Lowest-paying jobs in Danville
The U.S. may be one of the , but financial inequality prevails within its borders. That divide , especially between the poorest and richest U.S. residents.
The middle class is shrinking. In 2021, just half of adults lived in a middle-income household, a huge drop from 61% in the 70s. This dip meant some middle-class adults broke into the high-income bracket. At the same time, the share of lower-income residents is growing: , compared to 25% in 1971.
Wages over this period grew at all income levels, but the rich got significantly higher bumps. Pew Charitable Trusts found that high incomes grew 69% over the past 50 years, while low incomes grew just 45%. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated and further exposed these harsh financial gaps.
The difference in pay for the in the U.S. last year was over eightfold: from about $28,000 for entertainment attendants to over $251,000 for physicians. Nationally, most of the lowest-paying jobs are in the leisure and accommodation fields: think folks who work in food establishments, at hotels, at recreational facilities like pools and amusement parks, and other service jobs.
used data to find the 50 lowest-paying jobs in Danville. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2022. Any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
#50. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $40,190
- Median hourly wage: $19.32
- Total employment: 230 people (8.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#49. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Median annual wage: $39,510
- Median hourly wage: $19.00
- Total employment: 920 people (35.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#48. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $39,000
- Median hourly wage: $18.75
- Total employment: 40 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#47. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $38,580
- Median hourly wage: $18.55
- Total employment: 1,070 people (41.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#46. Billing and posting clerks
- Median annual wage: $38,210
- Median hourly wage: $18.37
- Total employment: 70 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#45. Food batchmakers
- Median annual wage: $38,080
- Median hourly wage: $18.31
- Total employment: 280 people (10.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#44. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Median annual wage: $37,650
- Median hourly wage: $18.10
- Total employment: 120 people (4.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#43. Bus drivers, school
- Median annual wage: $37,500
- Median hourly wage: $18.03
- Total employment: 110 people (4.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#42. Light truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $37,380
- Median hourly wage: $17.97
- Total employment: 170 people (6.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#41. Office clerks, general
- Median annual wage: $37,320
- Median hourly wage: $17.94
- Total employment: 620 people (24.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#40. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $37,130
- Median hourly wage: $17.85
- Total employment: 100 people (3.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#39. Pharmacy technicians
- Median annual wage: $36,570
- Median hourly wage: $17.58
- Total employment: 80 people (3.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#38. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $36,340
- Median hourly wage: $17.47
- Total employment: 40 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#37. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
- Median annual wage: $36,310
- Median hourly wage: $17.46
- Total employment: 320 people (12.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#35. Pest control workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,230
- Median hourly wage: $17.42
- Total employment: Not available
#35. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic (tie)
- Median annual wage: $36,230
- Median hourly wage: $17.42
- Total employment: 130 people (5.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#34. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $36,220
- Median hourly wage: $17.41
- Total employment: 40 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#33. Nursing assistants
- Median annual wage: $36,110
- Median hourly wage: $17.36
- Total employment: 360 people (13.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#32. Preschool teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $35,980
- Median hourly wage: $17.30
- Total employment: 60 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#31. Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $35,740
- Median hourly wage: $17.19
- Total employment: 70 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#30. Customer service representatives
- Median annual wage: $35,540
- Median hourly wage: $17.09
- Total employment: 510 people (19.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#29. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- Median annual wage: $35,470
- Median hourly wage: $17.05
- Total employment: 180 people (7.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#28. Medical assistants
- Median annual wage: $35,060
- Median hourly wage: $16.86
- Total employment: 60 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#27. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Median annual wage: $34,820
- Median hourly wage: $16.74
- Total employment: 440 people (16.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#26. Medical secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $34,460
- Median hourly wage: $16.57
- Total employment: 40 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#25. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage: $34,410
- Median hourly wage: $16.54
- Total employment: 50 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#24. Emergency medical technicians
- Median annual wage: $33,450
- Median hourly wage: $16.08
- Total employment: 50 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#23. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $33,250
- Median hourly wage: $15.99
- Total employment: 200 people (7.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#22. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $32,490
- Median hourly wage: $15.62
- Total employment: 40 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#21. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $31,620
- Median hourly wage: $15.20
- Total employment: 90 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#20. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,840
- Median hourly wage: $14.83
- Total employment: 180 people (6.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#19. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $30,470
- Median hourly wage: $14.65
- Total employment: 70 people (2.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#18. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Median annual wage: $29,190
- Median hourly wage: $14.03
- Total employment: 50 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#17. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $29,080
- Median hourly wage: $13.98
- Total employment: 110 people (4.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#16. Production workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $28,930
- Median hourly wage: $13.91
- Total employment: 70 people (2.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#15. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $28,850
- Median hourly wage: $13.87
- Total employment: 120 people (4.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#14. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Median annual wage: $28,750
- Median hourly wage: $13.82
- Total employment: 80 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#13. Retail salespersons
- Median annual wage: $28,730
- Median hourly wage: $13.81
- Total employment: 510 people (19.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#12. Cooks, restaurant
- Median annual wage: $28,520
- Median hourly wage: $13.71
- Total employment: 190 people (7.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#11. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $28,440
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 360 people (13.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#10. Home health and personal care aides
- Median annual wage: $28,230
- Median hourly wage: $13.57
- Total employment: 190 people (7.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#9. Cashiers
- Median annual wage: $27,700
- Median hourly wage: $13.32
- Total employment: 940 people (36.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#8. Recreation workers
- Median annual wage: $27,370
- Median hourly wage: $13.16
- Total employment: 60 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#7. Fast food and counter workers
- Median annual wage: $27,300
- Median hourly wage: $13.13
- Total employment: 630 people (24.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#6. Food preparation workers
- Median annual wage: $26,580
- Median hourly wage: $12.78
- Total employment: 130 people (5.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#5. Cooks, fast food
- Median annual wage: $26,330
- Median hourly wage: $12.66
- Total employment: 110 people (4.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#4. Bartenders
- Median annual wage: $26,260
- Median hourly wage: $12.63
- Total employment: 180 people (7.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Amusement and recreation attendants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $24,960
- Median hourly wage: $12.00
- Total employment: 30 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Waiters and waitresses (tie)
- Median annual wage: $24,960
- Median hourly wage: $12.00
- Total employment: 250 people (9.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Childcare workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $24,960
- Median hourly wage: $12.00
- Total employment: 150 people (5.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
