America's 5 lowest-paying jobs

Former Wall Street Journal editorial board member Stephen Moore argues that the uptick in January unemployment is a good thing as it was caused by an increase in the labor force participation rate.

The most common jobs in the United States are not often the most high-paying.

Across the country, workers in the retail and food industries rake in wages well below the roughly $49,000 median annual income estimated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of the 50 lowest-paying jobs in the country, in fact, nearly 20 land in the food sector, as industry advocates push for more states to implement a fast-food minimum wage hike.

The BLS’ National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates report collected wage data from industry sectors in every state and Washington, D.C., and based on its findings, these are the five lowest-paying jobs in America and their average annual salaries.