Minimum wage in the United States

Minimum wage by U.S. state and territory, as of January 1, 2014.

  State with minimum wage rates higher than the federal rate

  State or territory with minimum wage rates the same as the federal rate

  State with no state minimum wage law

  State or territory with minimum wage rates lower than the federal rate

  Territory with varied minimum wage rates

In the United States, workers generally must be paid no less than the statutory minimum wage as specified by the U.S. federal government and local as well as state governments. As of July 2009, the federal government mandates a nationwide minimum wage level of $7.25 per hour. Effective January 1, 2015 there were 29 states with a minimum wage higher than the federal minimum. From 2014 to 2015, nine states increased their minimum wage levels through automatic adjustments, while increases in the other states occurred through legislative or ballot changes. The federal minimum wage peaked at about $10 in 1968, measured in 2014 dollars (i.e., adjusted for inflation).

On March 26, 2014, Connecticut passed legislation to raise the minimum wage from $8.70 to $10.10 by 2017, the first state to address President Obama's call for an increase on minimum wage. On June 2, 2014, the City Council of Seattle, Washington passed a local ordinance to increase the minimum wage of the city to $15 an hour, giving the city the highest minimum wage in the United States, which will be phased in over seven years, to be fully implemented by 2021.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated in 2014 that raising the minimum wage to $10.10 and indexing it to inflation would increase the wages of 16.5 million workers in 2016, while raising it to $9.00 without indexing would affect 7.6 million. Among workers paid by the hour in 2013, 1.5 million were reported as earning exactly the prevailing federal minimum wage. About 1.8 million were reported as earning wages below the minimum. Together, these 3.3 million workers with wages at or below the minimum represent, respectively: 1.0% of the population, 1.6% of the labor force, 2.5% of all workers, and 4.3% of hourly workers.

History

In 1912, Massachusetts organized a commission to recommend non-compulsory minimum wages for women and children. Within eight years, at least thirteen U.S. states and the District of Columbia would pass minimum wage laws. The Lochner era United States Supreme Court consistently invalidated compulsory minimum wage laws. The laws were considered unconstitutional for interfering with the ability of employers to freely negotiate appropriate wage contracts with employees.

The first attempt at establishing a national minimum wage came in 1933, when a $0.25 per hour standard was set as part of the National Industrial Recovery Act. However, in the 1935 court case Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States (295 U.S. 495), the United States Supreme Court declared the act unconstitutional, and the minimum wage was abolished. The minimum wage was re-established in the United States in 1938 (pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act), once again at $0.25 per hour ($4.07 in 2012 dollars). In United States v. Darby Lumber Co. (1941), the Supreme Court upheld the Fair Labor Standards Act, holding that Congress had the power under the Commerce Clause to regulate employment conditions.

No business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country.

— President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933, Statement on National Industrial Recovery Act.

The Supreme Court held that the federal minimum wage is constitutional and does not exceed the scope of the Commerce Clause in U.S. v. Darby Lumber Co., 312 U.S. 100 (1941).

Recent legislation

Since it was last reset on July 24, 2009, the federal minimum wage in the United States has been $7.25 per hour. Some U.S. territories (such as American Samoa) are exempt. Some types of labor are also exempt: employers may pay tipped labor a minimum of $2.13 per hour, as long as the hourly wage plus tip income equals at least the minimum wage. Persons under the age of 20 may be paid $4.25 an hour for the first 90 calendar days of employment (sometimes known as a youth, teen, or training wage) unless a higher state minimum exists.

The July 24, 2009 increase was the last of three steps of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007. The wage increase was signed into law on May 25, 2007, as a rider to the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007. The bill also contained almost $5 billion in tax cuts for small businesses.

In April 2014, the United States Senate debated the Minimum Wage Fairness Act (S. 1737; 113th Congress). The bill would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to increase the federal minimum wage for employees to $10.10 per hour over the course of a two year period. The bill was strongly supported by President Barack Obama and many of the Democratic Senators, but strongly opposed by Republicans in the Senate and House.

Voters in the Republican-controlled states of Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota considered ballot initiatives in November 2014 to raise the minimum wage above the national rate of $7.25 per hour. In all four states the initiatives were successful. The results provide further evidence that raising minimum pay has support across party lines.

On November 7, 2006, voters in six states (Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, and Ohio) approved statewide increases in the state minimum wage. The amounts of these increases ranged from $1 to $1.70 per hour and all increases are designed to annually index to inflation. Some politicians in the United States advocate linking the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index, thereby increasing the wage automatically each year based on increases to the Consumer Price Index. So far, Ohio, Oregon, Missouri, Vermont and Washington have linked their minimum wages to the consumer price index. Minimum wage indexing also takes place each year in Florida, San Francisco, California, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Trends in purchasing power

History of the federal minimum wage in real 2013 dollars and nominal dollars.

The minimum wage had its highest purchasing value in 1968, when it was $1.60 per hour ($10.94 in 2014 dollars). From January 1981 to April 1990, the minimum wage was frozen at $3.35 per hour, then a record-setting wage freeze. From September 1, 1997 through July 23, 2007, the federal minimum wage remained constant at $5.15 per hour, breaking the old record. Congress then gave states the power to set their minimum wages above the federal level. As of July 1, 2010, fourteen states had done so. Some government entities, such as counties and cities, observe minimum wages that are higher than the state as a whole. One notable example of this is Santa Fe, New Mexico, whose $9.50 per hour minimum wage was the highest in the nation, until San Francisco increased its minimum wage to $9.79 in 2009. Another device to increase wages, living wage ordinances, generally apply only to businesses that are under contract to the local government itself.

Since 1984, the purchasing power of the federal minimum wage has decreased. Measured in real terms (adjusted for inflation) using 1984 dollars, the real minimum wage was $3.35 in 1984, $2.90 in 1995, $2.74 in 2005, and $3.23 in 2013. If the minimum wage had been raised to $10.00 in 2013, that would have equated to $4.46 in 1984 dollars.

Economic effects

CBO table with projections of the effects of minimum wage increases on employment and income, under two scenarios

Estimated minimum wage effects on employment from a meta-study of 64 studies showed insignificant employment effect (both practically and statistically) from minimum-wage raises supporting the Keynesian model. The most precise estimates were heavily clustered at or near zero employment effects (elasticity = 0).

The economic effects of raising the minimum wage are controversial. Adjusting the minimum wage may affect current and future levels of employment, prices of goods and services, economic growth, income inequality and poverty.

Employment and job creation

Classical economics argues that raising the price of something results in a lower quantity demanded, in this case fewer workers. This may manifest as higher unemployment or slower future job creation. Each firm must evaluate the potential to make a profit from each worker hired; if the workers cost less, then more profit can be made from hiring more workers at a lower price. Therefore, by setting a lower boundary to wages, a minimum wage law prevents firms from offering jobs below the minimum and increases unemployment.

In February 2014, the CBO reported the effects of a minimum wage increase under two scenarios, an increase to $10.10 with indexing for inflation thereafter and an increase to $9.00 with no indexing:

• Approximately 16.5 million workers would have their wages rise under the $10.10 option versus 7.5 million under the $9.00 option.
• Employment would likely fall by 500,000 under the $10.10 option and 100,000 under the $9.00 option, with a wide range of possible outcomes.

The CBO report is controversial and economists say the CBO job loss projection is based upon flawed studies and estimates that are questionable, as well as failing to explain the assumptions the report makes to support job losses.

In 2014, a comprehensive study found that job creation within the United States is faster within states that raised their minimum wage. In 2014, the state with the highest minimum wage in the nation, Washington, garnered more job creation than the rest of the United States.

One study concluded that a 10% increase in the minimum wage lowers low-skill employment by 2-4% and total restaurant employment by 1-3%.

The interconnection of price levels, central bank policy, wage agreements, and total aggregate demand creates a situation in which the conclusions drawn from macroeconomic analysis are highly influenced by the underlying assumptions of the interpreter.

Prices

Some economic research has shown that restaurant prices rise in response to minimum wage increases. Overall, there is no consensus between economists about the effects of minimum wages on youth employment.

Some idea of the empirical problems of this debate can be seen by looking at recent trends in the United States. The minimum wage fell about 29% in real terms between 1979 and 2003. For the median worker, real hourly earnings have increased since 1979; however, for the lowest deciles, there have been significant decreases in the real wage without much decrease in the rate of unemployment. Some argue that an increasing minimum wage might reduce youth employment (since these workers are likely to have fewer skills than older workers).

Economic growth

Investment, in its turn, depends upon consumption, and consumption depends upon the marginal propensity to consume (savings rate) across all income categories. In an "underconsumption" scenario, the transfer of income from entrepreneurs and rentiers (those with higher incomes) to the working class (via union wage agreements and minimum wages) can actually lead to an increase in total consumption and higher demand for goods—leading to increased employment.

However, the resulting higher price levels may spur several forms of political and institutional responses that blunt or negate this tendency. For one, inflation tends to transfer income from bond holders (rentiers) to wage earners. For another, entrepreneurs may, under the conditions of an oligopoly, be able to blunt the effect of rising wages by using their market power to raise prices fast enough to prevent real gains among workers. And finally, the central bank may intervene to defend price levels by increasing interest rates, which will tend to curb investment and decrease the demand for labor.

Effect on income inequality

An increase in the minimum wage is a form of redistribution from higher-income persons (business owners or "capital") to lower income persons (workers or "labor"). The CBO estimated in February 2014 that raising the minimum wage under either scenario described above would improve income inequality. Families with income more than 6 times the poverty threshold would see their incomes fall (due in part to their business profits declining with higher employee costs), while families with incomes below that threshold would rise.

Effect on poverty

By raising the wages of lower income persons, more are above the poverty threshold. CBO estimated in February 2014 that raising the minimum wage would reduce the number of persons below the poverty income threshold by 900,000 under the $10.10 option versus 300,000 under the $9.00 option.

Commentary

Economists

In 2014, over 600 economists signed a letter in support of a $10.10 minimum wage increase with research suggesting that a minimum-wage increase could have a small stimulative effect on the economy as low-wage workers spend their additional earnings, raising demand and job growth. Also, seven recipients of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences were among 75 economists endorsing an increase in the minimum wage for U.S. workers and said “the weight” of economic research shows higher pay doesn’t lead to fewer jobs.

According to a February 2013 survey of the University of Chicago IGM Forum, which includes approximately 40 economists:

• 34% agreed with the statement that "Raising the federal minimum wage to $9 per hour would make it noticeably harder for low-skilled workers to find employment", while 56% were either uncertain or disagreed.
• 42% agreed with the statement that "...raising the minimum wage to $9 per hour and indexing it to inflation...would be a desirably policy", with 32% uncertain and 11% disagreeing or strongly disagreeing.

According to a paper written in 2000 by Fuller and Geide-Stevenson, 73.5% (27.9% of which agreed with provisos) of American economists agreed that a minimum wage increases unemployment among unskilled and young workers, while 26.5% disagreed with this statement.

Politicians

Former President Bill Clinton advocated raising the minimum wage during 2014: "I think we ought to raise the minimum wage because it doesn’t just raise wages for the three or four million people who are directly affected by it, it bumps the wage structure everywhere...The estimates are that 35 million Americans would get a pay raise if the federal minimum wage was raised...If you [raise the minimum wage] in a phased way, it always creates jobs. Why? Because people who make the minimum wage or near it are struggling to get by, they spend every penny they make, they turn it over in the economy, they create jobs, they create opportunity, and they take better care of their children. It’s just the right thing to do, but it’s also very good economics."

International comparison

Minimum wage levels in developed economies as a share of median full-time wage. The relative minimum wage ratio in the U.S. is shown in red.

Measured as a percentage of median income, the U.S. minimum wage is low compared to other developed (OECD) countries. The Economist wrote in December 2013: "America's federal minimum wage, at 38% of median income, is one of the rich world's lowest."

Polls

The Pew Center reported in January 2014 that 73% of Americans supported raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour. By party, 53% of Republicans and 90% of Democrats favored this action. Also in January 2014, six hundred economists sent the President and Congress a letter urging for a minimum wage hike to $10.10 an hour by 2016.

Quality of minimum wage jobs

Minimum wage jobs rarely include health insurance coverage, although that is changing in some parts of the United States where the cost of living is high, such as California or Massachusetts.

List of minimum wage levels by jurisdiction

This is a list of the minimum wages (per hour) in each state and territory of the United States, for jobs covered by federal minimum wage laws. If the job is not subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, then state, city, or other local laws may determine the minimum wage. A common exemption to the federal minimum wage is a company having revenue of less than $500,000 per year while not engaging in any interstate commerce.

Under the federal law, workers who receive a portion of their salary from tips, such as waitstaff, are required only to have their total compensation, including tips, meet the minimum wage. Therefore, often, their hourly wage, before tips, is less than the minimum wage. Seven states, and Guam, do not allow for a tip credit. Additional exemptions to the minimum wage include many seasonal employees, student employees, and certain disabled employees as specified by the FLSA.

In addition, some counties and cities within states may observe a higher minimum wage than the rest of the state in which they are located; sometimes this higher wage will apply only to businesses that are under contract to the local government itself, while in other cases the higher minimum will be enforced across the board.

Federal

Type	Level (USD/h)	Notes
Tipped	$2.13	The Fair Labor Standards Act requires a minimum wage of $2.13 for tipped workers with the expectation that wages plus tips total no less than $7.25 per hour. The employer must pay the difference if total income does not add up to $7.25 per hour.
Non-tipped	$7.25	Per the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 (FMWA) since July 24, 2009.
Youth	$4.25	Per the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 (FMWA) since July 24, 2009, persons under the age of 20 may be paid $4.25 for the first 90 calendar days of their employment.

State

Note: The following tables can be sorted alphabetically or numerically using the icon.

State	Min Wage ($/h)	Tipped ($/h)	Youth/ Training ($/h)	Notes
Alabama	None
Alaska	$8.75	$8.75		Alaska's minimum wage increased to $8.75 on February 28, 2015, and will increase to $9.75 in 2016.
Arizona	$8.05	$4.90		Arizona's minimum wage increased to $8.05 on January 1, 2015. The state tipped minimum wage is $3 per hour less. Pursuant to Arizona Proposition 202 (2006), the rates are adjusted annually on January 1 based on the U.S. Consumer Price Index. This rate increase does not affect student workers in places such as libraries and cafeterias because those positions are given by universities, which are state entities.
Arkansas	$7.50	$2.63		Arkansas' minimum wage will increase to $8.50 by 2017. The current rate is applicable to employers of 4 or more employees.
California	$9.00	$9.00		California's minimum wage will increase to $10.00 on January 1, 2016. Jackson Rancheria: $10.60 since January 1, 2014 on the Tribe's sovereign 1,500-acre reservation in Amador County. San Francisco: San Francisco's minimum wage has been $11.05 since January 1, 2015; the city has the highest minimum wage in the country, and the rate will increase to $15.00 by 2018 and will be indexed to inflation on July 1 of each year starting in 2019. (San Francisco has the highest minimum wage in the United States.) San Jose: $10.15 since January 1, 2014. Berkeley: $10.00 since October 1, 2014; will increase to $11.00 effective October 1, 2015 and to $12.53 effective October 1, 2016.
Colorado	$8.23	$5.21		Changes yearly in response to inflation. The tipped wage is $3.02 less than the minimum wage
Connecticut	$9.00	$6.21		Connecticut's minimum wage increased to $9.00 on January 1, 2015. On March 26, 2014, the state passed legislation to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 by January 1, 2017. Connecticut's tipped minimum wage is 69% of the state minimum wage (tipped employees defined as $10/wk or $2/day in tips).
Delaware	$7.75	$2.23		Delaware's minimum wage will increase to $8.25 on June 1, 2015.
Florida	$8.05	$5.03		Florida's minimum wage is increased annually based upon a cost of living formula, following a 2004 ballot referendum. Florida's minimum wage increased to $8.05 and the tipped minimum wage to $5.03 on January 1, 2015.
Georgia	$5.15	$2.13		Only applicable to employers of 6 or more employees. If fewer than six, then there is no minimum at all. The state law excludes from coverage any employment that is subject to the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act when the federal rate is greater than the state rate.
Hawaii	$7.75	$7.00		Hawaii's minimum wage increased to $7.75 on January 1, 2015, and will increase to $10.10 by January 1, 2018.. Tipped employees earn 25 cents less than the current state minimum wage.
Idaho	$7.25	$3.35
Illinois	$8.25	$4.95	$7.75	Employers may pay anyone under the age of 18, or anyone for the first 90 days of employment, fifty cents less. Tipped employees earn 60% of the minimum wage (employers may claim credit for tips, up to 40% of wage) There is also a training wage for tipped employees.
Indiana	$7.25	$2.13
Iowa	$7.25	$4.35		Most small retail and service establishments grossing less than $300,000 annually are not required to pay the minimum wage. Tipped employees can be paid 60% of the minimum wage.
Kansas	$7.25	$2.13
Kentucky	$7.25	$2.13		Louisville's minimum wage will increase to $9.00 by 2017.
Louisiana	None
Maine	$7.50	$3.75		Tipped rate is half of the current state minimum wage.
Maryland	$7.25	$3.63		Maryland's minimum wage will increase to $10.10 by 2018.
Massachusetts	$9.00	$2.63		Massachusetts' minimum wage will increase to $11.00 by 2017. The state minimum for agricultural employees is $1.60. Massachusetts is the only state in the country that mandates time-and-a-half for retail workers working on Sunday.
Michigan	$8.15	$2.65	$4.25	Michigan's minimum wage will increase to $9.25 by September 2018. Minors under 18 years of age may be paid a minimum hourly wage rate of $7.25 per hour.
Minnesota	$8.00	$6.50 Small Employer   $6.15 Large employer		Small employers, whose annual receipts are less than $625,000 and who do not engage in interstate commerce, can pay their employees $5.25 per hour. Overtime applies after 48 hours per week. Note: The federal minimum wage for all employers grossing more than $500,000 is $7.25 an hour as of July 24, 2009, so the Minnesota large-employer rate of $6.15 an hour is obsolete as of that date, except that it applies to tipped employees as it is higher than the federal tipped rate. For large-employer, the minimum wage becomes $8.00/hour on Aug 1, 2014; $9.00 on Aug 1, 2015; and $9.50 on Aug 1, 2016. For small-employer, the same timeframe will be used for increases to $6.50, $7.25, then $7.75. Beginning January 1, 2018, all minimum wage rates will increase by the national implicit price deflator or 2.5%, whichever is lower.
Mississippi	None
Missouri	$7.65	$3.75		Missouri's minimum wage rate is automatically adjusted annually based on the U.S. Consumer Price Index rounded to the nearest five cents, and will increase to $7.65 on January 1, 2015.
Montana	$8.05	$7.90		Montana's minimum wage rate is automatically adjusted annually based on the U.S. Consumer Price Index, and increased to $8.05 on January 1, 2015. Income from tips cannot offset an employee's pay rate. The state minimum wage for business with less than $110,000 in annual sales is $4.00.
Nebraska	$8.00	$2.13		Minimum wage rate will increase to $9.00 in 2016.
Nevada	$8.25	$8.25		The minimum wage has been $8.25 ($1 higher than the federal minimum) since July 1, 2010. Employers who offer health benefits can pay employees $7.25. The rate is adjusted every July 1, based on the federal minimum or the accumulated inflation since 2006, whichever is higher, based on a 2006 Minimum Wage Amendment to the Nevada Constitution.
New Hampshire	$7.25	$3.27
New Jersey	$8.38	$2.13		New Jersey's minimum wage increased to $8.38 on January 1, 2015.
New Mexico	$7.50	$2.13		$10.64 in Santa Fe as of 2014. (Santa Fe has the third highest minimum wage in the United States after Jackson Rancheria, CA, and San Francisco.) Albuquerque's minimum wage became $8.60 on January 1, 2014.
New York	$8.75	Varies		The Minimum Wage rate increased to $8.75 on December 31, 2014, and will increase to $9.00 on December 31, 2015. New York State also has a minimum for exempt employees of $543.75 per week as of July 24, 2009. Tipped employee minimum ranges from $4.90 to $5.65 depending on industry. Effective December 31, 2013, there are different rules for the minimum cash wage for employers employing tipped employees outside of the hospitality industry, (e.g., in car washes and in salons). For workers earning more than $1.95 on average per hour in tips, the minimum cash wage will be $6.05 per hour; for workers earning between $1.20 and $1.95 in tips on average per hour, the cash wage is $6.80
North Carolina	$7.25	$2.13
North Dakota	$7.25	$4.86		Tipped minimum is 67% of the minimum wage.
Ohio	$8.10	$3.98	$7.25	This rate is adjusted annually on January 1 based on the U.S. Consumer Price Index and will increase to $8.10 on January 1, 2015.
Oklahoma	$7.25	$2.13		Oklahoma's minimum wage for employers grossing under $100,000 and with less than 10 employees per location is $2.00.(OK Statutes 40-197.5).
Oregon	$9.25	$9.25		Rises with inflation since 2003 due to Oregon Ballot Measure 25 (2002). Rate will increase from $9.10 to $9.25 on January 1, 2015.
Pennsylvania	$7.25	$2.83
Rhode Island	$9.00	$2.89		Rhode Island's minimum wage increased to $9.00 in 2015.
South Carolina	None
South Dakota	$8.50	$2.13		South Dakota's minimum wage increased to $8.50 on January 1, 2015, and is indexed to inflation.
Tennessee	None
Texas	$7.25	$2.13
Utah	$7.25	$2.13
Vermont	$9.15	$9.15		Vermont's minimum wage increased to $9.15 on January 1, 2015, will increase to $10.50 by January 1, 2018, and will be indexed to inflation beginning on January 1, 2019.
Virginia	$7.25	$2.13
Washington	$9.47	$9.47	$7.81	Minimum wage increases annually by a voter-approved cost-of-living adjustment based on the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). Beginning in 2015, the city of Seattle will begin phasing in a minimum wage rate of $15.00 which is to be completed for small businesses by 2017, and for all businesses by 2021. Washington is particularly unique in the fact that not only does it have the highest minimum wage in the country but it also does not have a state wide income tax.
West Virginia	$8.00	$5.80		West Virginia's minimum wage increased to $8.00 on December 31, 2014, and will increase to $8.75 on December 31, 2015. The state minimum wage is applicable to employers of six or more employees at one location not involved in interstate commerce. The state's minimum wage for tipped employees is 80% of the federal minimum wage.
Wisconsin	$7.25	$2.33
Wyoming	$5.15	$2.13

Territory

Territory	Level (USD/h)	Notes
American Samoa	$4.18-$5.59	Varies by industry. On September 30, 2010, President Obama signed legislation that delays scheduled wage increases for 2010 and 2011. On July 26, 2012, President Obama signed S. 2009 into law, postponing the minimum wage increase for 2012, 2013, and 2014. Annual wage increases of $0.50 will recommence on September 30, 2015 and continue every three years until all rates have reached the federal minimum.
District of Columbia	$9.50	This rate is automatically set at $1 above the federal minimum wage rate. The tipped wage in Washington, D.C., is $2.77 per hour. A law enacted in January 2014 will have annual increases every July; $10.50 in 2015, and $11.50 in 2016. Afterwards the increases will be based on the region's cost of living.
Guam	$7.25	Tipped employee minimum $6.55
Northern Mariana Islands	$5.55	Since September 30, 2012. Wages were to go up $0.50 annually to the $7.25 rate by 2015. Bill S. 256 to delay the planned increases to the full rate until 2018 passed in Sept. 2013.
Puerto Rico	$7.25	Employers covered by the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are subject only to the federal minimum wage and all applicable regulations. Employers not covered by the FLSA will be subject to a minimum wage that is at least 70 percent of the federal minimum wage or the applicable mandatory decree rate, whichever is higher. The Secretary of Labor and Human Resources may authorize a rate based on a lower percentage for any employer who can show that implementation of the 70 percent rate would substantially curtail employment in that business. Puerto Rico also has minimum wage rates that vary according to the industry. These rates range from a minimum of $5.08 to $7.25 per hour.
U.S. Virgin Islands	$7.25	Except businesses with gross annual receipts of less than $150,000, then $4.30. (In practice, the Virgin Islands adopts the federal per hour rate)

Jobs affected by the minimum wage

The jobs that are most likely to be directly affected by the minimum wage are the ones that pay a wage close to the minimum.

According to the May 2006 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, the four lowest-paid occupational sectors in May 2006 (when the federal minimum wage was $5.15 per hour) were the following:

Sector	Workers Employed	Median Wage	Mean Wage	Mean Annual
Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations	11,029,280	$7.90	$8.86	$18,430
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations	450,040	$8.63	$10.49	$21,810
Personal Care and Service Occupations	3,249,760	$9.17	$11.02	$22,920
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations	4,396,250	$9.75	$10.86	$22,580

Two years later, in May 2008, when the federal minimum wage was $5.85 per hour and was about to increase to $6.55 per hour in July 2008, these same sectors were still the lowest-paying, but their situation (according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data) was:

Sector	Workers Employed	Median Wage	Mean Wage	Mean Annual
Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations	11,438,550	$8.59	$9.72	$20,220
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations	438,490	$9.34	$11.32	$23,560
Personal Care and Service Occupations	3,437,520	$9.82	$11.59	$24,120
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations	4,429,870	$10.52	$11.72	$24,370

In 2006, workers in the following 13 individual occupations received, on average, a median hourly wage of less than $8.00 per hour:

Occupation	Workers Employed	Median Wage	Mean Wage	Mean Annual
Gaming Dealers	82,960	$7.08	$8.18	$17,010
Waiters and Waitresses	2,312,930	$3.14	$4.27	$11,190
Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food	2,461,890	$7.24	$7.66	$15,930
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers	401,790	$7.36	$7.84	$16,320
Cooks, Fast Food	612,020	$7.41	$7.67	$15,960
Dishwashers	502,770	$7.57	$7.78	$16,190
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers	101,530	$7.64	$8.41	$17,500
Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop	524,410	$7.76	$8.15	$16,950
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop	340,390	$7.78	$8.10	$16,860
Shampooers	15,580	$7.78	$8.20	$17,050
Amusement and Recreation Attendants	235,670	$7.83	$8.43	$17,530
Bartenders	485,120	$7.86	$8.91	$18,540
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse	230,780	$7.95	$8.48	$17,630

In 2008, only two occupations paid a median wage less than $8.00 per hour:

Occupation	Workers Employed	Median Wage	Mean Wage	Mean Annual
Gaming Dealers	91,130	$7.84	$9.56	$19,890
Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food	2,708,840	$7.90	$8.36	$17,400

According to the May 2009 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, the lowest-paid occupational sectors in May 2009 (when the federal minimum wage was $7.25 per hour) were the following:

Sector	Workers Employed	Median Wage	Mean Wage	Mean Annual
Gaming Dealers	86,900	$8.19	$9.76	$20,290
Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food	2,695,740	$8.28	$8.71	$18,120
Waiters and Waitresses	2,302,070	$8.50	$9.80	$20,380
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers	402,020	$8.51	$9.09	$18,900
Cooks, Fast Food	539,520	$8.52	$8.76	$18,230

See also

• Average worker's wage
• Income inequality in the United States
• Fair Labor Standards Act
• List of minimum wages by country
• Living wage
• Maximum wage

• Minimum Wage Fixing Convention, 1970
• Minimum wage law
• United States labor law
• Wage slavery
• Wage theft
• Working poor

External links

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• Federal Minimum Wage. United States Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division.
• Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees. United States Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division.
• History of Federal Minimum Wage United States Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division.
• U.S. Minimum Wage History. Oregon State University - Wealth and Poverty (Anth 484). Last updated December 26, 2012.