The US had roughly 1.6 million minimum wage workers as of 2021

The first federal minimum wage wasn't set until 1938, when it was 25 cents per hour.

See every time the minimum wage has been raised.

In the Netherlands, the minimum wage amounts to a full-time salary of roughly $34,192 per year

The US minimum wage, however, only amounts to roughly $15K per year. This map shows how much minimum wage workers in countries around the world earn on an annual basis in US dollars.

The federal minimum wage in the US has been $7.25 per hour since 2009—making this the longest the US has gone without a minimum wage increase since 1938.

An animation of how the minimum wage changed every year from 1968 to 2018

In the United States, both the federal and state minimum wages have changed a lot over the years. See how—both in each state and at the federal level.

The way the minimum wage is set in other countries often differs from US methods

Unlike the US, some countries set the minimum wage by industry through collective bargaining agreements. In Luxembourg, the minimum wage translates to roughly $19.50 per hour, currently making it the country with the highest minimum wage in the world.

See how the median annual US salary varies by age group, with the overall median annual salary being $62,192 as of 2025.

The average salary for full-time gig workers is roughly $60K a year in the US

High-earners can make more than six figures, while close to 15% make less than the federal minimum hour wage. Most gig workers in the United States still have to file a tax return every year.

When a state's minimum wage differs from the federal minimum wage, the higher number wins out.

This is the longest the US has gone without a minimum wage increase since 1938

The US government hasn’t increased the federal minimum wage in more than a decade. Some people argue it's wrong that Congress needs to debate whether or not to raise the minimum wage—and that perhaps these raises should be tied to inflation.

Since its inception in 1938, Congress has raised the federal minimum wage 22 times

If you want all the details about when and why these rate increases happened check out this resource from the US Department of Labor.

Does minimum wage hurt workers?

Many economists traditionally believed raising the minimum wage hurt workers more than helped them. They argued that doing so would lead to job losses believing that if something is more expensive (like labor), people (like business owners) would want to buy less of it. However, recent research suggests otherwise.

Pros and cons of minimum wage

The federal minimum wage hasn’t been raised since 2009. Over the past decade or so, proponents of significantly raising the minimum wage have argued that doing so could reduce reliance on government financial assistance programs and increase consumer spending. But opponents say higher labor costs could lead to job cuts.

The monthly minimum wage a full-time worker receives varies around the world

In Luxembourg, for instance, the monthly minimum was roughly $2,140 as of January 2023. But in Nigeria, it was just $68 a month. Of course, the cost of living varies by country too.

Explore the most common jobs for Americans, broken down by age and gender.

Tipped workers in ‘$2.13 states’ experience an estimated 18.5% poverty rates

In so-called “equal treatment states,” where tipped workers are subject to the normal federal minimum wage or higher rather than the tipped minimum wage, the poverty rate is 11.1%.

Part of the reason why American teachers aren't paid well has to do with gender

In the US, the wage gap between teachers and others with the same level of education and experience was nearly 20% as of 2021, per CNBC. That's partly because teaching was originally branded as a woman's profession.

In 1980, the median US household income was $21,020

In 1980, a steady middle-class job paid roughly $13,000 to $16,000 a year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That income comfortably supported a household on one paycheck. The average full-time worker today, who makes $68K per year often cannot afford to support a household without a second income.

The Fair Labor Standards Act established a minimum wage—but it didn't cover everyone

A 1966 amendment created the “tip credit,” which allowed restaurants to pay below minimum wage if tips compensated the difference. However, this federal tipped minimum wage has remained frozen at $2.13 per hour since 1991, whereas the regular minimum wage has increased multiple times since then.

Explore an interactive chart that shows peoples' annual salaries by occupation

The median salary for full-time workers in the United States was roughly $49.5K in 2024. An interactive chart details how salaries differ by occupation.

US tipped employees receive the 'subminimum wage' of $2.13, unchanged since 1991

Tipped employees (anyone who makes $30+ per month in tips) are not federally entitled to a traditional minimum wage. Customers determine their earnings. The National Restaurant Association believes that if restaurant owners are forced to pay above the subminimum wage for tipped workers, restaurants could be forced to close.

At just over $1K, Mississippi has the lowest average weekly wage in the country.

Massachusetts is the state with the highest median household income for young Americans at $123.2K per year

Americans ages 25 through 44 make more in some states than others. While Massachusetts took the top billing, Mississippi came in last place out of all 50 states at $66K per year—a roughly 87% difference. However, it's important to remember that the cost of living in many of the highest-earning states in the US is significantly higher than the cost of living in the lowest-earning states.

The US youth unemployment rate jumped from 6.6% in 2023 to 10.4% in 2025.

The US federal government employs roughly 3 million people

Tracking began in 1939, when the federal workforce consisted of about 1 million people. The total peaked in 1990 at 3.4 million, and hit a recent low in 2014 at 2.7 million.

Advocate estimate roughly 27% of Black service workers live below the poverty line

That’s significantly higher than the rate for restaurant workers overall. Approximately 37% of tipped workers are mothers, nearly half being single moms struggling with income volatility. This article includes more statistics about what the average tipped worker looks like and offers a peek inside their lives.

25% of US households had no regular income as of 2024

Some states had higher shares of no-income households than others: West Virginia, for instance, had a national high of 34% of households with no income. These states tend to have older populations, higher rates of disability, and lower median incomes overall. In such contexts, a larger portion of households rely on non-earned income sources or report no income during the survey period.

The most common job in each US state in 2024

In 15 states, the most common job by number of employees is "fast food worker." Other most common jobs include cashiers and nurses.

In the US, 3.6 million babies were born in 2023

That year, about 40% of the babies were born to unmarried parents, and about 32% of the births were born via cesarean. On average, mothers were 27.5 years old when they had their first child.

See where the United States ranked in annual working hours per worker among major countries over time.

Over 1.9 million Americans—more than a quarter of those unemployed—have been classified as 'long-term' unemployed in a given month in 2026, meaning they've been out of work for at least 27 weeks.

Union membership was 9.9% in 2024, the lowest in nearly 40 years.

As of 2021, 25% of 40-year-olds in the United States had never been married

If you’re in your forties and without a college degree, you’re significantly less likely to have ever been married now than in the past. Ditto for Black 40-year-olds and middle-aged men. There’s been a huge jump from the 6% of 40-year-olds who had never been married in 1980. Despite the historical significance of marriage, the trend away from wedded bliss has been rising steadily over the past three decades.

Use this interactive tool to see how long Americans have tended to remain at the same job for in various decades.

After emancipation, many slaves went from working for free to working for tips.

Nearly 1 in 4 Americans over age 65 is still working

While many of these Americans are often working part-time, the share varies significantly by US state. While roughly 29% of those over the age of 65 work in Vermont, only about 17% do the same in West Virginia.

Many states require higher direct wage amounts for tipped employees than the federal requirement

Employers of "tipped employees" are required to pay them $2.13 per hour in direct wages if that amount, combined with the tips, at least equals the federal minimum wage of $7.25. If the employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 per hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage, the employer has to make up the difference. However, this differs from state to state. This interactive map shows what tipped workers make per hour in every state.

Why young women experience the most workplace ageism

While one might assume that older women face the most unfair treatment due to age in the workplace, some research from McKinsey & Co. suggests otherwise. The consulting firm found that while ageism impacts older women and men at similar rates, women in their 20s and 30s report much higher instances of ageism than both older women and their young, male colleagues. Learn more from the research here.

The income needed to be middle class in every US state

Depending on the US state you live in, the household income needed to be considered "middle class" can vary from only $36K per year to $200K per year. It's more expensive to be considered middle class in states like Massachusetts and New Jersey than it is in West Virginia or Mississippi. See these numbers in a data visualization here.

US teachers' earnings have declined since 2010

Although teachers are among the nation’s most educated workers, they earn far less on average than most other highly educated workers. More than 95% of elementary, middle and high school teachers have a bachelor’s degree or more. In 2019, the average earnings of elementary and middle school teachers with a bachelor’s degree or more who work full-time, year-round was $53,800. For high school teachers, it was $57,840.

Poverty rates by US state

As of 2022, 37.9 million people in the US were living in poverty. But those people aren't evenly distributed among the 50 states. Some states and regions of the country are more impoverished than others. For instance, US poverty rates are relatively higher in the South than they are in the North. See the state-by-state breakdown with this map.

Living wage calculator

Some people who work low-wage jobs don't make enough money to pay for the cost of basic needs (like housing or child care) in their area of the country. Curious to see whether or not you make what's considered a "living wage" for your city or state? To find out, plug your locale into this Living Wage Calculator.

The best US cities for entry-level jobs with livable wages

In Bakersfield, California, 100% of entry-level job ads on Indeed recently claimed to pay above the local living wage. But other cities, like Honolulu, Hawaii, aren't as livable for entry-level workers: Just 27.69% of new job posts advertise a salary in line with the city's living wage.

Some argue that restricting illegal immigration would raise wages for lower-income American workers

The Heritage Foundation argues that illegal immigrants' willingness to work for below-market wages suppresses wages for low-skilled American workers—and that reducing illegal immigration would increase wages and job opportunities, particularly for workers without a college degree.

Despite earning less than most tech workers, educators have one of the highest rates of homeownership

Annual income largely determines homeownership. In the US, 72% of people in management roles own a home, but educators, who on average earn much less than those working in business, have the second-highest rate of homeownership.

Americans between the ages of 45 and 55 pay nearly 30% of all income taxes, paying an average tax rate of around 17%.

Despite being completely legal to discuss salaries with your coworkers, the practice largely remains taboo in the US, particularly amongst older workers.

Pay transparency—once considered taboo—is gaining momentum. Despite being legally protected since 1935, open salary discussions have only recently become more common, especially among younger workers. This overview explores how cultural norms, economic shifts, and new state laws are reshaping the conversation around what we earn.

Visualize the most common job in every US state, from fast food worker to home health aide

Washington is the only state where "software developer" was the most common job (thanks, in part, to Microsoft and Amazon), whereas "fast food worker" was the most common occupation in 17 states.

In a survey of US Gen Z workers, 53% were freelancing for at least 40 hours per week

Overall, Gen Z has a pretty different attitude about work from previous generations, partly because of the economic hardship they’ve witnessed being born into the Great Recession and coming of age during the COVID-19 pandemic.

See the average income in every US state

DC residents make an average of $108K a year, but residents of nearby state West Virginia earn the country's lowest average annual income of just $55K.