How To Find Jobs That Pay More Than Minimum Wage

 Join the ranks of thousands of people who enjoy working jobs that pay more than minimum wage. These opportunities can help you reach the first rung of the corporate ladder and span numerous industries, such as:

Administrative Assistant

Average base pay: $21.29 per hour

Administrative Assistants provide clerical support to managers and other employees. They handle a variety of tasks, from answering phones to filing paperwork. 

Assembly Operator

Average base pay: $13.67 per hour

If you enjoy working with your hands, consider working as an Assembler. You’ll put together components, fastening parts, and verifying measurements and specifications. 

Bartender

Average base pay: $9.78 per hour

Bartenders mix and garnish alcoholic beverages for patrons. They interact with customers, take food and drink orders, and serving snacks. This position requires excellent people and organizational skills.

Childcare Provider

Average base pay: $11.33 per hour

Working with children provide excellent higher than minimum wage jobs. You’ll supervise their play and perform duties like serving meals, tutoring, and creating lesson plans.

Construction Worker

Average base pay: $23.12

Labors on construction sites are responsible for loading and unloading building materials, removing debris, and operating heavy equipment. It’s one of the highest-paying minimum wage jobs on our list.

Copywriter

Average base pay: $28.11

Put your creative talents to work as a copywriter. These specialists craft original content for everything from advertisements to blog articles. Copywriters assist in many aspects of the creative process based on the needs of their clients.

Customer Service Representative

Average base pay: $13.38 per hour

For those of you who enjoy working with customers, try your hand at Customer Service. Company representatives help customers with questions, complaints, and information about products and services.

Delivery Driver

Average base pay: $13.04 per hour

Get behind the wheel and cash in. Delivery drivers work for restaurants, warehouses, and other businesses. You’ll likely load, transport, and deliver items to clients in a safe, timely manner.

Dental Assistant

Average base pay: $18.14 per hour

Explore a career as a Dental Assistant. You’ll prepare patients for dental work, disinfect instruments, and assist the dentist to perform procedures.

Fast-food Worker

Average base pay: $10.56 per hour

A role in fast food is a terrific place to start earning more than minimum wage. You’ll be the first point of contact for hungry customers and will take orders, address questions, and act as cashiers. Retro burger chain In-N-Out starts all of its new associates at a competitive starting salary. Who could have guessed that flipping burgers could get you $13 an hour?

Financial Clerk

Average base pay: $12.35 per hour

With a good attitude for numbers, you can earn a high wage as a Financial Clerk. This position is responsible for maintaining accurate records, posting transactions, verifying financial data, and resolving accounting issues.

Groundskeeper

Average base pay: $11.72 per hour

People who enjoy working outdoors will want to consider a job as a groundskeeper. In this occupation, you’ll maintain a landscape by mowing lawns, trimming shrubs, removing weeds, and nurturing new greenery.

Hand Packager

Average base pay:  $12.39 per hour

If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, look into packing. Many warehouses employ these workers to package a variety of products and materials into boxes and containers that are shipped to customers.

Home Health Aide

Average base pay: $10.80 per hour

People with a caring nature are wanted for home health aide opportunities. You’ll work enables patients to stay in their homes. You’ll monitor your patient’s condition, provide personal services, and teach family members how to use specialized equipment. 

Janitor

Average base pay: $11.56 per hour

Janitors are essential workers who help keep buildings clean and well maintained. Job duties range from vacuuming and sweeping to taking out the trash.

Manicurist

Average base pay: $15.07 per hour

Nail technicians are another profession that makes for than minimum wage. If you like working closely with people, this career cleans, trims, and shapes a client’s nails, then applies a fresh coat of polish. 

Medical Assistant

Average base pay: $15.15 per hour

Medical assistants provide various administrative and clinical tasks, like maintaining patient records, assisting physicians with exams, and maintaining an inventory of medical supplies.

Personal Assistant

Average base pay: $12.67 per hour 

Improve people’s lives and provide caring support as a Personal Assistant. Duties range from running errands and cleaning up to making dinner for the family.

Phlebotomist

Average base pay: $13.81 per hour 

If you’re interested in getting a foot in the door with a career in medicine, consider Phlebotomist. This entry-level position is responsible for extracting blood from patients, accurately labeling vials, and analyzing specimens.

Restaurant Server

Average base pay: $10.43 per hour 

Serving in a restaurant is a popular job that typically pays more than minimum wage, especially with tips. Waitstaff takes orders for menu items, provides recommendations, and help clean up. 

Retail Sales Associate

Average base pay: $16.36 per hour 

There are numerous opportunities to earn income in retail sales. In this role, you’ll greet customers, answer questions, up-sell items, and provide product information. Walmart, America’s largest employer, pays all its new employees at least $11 an hour from day one on the job.

School Bus Driver

Average base pay: $15.44 per hour 

Patience and a stellar driving record are vital if you want to work as a school bus driver.  You’ll ensure the kiddos arrive safely at school in the mornings and home in the afternoons.

Shipping Clerk

Average base pay: $17.72 per hour 

Shipping Clerks prepare orders for transit by pulling materials, packing boxes, and labeling them for shipping. Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos recently raised Amazon’s minimum salary to $15. This move immediately and positively impacted worker’s morale and boosted the company’s retention rate.

Translator

Average base pay: $21.71 per hour 

If you’re bilingual, take your language skills to the bank as a translator. There are opportunities in this field to work with children, international businesses, and foreign dignitaries.

Tutor

Average base pay: $9.78 per hour 

Teachers and college students aren’t the only ones filling roles as Tutors these days. This role consists of assisting students with homework and test preparation while helping them understand key concepts. 

Veterinary Receptionist

Average base pay: $13.44 an hour

Cash in on your passion for animals with a job at a veterinary clinic. Receptionists earn more than minimum wage checking in patients, answering the phones, and scheduling appointments.

Don’t settle for a low-paying position. It is possible to land a job with a company that pays its employees more than the state and federal minimum wage. These stores are outpacing the national average, including:

Starbucks

Bigger paychecks are brewing at Starbucks. This coffee conglomerate announced in December 2020 that it will fast-track its plans to bump up barista’s hourly rate to $15 an hour over the next three years. Part-timers also get five sick days, stock options, and paid parental leave.

Bank of America

Bank of America pays its staff members a minimum wage you can actually live on. Its minimum wage has risen by nearly $9 since 2010. This premier financial institution is about a year ahead of schedule to reach its minimum wage goal of $20 an hour.

Home Depot

Low prices aren’t the only thing that sets Home Depot apart. If you don the company’s orange vest, you’ll cash in on permanent wage increases. Home Depot has a  $1 billion spending plan that includes incremental compensation for the majority of its 400,000 workers. 

Costco

Costco, a popular membership-based warehouse store, is raising its minimum wage for workers to $16 an hour. According to a recent report by CNBC, this move is geared to help reduce the financial strain of the pandemic on close to 90% of its 180,000 American employees.

Dollar Tree

Most bargain hunters have heard of Dollar Tree. It’s a consumer’s paradise that staffed as many as 136,200 part-time associates as of February 2020. Leaders at this store tout loads of jobs that make more than minimum wage. Its worker-friendly policy gives associates an average minimum pay of $9.36.

While the battle over the federal minimum wage rages on, take heart knowing that there are plenty of jobs that pay more than minimum wage. Use this guide to help you boost your paycheck.

Learn more: Get a free, personalized salary estimate based on today’s job market.