The Top 5 Lowest Paying Jobs in Billings Probably Won’t Surprise You

Recently, I saw a post online that highlighted the lowest-paying jobs in the nation. I had to figure out if the same list rang true for Montana and Billings. There are similarities, but the top 5 in Billings are quite different, but not surprising to me at all. All of this data comes from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics and was compiled originally by Stacker.com.

Number 5 - Bartenders

Luckily in Montana, tipped employees must be paid the minimum wage, unlike some states which make tipped employees make less money than that. However, the average salary in Billings for bartenders is still only $23,480.

Number 4 - Short-term substitute teachers

Most times in Montana, at least from my experience, substitute teachers were used quite sporadically. So, it makes sense that a short-term substitute teacher's salary would only be around $23,320. It's unfortunate too because sometimes the best teachers are subs.

Number 3 - Dining room, cafeteria, and bar attendants

If you've ever been to a cafeteria in a hospital or a school, you've been served by a dining room or cafeteria worker. Attendants do other things, such as making sure the space is clean. The average salary for these attendants in Billings is only $22,980.

Number 2 - Waitstaff

Waiters and waitresses in Montana typically don't make above minimum wage in Montana, which means they rely on tips for the majority of their income. Without tips, a waitstaff's average salary in Billings is only $22,300. Cut them some slack, they're probably just trying to get by.

Number 1 - Hosts and hostesses

Specifically, we're talking about host staff in food service, the folks who greet the customers and show them to their seats. They make the least money per year on average in Billings at $22,240.

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All of these jobs did indeed appear on the list of the 50 lowest paying jobs in the nation, so it's not surprising to me to see them here, too.