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February 2021 Report 1091

Characteristics of minimum wage workers, 2020

Characteristics of minimum wage workers, 2020 image

In 2020, 73.3 million workers age 16 and older in the United States were paid at hourly rates, representing 55.5 percent of all wage and salary workers. Among those paid by the hour, 247,000 workers earned exactly the prevailing federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. About 865,000 workers had wages below the federal minimum. Together, these 1.1 million workers with wages at or below the federal minimum made up 1.5 percent of all hourly paid workers.

Data on minimum wage workers for 2020 reflect the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the labor market. Comparisons with data on minimum wage workers for earlier years should be interpreted with caution. Large declines in employment in 2020, particularly among low-wage workers, resulted in changes in the hourly earnings distribution. More information on labor market developments in 2020 is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-and-response-on-the-employment-situation-news-release.htm.

The percentage of hourly paid workers earning the prevailing federal minimum wage or less declined from 1.9 percent in 2019 to 1.5 percent in 2020. This remains well below the percentage of 13.4 recorded in 1979, when data were first collected on a regular basis. (See table 10.)

This report presents highlights and statistical tables describing workers who earned at or below the federal minimum wage in 2020. The data are obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a national monthly survey of approximately 60,000 households conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Information on earnings is collected from one-fourth of the CPS sample each month.

The CPS does not include questions on whether workers are covered by the minimum wage provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) or by individual state or local minimum wage laws. The estimates of workers paid at or below the federal minimum wage are based solely on the hourly wage they report, which does not include overtime pay, tips, or commissions. See the accompanying technical notes section for more information, including a description of the source of the data and an explanation of the concepts and definitions used in this report.

Highlights

The following are highlights from the 2020 data:

Age. Minimum wage workers tend to be young. Although workers under age 25 represented just under one-fifth of hourly paid workers, they made up 48 percent of those paid the federal minimum wage or less. Among employed teenagers (ages 16 to 19) paid by the hour, about 5 percent earned the minimum wage or less, compared with 1 percent of workers age 25 and older. (See tables 1 and 7.)

Gender. Among workers who were paid hourly rates in 2020, 2 percent of women and 1 percent of men had wages at or below the prevailing federal minimum. (See table 1.)

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. The percentage of hourly paid workers with wages at or below the federal minimum differed little among the major race and ethnicity groups. About 2 percent of Black workers earned the federal minimum wage or less. Among White, Asian, and Hispanic workers, the percentage was about 1 percent. (See table 1.)

Education. Among hourly paid workers age 16 and older, about 2 percent of those without a high school diploma, high school graduates (no college), and those with some college or an associate degree earned the federal minimum wage or less, compared with 1 percent of those with a bachelor's degree and higher. (See table 6.)

Marital status. Among workers paid an hourly wage, those who were never married were more likely than married workers to earn the federal minimum wage or less (about 3 percent versus about 1 percent). (See table 8.)

Full- and part-time status. About 4 percent of part-time workers (people who usually work fewer than 35 hours per week) were paid the federal minimum wage or less, compared with about 1 percent of full-time workers. (See table 1.)

Occupation. Among major occupational groups, service occupations had the highest percentage of hourly paid workers earning at or below the federal minimum wage, at about 5 percent. Seven out of ten workers earning the minimum wage or less in 2020 were employed in service occupations, mostly in food preparation and serving related jobs. (See table 4.)

Industry. As has historically been the case, the industry with the highest percentage of workers earning hourly wages at or below the federal minimum wage in 2020 was leisure and hospitality (about 8 percent). Three-fifths of all workers paid at or below the federal minimum wage were employed in this industry, almost entirely in restaurants, bars, and other food services. For many of these workers, tips may supplement the hourly wages received. (See table 5.)

State of residence. The states with the highest percentages of hourly paid workers earning at or below the federal minimum wage were in the South: about 4 percent for South Carolina and about 3 percent for Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Virginia. Compared with recent years, a relatively large number of states had less than 1 percent of hourly paid workers earning at or below the federal minimum wage: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. It should be noted that more than half of all states have minimum wages that exceed the federal minimum. (See tables 2 and 3.)

Statistical Tables

Table 1. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by selected characteristics, 2020 annual averages
Characteristic Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percentage of workers paid
hourly rates
Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage

Age and gender

Total, 16 years and older

73,305 1,112 247 865 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1.5 0.3 1.2

16 to 24 years

14,051 529 153 376 19.2 47.6 62.0 43.4 3.8 1.1 2.7

16 to 19 years

4,352 222 93 129 5.9 19.9 37.5 14.9 5.1 2.1 3.0

25 years and older

59,254 583 94 489 80.8 52.4 38.0 56.6 1.0 0.2 0.8

Men, 16 years and older

36,792 369 111 258 50.2 33.2 45.0 29.9 1.0 0.3 0.7

16 to 24 years

7,059 159 65 94 9.6 14.3 26.3 10.9 2.3 0.9 1.3

16 to 19 years

2,125 81 41 40 2.9 7.3 16.8 4.6 3.8 1.9 1.9

25 years and older

29,734 210 46 164 40.6 18.9 18.7 19.0 0.7 0.2 0.6

Women, 16 years and older

36,513 742 136 607 49.8 66.8 55.0 70.1 2.0 0.4 1.7

16 to 24 years

6,992 369 88 281 9.5 33.2 35.7 32.5 5.3 1.3 4.0

16 to 19 years

2,226 141 51 89 3.0 12.7 20.8 10.3 6.3 2.3 4.0

25 years and older

29,521 373 48 325 40.3 33.5 19.3 37.6 1.3 0.2 1.1

Race and Hispanic
or Latino ethnicity

White(1)

55,889 810 178 631 76.2 72.8 72.2 73.0 1.4 0.3 1.1

Men

28,632 266 86 180 39.1 23.9 34.7 20.8 0.9 0.3 0.6

Women

27,257 544 92 451 37.2 48.9 37.5 52.2 2.0 0.3 1.7

Black or African American(1)

10,738 196 50 146 14.6 17.7 20.4 16.9 1.8 0.5 1.4

Men

4,892 57 15 42 6.7 5.1 6.2 4.8 1.2 0.3 0.8

Women

5,846 139 35 104 8.0 12.5 14.1 12.1 2.4 0.6 1.8

Asian(1)

3,533 43 3 39 4.8 3.8 1.3 4.5 1.2 0.1 1.1

Men

1,676 23 1 22 2.3 2.1 0.4 2.5 1.4 0.1 1.3

Women

1,857 20 2 18 2.5 1.8 0.9 2.0 1.1 0.1 0.9

Hispanic or Latino(1)

16,220 205 46 160 22.1 18.5 18.5 18.5 1.3 0.3 1.0

Men

8,963 82 24 58 12.2 7.3 9.6 6.7 0.9 0.3 0.6

Women

7,257 124 22 102 9.9 11.1 8.8 11.8 1.7 0.3 1.4

Full- and part-time status

Full-time workers(2)

55,669 468 72 397 75.9 42.1 29.0 45.8 0.8 0.1 0.7

Men

30,514 150 34 116 41.6 13.5 13.7 13.4 0.5 0.1 0.4

Women

25,156 318 38 281 34.3 28.6 15.3 32.4 1.3 0.2 1.1

Part-time workers(2)

17,531 637 175 462 23.9 57.3 71.0 53.4 3.6 1.0 2.6

Men

6,226 216 77 139 8.5 19.5 31.3 16.1 3.5 1.2 2.2

Women

11,305 421 98 323 15.4 37.9 39.7 37.3 3.7 0.9 2.9

Footnotes
(1) Estimates for the above race groups—White, Black or African American, and Asian—do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.
(2) The distinction between full- and part-time workers is based on hours usually worked. These data will not sum to totals because full- or part-time status on the principal job is not identifiable for a small number of multiple jobholders. Full time is 35 hours or more per week; part time is less than 35 hours.

Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 2. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by census region and division, 2020 annual averages
Region and division Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percentage of workers paid
hourly rates
Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage

Total, 16 years and older

73,305 1,112 247 865 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1.5 0.3 1.2

Northeast

11,728 178 39 139 16.0 16.0 15.9 16.1 1.5 0.3 1.2

New England

3,392 43 9 33 4.6 3.8 3.8 3.8 1.3 0.3 1.0

Middle Atlantic

8,336 136 30 106 11.4 12.2 12.1 12.2 1.6 0.4 1.3

Midwest

17,212 232 44 187 23.5 20.8 18.0 21.6 1.3 0.3 1.1

East North Central

11,488 162 30 132 15.7 14.6 12.3 15.2 1.4 0.3 1.1

West North Central

5,724 70 14 56 7.8 6.3 5.7 6.4 1.2 0.2 1.0

South

26,576 580 138 442 36.3 52.1 56.0 51.0 2.2 0.5 1.7

South Atlantic

13,490 288 56 232 18.4 25.9 22.5 26.8 2.1 0.4 1.7

East South Central

4,314 87 31 57 5.9 7.9 12.6 6.5 2.0 0.7 1.3

West South Central

8,771 204 52 153 12.0 18.4 20.9 17.7 2.3 0.6 1.7

West

17,789 122 25 97 24.3 11.0 10.1 11.3 0.7 0.1 0.5

Mountain

6,055 56 16 40 8.3 5.1 6.5 4.6 0.9 0.3 0.7

Pacific

11,734 66 9 57 16.0 5.9 3.6 6.6 0.6 0.1 0.5

Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

The four major regions and nine census divisions of the United States are as follows:

Northeast:
New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont
Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania
Midwest:
East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin
West North Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota
South:
South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia
East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee
West South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas
West:
Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming
Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 3. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by state, 2020 annual averages
State Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percentage of workers paid
hourly rates
Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage

Total, 16 years and older

73,305 1,112 247 865 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1.5 0.3 1.2

Alabama

1,137 28 14 14 1.6 2.5 5.8 1.6 2.5 1.3 1.2

Alaska

170 3 0 3 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.3 1.6 0.2 1.5

Arizona

1,789 18 4 14 2.4 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.0 0.2 0.8

Arkansas

673 10 2 8 0.9 0.9 0.6 0.9 1.4 0.2 1.2

California

8,548 48 7 41 11.7 4.3 3.0 4.7 0.6 0.1 0.5

Colorado

1,305 8 2 6 1.8 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.1 0.5

Connecticut

862 11 4 7 1.2 1.0 1.6 0.8 1.2 0.4 0.8

Delaware

245 6 0 6 0.3 0.5 0.1 0.7 2.4 0.1 2.4

District of Columbia

79 1 0 1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 1.8 0.2 1.6

Florida

4,279 75 7 68 5.8 6.8 2.9 7.9 1.8 0.2 1.6

Georgia

2,196 46 23 23 3.0 4.1 9.4 2.6 2.1 1.1 1.0

Hawaii

303 2 0 2 0.4 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.7 0.0 0.7

Idaho

479 7 2 4 0.7 0.6 1.0 0.5 1.4 0.5 0.9

Illinois

2,813 31 6 25 3.8 2.8 2.6 2.8 1.1 0.2 0.9

Indiana

1,659 24 7 16 2.3 2.1 2.9 1.9 1.4 0.4 1.0

Iowa

861 12 4 8 1.2 1.1 1.6 0.9 1.4 0.4 0.9

Kansas

805 18 5 13 1.1 1.6 2.1 1.5 2.2 0.6 1.6

Kentucky

1,011 17 6 10 1.4 1.5 2.6 1.2 1.7 0.6 1.0

Louisiana

990 34 11 23 1.4 3.0 4.3 2.6 3.4 1.1 2.3

Maine

352 4 1 2 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.3 1.0 0.3 0.6

Maryland

1,249 18 0 18 1.7 1.6 0.0 2.1 1.4 0.0 1.4

Massachusetts

1,397 19 3 16 1.9 1.7 1.2 1.9 1.4 0.2 1.2

Michigan

2,416 35 3 32 3.3 3.2 1.2 3.7 1.5 0.1 1.3

Minnesota

1,524 12 0 12 2.1 1.1 0.0 1.4 0.8 0.0 0.8

Mississippi

652 18 6 13 0.9 1.7 2.3 1.5 2.8 0.9 1.9

Missouri

1,534 17 4 12 2.1 1.5 1.8 1.4 1.1 0.3 0.8

Montana

282 1 0 1 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.5 0.1 0.4

Nebraska

540 5 0 4 0.7 0.4 0.1 0.5 0.9 0.1 0.8

Nevada

759 5 3 1 1.0 0.4 1.4 0.1 0.6 0.5 0.2

New Hampshire

375 5 0 5 0.5 0.4 0.1 0.5 1.3 0.1 1.2

New Jersey

1,581 22 2 20 2.2 2.0 0.8 2.4 1.4 0.1 1.3

New Mexico

449 6 0 6 0.6 0.5 0.0 0.7 1.3 0.0 1.3

New York

3,634 38 3 35 5.0 3.4 1.0 4.1 1.0 0.1 1.0

North Carolina

2,284 40 10 31 3.1 3.6 3.9 3.5 1.8 0.4 1.3

North Dakota

211 3 0 3 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.3 1.3 0.1 1.2

Ohio

2,931 43 2 41 4.0 3.9 0.9 4.7 1.5 0.1 1.4

Oklahoma

859 18 4 14 1.2 1.6 1.8 1.6 2.1 0.5 1.6

Oregon

943 3 0 3 1.3 0.3 0.0 0.4 0.4 0.0 0.4

Pennsylvania

3,121 75 25 50 4.3 6.8 10.3 5.8 2.4 0.8 1.6

Rhode Island

264 4 1 3 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.3 1.4 0.3 1.1

South Carolina

1,079 48 3 44 1.5 4.3 1.4 5.1 4.4 0.3 4.1

South Dakota

249 4 0 4 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.4 1.5 0.0 1.5

Tennessee

1,515 25 5 20 2.1 2.2 1.9 2.3 1.6 0.3 1.3

Texas

6,249 143 35 108 8.5 12.9 14.2 12.5 2.3 0.6 1.7

Utah

835 9 4 5 1.1 0.8 1.5 0.6 1.1 0.4 0.6

Vermont

142 1 0 0 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.5 0.1 0.4

Virginia

1,653 45 11 33 2.3 4.0 4.6 3.8 2.7 0.7 2.0

Washington

1,770 10 1 9 2.4 0.9 0.5 1.0 0.5 0.1 0.5

West Virginia

428 9 0 8 0.6 0.8 0.2 1.0 2.0 0.1 1.9

Wisconsin

1,668 29 12 18 2.3 2.6 4.7 2.0 1.8 0.7 1.1

Wyoming

158 3 0 3 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.3 1.9 0.3 1.6

Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. These data are based on a sample and therefore are subject to sampling error; the degree of error may be quite large for less populous states.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 4. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by occupation, 2020 annual averages
Occupation Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percentage of workers paid
hourly rates
Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage

Total, 16 years and older

73,305 1,112 247 865 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1.5 0.3 1.2

Management, professional, and related occupations

17,769 83 20 63 24.2 7.4 8.1 7.2 0.5 0.1 0.4

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

5,354 16 0 16 7.3 1.4 0.2 1.8 0.3 0.0 0.3

Professional and related occupations

12,415 66 20 47 16.9 6.0 7.9 5.4 0.5 0.2 0.4

Service occupations

16,295 774 114 660 22.2 69.6 46.2 76.3 4.8 0.7 4.1

Healthcare support occupations

3,906 60 9 51 5.3 5.4 3.8 5.9 1.5 0.2 1.3

Protective service occupations

1,972 19 0 18 2.7 1.7 0.1 2.1 0.9 0.0 0.9

Food preparation and serving related occupations

5,675 605 73 533 7.7 54.5 29.5 61.6 10.7 1.3 9.4

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations

3,243 29 14 15 4.4 2.6 5.8 1.7 0.9 0.4 0.5

Personal care and service occupations

1,499 61 17 44 2.0 5.5 6.9 5.0 4.1 1.1 2.9

Sales and office occupations

16,929 139 70 69 23.1 12.5 28.4 8.0 0.8 0.4 0.4

Sales and related occupations

6,849 90 49 41 9.3 8.1 19.8 4.7 1.3 0.7 0.6

Office and administrative support occupations

10,080 50 21 28 13.8 4.5 8.6 3.3 0.5 0.2 0.3

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

8,438 31 4 28 11.5 2.8 1.4 3.2 0.4 0.0 0.3

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

676 11 4 8 0.9 1.0 1.4 0.9 1.6 0.5 1.1

Construction and extraction occupations

4,681 14 0 14 6.4 1.3 0.0 1.7 0.3 0.0 0.3

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

3,081 6 0 6 4.2 0.5 0.0 0.7 0.2 0.0 0.2

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

13,874 85 39 45 18.9 7.6 15.9 5.2 0.6 0.3 0.3

Production occupations

6,100 34 16 18 8.3 3.1 6.6 2.1 0.6 0.3 0.3

Transportation and material moving occupations

7,773 50 23 28 10.6 4.5 9.3 3.2 0.6 0.3 0.4

Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Effective with January 2020 data, occupations reflect the introduction of the 2018 Census occupational classification system, derived from the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). No historical data have been revised. Data for 2020 are not strictly comparable with earlier years.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 5. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by industry, 2020 annual averages
Industry Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percentage of workers paid
hourly rates
Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage

Total, 16 years and older

73,305 1,112 247 865 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1.5 0.3 1.2

Private sector

64,248 1,058 231 827 87.6 95.2 93.7 95.6 1.6 0.4 1.3

Agriculture and related industries

847 11 2 9 1.2 1.0 0.9 1.0 1.3 0.3 1.1

Nonagricultural industries

63,401 1,047 229 818 86.5 94.2 92.9 94.5 1.7 0.4 1.3

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

350 3 0 3 0.5 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.8 0.0 0.8

Construction

5,059 15 3 12 6.9 1.4 1.2 1.4 0.3 0.1 0.2

Manufacturing

8,288 37 16 22 11.3 3.4 6.4 2.5 0.5 0.2 0.3

Durable goods

5,070 24 11 14 6.9 2.2 4.4 1.6 0.5 0.2 0.3

Nondurable goods

3,218 13 5 8 4.4 1.2 2.0 0.9 0.4 0.2 0.2

Wholesale and retail trade

11,846 97 47 50 16.2 8.7 19.0 5.8 0.8 0.4 0.4

Wholesale trade

1,522 5 3 2 2.1 0.4 1.3 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.1

Retail trade

10,324 92 44 48 14.1 8.3 17.7 5.6 0.9 0.4 0.5

Transportation and utilities

3,826 15 3 12 5.2 1.3 1.1 1.4 0.4 0.1 0.3

Information

877 5 3 2 1.2 0.5 1.2 0.2 0.6 0.3 0.2

Financial activities

3,217 10 2 8 4.4 0.9 0.8 1.0 0.3 0.1 0.3

Professional and business services

6,103 27 9 18 8.3 2.4 3.5 2.1 0.4 0.1 0.3

Education and health services

13,146 129 34 95 17.9 11.6 13.7 11.0 1.0 0.3 0.7

Leisure and hospitality

7,933 667 103 564 10.8 59.9 41.7 65.2 8.4 1.3 7.1

Other services

2,753 42 10 32 3.8 3.8 4.2 3.7 1.5 0.4 1.2

Public sector

9,057 54 15 38 12.4 4.8 6.3 4.4 0.6 0.2 0.4

Federal

1,862 8 1 7 2.5 0.7 0.5 0.8 0.4 0.1 0.4

State

2,782 17 6 11 3.8 1.5 2.5 1.2 0.6 0.2 0.4

Local

4,413 29 8 21 6.0 2.6 3.3 2.4 0.7 0.2 0.5

Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 6. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by educational attainment, 2020 annual averages
Educational attainment Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percentage of workers paid
hourly rates
Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage

Total, 16 years and older

73,305 1,112 247 865 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1.5 0.3 1.2

Less than a high school diploma

7,860 170 76 94 10.7 15.3 30.7 10.9 2.2 1.0 1.2

Less than 1 year of high school

2,217 18 4 14 3.0 1.6 1.4 1.7 0.8 0.2 0.7

1 to 3 years of high school

4,485 127 62 64 6.1 11.4 25.3 7.4 2.8 1.4 1.4

4 years of high school, no diploma

1,158 25 10 15 1.6 2.2 4.0 1.7 2.1 0.8 1.3

High school graduates or more

65,445 942 171 771 89.3 84.7 69.3 89.1 1.4 0.3 1.2

High school graduates, no college

24,685 390 85 304 33.7 35.1 34.6 35.2 1.6 0.3 1.2

Some college or associate degree

24,578 390 78 312 33.5 35.1 31.5 36.1 1.6 0.3 1.3

Some college, no degree

15,310 308 59 249 20.9 27.7 24.0 28.7 2.0 0.4 1.6

Associate degree

9,268 82 19 64 12.6 7.4 7.5 7.4 0.9 0.2 0.7

Occupational program

3,990 28 8 20 5.4 2.5 3.1 2.4 0.7 0.2 0.5

Academic program

5,277 54 11 43 7.2 4.9 4.4 5.0 1.0 0.2 0.8

Bachelor's degree and higher

16,183 162 8 155 22.1 14.6 3.2 17.9 1.0 0.0 1.0

Bachelor's degree

12,279 123 7 115 16.8 11.0 3.0 13.3 1.0 0.1 0.9

Master's degree

3,122 28 1 27 4.3 2.5 0.2 3.2 0.9 0.0 0.9

Professional degree

341 6 0 6 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.7 1.8 0.0 1.8

Doctoral degree

441 6 0 6 0.6 0.5 0.0 0.7 1.3 0.0 1.3

Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 7. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by age and gender, 2020 annual averages
Age and gender Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percentage of workers paid
hourly rates
Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage

Total

Total, 16 years and older

73,305 1,112 247 865 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1.5 0.3 1.2

16 to 24 years

14,051 529 153 376 19.2 47.6 62.0 43.4 3.8 1.1 2.7

16 to 19 years

4,352 222 93 129 5.9 19.9 37.5 14.9 5.1 2.1 3.0

20 to 24 years

9,699 307 60 247 13.2 27.6 24.5 28.5 3.2 0.6 2.5

25 years and older

59,254 583 94 489 80.8 52.4 38.0 56.6 1.0 0.2 0.8

25 to 34 years

17,872 250 34 216 24.4 22.5 13.7 25.0 1.4 0.2 1.2

25 to 29 years

9,571 143 15 128 13.1 12.9 6.0 14.8 1.5 0.2 1.3

30 to 34 years

8,302 107 19 88 11.3 9.6 7.7 10.1 1.3 0.2 1.1

35 to 44 years

13,691 130 17 113 18.7 11.7 6.9 13.1 1.0 0.1 0.8

35 to 39 years

7,111 75 6 69 9.7 6.7 2.6 7.9 1.1 0.1 1.0

40 to 44 years

6,581 55 11 45 9.0 5.0 4.3 5.2 0.8 0.2 0.7

45 to 54 years

12,672 93 13 80 17.3 8.4 5.4 9.2 0.7 0.1 0.6

45 to 49 years

6,379 49 9 40 8.7 4.4 3.8 4.6 0.8 0.1 0.6

50 to 54 years

6,292 44 4 40 8.6 4.0 1.6 4.6 0.7 0.1 0.6

55 to 64 years

11,179 75 14 60 15.3 6.7 5.8 7.0 0.7 0.1 0.5

55 to 59 years

6,304 36 6 30 8.6 3.2 2.6 3.4 0.6 0.1 0.5

60 to 64 years

4,876 39 8 31 6.7 3.5 3.2 3.5 0.8 0.2 0.6

65 years and older

3,840 35 15 20 5.2 3.2 6.3 2.3 0.9 0.4 0.5

65 to 69 years

2,228 19 7 12 3.0 1.7 2.8 1.4 0.9 0.3 0.6

70 years and older

1,612 16 9 8 2.2 1.4 3.4 0.9 1.0 0.5 0.5

Men

Total, 16 years and older

36,792 369 111 258 50.2 33.2 45.0 29.9 1.0 0.3 0.7

16 to 24 years

7,059 159 65 94 9.6 14.3 26.3 10.9 2.3 0.9 1.3

16 to 19 years

2,125 81 41 40 2.9 7.3 16.8 4.6 3.8 1.9 1.9

20 to 24 years

4,933 78 24 55 6.7 7.0 9.6 6.3 1.6 0.5 1.1

25 years and older

29,734 210 46 164 40.6 18.9 18.7 19.0 0.7 0.2 0.6

25 to 34 years

9,412 90 14 76 12.8 8.1 5.6 8.8 1.0 0.1 0.8

25 to 29 years

5,002 53 6 46 6.8 4.7 2.6 5.3 1.0 0.1 0.9

30 to 34 years

4,410 38 7 30 6.0 3.4 3.0 3.5 0.9 0.2 0.7

35 to 44 years

7,004 41 9 32 9.6 3.7 3.8 3.7 0.6 0.1 0.5

35 to 39 years

3,712 19 3 17 5.1 1.7 1.1 1.9 0.5 0.1 0.4

40 to 44 years

3,292 22 7 15 4.5 2.0 2.6 1.8 0.7 0.2 0.5

45 to 54 years

6,218 33 11 22 8.5 3.0 4.5 2.5 0.5 0.2 0.4

45 to 49 years

3,136 20 7 12 4.3 1.8 2.9 1.4 0.6 0.2 0.4

50 to 54 years

3,082 13 4 10 4.2 1.2 1.6 1.1 0.4 0.1 0.3

55 to 64 years

5,253 34 8 26 7.2 3.1 3.3 3.0 0.7 0.2 0.5

55 to 59 years

2,965 14 4 10 4.0 1.3 1.6 1.1 0.5 0.1 0.3

60 to 64 years

2,288 20 4 16 3.1 1.8 1.7 1.9 0.9 0.2 0.7

65 years and older

1,847 11 4 8 2.5 1.0 1.5 0.9 0.6 0.2 0.4

65 to 69 years

1,082 7 0 7 1.5 0.7 0.0 0.8 0.7 0.0 0.7

70 years and older

765 4 4 0 1.0 0.4 1.5 0.0 0.5 0.5 0.0

Women

Total, 16 years and older

36,513 742 136 607 49.8 66.8 55.0 70.1 2.0 0.4 1.7

16 to 24 years

6,992 369 88 281 9.5 33.2 35.7 32.5 5.3 1.3 4.0

16 to 19 years

2,226 141 51 89 3.0 12.7 20.8 10.3 6.3 2.3 4.0

20 to 24 years

4,766 229 37 192 6.5 20.6 14.9 22.2 4.8 0.8 4.0

25 years and older

29,521 373 48 325 40.3 33.5 19.3 37.6 1.3 0.2 1.1

25 to 34 years

8,460 160 20 140 11.5 14.4 8.1 16.2 1.9 0.2 1.7

25 to 29 years

4,569 90 8 82 6.2 8.1 3.4 9.5 2.0 0.2 1.8

30 to 34 years

3,892 69 12 58 5.3 6.2 4.7 6.7 1.8 0.3 1.5

35 to 44 years

6,687 89 8 81 9.1 8.0 3.1 9.4 1.3 0.1 1.2

35 to 39 years

3,398 55 4 52 4.6 5.0 1.4 6.0 1.6 0.1 1.5

40 to 44 years

3,289 34 4 29 4.5 3.0 1.7 3.4 1.0 0.1 0.9

45 to 54 years

6,454 60 2 58 8.8 5.4 0.8 6.7 0.9 0.0 0.9

45 to 49 years

3,243 29 2 27 4.4 2.6 0.8 3.2 0.9 0.1 0.8

50 to 54 years

3,211 31 0 31 4.4 2.7 0.0 3.5 1.0 0.0 1.0

55 to 64 years

5,926 40 6 34 8.1 3.6 2.5 3.9 0.7 0.1 0.6

55 to 59 years

3,338 22 2 20 4.6 2.0 0.9 2.3 0.7 0.1 0.6

60 to 64 years

2,588 18 4 14 3.5 1.6 1.6 1.7 0.7 0.2 0.6

65 years and older

1,993 24 12 12 2.7 2.2 4.7 1.4 1.2 0.6 0.6

65 to 69 years

1,147 12 7 5 1.6 1.1 2.8 0.6 1.0 0.6 0.4

70 years and older

846 12 5 7 1.2 1.1 1.9 0.8 1.4 0.6 0.9

Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 8. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by marital status, age, and gender, 2020 annual averages
Marital status, age,
and gender
Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percentage of workers paid
hourly rates
Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage

Total

Total, 16 years and older

73,305 1,112 247 865 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1.5 0.3 1.2

Never married

30,236 772 184 589 41.2 69.5 74.4 68.0 2.6 0.6 1.9

16 to 24 years

12,983 504 144 360 17.7 45.4 58.4 41.6 3.9 1.1 2.8

25 years and older

17,253 268 40 228 23.5 24.1 16.0 26.4 1.6 0.2 1.3

25 to 54 years

15,619 258 38 220 21.3 23.2 15.3 25.5 1.7 0.2 1.4

Married, spouse present(1)

31,844 218 38 180 43.4 19.6 15.4 20.8 0.7 0.1 0.6

16 to 24 years

752 11 4 6 1.0 1.0 1.8 0.7 1.4 0.6 0.8

25 years and older

31,093 207 34 174 42.4 18.7 13.7 20.1 0.7 0.1 0.6

25 to 54 years

22,003 152 19 134 30.0 13.7 7.6 15.4 0.7 0.1 0.6

Widowed, divorced, or separated(2)

11,225 121 25 96 15.3 10.9 10.2 11.1 1.1 0.2 0.9

16 to 24 years

316 14 5 9 0.4 1.2 1.9 1.1 4.4 1.5 2.9

25 years and older

10,909 108 20 87 14.9 9.7 8.3 10.1 1.0 0.2 0.8

25 to 54 years

6,613 63 8 55 9.0 5.6 3.1 6.4 0.9 0.1 0.8

Men

Total, 16 years and older

36,792 369 111 258 50.2 33.2 45.0 29.9 1.0 0.3 0.7

Never married

15,921 259 86 173 21.7 23.3 34.9 20.0 1.6 0.5 1.1

16 to 24 years

6,584 150 63 87 9.0 13.5 25.5 10.1 2.3 1.0 1.3

25 years and older

9,336 109 23 86 12.7 9.8 9.3 9.9 1.2 0.2 0.9

25 to 54 years

8,540 106 23 83 11.7 9.6 9.3 9.6 1.2 0.3 1.0

Married, spouse present(1)

16,462 77 18 60 22.5 6.9 7.1 6.9 0.5 0.1 0.4

16 to 24 years

328 3 0 3 0.4 0.3 0.0 0.4 1.0 0.0 1.0

25 years and older

16,134 74 18 56 22.0 6.6 7.1 6.5 0.5 0.1 0.3

25 to 54 years

11,361 43 9 34 15.5 3.9 3.6 4.0 0.4 0.1 0.3

Widowed, divorced, or separated(2)

4,409 33 8 26 6.0 3.0 3.1 3.0 0.8 0.2 0.6

16 to 24 years

146 6 2 4 0.2 0.5 0.8 0.4 4.0 1.3 2.6

25 years and older

4,263 27 6 22 5.8 2.5 2.3 2.5 0.6 0.1 0.5

25 to 54 years

2,732 15 2 13 3.7 1.3 0.9 1.5 0.5 0.1 0.5

Women

Total, 16 years and older

36,513 742 136 607 49.8 66.8 55.0 70.1 2.0 0.4 1.7

Never married

14,315 513 98 416 19.5 46.2 39.6 48.1 3.6 0.7 2.9

16 to 24 years

6,398 354 81 273 8.7 31.9 32.8 31.6 5.5 1.3 4.3

25 years and older

7,917 159 17 143 10.8 14.3 6.7 16.5 2.0 0.2 1.8

25 to 54 years

7,078 152 15 137 9.7 13.6 5.9 15.8 2.1 0.2 1.9

Married, spouse present(1)

15,382 141 21 120 21.0 12.7 8.3 13.9 0.9 0.1 0.8

16 to 24 years

424 7 4 3 0.6 0.7 1.8 0.3 1.7 1.0 0.7

25 years and older

14,959 134 16 117 20.4 12.0 6.6 13.6 0.9 0.1 0.8

25 to 54 years

10,642 109 10 99 14.5 9.8 4.0 11.5 1.0 0.1 0.9

Widowed, divorced, or separated(2)

6,816 88 17 71 9.3 7.9 7.1 8.2 1.3 0.3 1.0

16 to 24 years

170 8 3 5 0.2 0.7 1.1 0.6 4.7 1.6 3.1

25 years and older

6,645 80 15 65 9.1 7.2 6.0 7.6 1.2 0.2 1.0

25 to 54 years

3,881 48 5 42 5.3 4.3 2.1 4.9 1.2 0.1 1.1

Footnotes
(1) Beginning with data for 2020, refers to people in both opposite-sex and same-sex married couples. Prior to 2020, referred to people in opposite-sex married couples only.
(2) Separated includes people who are married, spouse absent.

Note: Data exclude all self-employed workers, whether or not their businesses are incorporated.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 9. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by usual hours worked per week on primary job, 2020 annual averages
Usual hours worked per week on primary job Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percentage of workers paid
hourly rates
Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage Total paid
hourly
rates
At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage
Total At
minimum
wage
Below
minimum
wage

Total, 16 years and older

73,305 1,112 247 865 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1.5 0.3 1.2

Hours vary

3,868 130 20 109 5.3 11.7 8.3 12.6 3.3 0.5 2.8

0 to 34 hours

16,160 590 165 425 22.0 53.0 66.8 49.1 3.6 1.0 2.6

0 to 4 hours

276 6 1 6 0.4 0.6 0.3 0.6 2.3 0.3 2.0

5 to 9 hours

770 33 17 16 1.1 3.0 7.0 1.8 4.3 2.2 2.0

10 to 14 hours

1,526 57 28 29 2.1 5.1 11.4 3.3 3.7 1.8 1.9

15 to 19 hours

2,042 86 26 61 2.8 7.7 10.3 7.0 4.2 1.3 3.0

20 to 24 hours

4,657 158 51 108 6.4 14.2 20.5 12.4 3.4 1.1 2.3

25 to 29 hours

2,391 91 21 70 3.3 8.2 8.5 8.1 3.8 0.9 2.9

30 to 34 hours

4,497 158 22 136 6.1 14.2 8.8 15.7 3.5 0.5 3.0

35 hours or more

53,277 393 62 331 72.7 35.3 24.9 38.3 0.7 0.1 0.6

35 to 39 hours

5,302 103 14 89 7.2 9.3 5.8 10.3 1.9 0.3 1.7

40 hours or more

47,975 290 47 242 65.4 26.0 19.2 28.0 0.6 0.1 0.5

40 hours

41,652 248 46 202 56.8 22.3 18.8 23.3 0.6 0.1 0.5

41 hours or more

6,323 41 1 40 8.6 3.7 0.3 4.6 0.6 0.0 0.6

41 to 44 hours

618 0 0 0 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

45 to 48 hours

2,130 12 1 11 2.9 1.1 0.3 1.3 0.6 0.0 0.5

49 to 59 hours

2,479 23 0 23 3.4 2.1 0.0 2.7 0.9 0.0 0.9

60 hours or more

1,096 5 0 5 1.5 0.5 0.0 0.6 0.5 0.0 0.5

Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Estimates of usual hours worked presented in this table differ from usual full- or part-time status (as shown in table 1) because of a sizable number of workers whose usual hours vary on the primary job.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 10. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below prevailing federal minimum wage, by gender, 1979–2020 annual averages [Numbers in thousands]
Year and gender Total
wage
and
salary
workers
Workers paid hourly rates
Total Percentage
of total
wage
and
salary
workers
At
prevailing
federal
minimum
wage(1)
Below
prevailing
federal
minimum
wage(1)
Total at or below
prevailing federal
minimum wage
Number Percentage
of hourly
paid
workers

Total

1979

87,529 51,721 59.1 3,997 2,916 6,912 13.4

1980

87,644 51,335 58.6 4,686 3,087 7,773 15.1

1981

88,516 51,869 58.6 4,311 3,513 7,824 15.1

1982

87,368 50,846 58.2 4,148 2,348 6,496 12.8

1983

88,290 51,820 58.7 4,261 2,077 6,338 12.2

1984

92,194 54,143 58.7 4,125 1,838 5,963 11.0

1985

94,521 55,762 59.0 3,899 1,639 5,538 9.9

1986

96,903 57,529 59.4 3,461 1,599 5,060 8.8

1987

99,303 59,552 60.0 3,229 1,468 4,698 7.9

1988

101,407 60,878 60.0 2,608 1,319 3,927 6.5

1989

103,480 62,389 60.3 1,790 1,372 3,162 5.1

1990

104,876 63,172 60.2 1,096 2,132 3,228 5.1

1991

103,723 62,627 60.4 2,906 2,377 5,283 8.4

1992

104,668 63,610 60.8 2,982 1,939 4,921 7.7

1993

106,101 64,274 60.6 2,625 1,707 4,332 6.7

1994

107,989 66,549 61.6 2,132 1,995 4,128 6.2

1995

110,038 68,354 62.1 1,956 1,699 3,656 5.3

1996

111,960 69,255 61.9 1,861 1,863 3,724 5.4

1997

114,533 70,735 61.8 1,764 2,990 4,754 6.7

1998

116,730 71,440 61.2 1,593 2,834 4,427 6.2

1999

118,963 72,306 60.8 1,146 2,194 3,340 4.6

2000

122,089 73,496 60.2 898 1,752 2,650 3.6

2001

122,229 73,392 60.0 656 1,518 2,174 3.0

2002

121,826 72,508 59.5 567 1,579 2,146 3.0

2003

122,358 72,946 59.6 545 1,555 2,100 2.9

2004

123,554 73,939 59.8 520 1,483 2,003 2.7

2005

125,889 75,609 60.1 479 1,403 1,882 2.5

2006

128,237 76,514 59.7 409 1,283 1,692 2.2

2007

129,767 75,873 58.5 267 1,462 1,729 2.3

2008

129,377 75,305 58.2 286 1,940 2,226 3.0

2009

124,490 72,611 58.3 980 2,592 3,572 4.9

2010

124,073 72,902 58.8 1,820 2,541 4,361 6.0

2011

125,187 73,926 59.1 1,677 2,152 3,829 5.2

2012

127,577 75,276 59.0 1,566 1,984 3,550 4.7

2013

129,110 75,948 58.8 1,532 1,768 3,301 4.3

2014

131,431 77,207 58.7 1,255 1,737 2,992 3.9

2015

133,743 78,232 58.5 870 1,691 2,561 3.3

2016

136,101 79,883 58.7 701 1,451 2,153 2.7

2017

137,890 80,439 58.3 542 1,282 1,824 2.3

2018

140,099 81,915 58.5 434 1,276 1,711 2.1

2019

141,737 82,289 58.1 392 1,211 1,603 1.9

2020

132,174 73,305 55.5 247 865 1,112 1.5

Men

1979

49,400 28,392 57.5 1,353 846 2,199 7.7

1980

48,700 27,709 56.9 1,696 983 2,678 9.7

1981

48,844 27,576 56.5 1,533 1,119 2,652 9.6

1982

47,591 26,481 55.6 1,587 697 2,284 8.6

1983

47,856 26,831 56.1 1,658 585 2,243 8.4

1984

50,022 28,140 56.3 1,626 490 2,116 7.5

1985

51,015 28,893 56.6 1,544 440 1,984 6.9

1986

51,942 29,666 57.1 1,336 408 1,743 5.9

1987

52,938 30,474 57.6 1,283 364 1,647 5.4

1988

53,912 31,058 57.6 1,066 311 1,377 4.4

1989

54,789 31,687 57.8 733 379 1,112 3.5

1990

55,553 32,104 57.8 385 712 1,097 3.4

1991

54,618 31,639 57.9 1,114 795 1,909 6.0

1992

54,826 32,155 58.6 1,231 653 1,885 5.9

1993

55,475 32,337 58.3 1,091 573 1,664 5.1

1994

56,570 33,528 59.3 891 674 1,565 4.7

1995

57,669 34,420 59.7 796 542 1,338 3.9

1996

58,473 34,838 59.6 755 619 1,374 3.9

1997

59,825 35,521 59.4 673 1,147 1,820 5.1

1998

60,973 35,761 58.7 628 1,039 1,667 4.7

1999

61,914 36,073 58.3 446 768 1,214 3.4

2000

63,662 36,720 57.7 319 582 901 2.5

2001

63,647 36,544 57.4 247 497 744 2.0

2002

63,272 36,000 56.9 217 582 799 2.2

2003

63,236 35,853 56.7 213 493 706 2.0

2004

64,145 36,806 57.4 210 470 680 1.8

2005

65,466 37,652 57.5 189 459 648 1.7

2006

66,811 38,193 57.2 146 422 568 1.5

2007

67,468 37,790 56.0 86 460 546 1.4

2008

66,846 37,334 55.9 90 638 728 1.9

2009

63,539 35,185 55.4 368 990 1,358 3.9

2010

63,531 35,498 55.9 669 943 1,612 4.5

2011

64,686 36,457 56.4 648 785 1,433 3.9

2012

65,898 37,113 56.3 567 696 1,263 3.4

2013

66,794 37,544 56.2 622 621 1,243 3.3

2014

68,048 38,405 56.4 516 598 1,114 2.9

2015

69,298 38,732 55.9 330 629 959 2.5

2016

70,589 39,568 56.1 270 499 769 1.9

2017

71,469 39,781 55.7 226 452 678 1.7

2018

72,632 40,691 56.0 168 464 632 1.6

2019

73,349 40,918 55.8 125 411 536 1.3

2020

68,711 36,792 53.5 111 258 369 1.0

Women

1979

38,129 23,329 61.2 2,644 2,070 4,714 20.2

1980

38,944 23,626 60.7 2,990 2,104 5,095 21.6

1981

39,672 24,294 61.2 2,778 2,394 5,172 21.3

1982

39,777 24,365 61.3 2,561 1,651 4,212 17.3

1983

40,433 24,989 61.8 2,603 1,492 4,095 16.4

1984

42,172 26,003 61.7 2,499 1,348 3,847 14.8

1985

43,506 26,869 61.8 2,356 1,198 3,554 13.2

1986

44,961 27,863 62.0 2,125 1,192 3,317 11.9

1987

46,365 29,078 62.7 1,946 1,105 3,051 10.5

1988

47,495 29,820 62.8 1,542 1,008 2,550 8.6

1989

48,691 30,702 63.1 1,056 994 2,050 6.7

1990

49,323 31,069 63.0 711 1,420 2,131 6.9

1991

49,105 30,988 63.1 1,792 1,582 3,374 10.9

1992

49,842 31,454 63.1 1,751 1,286 3,036 9.7

1993

50,626 31,937 63.1 1,534 1,133 2,667 8.4

1994

51,419 33,021 64.2 1,241 1,322 2,563 7.8

1995

52,369 33,934 64.8 1,161 1,157 2,318 6.8

1996

53,488 34,418 64.3 1,106 1,244 2,350 6.8

1997

54,708 35,214 64.4 1,092 1,843 2,935 8.3

1998

55,757 35,680 64.0 965 1,794 2,760 7.7

1999

57,050 36,233 63.5 700 1,426 2,126 5.9

2000

58,427 36,777 62.9 579 1,170 1,749 4.8

2001

58,582 36,848 62.9 409 1,021 1,430 3.9

2002

58,555 36,508 62.3 350 997 1,347 3.7

2003

59,122 37,093 62.7 332 1,062 1,394 3.8

2004

59,408 37,133 62.5 310 1,013 1,323 3.6

2005

60,423 37,957 62.8 290 944 1,234 3.3

2006

61,426 38,321 62.4 263 861 1,124 2.9

2007

62,299 38,082 61.1 181 1,002 1,183 3.1

2008

62,532 37,972 60.7 196 1,302 1,498 3.9

2009

60,951 37,426 61.4 612 1,603 2,215 5.9

2010

60,542 37,404 61.8 1,151 1,598 2,749 7.3

2011

60,502 37,469 61.9 1,029 1,366 2,395 6.4

2012

61,679 38,163 61.9 999 1,288 2,287 6.0

2013

62,316 38,404 61.6 910 1,148 2,058 5.4

2014

63,383 38,802 61.2 739 1,139 1,878 4.8

2015

64,445 39,500 61.3 540 1,062 1,602 4.1

2016

65,512 40,315 61.5 432 952 1,384 3.4

2017

66,421 40,658 61.2 316 829 1,146 2.8

2018

67,467 41,223 61.1 267 812 1,078 2.6

2019

68,388 41,372 60.5 268 800 1,067 2.6

2020

63,462 36,513 57.5 136 607 742 2.0

Footnotes
(1) Data for 1990–1991, 1996–1997, and 2007–2009 reflect changes in the minimum wage that took place in those years.

Note: The comparability of historical labor force data has been affected at various times by methodological and conceptual changes in the Current Population Survey (CPS). Information about historical comparability is available at https://www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#comp.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Technical Notes

The estimates in this report were obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS), which provides information on the labor force, employment, and unemployment. The survey is conducted monthly for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by the U.S. Census Bureau using a nationally representative sample of about 60,000 eligible households in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The survey also provides data on earnings, which are based on one-fourth of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to wage and salary workers. All self-employed workers, whether or not their businesses are incorporated, are excluded from these earnings estimates.

The material in this report is in the public domain and may be used without permission.

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Concepts and definitions

The principal definitions used in connection with the estimates of minimum wage workers presented in this report are described briefly below.

Wage and salary workers are people age 16 and older who receive wages, salaries, commissions, tips, payments in kind, or piece rates on their sole or principal job. This group includes employees in both the private and public sectors. All self-employed workers are excluded whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

Workers paid by the hour are wage and salary workers who report that they are paid at an hourly rate on their job. Historically, workers paid an hourly wage have made up approximately three-fifths of all wage and salary workers. Estimates of workers paid by the hour include both full- and part-time workers unless otherwise specified.

Hourly earnings data are for wage and salary workers who are paid by the hour and pertain to earnings from a person’s sole or principal job. Hourly earnings for hourly paid workers do not include overtime pay, commissions, or tips received.

Workers paid at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage include only workers who are paid hourly rates. Salaried workers and other nonhourly paid workers are excluded.

Regular collection of earnings data in the basic CPS began in 1979. The prevailing federal minimum wage for 1979 and later years is listed in the following table.

Federal minimum wage Effective date
$2.90 January 1, 1979
$3.10 January 1, 1980
$3.35 January 1, 1981
$3.80 April 1, 1990
$4.25 April 1, 1991
$4.75 October 1, 1996
$5.15 September 1, 1997
$5.85 July 24, 2007
$6.55 July 24, 2008
$7.25 July 24, 2009

Estimates of the annual average number of minimum wage workers for years when the minimum wage increased during the year reflect both minimum wage levels in effect during the year. For example, data for 2007 reflect the number of workers at or below the federal minimum of $5.15 for January to July and $5.85 for August to December.

Full-time workers are defined as those who usually work 35 hours or more per week at their sole or principal job. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not define full- or part-time employment.

Part-time workers are defined as those who usually work fewer than 35 hours per week at their sole or principal job.

Race is reported by the household respondent. In accordance with the Office of Management and Budget standards, White, Black or African American, and Asian are terms used to describe a person’s race for the data presented in this report. Data for other race groups--American Indians and Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders--and for people of Two or More Races are included in totals but not separately identified in this report because the number of survey respondents is too small to develop estimates of acceptable reliability.

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity refers to people who identified themselves in the survey process as being of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin. People who identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may be of any race.

Married, spouse present refers to people in both opposite-sex and same-sex marriages living together in the same household.

Other marital status refers to people who are never married; widowed; divorced; separated; or married, spouse absent. Separated includes people with legal separations, those living apart with intentions of obtaining a divorce, and other people permanently or temporarily separated because of marital discord. Married, spouse absent includes both opposite-sex and same-sex married people living apart because either the husband or wife was employed and living at a considerable distance from home, was serving away from home in the Armed Forces, had moved to another area, or had a different place of residence for any other reason except those listed in the previous definition of separated.

Interpreting minimum wage data

The CPS does not determine whether workers are covered by the minimum wage provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) or by individual state or local minimum wage laws. The estimates of workers paid at or below the federal minimum wage are based solely on the hourly wage that respondents report (which does not include overtime pay, tips, or commissions). It should be noted that some respondents might round their hourly earnings when answering survey questions. As a result, some workers might be reported as having hourly earnings above or below the federal minimum wage when, in fact, they earn the minimum wage.

Some workers reported as earning at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage may not in fact be covered by federal or state minimum wage laws because of exclusions and exemptions in the statutes. Thus, the presence of workers with hourly earnings below the federal minimum wage does not necessarily indicate violations of the FLSA or state statutes in cases where such standards apply.

Estimates of the number of minimum wage workers in this report pertain only to workers who are paid hourly rates. Salaried workers and other workers who are not paid by the hour are excluded, even though some have earnings that, if converted to hourly rates, would be at or below the federal minimum wage. Consequently, the estimates presented in this report likely underestimate the actual number of workers with hourly earnings at or below the minimum wage. BLS does not routinely estimate the hourly earnings of workers not paid by the hour because of data quality concerns associated with constructing such an estimate.

A number of states have established minimum wage rates that exceed the federal level. (Information on state minimum wage laws is available at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state.) Users should be cautious about comparing state estimates with CPS estimates in this report because of differing statutory minimum wages. It also should be noted that the CPS sample is based on residence; workers report their earnings on their job, which may or may not be located in the same state in which they live. In addition, the degree of sampling error may be quite large for some state estimates.

Reliability

Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the true population values they represent. The component of this difference that occurs because samples differ by chance is known as sampling error, and its variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate. There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the true population value because of sampling error. BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence.

The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the population, inability to obtain information from all respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data. For example, respondents may round their hourly earnings to whole dollars when answering survey questions.

Information about the reliability of data from the CPS is available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability.