Report Names The 100 ‘Lowest Paying Jobs’ In New Jersey

When New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoed a bill that would have raised the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour in August, critics railed that the decision would punish hard-working residents who simply don’t earn enough to make ends meet.

But what Garden State workers would have benefited the most from a higher minimum wage?

“As underpaid workers we know what it’s like to struggle to get by,” writes FightFor15.org, an advocacy group for a $15 an hour minimum wage. “We struggle even to pay our bills and put food on the table for our families… We work hard. We try to do the right thing – whether that means fighting for our country in Iraq or just being a good mom here at home. But we’re still stuck living in poverty.”

On Monday, career information website Zippia released a list of the “100 Lowest Paying Jobs In New Jersey,” which analyzes data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 712 job classifications in the Garden State. Their results, listed below, can be seen online here.

1 Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop $19,840 (yearly salary)

2 Shampooers $19,970

3 Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants $20,510

4 Amusement and Recreation Attendants $20,810

5 Dishwashers $20,920

6 Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $21,050

7 Cashiers $21,620

8 Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food $21,730

9 Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers $22,200

10 Packers and Packagers, Hand $22,290

11 Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop $22,340

12 Cooks, Fast Food $22,500

13 Food Preparation Workers $22,540

14 Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials $22,750

15 Parking Lot Attendants $22,870

16 Home Health Aides $23,020

17 Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants $23,090

18 Waiters and Waitresses $23,160

19 Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products $23,400

20 Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks $23,570

21 Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other $23,620

22 Food Servers, Nonrestaurant $23,810

23 Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $24,220

24 Cooks, Short Order $24,230

25 Food Processing Workers, All Other $24,340

26 Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers $24,480

27 Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment $24,550

28 Childcare Workers $24,560

29 Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers $24,660

30 Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, All Other $24,680

31 Baggage Porters and Bellhops $24,750

32 Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers $24,960

33 Nonfarm Animal Caretakers $24,970

34 Sewing Machine Operators $25,060

35 Machine Feeders and Offbearers $25,230

36 Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse $25,390

37 Pharmacy Aides $25,700

38 Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders $25,710

39 Bartenders $25,740

40 Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers $25,770

41 Slaughterers and Meat Packers $25,850

42 Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians $25,910

43 Transportation Attendants, Except Flight Attendants $26,010

44 Stock Clerks and Order Fillers $26,540

45 Recreation Workers $26,610

46 Tour Guides and Escorts $26,640

47 Helpers–Production Workers $26,760

48 Orderlies $26,770

49 Retail Salespersons $26,780

50 Protective Service Workers, All Other $26,830

51 Physical Therapist Aides $26,870

52 Manicurists and Pedicurists $26,980

53 Tire Repairers and Changers $27,020

54 Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders $27,150

55 Teacher Assistants $27,170

56 Agricultural Workers, All Other $27,220

57 Helpers–Carpenters $27,440 $20,640

58 Team Assemblers $27,480 $18,830

59 Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers $27,620

60 Demonstrators and Product Promoters $27,670

61 Bakers $27,780 $18,350

62 Telemarketers $27,860 $18,440

63 Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers $27,860

64 Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other $27,870

65 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand $27,880

66 Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals $27,930

67 Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians $28,180

68 Nursing Assistants $28,310

69 Occupational Therapy Aides $28,370

70 Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers $28,370

71 Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders $28,540

72 File Clerks $28,560

73 Library Assistants, Clerical $28,610

74 Taxi Drivers and Chauffeurs $28,650

75 Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders $28,710

76 Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers $28,780

77 Production Workers, All Other $28,840

78 Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders $28,920

79 Tellers $28,990

80 Motion Picture Projectionists $29,180

81 Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators $29,320

82 Security Guards $29,380

83 Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders $29,400

84 Sewers, Hand $29,470

85 Gaming Change Persons and Booth Cashiers $29,610

86 Concierges $29,860

87 Helpers–Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers $29,890 $

88 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $29,930

89 Substitute Teachers $29,950

90 Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders $29,990

91 Gaming Service Workers, All Other $30,010

92 Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders $30,050

93 Cooks, Restaurant $30,060

94 Office Machine Operators, Except Computer $30,170

95 Motorboat Operators $30,210

96 Helpers–Electricians $30,350

97 Receptionists and Information Clerks $30,360

98 Plating and Coating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic $30,410

99 Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria $30,430

100 Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service $30,490

Photo: Flickr Commons

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