // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $34,100
- Median hourly wage: $16.40
- Total employment: 50 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $33,740
- Median hourly wage: $16.22
- Total employment: 390 people (5.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
encierro // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
- Median annual wage: $32,860
- Median hourly wage: $15.80
- Total employment: 40 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $32,350
- Median hourly wage: $15.56
- Total employment: 1,640 people (23.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $31,360
- Median hourly wage: $15.08
- Total employment: 50 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nomad_Soul // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Bakers
- Median annual wage: $31,200
- Median hourly wage: $15.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $30,930
- Median hourly wage: $14.87
- Total employment: 420 people (6.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gabriel Georgescu // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,920
- Median hourly wage: $14.86
- Total employment: 110 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $30,600
- Median hourly wage: $14.71
- Total employment: 170 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Median annual wage: $29,550
- Median hourly wage: $14.21
- Total employment: 90 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $29,500
- Median hourly wage: $14.18
- Total employment: 1,730 people (24.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Waiters and waitresses
- Median annual wage: $29,010
- Median hourly wage: $13.95
- Total employment: 860 people (12.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Median annual wage: $28,380
- Median hourly wage: $13.64
- Total employment: 130 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Animal caretakers
- Median annual wage: $28,350
- Median hourly wage: $13.63
- Total employment: 70 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jason Person // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Cooks, short order
- Median annual wage: $28,100
- Median hourly wage: $13.51
- Total employment: 50 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BlueSkyImage // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $27,890
- Median hourly wage: $13.41
- Total employment: 1,230 people (17.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Median annual wage: $27,690
- Median hourly wage: $13.31
- Total employment: 70 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alena Veasey // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $27,290
- Median hourly wage: $13.12
- Total employment: 220 people (3.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Childcare workers
- Median annual wage: $27,160
- Median hourly wage: $13.06
- Total employment: 90 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Information and record clerks, all other
- Median annual wage: $26,820
- Median hourly wage: $12.90
- Total employment: 40 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $26,350
- Median hourly wage: $12.67
- Total employment: 150 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aboutsung // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $23,810
- Median hourly wage: $11.45
- Total employment: 110 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Dishwashers
- Median annual wage: $22,730
- Median hourly wage: $10.93
- Total employment: 170 people (2.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Amusement and recreation attendants
- Median annual wage: $22,460
- Median hourly wage: $10.80
- Total employment: 90 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santypan // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $22,100
- Median hourly wage: $10.62
- Total employment: 640 people (9.21 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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