In 2022, the median hourly earnings of wage and salary workers in the United States was 18.12 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 2010's. 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.
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Bureau of Labor Statistics. (January 1, 2024). Median hourly earnings of wage and salary workers in the United States from 1979 to 2022 (in current U.S. dollars) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 12, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/185335/median-hourly-earnings-of-wage-and-salary-workers/
Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Median hourly earnings of wage and salary workers in the United States from 1979 to 2022 (in current U.S. dollars)." Chart. January 1, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 12, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/185335/median-hourly-earnings-of-wage-and-salary-workers/
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Median hourly earnings of wage and salary workers in the United States from 1979 to 2022 (in current U.S. dollars). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 12, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/185335/median-hourly-earnings-of-wage-and-salary-workers/
Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Median Hourly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers in The United States from 1979 to 2022 (in Current U.S. Dollars)." Statista, Statista Inc., 1 Jan 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/185335/median-hourly-earnings-of-wage-and-salary-workers/
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Median hourly earnings of wage and salary workers in the United States from 1979 to 2022 (in current U.S. dollars) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/185335/median-hourly-earnings-of-wage-and-salary-workers/ (last visited December 12, 2024)
Median hourly earnings of wage and salary workers in the United States from 1979 to 2022 (in current U.S. dollars) [Graph], Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 1, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/185335/median-hourly-earnings-of-wage-and-salary-workers/