The 10 Lowest Paying Jobs In Kentucky 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 Kentucky?

So to piggy-backing on our research into the highest paying jobs in Kentucky, 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 Combined Food Preparation And Serving Workers, Including Fast Food are the lowest paid people in Kentucky.

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

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

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

How we determined the lowest paid jobs in Kentucky

We looked at the BLS’s data set for all 669 job classifications in Kentucky 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 Kentucky

Rank	Job Title	Average Salary	Entry Level Salary	# Of People
1	Combined Food Preparation And Serving Workers, Including Fast Food	$19,150	$16,300	65,410
2	Ushers, Lobby Attendants, And Ticket Takers	$19,320	$16,340	1,470
3	Waiters And Waitresses	$19,450	$16,260	31,250
4	Bartenders	$19,530	$16,250	4,610
5	Hosts And Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, And Coffee Shop	$19,610	$16,400	4,800
6	Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, And Other Recreational Protective Service Workers	$19,620	$16,300	1,320
7	Dining Room And Cafeteria Attendants And Bartender Helpers	$20,020	$16,550	3,390
8	Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food Concession, And Coffee Shop	$20,150	$16,450	2,280
9	Hotel, Motel, And Resort Desk Clerks	$20,190	$16,480	4,090
10	Cashiers	$20,420	$16,390	52,660
11	Amusement And Recreation Attendants	$20,430	$16,370	3,940
12	Cooks, Short Order	$20,500	$16,960	630
13	Dishwashers	$20,590	$16,660	3,350
14	Cooks, Fast Food	$20,670	$16,740	6,840
15	Motion Picture Projectionists	$21,530	$16,660	80
16	Childcare Workers	$21,540	$16,610	11,340
17	Laundry And Dry-Cleaning Workers	$21,650	$16,750	2,830
18	Parking Lot Attendants	$21,870	$16,680	510
19	Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners	$22,050	$16,850	10,320
20	Food Preparation Workers	$22,340	$16,820	7,500
21	Locker Room, Coatroom, And Dressing Room Attendants	$22,350	$16,510	40
22	Food Servers, Nonrestaurant	$22,370	$17,130	1,080
23	Substitute Teachers	$22,690	$17,060	290
24	Nonfarm Animal Caretakers	$22,730	$16,740	3,080
25	Cooks, Restaurant	$22,920	$16,980	19,890
26	Food Preparation And Serving Related Workers, All Other	$23,160	$17,140	170
27	Sewing Machine Operators	$23,530	$16,630	3,120
28	Orderlies	$23,960	$18,980	550
29	Bakers	$24,010	$16,510	1,270
30	Pressers, Textile, Garment, And Related Materials	$24,090	$18,520	300
31	Cleaners Of Vehicles And Equipment	$24,180	$17,170	4,530
32	Automotive And Watercraft Service Attendants	$24,240	$17,860	1,440
33	Home Health Aides	$24,460	$18,230	2,680
34	Residential Advisors	$24,580	$17,960	4,420
35	Taxi Drivers And Chauffeurs	$24,660	$17,180	1,830
36	Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders	$24,750	$16,460	210
37	Cooks, All Other	$24,910	$17,650	180
38	Security Guards	$24,950	$17,120	11,470
39	Personal Care And Service Workers, All Other	$25,000	$16,750	680
40	Bailiffs	$25,170	$17,470	760
41	Veterinary Assistants And Laboratory Animal Caretakers	$25,380	$18,410	1,960
42	Cooks, Institution And Cafeteria	$25,630	$19,230	10,770
43	Floral Designers	$25,680	$16,990	550
44	Retail Salespersons	$25,700	$16,860	55,740
45	Personal Care Aides	$25,740	$17,310	16,690
46	Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Wood	$25,840	$20,550	2,070
47	Packers And Packagers, Hand	$25,870	$17,910	15,010
48	Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners	$25,940	$17,550	26,330
49	Baggage Porters And Bellhops	$26,070	$17,110	140
50	Physical Therapist Aides	$26,320	$18,020	980
51	Concierges	$26,420	$20,350	90
52	Graders And Sorters, Agricultural Products	$26,540	$21,020	170
53	Manicurists And Pedicurists	$26,660	$17,810	80
54	Driver/sales Workers	$26,680	$16,750	5,200
55	Stock Clerks And Order Fillers	$26,690	$17,640	30,570
56	Cutters And Trimmers, Hand	$26,740	$17,020	50
57	Photographic Process Workers And Processing Machine Operators	$26,780	$17,660	150
58	Library Assistants, Clerical	$26,780	$19,830	1,160
59	Nursing Assistants	$26,800	$20,540	24,060
60	Animal Control Workers	$26,950	$17,950	250
61	Tour And Travel Guides	$27,080	$18,200	680
62	Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, And Aquacultural Animals	$27,110	$19,830	1,980
63	Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse	$27,180	$19,980	900
64	Hairdressers, Hairstylists, And Cosmetologists	$27,270	$16,790	3,590
65	Teacher Assistants	$27,290	$19,010	16,570
66	Tire Repairers And Changers	$27,370	$19,680	1,630
67	Receptionists And Information Clerks	$27,390	$18,430	16,960
68	Meat, Poultry, And Fish Cutters And Trimmers	$27,440	$20,100	1,560
69	Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians	$27,630	$18,910	300
70	Crossing Guards	$27,670	$21,020	540
71	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Except Sawing	$27,700	$19,290	1,790
72	Tellers	$27,770	$20,790	6,970
73	Landscaping And Groundskeeping Workers	$28,010	$18,500	8,120
74	File Clerks	$28,080	$18,880	1,040
75	Telemarketers	$28,120	$19,120	930
76	Couriers And Messengers	$28,300	$19,360	930
77	Door-To-Door Sales Workers, News And Street Vendors, And Related Workers	$28,440	$16,790	50
78	Library Technicians	$28,450	$17,540	830
79	Counter And Rental Clerks	$28,480	$16,970	5,010
80	Production Workers, All Other	$28,520	$18,440	4,850
81	Craft Artists	$28,610	$21,980	130
82	Order Clerks	$29,040	$18,720	1,230
83	Food Processing Workers, All Other	$29,210	$21,700	760
84	Pharmacy Technicians	$29,270	$20,400	8,470
85	Helpers–Carpenters	$29,380	$19,150	240
86	Office Clerks, General	$29,520	$17,570	36,580
87	Helpers–Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, And Steamfitters	$29,650	$21,010	850
88	Psychiatric Technicians	$29,680	$19,930	500
89	Outdoor Power Equipment And Other Small Engine Mechanics	$29,710	$18,540	650
90	Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand	$29,720	$20,460	59,760
91	Data Entry Keyers	$29,750	$21,600	1,410
92	Office Machine Operators, Except Computer	$29,890	$19,440	430
93	Psychiatric Aides	$29,970	$22,050	1,010
94	Recreation Workers	$30,000	$17,630	2,490
95	Mail Clerks And Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service	$30,140	$18,000	920
96	Refuse And Recyclable Material Collectors	$30,200	$19,340	1,550
97	Social And Human Service Assistants	$30,220	$18,990	4,510
98	Butchers And Meat Cutters	$30,340	$18,300	1,650
99	Sales And Related Workers, All Other	$30,540	$20,730	940
100	Funeral Attendants	$30,670	$18,740	650

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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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