In 2023, the median hourly earnings of wage and salary workers in the United States was 19.24 U.S. dollars. This is an increase from 1979, when median hourly earnings were at 4.44 U.S. dollars. Hourly Workers The United States national minimum wage is 7.25 U.S. dollars per hour, which has been the minimum wage since 2009. However, each state has the agency to set their state minimum wage. Furthermore, some cities are able to create their minimum wage. Many argue that the minimum wage is too low and should be raised, because it is not considered a living wage. There has been a movement to raise the minimum wage to 15 U.S. dollars per hour, called “Fight for 15” which began in the early 2010s. While there has been no movement at the federal level, some states have moved to increase their minimum wages, with at least three states and the District of Columbia setting minimum wage rates at or above 15 dollars per hour. More recently, some proponents of increasing the minimum wage say that 15 dollars is too low, and lawmakers should strive toward a higher goal, especially given that a 2021 analysis found that the minimum wage in the U.S. should be 22.88 U.S. dollars if it grew at the same rate as economic productivity. Salary Workers On the other hand, salary workers in the United States do not get paid on an hourly basis. The median weekly earnings of salary workers have significantly increased since 1979. Asian salary workers had the highest hourly earnings in the U.S. in 2021. Among female salary workers, those ages 45 to 54 years old had the highest median hourly earnings in 2021, likewise for male salary workers.

In 2023, the usual median hourly rate of a worker's wage in the United States was 19.24 U.S. dollars, a decrease from the previous year. Dollar value is based on 2023 U.S. dollars. In 1979, the median hourly earnings in the U.S. was 17.48 dollars.

Graph and download economic data for Average Hourly Earnings of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees, Total Private (AHETPI) from Jan 1964 to May 2025 about nonsupervisory, headline figure, earnings, average, establishment survey, hours, wages, production, private, employment, and USA.

Wages in Sweden increased to 203.60 SEK/Hour in April from 202 SEK/Hour in March of 2025. This dataset provides - Sweden Average Hourly Wages - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The median hourly earnings for full-time employees in the United Kingdom was 18.72 British pounds in 2024, compared with 17.48 pounds in the previous year. At the start of this provided time period, in 1997, the average hourly wage in the UK was 7.92 pounds per hour, rising to more than ten pounds per hour by 2003, and above 15 pounds per hour by 2020. Minimum and living wage in the UK In the United Kingdom, employers are expected to pay their employees a minimum wage that is determined by how old they are. Under 18s for example, had a minimum wage of 5.28 British pounds in 2023, with the figure increasing to 7.49 pounds those aged 18 to 20, 10.18 for 21 to 22 year old's, and 10.42 for those aged 23 and over. There is also a voluntarily paid living Wage that employers can choose to pay their workers. For the 2023/24 financial year this was twelve pounds an hour, rising to 13.15 pounds an hour for workers based in London. Icelandic the highest earners in Europe Iceland had the highest average annual wage in the Europe in 2022 at around 79,500 U.S dollars. This was followed by Luxembourg at 78,300 dollars, Switzerland at 72,990 and Belgium at 64,850 dollars. The United Kingdom’s average annual wage amounted to around 53,985 U.S dollars in the same year. In this year, the country with the lowest annual salary in Europe was Greece, at 25,980 pounds per year.

Graph and download economic data for Employed full time: Median usual weekly real earnings: Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over (LES1252881600Q) from Q1 1979 to Q1 2025 about full-time, salaries, workers, earnings, 16 years +, wages, median, real, employment, and USA.

In 1979, about 3.99 million workers were paid hourly rates at the official minimum wage. In 2023, about 81,000 workers were paid hourly rates at the prevailing minimum wage. The prevailing Federal minimum wage was 7.25 U.S. dollars per hour in 2023.

Wages in China increased to 120698 CNY/Year in 2023 from 114029 CNY/Year in 2022. This dataset provides - China Average Yearly Wages - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Average hourly and weekly wage rate, and median hourly and weekly wage rate by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), type of work, gender, and age group.

This table contains 9860 series, with data for years 1983 - 2000 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (13 items: Newfoundland and Labrador; Canada; Prince Edward Island; Nova Scotia ...), Overtime (2 items: Including overtime; Excluding overtime ...), Estimates (2 items: Average weekly hours; Average hourly earnings ...), Standard Industrial Classification, 1980 (SIC) (283 items: Industrial aggregate excluding unclassified establishments; Logging and forestry industries; Logging industry; Goods producing industries ...).

This statistic shows the percent of workers paid hourly rates at or below prevailing federal minimum wage in the United States from 1980 to 2023, by gender. In 2023, only 1.5 percent of the female wage and salary workers were paid hourly rates at or below the federal minimum wage, compared to 21.6 percent in 1980.

When adjusted for inflation, the 2024 federal minimum wage in the United States is over 40 percent lower than the minimum wage in 1970. Although the real dollar minimum wage in 1970 was only 1.60 U.S. dollars, when expressed in nominal 2024 dollars this increases to 13.05 U.S. dollars. This is a significant difference from the federal minimum wage in 2024 of 7.25 U.S. dollars.

This table contains 33 series, with data for years 1983 - 2000 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (not all combinations are available): Unit of measure (1 items: Index ...), Geography (13 items: Canada;Prince Edward Island;Nova Scotia;Newfoundland and Labrador ...), Standard Industrial Classification, 1980 (SIC) (21 items: Logging and forestry industries;Mining (including milling); quarrying and oil well industries;Goods producing industries;Industrial aggregate excluding unclassified establishments ...), Fixed weighted index, average hourly earnings (1 items: Fixed weighted index; average hourly earnings ...), Type of employee (1 items: All employees ...).

Graph and download economic data for Hourly Earnings: Earnings: Economic Activity: Manufacturing: Total Economy for Mexico (LCEAMN01MXM661S) from Jan 1980 to Mar 2025 about Mexico, compensation, earnings, hours, and manufacturing.

Graph and download economic data for Labor Compensation: Earnings: Manufacturing: Hourly for Mexico (MEXLCEAMN01GPSAQ) from Q2 1980 to Q1 2025 about Mexico, compensation, hours, and manufacturing.

In March 2025, inflation amounted to 2.4 percent, while wages grew by 4.3 percent. The inflation rate has not exceeded the rate of wage growth since January 2023. Inflation in 2022 The high rates of inflation in 2022 meant that the real terms value of American wages took a hit. Many Americans report feelings of concern over the economy and a worsening of their financial situation. The inflation situation in the United States is one that was experienced globally in 2022, mainly due to COVID-19 related supply chain constraints and disruption due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The monthly inflation rate for the U.S. reached a 40-year high in June 2022 at 9.1 percent, and annual inflation for 2022 reached eight percent. Without appropriate wage increases, Americans will continue to see a decline in their purchasing power. Wages in the U.S. Despite the level of wage growth reaching 6.7 percent in the summer of 2022, it has not been enough to curb the impact of even higher inflation rates. The federally mandated minimum wage in the United States has not increased since 2009, meaning that individuals working minimum wage jobs have taken a real terms pay cut for the last twelve years. There are discrepancies between states - the minimum wage in California can be as high as 15.50 U.S. dollars per hour, while a business in Oklahoma may be as low as two U.S. dollars per hour. However, even the higher wage rates in states like California and Washington may be lacking - one analysis found that if minimum wage had kept up with productivity, the minimum hourly wage in the U.S. should have been 22.88 dollars per hour in 2021. Additionally, the impact of decreased purchasing power due to inflation will impact different parts of society in different ways with stark contrast in average wages due to both gender and race.

United States Avg Hourly Earnings: sa: PW: 1982-84p: Utilities data was reported at 14.910 USD in Jun 2018. This stayed constant from the previous number of 14.910 USD for May 2018. United States Avg Hourly Earnings: sa: PW: 1982-84p: Utilities data is updated monthly, averaging 13.140 USD from Jan 1972 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 558 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.310 USD in Jun 2017 and a record low of 11.600 USD in Dec 1980. United States Avg Hourly Earnings: sa: PW: 1982-84p: Utilities data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.G034: Current Employment Statistics Survey: Average Weekly and Hourly Earnings: Production Workers.

Wages in Japan decreased to 335164 JPY/Month in May from 338252 JPY/Month in April of 2025. This dataset provides - Japan Average Monthly Wages - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

This table contains 9891 series, with data for years 1983 - 2000 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (13 items: Newfoundland and Labrador; Canada; Nova Scotia; Prince Edward Island ...), Overtime (2 items: Including overtime; Excluding overtime ...), Estimates (2 items: Average weekly hours; Average hourly earnings ...), Standard Industrial Classification, 1980 (SIC) (283 items: Industrial aggregate excluding unclassified establishments; Logging and forestry industries; Logging industry; Goods producing industries ...), Seasonal adjustment (2 items: Unadjusted; Seasonally adjusted ...).

During the academic year of 2021-22, public school teachers in the United States made an average of 66,397 U.S. dollars per year. This is a significant increase from the 1979-80 school year, when the average annual wage for public school teachers was 15,970 U.S. dollars.

Stagnating wages

While the American economy is doing well, wages have been stagnating in recent years. The federal minimum wage, which currently stands at 7.25 U.S. dollars per hour, has not been raised since July 2009, meaning that minimum wage has not increased with inflation. Although minimum wage varies by state, the federal minimum wage prevails in many states. Additionally, median hourly earnings for workers, while increasing steadily, have not seen any significant jumps in recent years.

Fair pay for teachers

The majority of Americans believe that teachers are not paid fairly for the work that they do. Full-time public elementary and secondary school teachers in the U.S. have the highest salary in New York state, but the lowest salary in Mississippi.