MINIMUM WAGE AND NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE INDEX: 1940-2004
Adj by Average Average CPI-U Min Wage
Current in 2004 Average Wage Wage (1982-84 Unempl. as % of
Year Dollars Dollars Wage (hourly) Index =100) Rate Avg Wage
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1940 0.30 4.05 14.0
1941 0.30 3.86 14.7
1942 0.30 3.48 16.3
1943 0.30 3.28 17.3
1944 0.30 3.22 17.6
1945 0.40 4.20 18.0
1946 0.40 3.87 19.5
1947 0.40 3.39 22.3
1948 0.40 3.14 24.1 3.8
1949 0.40 3.17 23.8 5.9
1950 0.75 5.88 24.1 5.3
1951 0.75 5.45 9.55 1.40 2799.16 26.0 3.3 53.59
1952 0.75 5.35 8.99 1.49 2973.32 26.5 3.0 50.45
1953 0.75 5.31 8.52 1.57 3139.44 26.7 2.9 47.78
1954 0.75 5.27 8.47 1.58 3155.64 26.9 5.5 47.53
1955 0.75 5.29 8.10 1.65 3301.44 26.8 4.4 45.43
1956 1.00 6.94 10.09 1.77 3532.36 27.2 4.1 56.62
1957 1.00 6.72 9.79 1.82 3641.72 28.1 4.3 54.92
1958 1.00 6.54 9.70 1.84 3673.80 28.9 6.8 54.44
1959 1.00 6.49 9.25 1.93 3855.80 29.1 5.5 51.87
1960 1.00 6.38 8.90 2.00 4007.12 29.6 5.5 49.91
1961 1.15 7.27 10.03 2.04 4086.76 29.9 6.7 56.28
1962 1.15 7.19 9.55 2.15 4291.40 30.2 5.5 53.60
1963 1.25 7.72 10.14 2.20 4396.64 30.6 5.7 56.86
1964 1.25 7.62 9.74 2.29 4576.32 31.0 5.2 54.63
1965 1.25 7.50 9.57 2.33 4658.72 31.5 4.5 53.66
1966 1.25 7.29 9.02 2.47 4938.36 32.4 3.8 50.62
1967 1.40 7.92 9.57 2.61 5213.44 33.4 3.8 53.71
1968 1.60 8.69 10.24 2.79 5571.76 34.8 3.6 57.43
1969 1.60 8.24 9.68 2.95 5893.76 36.7 3.5 54.29
1970 1.60 7.79 9.22 3.09 6186.24 38.8 4.9 51.73
1971 1.60 7.46 8.78 3.25 6497.08 40.5 5.9 49.25
1972 1.60 7.23 8.00 3.57 7133.80 41.8 5.6 44.86
1973 1.60 6.81 7.52 3.79 7580.16 44.4 4.9 42.22
1974 2.00 7.66 8.88 4.02 8030.76 49.3 5.6 49.81
1975 2.10 7.37 8.67 4.32 8630.92 53.8 8.5 48.66
1976 2.30 7.64 8.89 4.61 9226.48 56.9 7.7 49.86
1977 2.30 7.17 8.38 4.89 9779.44 60.6 7.1 47.04
1978 2.65 7.68 8.95 5.28 10556.03 65.2 6.1 50.21
1979 2.90 7.55 9.01 5.74 11479.46 72.6 5.8 50.53
1980 3.10 7.11 8.83 6.26 12513.46 82.4 7.1 49.55
1981 3.35 6.96 8.67 6.89 13773.10 90.9 7.6 48.65
1982 3.35 6.56 8.22 7.27 14531.34 96.5 9.7 46.11
1983 3.35 6.35 7.84 7.62 15239.24 99.6 9.6 43.97
1984 3.35 6.09 7.40 8.07 16135.07 103.9 7.5 41.52
1985 3.35 5.88 7.10 8.41 16822.51 107.6 7.2 39.83
1986 3.35 5.77 6.89 8.66 17321.82 109.6 7.0 38.68
1987 3.35 5.57 6.48 9.21 18426.51 113.6 6.2 36.36
1988 3.35 5.35 6.18 9.67 19334.04 118.3 5.5 34.65
1989 3.35 5.10 5.94 10.05 20099.55 124.0 5.3 33.33
1990 3.80 5.49 6.44 10.51 21027.98 130.7 5.6 36.14
1991 4.25 5.89 6.95 10.91 21811.60 136.2 6.8 38.97
1992 4.25 5.72 6.61 11.47 22935.42 140.3 7.5 37.06
1993 4.25 5.56 6.55 11.57 23132.67 144.5 6.9 36.74
1994 4.25 5.42 6.38 11.88 23753.53 148.2 6.1 35.78
1995 4.25 5.27 6.13 12.35 24705.66 152.4 5.6 34.41
1996 4.75 5.72 6.53 12.96 25913.90 156.9 5.4 36.66
1997 5.15 6.06 6.69 13.71 27426.00 160.5 4.9 37.56
1998 5.15 5.97 6.36 14.43 28861.44 163.0 4.5 35.69
1999 5.15 5.84 6.03 15.23 30469.84 166.6 4.2 33.80
2000 5.15 5.65 5.71 16.08 32154.82 172.2 4.0 32.03
2001 5.15 5.49 5.58 16.46 32921.92 177.1 4.7 31.29
2002 5.15 5.41 5.52 16.63 33252.09 179.9 5.8 30.98
2003 5.15 5.29 5.39 17.03 34064.95 184.0 6.0 30.24
2004 5.15 5.15 5.15 17.82 35648.55 188.9 5.5 28.89
Note: The national average wage index is used to index earnings of
most workers becoming eligible for OASDI benefits after 1978.
Minimum_ Wage adjusted by Average Wage for Year YYYY =
Minimum_Wage(YYYY) * Average_Wage(2000) / Average_Wage(YYYY)
Source: http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/chart.htm (minimum wage);
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/AWI.html (average wage index);
http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost?cu (CPI-U, Series CUUR0000SA0)
http://www.bls.gov/webapps/legacy/cpsatab1.htm (unemployment rate,
Series LNU04000000, Not seasonally adjusted)
Go to Budget Home Page
