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 from Oct 1938 to Feb 2025 about per hour, minimum wage, nonfarm, workers, hours, federal, wages, and USA.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Employed: Paid total at or below prevailing federal minimum wage: Private wage and salary workers: Accommodation and food services industries: 16 years and over (LEU0204861200A) from 2000 to 2024 about paid, accommodation, minimum wage, salaries, workers, 16 years +, federal, food, wages, services, private, employment, industry, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Employed full time: Paid below prevailing federal minimum wage: Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over: Men (LEU0253128400A) from 2000 to 2024 about paid, minimum wage, full-time, males, salaries, workers, 16 years +, federal, wages, 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.

Graph and download economic data for Wage and Salary Workers Paid at Prevailing Federal Minimum Wage: 16 Years and Over: College Graduates: Bachelor's Degree and Higher (BDAHC7) from 2002 to 2023 about paid, minimum wage, tertiary schooling, salaries, workers, 16 years +, education, federal, wages, 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.

In 20220232, about 386,000 wage and salary workers aged between 16 to 24 years were paid hourly rates at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage in the United States. This can be compared to the 227,000 in the next age group of 25 to 34 years who made the same hourly rates.

This statistic shows the number of workers paid hourly rates at or below prevailing federal minimum wage in the United States in 2023, by race or ethnicity. In 2023, about 666,000 white people were paid at or below the federal minimum wage.

In 2023, around 2.9 percent of hourly wage workers in Rhode Island earned wages at or below the federal minimum wage. This was the highest share of any U.S. state, followed by the District of Columbia with 2.2 percent of hourly wage workers making minimum wage or less.

Graph and download economic data for Wage and Salary Workers Paid at or Below Prevailing Federal Minimum Wage: 16 Years and Over: Less than a High School Diploma (LHSDC9) from 2002 to 2023 about paid, secondary schooling, secondary, minimum wage, salaries, workers, 16 years +, education, federal, wages, 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 - Employed part time: Paid at prevailing federal minimum wage: Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over: Men was 27.00000 Thous. of Persons in January of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Employed part time: Paid at prevailing federal minimum wage: Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over: Men reached a record high of 443.00000 in January of 2011 and a record low of 18.00000 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Employed part time: Paid at prevailing federal minimum wage: Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over: Men - 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: Associate Degree was 0.90000 % 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: Associate Degree reached a record high of 2.00000 in January of 2011 and a record low of 0.70000 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: Associate Degree - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

United States - Employed: Paid total at or below prevailing federal minimum wage: Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over: Asian: Men was 14.00000 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: Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over: Asian: Men reached a record high of 60.00000 in January of 2010 and a record low of 9.00000 in January of 2023. 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: Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over: Asian: Men - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

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.