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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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: Paid at prevailing federal minimum wage: Private wage and salary workers: Transportation and warehousing industries: 16 years and over (LEU0204852000A) from 2000 to 2024 about paid, warehousing, minimum wage, salaries, workers, transportation, 16 years +, federal, wages, private, employment, industry, and USA.

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 Wage and Salary Workers Paid Below Prevailing Federal Minimum Wage: 16 Years and Over: Some College, no Degree (SCNDC4) from 2002 to 2023 about no college, paid, minimum wage, salaries, workers, 16 years +, education, federal, wages, and USA.

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.

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.

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In 2023, about 24,000 workers in the manufacturing sector were paid hourly rates at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage. The most workers at this earning level were in the leisure and hospitality industry at 603,000 workers earning minimum wage or less.

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.

This statistic shows the number of workers paid hourly rates at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage in the United States in 2023, by educational attainment. In 2023, around 142,000 people without a high school diploma earned the minimum wage or below.

Costa Rica is the country with the highest minimum monthly wage in Latin America. According to the minimum salary established by law as of January 2024, workers in the Central American country enjoy a basic monthly wage of over 687 U.S. dollars, an increase of 1.83 percent compared to the previous year and over 100 U.S. dollars more than the second place, Uruguay. On the other side of the spectrum is Venezuela, where employees are only guaranteed by law a minimum salary of 130 bolívares or little more than three dollars per month. Can Latin Americans survive on a minimum wage? Even if most countries in Latin America have instated laws to guarantee citizens a basic income, these minimum standards are often not enough to meet household needs. For instance, it was estimated that almost 25 million people in Mexico lacked basic housing services. Salary levels also vary greatly among Latin American economies. In 2020, the average net monthly salary in Mexico was barely higher than Chile's minimum wage in 2021. What can a minimum wage afford in Latin America? Latin American real wages have generally risen in the past decade. However, consumers in this region still struggle to afford non-basic goods, such as tech products. Recent estimates reveal that, in order to buy an iPhone, Brazilian residents would have to work at least two months to be able to pay for it. A gaming console, on the other hand, could easily cost a Latin American worker several minimum wages.

In an April 2024 online survey, an overwhelming majority of respondents in the United States said that 7.25 U.S. dollars per hour is not enough for the average American worker to have a decent quality of life. The U.S. federal minimum wage has not been raised since 2009. Since then, many states have raised the wage, with a number of states having more than doubled the federal minimum.

In 2021, the minimum wage in the United States would be 22.88 U.S. dollars an hour if it grew with productivity. However, the current federal minimum wage in the United States 7.25 U.S. dollars an hour and has remained unchanged since 2009.

Graph and download economic data for Employed: Paid below prevailing federal minimum wage: Wage and salary workers: Production occupations: 16 years and over (LEU0204843800A) from 2000 to 2024 about paid, occupation, minimum wage, salaries, workers, 16 years +, federal, wages, production, employment, and USA.