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.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Minimum Hourly Wage for Nonfarm Workers for the United States (FEDMINNFRWG) from Oct 1938 to Feb 2025 about per hour, minimum wage, nonfarm, workers, hours, federal, wages, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Minimum Wage Rate under the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (STTMINWGFG) from 1968 to 2025 about minimum wage, federal, wages, labor, rate, and USA.

This statistic shows the real hourly minimum wage in the United States from 2001 to 2022 (in PPP U.S. dollars). In the United States in 2022, the real minimum wage was 7.3 U.S. dollars per hour.

Minimum Wages in the United States remained unchanged at 7.25 USD/Hour in 2025 from 7.25 USD/Hour in 2024. This dataset provides - United States Minimum Wages- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Graph and download economic data for Employed: Percent of hourly paid workers: Paid total at or below prevailing federal minimum wage: Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over (LEU0203127200A) from 1979 to 2024 about paid, minimum wage, salaries, workers, hours, 16 years +, federal, wages, percent, employment, and USA.

United States - Employed: Paid total at or below prevailing federal minimum wage: Private wage and salary workers: Accommodation and food services industries: 16 years and over was 518.00000 Thous. of Persons in January of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Employed: Paid total at or below prevailing federal minimum wage: Private wage and salary workers: Accommodation and food services industries: 16 years and over reached a record high of 1869.00000 in January of 2010 and a record low of 518.00000 in January of 2024. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Employed: Paid total at or below prevailing federal minimum wage: Private wage and salary workers: Accommodation and food services industries: 16 years and over - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

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.

This graph shows average wages around the world in 2012 as calculated by purchasing power parity. In 2012 the highest average wage was earned in Luxembourg at 4,089 purchasing power parity dollars. Wages and salaries Wages and salaries in the United States have increased during the last decades. The median weekly earnings of a full-time wage and salary worker were about 241 U.S. dollars in 1979 and shifted up to 768 U.S. dollars in 2012.

The median earnings of U.S. full-time wage and salary workers vary across their educational attainment. The highest paid workers are those who hold a bachelor’s degree, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The U.S. federal government specified minimum wage laws for workers in the United States, which say that workers must be paid no less than the current federal minimum wage. The minimum wage was set at 7.25 U.S. dollars per hour by federal law. The actual minimum wage varies from state to state, as some states have additional minimum wage laws.

For instance, the minimum wage in Washington was around 9.04 U.S. dollars per hour, while the worst minimum wage can be found in Georgia, where workers earn at least 5.15 U.S. dollars per hour. No minimum wages can be found in Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina and Mississippi, as of January 1, 2012.

The number of workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the minimum wage in the U.S. was at its highest in the industry type of leisure and hospitality in 2013.

Recent statistics show that the share of female workers paid hourly rates at or below prevailing federal minimum wage in the United States decreased since 1979. In that year, 20.2 percent of the female wage and salary workers were paid below the federal minimum wage, while only 2.9 percent of the female workers were paid below the federal minimum wage in 2006.

Key information about United States Monthly Earnings

• United States Monthly Earnings stood at 4,901 USD in Feb 2025, compared with the previous figure of 4,887 USD in Jan 2025
• US Monthly Earnings data is updated monthly, available from Mar 2006 to Feb 2025, with an average number of 3,469 USD
• The data reached the an all-time high of 4,901 USD in Feb 2025 and a record low of 2,743 USD in Mar 2006

• In the latest reports, US Population reached 341 million people in Dec 2024
• Unemployment Rate of US increased to 4 % in Feb 2025
• The country's Labour Force Participation Rate remained the same rate at 62 % in Feb 2025

Wages in the United States increased 4.46 percent in January of 2025 over the same month in the previous year. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States Wages and Salaries Growth - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Graph and download economic data for State Minimum Wage Rate for Virginia (STTMINWGVA) from 1976 to 2025 about minimum wage, VA, wages, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Employed: Percent of hourly paid workers: Paid total at or below prevailing federal minimum wage: Private wage and salary workers: Transportation and warehousing industries: 16 years and over (LEU0204865800A) from 2000 to 2024 about paid, warehousing, minimum wage, salaries, workers, transportation, hours, 16 years +, federal, wages, percent, private, employment, industry, and USA.

The minimum wage per day guaranteed by law in Mexico was decreed to increase by approximately 12 percent between 2024 and 2025, reaching 278.8 Mexican pesos in 2025. The Northern Free Zone located near the northern border was the exception, where the minimum daily wage increased to 419.88 Mexican pesos. Education and income disparity The income distribution is entirely a new story than minimum wages, in fact, there are many factors that influence the level of salaries for Mexican workers. One of the main differences is by the number of schooling years, someone with more than 18 years of study earns on average double than employees with seven to nine years. Moreover, the area of study, while statistics and finance mean salaries, the highest wages by degree, are above 30,000 Mexican pesos per month, others such as performing arts and theology rank as the lowest paying degrees in Mexico.
Poverty still among the main problems
Despite one of the main reasons for minimum wage increases being moving people out from poverty conditions, poverty continues to be one of the main problems Mexican society faces. The number of people living under poverty conditions has decreased by 8.54 million inhabitants from 2014 to 2022, nonetheless, the figure is still higher than 46.5 million. The poverty rate varies among states, with Chiapas leading the ranking with 67.4 percent of the population under such conditions, while both Baja California and Baja California Sur recorded less than 14 percent.

This table contains data on the living wage and the percent of families with incomes below the living wage for California, its counties, regions and cities/towns. Living wage is the wage needed to cover basic family expenses (basic needs budget) plus all relevant taxes; it does not include publicly provided income or housing assistance. The percent of families below the living wage was calculated using data from the Living Wage Calculator and the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. The table is part of a series of indicators in the Healthy Communities Data and Indicators Project of the Office of Health Equity. The living wage is the wage or annual income that covers the cost of the bare necessities of life for a worker and his/her family. These necessities include housing, transportation, food, childcare, health care, and payment of taxes. Low income populations and non-white race/ethnic have disproportionately lower wages, poorer housing, and higher levels of food insecurity. More information about the data table and a data dictionary can be found in the About/Attachments section.

Graph and download economic data for State Minimum Wage Rate for Ohio (STTMINWGOH) from 1968 to 2025 about minimum wage, OH, wages, rate, and USA.

United States - Wage and Salary Workers Paid Below Prevailing Federal Minimum Wage: 16 Years and Over: Occupational Program was 0.80000 % of Total Paid Hourly Rate in January of 2021, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Wage and Salary Workers Paid Below Prevailing Federal Minimum Wage: 16 Years and Over: Occupational Program reached a record high of 1.90000 in January of 2010 and a record low of 0.50000 in January of 2020. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Wage and Salary Workers Paid Below Prevailing Federal Minimum Wage: 16 Years and Over: Occupational Program - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

United States - Wage and Salary Workers Paid at or Below Prevailing Federal Minimum Wage: 16 Years and Over: Master's Degree was 20.00000 Thous. of Persons in January of 2021, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Wage and Salary Workers Paid at or Below Prevailing Federal Minimum Wage: 16 Years and Over: Master's Degree reached a record high of 38.00000 in January of 2009 and a record low of 9.00000 in January of 2004. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Wage and Salary Workers Paid at or Below Prevailing Federal Minimum Wage: 16 Years and Over: Master's Degree - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

United States - Wage and Salary Workers Paid Below Prevailing Federal Minimum Wage: 16 Years and Over: 4 Years of High School, no Diploma was 2.40000 % of Total Paid Below Minimum Wage in January of 2021, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Wage and Salary Workers Paid Below Prevailing Federal Minimum Wage: 16 Years and Over: 4 Years of High School, no Diploma reached a record high of 2.70000 in January of 2009 and a record low of 1.40000 in January of 2008. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Wage and Salary Workers Paid Below Prevailing Federal Minimum Wage: 16 Years and Over: 4 Years of High School, no Diploma - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Minimum wage law and hourly wage, bonus, and weekly hours (NAWS-California).