By KATE LORENZ, CAREERBUILDER.COM EDITOR
Yes, the road to the top is often a long one and it takes hard work, but it is possible to achieve large amounts of success with a very simple start. Consider one of these jobs that could be your ticket to professional glory.By KATE LORENZ, CAREERBUILDER.COM EDITOR
Yes, the road to the top is often a long one and it takes hard work, but it is possible to achieve large amounts of success with a very simple start. Consider one of these jobs that could be your ticket to professional glory.
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Search by Company | Search by IndustryYou've heard the clichés: money doesn't buy happiness, you should do what you love, blah, blah, blah. But survey after survey shows that pay is the No. 1 motivating factor for work.
It's a fact of life that not all jobs are going to pay six figures and have a million benefits. Like teachers and firefighters, many jobs that are essential to our day-to-day lives don't pay a hefty salary.
We've identified the 25 lowest paying jobs in America, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The pros: Most of the jobs in this list offer on-the-job training, need no experience and have little to no educational requirements.
The cons: Did we mention the pay?
A lower-paying, entry-level job can help you to build up your resume, test-drive different industries and carve a path for success. Consider Janice L. Fields. Ms. Fields started her career with McDonald's in 1978 as a crewmember; today she's executive vice president and chief operations officer for McDonald's USA.
Yes, the road to the top is often a long one and it takes hard work, but it is possible to achieve large amounts of success with a very simple start. Consider one of these jobs that could be your ticket to professional glory.
25. Service Station Attendants
Average hourly earnings: $9.21Average annual earnings: $19,150
24. Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers
Average hourly earnings: $9.08Average annual earnings: $18,890
23. Child Care Workers
Average hourly earnings: $9.05Average annual earnings: $18,820
22. Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Average hourly earnings: $8.99Average annual earnings: $18,700
21. Cooks, Short Order
Average hourly earnings: $8.99Average annual earnings: $18,710
20. Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products
Average hourly earnings: $8.95 Average annual earnings: $18,61019. Bartenders
Average hourly earnings: $8.91Average annual earnings: $18,540
18. Pressers, Textile, Garment and Related Materials
Average hourly earnings: $8.88Average annual earnings: $18,470
17. Food Preparation Workers
Average hourly earnings: $8.88Average annual earnings: $18,480
16. Parking Lot Attendants
Average hourly earnings: $8.87Average annual earnings: $18,450
15. Lifeguards, Ski Patrol and other Recreational Protective Service Workers
Average hourly earnings: $8.85Average annual earnings: $18,410
14. Personal and Home Care Aides
Average hourly earnings: $8.74Average annual earnings: $18,180
13. Cashiers
Average hourly earnings: $8.62Average annual earnings: $17,930
12. Farm Workers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery and Greenhouse
Average hourly earnings: $8.48Average annual earnings: $17,630
11. Amusement and Recreation Attendants
Average hourly earnings: $8.43Average annual earnings: $17,530
Top 10 Lowest Paying Jobs in America >>
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Mar 20th 2009 @ 6:07PM Daniel Good
Want below min. wage. Try run a farm with a take home milk check 129.41. Try run a dairy farm on that for two weeks. I don't get sick days or paid vacation. Those listed makes more than I do.
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Mar 21st 2009 @ 12:12AM SDL
Amazing how many college grads are doing these jobs because their degrees are useless. Why bother with college...you'll never pay out your student loan debt anyway.
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Mar 22nd 2009 @ 11:24AM jm
you must have one of those jobs on the list. idiot
Mar 20th 2009 @ 6:21PM Bob
You did not mention the working men, stable hands and other workers in the Circus. They say it is a 40 hour a week job but it is more like 60 or 70 hours if you include travel and lack of sleep. There are few (if any) that make more than $250 per week.
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Mar 20th 2009 @ 6:55PM Gene
There are real low paying jobs on cruise ship too an they dont half to pay minimum wages eather
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Mar 23rd 2009 @ 11:50AM septina
i just need a job period, would u or could u pay my car note.
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Mar 20th 2009 @ 7:24PM Joyce Becker
If you don't want to have to get a job from that list, get an education, it really works.
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Mar 22nd 2009 @ 5:59AM guitarmanjoe
It only works if you can get around the temp services that have taken over the job market.They're a legal mafia that come into our land, gets contracts on all the good jobs and says, "Now, you can't work in this town unless you pay us!" Now, after you get a degree, you still work for the same pay and then owe your student loans forever.
Mar 20th 2009 @ 7:19PM Johnny
GREAT!!!! As if I didn't feel bad enough being broke, some jackass thought it would be a good idea to write an article about the worst jobs. That way, anyone on this list would see that they are on the list of loser workers in America! The only thing this guy is trying to help is to help raise the suicide rate. Good job butt-face!!
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Mar 22nd 2009 @ 6:10AM Toni
Johnny, that was tff.
Good job buttface.
Dying over here.
Mar 20th 2009 @ 7:24PM joe
Yey another study by the drive by media.Revolt against the democrats yoou might make some money.maybe even have a job.
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Mar 20th 2009 @ 7:26PM ERIC
Amazing, ain't it? We let people take care of our children and handle our food, and pay them less than gas station attendants; oh well... we will just get outraged when we see a hidden camera of a baby-sitter shakin the s--- out of a kid or a waitress spitting in someones food - he he he.
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Mar 20th 2009 @ 8:52PM RC
Why settle for less when you own your own business? what if every household were required to own a website. This will be the same as taxes, insurance, etc. that you must own a website. Well, I will be the first to tell you. There is little investment when you make more than a normal person working a full-time job at minimum wage in a full year. http://rcbux.com
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Mar 20th 2009 @ 10:31PM Peach
I am the General Manager of a sports bar and my full-time Bartenders make well over $60,000 a year. No reponsibilities but pour it and clean up. I wish I could just bartend sometimes.
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Apr 2nd 2009 @ 8:11PM Ted R
Hell, those are all High paying jobs. Try being a Workcamper at Grand Lakes RV Resort. A concrete pad site cost $3500 a year plus elect.. A Workcamper must work 20 hours a week or 80 hours a month just to have the site paid for the month and you have to pay your own electric. That comes out to $3.64 an hour for an annual workcamper. Oh, I forgot, You also get free coffee at the store, IF, they have a pot brewing during their short hours of 7-4.
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Mar 21st 2009 @ 12:36AM Amilitarywife.
You forgot soldiers. I don't care what rank they are. Soldiers work 24-7 365 many even have to work holidays with no compensation. Lets see.. Assuming the person is an E-1 and he makes 1,399.50 a month, that means he's making roughly 1.94 an hour. But, even if you want to put a soldier into a 9-5 category, (which let me tell you as a military wife - ITS NOT) That STILL means he's only making about 5.80 an hour and lets not even go into the fact that often time soldiers pull 24 hour jobs where they don't get to sleep for that entire time. So, if your looking for one of the lowest paying jobs in the country, you needent look any further than our own soldiers. (Yes, some of our soldiers die for less than minimum wage.. sad but true.)
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Mar 21st 2009 @ 2:26AM Kelly
I think these results are based on averages, and while some soldiers may not receive much pay people higher up on the scale get paid a lot more, so the averages may work out differently than it seems like they should. Also, a lot of the military has housing provided for them, so that is probably also taken into account.
Mar 21st 2009 @ 12:36AM ip
I make less at my job then this... with 1% commission and pay at minimum wage. None of the jobs listed are minimum wage but actually pay a hell of a lot better then minimum wage...
what idiot needs fired for making this list? check the bi line... they should make minimum wage, or just be making nothing.
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Mar 22nd 2009 @ 5:59AM guitarmanjoe
Temp services are the problem. They are like the mafia. They come into our land, put contracts on all the good jobs and say, "Now, you can't work in this town unless you pay us." If you get a degree, you still will work for that price and owe back the student loans forever.
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Mar 21st 2009 @ 2:37AM Chris
that's an out of line comment...fyi. I have a bachelor's in Psych and a minor in Anthro. not to mention several professional licenses and my series 6 and 63 licenses in the financial field...and a near genius IQ. I am currently trying disparately to get the financing needed to attend culinary school and completely revamp my life and career as I have been laid off and have had no luck whatsoever finding work in a smaller MO town of about 40000. These are complicated times and your overly simplistic answer is offensive. FYI...and I am currently waiting tables 5 days a week (average about 40-50 a night + 3.50/hr)...to keep my son cared for, his child support paid and his daycare funded.
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