Between 1914 and 1969, weekly wages in manufacturing industries in the United States grew by a factor of 12. In the first half of the century, the most significant periods of increase came during the World Wars, as manufacturing industries were at the core of the war effort. However, wages then fell sharply after both World Wars, due to post-war recessions and oversaturation of the job market as soldiers returned home. Interwar period Wage growth during the interwar period was often stagnant, despite the significant economic growth during the Roarin' 20s, and manufacturing wages remained steady at around 24 dollars from 1923 to 1929. This was, again, due to oversaturation of the job market, as employment in the agricultural sector declined due to mechanization and many rural workers flocked to industrial cities in search of employment. The Great Depression then saw the largest and most prolonged period of decline in manufacturing wages. From September 1929 to March 1933, weekly wages fell from 24 dollars to below 15 dollars, and it would take another four years for them to return to pre-Depression levels. Postwar prosperity After the 1945 Recession, the decades that followed the Second World War then saw consistent growth in manufacturing wages in almost every year, as the U.S. cemented itself as the foremost economic power in the world. This period is sometimes referred to as the Golden Age of Capitalism, and the U.S. strengthened its economic presence in Western Europe and other OECD countries, while expanding its political and military presence across Asia. Manufacturing and exports played a major role in the U.S.' economic growth in this period, and wages grew from roughly 40 dollars per week in 1945 to more than 120 dollars by the late 1960s.

Following the inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, government relief spending increased drastically. In his first year in office, workers in major cities were receiving benefits equal to just over one-fifth of average manufacturing wages. By 1936, relief benefits had risen to over two-fifths of the value of manufacturing wages - this also coincided with a wage increase from around 17 U.S. dollars per week in 1933 to 23 U.S. dollars in 1936, which means that the total value of relief benefits more than doubled in these years.

Graph and download economic data for Real Median Family Income in the United States (MEFAINUSA672N) from 1953 to 2023 about family, median, income, real, and USA.

The Data-compilation is a selection of time-series on wage- and salary development as well as on the development of the national income in Germany from 1850 to 1985. The following studies has been included: - Walther G. Hoffmann (1965): Das Wachstum der deutschen Wirtschaft seit der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts.- Rüdiger Hohls (1991): Arbeit und Verdienst. Entwicklung und Struktur der Arbeitseinkommen im Deutschen Reich und in der Bundesrepublik.- Pierenkemper, Toni (1987): Arbeitsmarkt und Angestellte im deutschen Kaiserreich 1880-1913. Interessen und Strategien als Elemente der Integration eines segmentierten Arbeitsmarktes.- Wiegand, Erich/Zapf, Wolfgang (1982): Wandel der Lebensbedingungen in Deutschland. Wohlfahrtsentwicklung seit der Industrialisierung. Tables in ZA-Online-Database HISTAT: A. Hoffmann, Walther G.: The Growth of the German Economy since the mid of the 19th centuryA.1 The average earned income per annum by industrial sector (1850-1959)A.2 The average earned income per annum in mining and saline (1850-1959)A.3 The average earned income per annum in industry and craft (1850-1959)A.4 The average earned income per annum in transport (1850-1959)A.5 The average earned income per annum in other services (1850-1959)A.6 Net national product (NNP) in factor costs in current prices and national income per capita according to Hoffmann (1850-1959)A.7 Gross value added and real national income per capita in prices of 1913 according to Hoffmann (1850-1959)A.8 The development of average earned income of employees in industry and craft, Index 1913 = 100 (1850-1959) B. Hohls, Rüdiger: The Sectoral Structure of Earnings in GermanyB.1 Nominal annual earnings of employees by industrial sector in Germany in Mark, 1885-1985B.2 Nominal earnings of white collar workers and blue collar workers in Germany, 1890-1940 C. Living costs, prices and earnings, consumer price indexC.1 Development of living costs (index) of medium employees’ households (1924-1978)C.2 Preices and earnings, index 1962 = 100 (1820-2001)C.3 Living costs, consumer price index (1820-2001) D. Pierenkemper, Toni: Employment market and employees in the German ‘Reich’ 1880-1913.D.1 Income of selected white collar categories in Mark (1880-1913)D.2 Real income of selected white collar categories (1880-1913) E. Wiegand, E.: Historical Development of Wages and Living Costs in Germany.E.1 Development of real gross income of blue collar workers in industry, index 1970 = 100 (1925-1978)E.2 Development of real gross income of blue collar workers in industry (1925-1978)E.3 Development of nominal and real national income per capita (1950-1978) E.4 Development of nominal and real national income per capita (1925-1939)E.5 National income: monthly income from dependent personal services per employee (1925-1971)E.6 Overlook: Development of wages, employed workers and gross income from dependent personal services in Germany (1810-1989)

The Data-compilation is a selection of time-series on wage- and salary development as well as on the development of the national income in Germany from 1850 to 1985. The following studies has been included:

• Walther G. Hoffmann (1965): Das Wachstum der deutschen Wirtschaft seit der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts.
• Rüdiger Hohls (1991): Arbeit und Verdienst. Entwicklung und Struktur der Arbeitseinkommen im Deutschen Reich und in der Bundesrepublik.
• Pierenkemper, Toni (1987): Arbeitsmarkt und Angestellte im deutschen Kaiserreich 1880-1913. Interessen und Strategien als Elemente der Integration eines segmentierten Arbeitsmarktes.
• Wiegand, Erich/Zapf, Wolfgang (1982): Wandel der Lebensbedingungen in Deutschland. Wohlfahrtsentwicklung seit der Industrialisierung.

Tables in ZA-Online-Database HISTAT:

A. Hoffmann, Walther G.: The Growth of the German Economy since the mid of the 19th century A.1 The average earned income per annum by industrial sector (1850-1959) A.2 The average earned income per annum in mining and saline (1850-1959) A.3 The average earned income per annum in industry and craft (1850-1959) A.4 The average earned income per annum in transport (1850-1959) A.5 The average earned income per annum in other services (1850-1959) A.6 Net national product (NNP) in factor costs in current prices and national income per capita according to Hoffmann (1850-1959) A.7 Gross value added and real national income per capita in prices of 1913 according to Hoffmann (1850-1959) A.8 The development of average earned income of employees in industry and craft, Index 1913 = 100 (1850-1959)

B. Hohls, Rüdiger: The Sectoral Structure of Earnings in Germany B.1 Nominal annual earnings of employees by industrial sector in Germany in Mark, 1885-1985 B.2 Nominal earnings of white collar workers and blue collar workers in Germany, 1890-1940

C. Living costs, prices and earnings, consumer price index C.1 Development of living costs (index) of medium employees’ households (1924-1978) C.2 Preices and earnings, index 1962 = 100 (1820-2001) C.3 Living costs, consumer price index (1820-2001)

D. Pierenkemper, Toni: Employment market and employees in the German ‘Reich’ 1880-1913. D.1 Income of selected white collar categories in Mark (1880-1913) D.2 Real income of selected white collar categories (1880-1913)

E. Wiegand, E.: Historical Development of Wages and Living Costs in Germany. E.1 Development of real gross income of blue collar workers in industry, index 1970 = 100 (1925-1978) E.2 Development of real gross income of blue collar workers in industry (1925-1978) E.3 Development of nominal and real national income per capita (1950-1978) E.4 Development of nominal and real national income per capita (1925-1939) E.5 National income: monthly income from dependent personal services per employee (1925-1971) E.6 Overlook: Development of wages, employed workers and gross income from dependent personal services in Germany (1810-1989)

In the Second World War, Japanese military wages were considered low in comparison to U.S. or European wages. A Japanese Army general received a basic pay of 550 yen per month (or roughly 126.5 U.S. dollars), whereas the lowest class of private received just six* yen per month (or 1.38 U.S. dollars). The source notes, however, that living costs were lower in Japan, and that additional pay was available for service personnel based on factors such as location, length of service, and specialized roles.

In 2009, consumers in the United States spent some 5.3 percent of their disposable income on food at home. By 2024 that share had slightly decreased to just over five percent. For food away from home, on the other hand, the share of disposable income spent by U.S. consumers grew from just under 4.4 percent in 2009 to nearly six percent as of 2024.