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.

Graph and download economic data for Laborers' Average Hourly Rate of Wages, Weighted for United States (A08139USA052NNBR) from 1860 to 1891 about hours, wages, labor, rate, and USA.

Wages in Manufacturing in the United States increased to 28.64 USD/Hour in February from 28.54 USD/Hour in January of 2025. This dataset provides - United States Average Hourly Wages in Manufacturing - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In November 2024, the average hourly earnings of all employees in the United States was at 11.25 U.S. dollars. The data have been seasonally adjusted. The deflators used for constant-dollar earnings shown here come from the Consumer Price Indexes Programs. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Employees (CPI-U) is used to deflate the data for all employees. A comparison of the rate of wage growth versus the monthly inflation since 2020 rate can be accessed here. Real wages are wages that have been adjusted for inflation.

Graph and download economic data for Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Manufacturing (CES3000000003) from Mar 2006 to Feb 2025 about earnings, establishment survey, hours, wages, manufacturing, employment, and USA.

Average Hourly Earnings in the United States increased 0.30 percent in February of 2025 over the previous month. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States Average Hourly Earnings - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

This statistic shows the average hourly wage in occupations that required a certain skill set in the United States from 1990 to 2015, by required skill. In 2015, U.S. Americans working in occupations that required a high level of analytical skills earned 27 U.S. dollars per hour on average.

Graph and download economic data for Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private (CEU0500000003) from Mar 2006 to Feb 2025 about earnings, average, establishment survey, hours, wages, private, employment, and USA.

In October 2024, the average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls in the United States stood at 35.46 U.S. dollars. The data have been seasonally adjusted. Employed persons are employees on nonfarm payrolls and consist of: persons who did any work for pay or profit during the survey reference week; persons who did at least 15 hours of unpaid work in a family-operated enterprise; and persons who were temporarily absent from their regular jobs because of illness, vacation, bad weather, industrial dispute, or various personal reasons.

In 2023 in the United States, the median hourly rate of a worker's wage between 20 and 24 years old was 16.4 current U.S. dollars. Workers between the ages of 35 and 44 years old had the highest hourly wage in that year, at 21.2 current U.S. dollars.

This statistic shows the average hourly wage of people employed as child care workers in the United States as of May 2021, by state. As of May 2021, the median wage for child care workers in Washington D.C. was 17.93 U.S. dollars per hour.

In 2023, the median hourly rate of a female wageworker in the United States between 20 and 24 years old was 15.88 current U.S. dollars. Women between the ages of 35 and 44 years old made the most in that year, with a median hourly wage of 19.84 current U.S. dollars.

This statistic represents the hourly earnings in the U.S. manufacturing sector between May 2006 and May 2021. On average, employees in the manufacturing sector in the United States had hourly earnings of 29.52 U.S. dollars in May 2021.

In 2023, the hourly earning of a man in the United States between 20 and 24 years old amounted to 17.13 U.S. dollars. Men between the ages of 45 and 54 years old earned the most in that year, with a median hourly wage of 22.79 current U.S. dollars.

United States - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private was 35.93000 $ per Hour in February of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private reached a record high of 35.93000 in February of 2025 and a record low of 20.05000 in March of 2006. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees: Total Private in Texas (SMU48000000500000003) from Jan 2007 to Dec 2024 about earnings, hours, TX, private, employment, and USA.

In 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the hourly mean wage of registered nurses in the United States stood at 45.42 U.S. dollars. With an hourly mean wage of 66.20 U.S. dollars, registered nurses in California had the highest hourly wages, followed by Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. On the other hand, South Dakota was the state with the lowest hourly mean wages for registered nurses in 2023.

In 2024, households in California needed an hourly wage of over 47 U.S. dollars to afford the rent of a two-bedroom apartment. Massachusetts had the second-least affordable two-bedroom apartments, as a household would have to earn at least around 45 U.S. dollars per hour in order to afford rent payments. These figures are considerably higher than the average minimum wage in place in many states. There was no state in which a minimum wage worker could afford rent for the average two-bedroom apartment, if they only worked 40 hours a week. Where are the least affordable counties and metros? The least affordable rents were predominately in Californian counties and metropolitan areas in 2024. District of Columbia has one of the highest minimum wages in the country, which stood at 17 U.S. dollars per hour as of January 2024. Thus, the affordability of two-bedroom apartments highlights how disproportionately high housing costs are in the state.

Average hourly earnings of all employees in Connecticut from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Sectors include:

Manufacturing (SMU09000003000000003) Construction (SMU09000002000000003) Other Services in Connecticut (SMU09000008000000003) Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (SMU0900000400000000) Education and Health Services (SMU0900000650000000) Professional and Business Services (SMU09000006000000003) Financial Activities (SMU09000005500000003) Private Service Providing (SMU09000000800000003) Goods Producing in Connecticut (SMU09000000600000003) Leisure and Hospitality in Connecticut (SMU09000007000000003) Total Private (SMU09000000500000003)

Citation: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/, January 6, 2021.

The federally mandated minimum wage in the United States is 7.25 U.S. dollars per hour, although the minimum wage varies from state to state. As of January 1, 2024, the District of Columbia had the highest minimum wage in the U.S., at 17 U.S. dollars per hour. This was followed by Washington, which had 16.28 U.S. dollars per hour as the state minimum wage.

Minimum wage workers

Minimum wage jobs are traditionally seen as “starter jobs” in the U.S., or first jobs for teenagers and young adults, and the number of people working minimum wage jobs has decreased from almost four million in 1979 to about 247,000 in 2020. However, the number of workers earning less than minimum wage in 2020 was significantly higher, at about 865,000.

Minimum wage jobs

Minimum wage jobs are primarily found in food preparation and serving occupations, as well as sales jobs (primarily in retail). Because the minimum wage has not kept up with inflation, nor has it been increased since 2009, it is becoming harder and harder live off of a minimum wage wage job, and for those workers to afford essential things like rent.