What Are 5 of The Lowest Paying Jobs In Canada?

The job market can be extremely volatile. One moment there is a multitude of jobs available. Next, it’s impossible to find a job. This rule goes for all types of jobs, both low and high-paying. However, lower-paying jobs are, by nature, more accessible. Therefore, if you’re looking for one of these jobs, you have many resources available to you such as Indeed.ca. However, what makes a job “low paying”?

There is a multitude of reasons. However, there are a few core reasons as to why this is the care. These reasons are something that we’ll get into within the next section. After that, we will take a look into which jobs are considered the lowest-paying jobs. Some of the jobs you’ll most likely guess. Some of you may already know which jobs would earn the last. However, many may still be in the dark. Therefore, we can use this article as a guideline, especially for someone who is new to the workforce. Typically, you’d think that the lowest paying jobs are ones that give minimum wage. While this is true in many cases, it does not account for the likelihood of a salary increase. Therefore, let’s take a look at what makes a job “low paying” and the lowest paying ones.

What Makes A Job “Low Paying”?

I want to preface this section by saying this is not a debate on income inequality. Many people have low-paying jobs and would like to earn what they call a “livable wage”. While this is a noble effort and would be ideal, it’s not currently how things are, at least in North America.

In terms of North America, there are a few things that a job “low paying”. First is the skillset required to perform the job. Jobs that pay minimum wage or a relatively low amount typically require less knowledge to perform. For example, a factory worker. While it may be labor-intensive, it does not take much to become proficient at the job you’re required to perform. For example, putting packages from a conveyer belt onto a UPS truck. It is labor-intensive and takes a long time. However, it’s a repetitive task that doesn’t take much training or external know-how in order to perform.

Aside from this fact, there are other jobs that may fall into this category but are not low-paying jobs, such as truck drivers. Truck drivers make multiple stops and drive for days on end. While this does not take much skill, so to speak (not to say it’s a skill-less trade), it is very taxing both physically and socially. This is because you’re inactive for most of the day and you will always be on the road. Therefore, it makes having a social life relatively difficult.

The next aspect of what makes a job “low paying” is the availability and accessibility of the job. If there is a lot of jobs available and there is a demand to fill those roles, the job will be closer to minimum wage. Think of it like this; there are more cashier positions available in a McDonald’s compared to a manager or team leader. While the previously mentioned do have more responsibilities and require a different skill set, there are fewer of these jobs available. People who work at the frontline are unfortunately replaceable. Therefore, companies are always under the impression that they can fight someone to do the same job for cheaper.

The last factor I would like to mention is the concept of assets, or rather, experience. Jobs with lower pay usually require less or no experience. For jobs that require experience, they set a value on what you bring to the table. The experience you bring and the value it holds are reflected in the increase in salary.

While it is up to debate whether or not certain jobs, such as minimum wage jobs, should pay a livable wage. These are some of the core reasons why they do not. Combined with the effects of inflation and the ever-increasing costs of housing.

What Are The 5 Lowest Paying Jobs?

Now that we’ve discussed what makes a job pay less, it’s time to take a look at what jobs are more likely to pay less. As I previously stated, many people will either know or have worked these jobs before. However, it’s important to outline these jobs so people who are new to the workforce know what to expect.

Cashier

A cashier is one of the jobs that pay the least amount of money. Even though you need skills such as being able to multitask and manage money, being a cashier is a relatively easy job. Furthermore, the job is easy to acquire as there is an abundance of opportunities available. This is a job that many people get to enter the workforce. While my first job was not a cashier, it was in a grocery store that is known to hire people specifically for the cashier role.

Above is a picture indicating how much money the average cashier earns. As you can see, it’s around $13.54 per hour or just under $25,000 per year. This may come as a surprise to many people, especially in Ontario due to the fact that the minimum wage is $14. However, it is important to note that this is an average across Canada.

Dishwasher

The next job is as a dishwasher. The interesting fact about this job is that many restaurants do not have designated dishwashers. Some of the restaurants I’ve worked at had both designated washers or us, the servers had to fulfill that duty.

Above is the average amount they earn through Canada. However, it is slightly lower than cashiers at $13.43 per hour.

Fast-Food Worker

Another job that has a surprisingly low hourly range relative to the previously stated job is a fast-food worker. Fast-food workers have a multitude of responsibilities. This is also mixed with the fact that they have to deal with unpleasant customers on a daily basis.

Above is the wage range within Canada for fast-food workers. This amount is nearly $1 lower than both the previously stated jobs. In my personal opinion, fast-food workers should be paid more. This is due to the fact that doing so much work and dealing with horrible customers daily can be extremely taxing on one’s mental health.

Bartenders/Servers

This one is the most interesting job on this list. This is due to the fact that they earn both the least and most money out of these 5. Let me explain. Due to the fact that bartenders earn tips, their hourly wage is significantly lowered. In some places, it’s below $10 per hour.

As you can see, bartenders earn the least amount of hours from the jobs we’ve shown so far. However, if you include tips, you can easily earn well over $20 per hour. This is why if servers/bartenders got the choice between no tips and a high hourly wage, they’ll most likely decline. Coming from someone who used to work in the restaurant industry, nothing beats coming home after a 6-hour shift with $130 cash. That is NOT including the hourly wage.

Gas Station Attendant

The last job on our list is a gas station attendant. These people deal with the customer’s needs. While they may not manually fill the gas on their own, they oversee all the operations of the station.

Above is a picture that shows how much money they earn on average in Canada. Their wages clock in at $12.85 per hour.

Shameed Chris Khan

Shameed is just a man on a mission to help those around him gain financial success. Obsessed with writing about all things finance, this GTA native is constantly learning and sharing his experiences with others.