The 10 Lowest Paying Jobs In North Carolina For 2019

Back in high school I had the best job you could have in high school, I worked at the local movie theater for minimum wage plus free popcorn and movies. I was happy to make minimum wage back then, but now I couldn’t imagine living on the $5.86/hr I was making.

All of this reminiscing got me wondering, who gets paid the least in North Carolina?

So to piggy-backing on our research into the highest paying jobs in North Carolina, we decided to use data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify the lowest paying jobs.

After combing through the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we discovered that Cooks, Fast Food are the lowest paid people in North Carolina.

Here’s a quick look at the 10 lowest paying jobs in North Carolina:

For more information on how much the lowest paying jobs pay, read on, or check out this other reading on North Carolina:

If youĂÂre interested, you can read more about the North Carolina job scene here:

How we determined the lowest paid jobs in North Carolina

We looked at the BLS’s data set for all 712 job classifications in North Carolina in order to identify those that get paid the least.

We will update the data annually as it becomes available from the BLS. The most recent data is as of May 2018.

For more reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Lowest Paying Jobs In North Carolina

Rank	Job Title	Average Salary	Entry Level Salary	# Of People
1	Cooks, Fast Food	$19,020	$16,130	10,720
2	Combined Food Preparation And Serving Workers, Including Fast Food	$19,730	$16,430	147,170
3	Dishwashers	$20,040	$16,490	12,510
4	Hosts And Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, And Coffee Shop	$20,110	$16,320	15,290
5	Ushers, Lobby Attendants, And Ticket Takers	$20,130	$16,530	5,130
6	Shampooers	$20,180	$16,930	250
7	Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, And Other Recreational Protective Service Workers	$20,210	$16,420	4,070
8	Dining Room And Cafeteria Attendants And Bartender Helpers	$20,310	$16,390	9,280
9	Baggage Porters And Bellhops	$20,400	$16,560	880
10	Cashiers	$20,540	$16,390	126,460
11	Amusement And Recreation Attendants	$20,590	$16,400	15,920
12	Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food Concession, And Coffee Shop	$20,980	$16,550	9,140
13	Home Health Aides	$21,120	$16,650	30,040
14	Food Servers, Nonrestaurant	$21,180	$16,660	7,900
15	Personal Care Aides	$21,660	$16,910	30,170
16	Pressers, Textile, Garment, And Related Materials	$21,810	$16,500	1,010
17	Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners	$21,880	$16,760	32,370
18	Cooks, Short Order	$21,920	$16,600	2,970
19	Laundry And Dry-Cleaning Workers	$22,020	$16,850	5,510
20	Waiters And Waitresses	$22,400	$16,450	82,600
21	Food Preparation And Serving Related Workers, All Other	$22,470	$16,490	930
22	Food Preparation Workers	$22,490	$16,910	19,820
23	Parking Lot Attendants	$22,860	$16,990	2,650
24	Hotel, Motel, And Resort Desk Clerks	$22,920	$17,050	9,080
25	Childcare Workers	$22,940	$16,730	18,830
26	Locker Room, Coatroom, And Dressing Room Attendants	$23,270	$17,120	130
27	Manicurists And Pedicurists	$23,680	$16,640	1,020
28	Automotive And Watercraft Service Attendants	$23,690	$17,210	3,480
29	Cleaners Of Vehicles And Equipment	$23,690	$16,950	10,000
30	Substitute Teachers	$23,720	$19,210	21,430
31	Teacher Assistants	$23,960	$18,340	31,090
32	Packers And Packagers, Hand	$24,080	$17,090	27,360
33	Nonfarm Animal Caretakers	$24,110	$16,980	7,340
34	Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners	$24,190	$17,120	55,960
35	Crossing Guards	$24,220	$17,210	1,350
36	Graders And Sorters, Agricultural Products	$24,750	$16,910	1,200
37	Pharmacy Aides	$24,760	$17,150	240
38	Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse	$24,770	$17,270	2,650
39	Cooks, Restaurant	$24,950	$17,440	47,350
40	Cooks, Institution And Cafeteria	$25,240	$17,880	8,620
41	Taxi Drivers And Chauffeurs	$25,490	$17,600	3,460
42	Bartenders	$25,510	$16,570	13,360
43	Bakers	$25,570	$17,480	3,870
44	Nursing Assistants	$25,570	$18,530	63,010
45	Shoe And Leather Workers And Repairers	$25,790	$18,140	240
46	Meat, Poultry, And Fish Cutters And Trimmers	$25,800	$20,350	12,690
47	Helpers, Construction Trades, All Other	$25,870	$16,710	910
48	Textile, Apparel, And Furnishings Workers, All Other	$25,950	$18,210	1,740
49	Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, And Aquacultural Animals	$26,010	$18,070	1,010
50	Sewers, Hand	$26,160	$17,560	120
51	Retail Salespersons	$26,190	$16,910	141,960
52	Library Assistants, Clerical	$26,230	$17,090	1,840
53	Textile Winding, Twisting, And Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders	$26,240	$20,000	7,020
54	Transportation Workers, All Other	$26,410	$18,730	1,170
55	Tailors, Dressmakers, And Custom Sewers	$26,600	$16,820	520
56	Orderlies	$26,680	$20,910	840
57	Telemarketers	$26,810	$19,320	2,170
58	Stock Clerks And Order Fillers	$27,000	$18,120	62,050
59	Food Batchmakers	$27,140	$17,280	3,710
60	Funeral Attendants	$27,440	$18,970	1,380
61	Agricultural Equipment Operators	$27,440	$17,520	680
62	Tour And Travel Guides	$27,460	$17,570	1,300
63	Animal Trainers	$27,500	$18,500	550
64	Bus Drivers, School Or Special Client	$27,530	$20,050	16,290
65	Helpers–Production Workers	$27,670	$18,230	15,560
66	Machine Feeders And Offbearers	$27,740	$18,540	2,080
67	Physical Therapist Aides	$27,780	$21,150	690
68	Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other	$27,860	$17,010	4,240
69	Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand	$27,860	$18,590	89,310
70	Counter And Rental Clerks	$27,880	$17,420	11,590
71	Concierges	$27,890	$20,680	360
72	Helpers–Carpenters	$27,970	$19,130	1,350
73	Sewing Machine Operators	$27,990	$18,500	8,930
74	Textile Knitting And Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders	$28,050	$19,530	4,090
75	Dietetic Technicians	$28,100	$21,100	260
76	Landscaping And Groundskeeping Workers	$28,130	$19,400	31,760
77	Food Processing Workers, All Other	$28,140	$21,300	1,220
78	Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	$28,260	$18,530	16,110
79	Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service	$28,290	$20,860	1,800
80	Driver/sales Workers	$28,390	$16,520	17,360
81	Receptionists And Information Clerks	$28,410	$19,050	34,730
82	Grinding And Polishing Workers, Hand	$28,450	$19,640	750
83	Couriers And Messengers	$28,460	$20,940	1,460
84	Cooks, All Other	$28,520	$17,840	230
85	Hairdressers, Hairstylists, And Cosmetologists	$28,550	$16,680	8,110
86	Recreation Workers	$28,610	$17,040	7,020
87	Psychiatric Aides	$28,730	$22,060	650
88	Veterinary Assistants And Laboratory Animal Caretakers	$28,830	$19,460	3,500
89	Helpers–Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, And Stucco Masons	$28,880	$22,200	180
90	Personal Care And Service Workers, All Other	$28,970	$17,050	600
91	Slaughterers And Meat Packers	$29,070	$24,400	5,720
92	Agricultural Workers, All Other	$29,300	$17,290	100
93	Refuse And Recyclable Material Collectors	$29,370	$17,770	5,070
94	Helpers–Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, And Tile And Marble Setters	$29,380	$21,240	950
95	Floral Designers	$29,390	$18,380	1,150
96	Hazardous Materials Removal Workers	$29,420	$16,910	1,530
97	Print Binding And Finishing Workers	$29,430	$19,830	860
98	Textile Bleaching And Dyeing Machine Operators And Tenders	$29,450	$20,400	2,320
99	Demonstrators And Product Promoters	$29,460	$20,360	2,370
100	Occupational Therapy Aides	$29,480	$21,390	120

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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