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The 10 Lowest Paying Jobs in Tennessee for 2026
Reflecting on my high school days, I fondly remember working at the local movie theater for minimum wage, which included free popcorn and movie tickets. While it was a great experience at the time, I now realize that earning just $5.86 per hour would be nearly impossible today. This got me curious about the current job market: who are the lowest paid workers in Tennessee in 2026?
Building on our previous research into the highest paying jobs in Tennessee, we utilized the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to uncover the jobs that offer the lowest wages.
After thorough analysis, we found that the lowest paid positions are held by Counter Attendants in Cafeterias, Food Concessions, and Coffee Shops.
Here’s a quick overview of the 10 lowest paying jobs in Tennessee:
- Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
- Waiters and Waitresses
- Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food
- Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers
- Substitute Teachers
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
- Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers
- Dishwashers
- Cooks, Fast Food
If you want to learn more about the earnings for these lowest paying jobs, continue reading or explore other insights about the job market in Tennessee:
- Best Companies to Work For in Nashville
- These Are The 10 Best Places In Tennessee To Get A Job
- These are the 12 Best Small Companies to Work for in Nashville
How We Determined the Lowest Paid Jobs in Tennessee
We analyzed the BLS data set for all job classifications in Tennessee to identify those with the lowest average salaries. This data reflects the current landscape as of May 2026 and will be updated annually as new data becomes available.
For further reading, consider these articles:
- These Are The 10 Best Jobs In Tennessee For Recent College Grads
- These Are The 10 Fastest Growing Jobs In Tennessee
- These Are The 100 Highest Paying Jobs In Nashville
Detailed List Of The Lowest Paying Jobs In Tennessee
| Rank | Job Title | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food Concession, And Coffee Shop | $19,270 |
| 2 | Hosts And Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, And Coffee Shop | $19,580 |
| 3 | Waiters And Waitresses | $19,870 |
| 4 | Combined Food Preparation And Serving Workers, Including Fast Food | $19,870 |
| 5 | Ushers, Lobby Attendants, And Ticket Takers | $20,000 |
| 6 | Substitute Teachers | $20,250 |
| 7 | Dining Room And Cafeteria Attendants And Bartender Helpers | $20,310 |
| 8 | Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, And Other Recreational Protective Service Workers | $20,320 |
| 9 | Dishwashers | $20,470 |
| 10 | Cooks, Fast Food | $20,490 |
Author
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.
