Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2006

Bureau of Labor Statistics

U.S. Department of Labor

February 28, 2007
Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2006

According to Current Population Survey estimates for 2006, 76.5 million American workers were paid at hourly rates,

representing 59.7 percent of all wage and salary workers.

1

 Of those paid by the hour, 409,000 were reported as earning exactly 

$5.15, the prevailing Federal minimum wage. Another 1.3 million were reported as earning wages below the minimum. 2 Together, 

these 1.7 million workers with wages at or below the minimum made up 2.2 percent of all hourly-paid workers. Tables 1-10 present 

data on a wide array of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics for hourly-paid workers earning at or below the Federal 

minimum wage. The following are some highlights from the 2006 data.

-- Minimum wage workers tend to be young. About half of workers earning $5.15 or less were under age 25, and about one-fourth of 

workers earning at or below the minimum wage were age 16-19. Among employed teenagers, about 8 percent earned $5.15 or less. 

About 1 percent of workers age 25 and over earned the minimum wage or less. Among those age 65 and over, the proportion was 

about 2 percent. (See table 1 and table 7.)

-- About 3 percent of women paid hourly rates reported wages at or below the prevailing Federal minimum, compared with under 2 

percent of men. (See table 1.)

-- About 2 percent of white, black, and Hispanic hourly-paid workers earned $5.15 or less. Among Asian hourly-paid workers, about 

1 percent earned the Federal minimum wage or less. For whites, women were twice as likely as men to earn $5.15 or less. (See 

table 1.)

-- Never-married workers, who tend to be young, were more likely to earn the minimum wage or less than married workers. (See 

table 8.)

-- Among hourly-paid workers age 16 and over, nearly 4 percent of those who had less than a high school diploma earned the 

minimum wage or less, compared to 2 percent of those who had a high school diploma (with no college), and 1 percent of college 

graduates. (See table 6.)

-- Part-time workers (persons who usually work less than 35 hours per week) were more likely than their full-time counterparts to be 

paid $5.15 or less (about 6 percent versus 1 percent). (See table 1 and table 9.)

-- By major occupational group, the highest proportion of workers earning at or below the Federal minimum wage was in service 

occupations, at about 7 percent. Nearly three in four workers earning $5.15 or less in 2006 were employed in service occupations, 

mostly in food preparation and service jobs. Fewer than 1 percent of hourly-paid workers in management, professional, and related 

occupations and in natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations earned at or below the prevailing Federal 

minimum wage. (See table 4.) 

-- The industry with the highest proportion of workers with reported hourly wages at or below $5.15 was leisure and hospitality (about 

13 percent). About three-fifths of all workers paid at or below the Federal minimum wage were employed in this industry, primarily in 

the food services and drinking places component. For many of these workers, tips and commissions supplement the hourly wages 

received. (See table 5.)

-- Among the states, Alabama, Arkansas, and Oklahoma had the highest proportion of hourly-paid workers earning at or below $5.15

(nearly 4 percent). California and Minnesota had the lowest proportion earning the minimum wage or less (less than 1 percent). It 

should be noted that some states have minimum wage laws establishing minimum wage standards that exceed the Federal level of 

$5.15 per hour. (See table 2 and table 3.)

-- The proportion of hourly-paid workers earning the prevailing Federal minimum wage or less has trended downward since 1979, 

when data first began to be collected on a regular basis. (See table 10.) 

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ data on minimum wage earners are derived from 

the Current Population Survey (CPS), a nationwide sample survey of households that includes questions enabling the identification of 

hourly-paid workers and their hourly wage rate. Data in this summary are 2006 annual averages. 

 

1

 Data are for wage and salary workers, excluding the unincorporated and incorporated self-employed, and refer to earnings on a person's sole or principal job. 

2

 It should be noted that the presence of a sizable number of workers with reported wages below the minimum does not necessarily indicate violations of the 

Fair Labor Standards Act, as there are exemptions to the minimum wage provisions of the law. Indeed, the relatively large number of workers with reported 

wages below the minimum in 2006 includes about 250,000 hourly-paid workers reported as earning exactly $5.00 per hour; to some extent, this may reflect 

rounding in the responses of survey participants. The estimates of the numbers of minimum and subminimum wage workers presented in the accompanying 

tables pertain to workers paid at hourly rates; salaried and other non-hourly workers are excluded. As such, the actual number of workers with earnings at or 

below the prevailing minimum is undoubtedly understated. Research has shown that a relatively smaller number and share of salaried workers and others not 

paid by the hour have earnings that, when translated into hourly rates, are at or below the minimum wage. However, BLS does not routinely estimate hourly 

earnings for non-hourly workers because of data concerns that arise in producing these estimates. For further information, see Steven Haugen and Earl Mellor, 

"Estimating the number of minimum wage workers," Monthly Labor Review, January 1990.
Table 1. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by 

selected characteristics, 2006 annual averages

Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percent of workers paid 

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour

Total At $5.15 Below 

$5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15

AGE AND SEX

Total, 16 years and over................. 76,514 1,692 409 1,283 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.2 0.5 1.7

 16 to 24 years........................... 16,649 866 247 619 21.8 51.2 60.4 48.2 5.2 1.5 3.7

 16 to 19 years.......................... 5,687 436 165 271 7.4 25.8 40.3 21.1 7.7 2.9 4.8

 25 years and over....................... 59,865 826 162 664 78.2 48.8 39.6 51.8 1.4 0.3 1.1

 

Men, 16 years and over................. 38,193 568 146 422 49.9 33.6 35.7 32.9 1.5 0.4 1.1

 16 to 24 years........................... 8,583 296 98 198 11.2 17.5 24.0 15.4 3.4 1.1 2.3

 16 to 19 years......................... 2,796 157 71 86 3.7 9.3 17.4 6.7 5.6 2.5 3.1

 25 years and over....................... 29,609 273 49 224 38.7 16.1 12.0 17.5 0.9 0.2 0.8

 

Women, 16 years and over............ 38,321 1,124 263 861 50.1 66.4 64.3 67.1 2.9 0.7 2.2

 16 to 24 years............................ 8,065 570 149 421 10.5 33.7 36.4 32.8 7.1 1.8 5.2

 16 to 19 years......................... 2,890 279 94 185 3.8 16.5 23.0 14.4 9.7 3.3 6.4

 25 years and over...................... 30,256 554 114 440 39.5 32.7 27.9 34.3 1.8 0.4 1.5

 

RACE, SEX, AND 

HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY

White 1....................................... 61,907 1,434 329 1,105 80.9 84.8 80.4 86.1 2.3 0.5 1.8

 Men........................................ 31,403 469 115 354 41.0 27.7 28.1 27.6 1.5 0.4 1.1

 Women.................................... 30,504 966 215 751 39.9 57.1 52.6 58.5 3.2 0.7 2.5

Black or African American 1.................................... 9,903 173 62 111 12.9 10.2 15.2 8.7 1.7 0.6 1.1

 Men........................................ 4,485 68 28 40 5.9 4.0 6.8 3.1 1.5 0.6 0.9

 Women................................... 5,419 106 34 72 7.1 6.3 8.3 5.6 2.0 0.6 1.3

Asian 1....................................... 2,654 38 8 30 3.5 2.2 2.0 2.3 1.4 0.3 1.1

 Men......................................... 1,259 14 1 13 1.6 0.8 0.2 1.0 1.1 0.1 1.0

 Women.................................... 1,395 24 7 17 1.8 1.4 1.7 1.3 1.7 0.5 1.2

Hispanic or Latino 1....................... 13,121 223 68 155 17.1 13.2 16.6 12.1 1.7 0.5 1.2

 Men........................................ 7,780 96 29 67 10.2 5.7 7.1 5.2 1.2 0.4 0.9

 Women................................... 5,341 128 40 88 7.0 7.6 9.8 6.9 2.4 0.7 1.6

FULL- AND PART-TIME

STATUS AND SEX

Full-time workers 2......................... 58,452 653 99 554 76.4 38.6 24.2 43.2 1.1 0.2 0.9

 Men........................................ 32,477 248 35 213 42.4 14.7 8.6 16.6 0.8 0.1 0.7

 Women................................... 25,975 405 64 341 33.9 23.9 15.6 26.6 1.6 0.2 1.3

Part-time workers 2....................... 17,930 1,034 310 724 23.4 61.1 75.8 56.4 5.8 1.7 4.0

 Men........................................ 5,652 317 112 205 7.4 18.7 27.4 16.0 5.6 2.0 3.6

 Women................................... 12,278 717 198 519 16.0 42.4 48.4 40.5 5.8 1.6 4.2

 

1 Detail for the race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) will not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. 

In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as 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.

 NOTE: Data exclude all the self-employed, both unincorporated and incorporated. 

Total paid 

hourly 

rates

Characteristic Total paid 

hourly 

rates
Table 2. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by 

census region and division, 2006 annual averages

Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percent of workers paid 

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour

Total At $5.15 Below 

$5.15 Total At $5.15 Below 

$5.15 Total At $5.15 Below 

$5.15

Total, 16 years and over.... 76,514 1,692 409 1,283 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.2 0.5 1.7

 Northeast......................... 13,271 273 56 217 17.3 16.1 13.7 16.9 2.1 0.4 1.6

 New England................... 3,819 76 6 70 5.0 4.5 1.5 5.5 2.0 0.2 1.8

 Middle Atlantic................ 9,452 198 51 147 12.4 11.7 12.5 11.5 2.1 0.5 1.6

 Midwest........................... 18,962 432 103 329 24.8 25.5 25.2 25.6 2.3 0.5 1.7

 East North Central........... 13,113 311 71 240 17.1 18.4 17.4 18.7 2.4 0.5 1.8

 West North Central.......... 5,849 122 32 90 7.6 7.2 7.8 7.0 2.1 0.5 1.5

 South.............................. 26,805 727 185 542 35.0 43.0 45.2 42.2 2.7 0.7 2.0

 South Atlantic................. 13,874 328 51 277 18.1 19.4 12.5 21.6 2.4 0.4 2.0

 East South Central.......... 4,645 137 48 89 6.1 8.1 11.7 6.9 2.9 1.0 1.9

 West South Central......... 8,286 262 86 176 10.8 15.5 21.0 13.7 3.2 1.0 2.1

 West............................... 17,475 259 65 194 22.8 15.3 15.9 15.1 1.5 0.4 1.1

 Mountain....................... 5,552 162 52 110 7.3 9.6 12.7 8.6 2.9 0.9 2.0

 Pacific.......................... 11,924 97 13 84 15.6 5.7 3.2 6.5 0.8 0.1 0.7

 

 NOTE: Data exclude all the self-employed, both unincorporated and 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

Total paid 

hourly 

rates

Region and division Total paid 

hourly 

rates
Table 3. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by 

State, 2006 annual averages

Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percent of workers paid 

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour

Total At $5.15 Below 

$5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15

Total, 16 years and over.. 76,514 1,692 409 1,283 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.2 0.5 1.7

Alabama........................ 1,202 43 13 30 1.6 2.5 3.2 2.3 3.6 1.1 2.5

Alaska........................... 199 2 1 1 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.1 1.0 0.5 0.5

Arizona.......................... 1,589 53 12 41 2.1 3.1 2.9 3.2 3.3 0.8 2.6

Arkansas........................ 699 26 12 14 0.9 1.5 2.9 1.1 3.7 1.7 2.0

California........................ 8,562 60 10 50 11.2 3.5 2.4 3.9 0.7 0.1 0.6

Colorado........................ 1,149 37 8 29 1.5 2.2 2.0 2.3 3.2 0.7 2.5

Connecticut.................... 914 13 2 11 1.2 0.8 0.5 0.9 1.4 0.2 1.2

Delaware........................ 231 6 1 5 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.4 2.6 0.4 2.2

District of Columbia.......... 100 3 1 2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 3.0 1.0 2.0

Florida........................... 4,474 92 10 82 5.8 5.4 2.4 6.4 2.1 0.2 1.8

Georgia.......................... 2,127 55 5 50 2.8 3.3 1.2 3.9 2.6 0.2 2.4

Hawaii............................ 347 4 1 3 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.2 0.3 0.9

Idaho.............................. 425 13 5 8 0.6 0.8 1.2 0.6 3.1 1.2 1.9

Illinois............................ 3,251 76 14 62 4.2 4.5 3.4 4.8 2.3 0.4 1.9

Indiana........................... 1,826 34 8 26 2.4 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9 0.4 1.4

Iowa.............................. 941 21 3 18 1.2 1.2 0.7 1.4 2.2 0.3 1.9

Kansas.......................... 780 23 6 17 1.0 1.4 1.5 1.3 2.9 0.8 2.2

Kentucky....................... 1,175 26 8 18 1.5 1.5 2.0 1.4 2.2 0.7 1.5

Louisiana...................... 994 33 12 21 1.3 2.0 2.9 1.6 3.3 1.2 2.1

Maine............................ 397 9 1 8 0.5 0.5 0.2 0.6 2.3 0.3 2.0

Maryland........................ 1,316 22 1 21 1.7 1.3 0.2 1.6 1.7 0.1 1.6

Massachusetts................ 1,619 35 1 34 2.1 2.1 0.2 2.7 2.2 0.1 2.1

Michigan........................ 2,830 72 16 56 3.7 4.3 3.9 4.4 2.5 0.6 2.0

Minnesota....................... 1,569 13 3 10 2.1 0.8 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.2 0.6

Mississippi...................... 652 19 10 9 0.9 1.1 2.4 0.7 2.9 1.5 1.4

Missouri......................... 1,581 36 12 24 2.1 2.1 2.9 1.9 2.3 0.8 1.5

Montana......................... 285 6 5 1 0.4 0.4 1.2 0.1 2.1 1.8 0.4

Nebraska.......................... 549 15 3 12 0.7 0.9 0.7 0.9 2.7 0.5 2.2

Nevada.......................... 730 15 11 4 1.0 0.9 2.7 0.3 2.1 1.5 0.5

New Hampshire................ 370 8 1 7 0.5 0.5 0.2 0.5 2.2 0.3 1.9

New Jersey..................... 1,829 36 5 31 2.4 2.1 1.2 2.4 2.0 0.3 1.7

New Mexico.................... 498 16 6 10 0.7 0.9 1.5 0.8 3.2 1.2 2.0

New York........................ 4,166 67 11 56 5.4 4.0 2.7 4.4 1.6 0.3 1.3

North Carolina.................. 2,246 52 12 40 2.9 3.1 2.9 3.1 2.3 0.5 1.8

North Dakota................... 187 6 2 4 0.2 0.4 0.5 0.3 3.2 1.1 2.1

Ohio.............................. 3,426 93 29 64 4.5 5.5 7.1 5.0 2.7 0.8 1.9

Oklahoma....................... 869 30 10 20 1.1 1.8 2.4 1.6 3.5 1.2 2.3

Oregon........................... 1,021 10 - 10 1.3 0.6 - 0.8 1.0 - 1.0

Pennsylvania................... 3,456 96 35 61 4.5 5.7 8.6 4.8 2.8 1.0 1.8

Rhode Island................... 321 7 - 7 0.4 0.4 - 0.5 2.2 - 2.2

South Carolina................. 1,076 33 4 29 1.4 2.0 1.0 2.3 3.1 0.4 2.7

South Dakota................... 243 6 2 4 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.3 2.5 0.8 1.6

Tennesee....................... 1,616 49 16 33 2.1 2.9 3.9 2.6 3.0 1.0 2.0

Texas............................ 5,724 173 52 121 7.5 10.2 12.7 9.4 3.0 0.9 2.1

Utah............................... 724 17 4 13 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.0 2.3 0.6 1.8

Vermont......................... 199 3 - 3 0.3 0.2 - 0.2 1.5 - 1.5

Virginia.......................... 1,840 51 10 41 2.4 3.0 2.4 3.2 2.8 0.5 2.2

Washington.................... 1,795 23 2 21 2.3 1.4 0.5 1.6 1.3 0.1 1.2

West Virginia................... 463 14 7 7 0.6 0.8 1.7 0.5 3.0 1.5 1.5

Wisconsin...................... 1,781 34 3 31 2.3 2.0 0.7 2.4 1.9 0.2 1.7

Wyoming........................ 152 4 1 3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 2.6 0.7 2.0

 NOTE: Data exclude all the self-employed, both unincorporated and incorporated. Users are reminded that these data are based on a sample and are 

therefore subject to sampling error; the degree of error may be quite large for less populous States. It is not possible to clearly determine whether 

workers surveyed in the CPS are actually covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) or by individual State minimum wage laws. Thus some

workers reported as earning an hourly wage of $5.15 may not in fact be covered by Federal or State minimum wage laws. Also, there are a number

of States that have minimum wages that exceed the Federal minimum wage. At the same time, the presence of a sizable number of workers with

wages below the prevailing Federal minimum wage does not necessarily indicate violations of the FLSA or applicable State laws, because there are 

numerous exclusions and exemptions to these minimum wage statutes. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet publication criteria.

minimum wage statutes. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet publication criteria.

State Total paid 

hourly 

rates

Total paid 

hourly 

rates
Table 4. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by 

major occupation group, 2006 annual averages

Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percent of workers paid 

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour

Total At $5.15 Below 

$5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15

Total, 16 years and over.......................... 76,514 1,692 409 1,283 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.2 0.5 1.7

Management, professional, and related 

 occupations........................................14,271 75 29 46 18.7 4.4 7.1 3.6 0.5 0.2 0.3

 Management, business, and financial

 operations occupations..................................... 3,910 21 5 16 5.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 0.5 0.1 0.4

 Professional and related occupations......................... 10,362 54 24 30 13.5 3.2 5.9 2.3 0.5 0.2 0.3

Service occupations................................ 16,992 1,240 197 1,043 22.2 73.3 48.2 81.3 7.3 1.2 6.1

 Healthcare support occupations...................... 2,565 34 14 20 3.4 2.0 3.4 1.6 1.3 0.5 0.8

 Protective service occupations.............. 1,816 26 2 24 2.4 1.5 0.5 1.9 1.4 0.1 1.3

 Food preparation and serving related

 occupations.................................... 6,524 1,003 120 883 8.5 59.3 29.3 68.8 15.4 1.8 13.5

 Building and grounds cleaning and 

 maintenance occupations.......................................... 3,685 86 34 52 4.8 5.1 8.3 4.1 2.3 0.9 1.4

 Personal care and service occupations.. 2,402 92 28 64 3.1 5.4 6.8 5.0 3.8 1.2 2.7

Sales and office occupations............................. 21,092 225 131 94 27.6 13.3 32.0 7.3 1.1 0.6 0.4

 Sales and related occupations............................... 7,770 123 72 51 10.2 7.3 17.6 4.0 1.6 0.9 0.7

 Office and administrative support 

 occupations.................................... 13,322 102 59 43 17.4 6.0 14.4 3.4 0.8 0.4 0.3

Natural resources, construction, and 

 maintenance occupations................................. 10,321 39 11 28 13.5 2.3 2.7 2.2 0.4 0.1 0.3

 Farming, fishing, and forestry

 occupations.................................... 597 17 7 10 0.8 1.0 1.7 0.8 2.8 1.2 1.7

 Construction and extraction

 occupations.................................... 6,116 13 - 13 8.0 0.8 - 1.0 0.2 - 0.2

 Installation, maintenance, and 

 repair occupations.......................................... 3,607 9 4 5 4.7 0.5 1.0 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.1

Production, transportation, and 

 material moving occupations.............. 13,838 116 43 73 18.1 6.9 10.5 5.7 0.8 0.3 0.5

 Production occupations....................... 7,581 42 12 30 9.9 2.5 2.9 2.3 0.6 0.2 0.4

 Transportation and material moving

 occupations.................................... 6,257 74 31 43 8.2 4.4 7.6 3.4 1.2 0.5 0.7

 

 NOTE: Data exclude all the self-employed, both unincorporated and incorporated. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet publication criteria.

Total paid 

hourly 

rates

Occupation Total paid 

hourly 

rates
Table 5. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by 

major industry group, 2006 annual averages

Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percent of workers paid 

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour

Total At $5.15 Below 

$5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15

Total, 16 years and over.......................... 76,514 1,692 409 1,283 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.2 0.5 1.7

 Private sector......................................... 67,106 1,589 376 1,213 87.7 93.9 91.9 94.5 2.4 0.6 1.8

 Agriculture and related industries.................................... 655 19 9 10 0.9 1.1 2.2 0.8 2.9 1.4 1.5

 Nonagricultural industries.................... 66,451 1,570 367 1,203 86.8 92.8 89.7 93.8 2.4 0.6 1.8

 Mining............................................... 414 - - - 0.5 - - - - - -

 Construction.........................................6,144 13 3 10 8.0 0.8 0.7 0.8 0.2 - 0.2

 Manufacturing.................................... 10,224 39 9 30 13.4 2.3 2.2 2.3 0.4 0.1 0.3

 Durable goods ................................. 6,527 19 5 14 8.5 1.1 1.2 1.1 0.3 0.1 0.2

 Nondurable goods ........................... 3,698 20 4 16 4.8 1.2 1.0 1.2 0.5 0.1 0.4

 Wholesale and retail trade................. 12,921 140 76 64 16.9 8.3 18.6 5.0 1.1 0.6 0.5

 Wholesale trade............................ 1,988 11 3 8 2.6 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.2 0.4

 Retail trade.................................. 10,933 129 72 57 14.3 7.6 17.6 4.4 1.2 0.7 0.5

 Transportation and utilities................. 3,112 14 3 11 4.1 0.8 0.7 0.9 0.4 0.1 0.4

 Information..................................... 1,476 15 12 3 1.9 0.9 2.9 0.2 1.0 0.8 0.2

 Financial activities...................................... 3,449 18 13 5 4.5 1.1 3.2 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.1

 Professional and business services.......... 5,648 52 16 36 7.4 3.1 3.9 2.8 0.9 0.3 0.6

 Education and health services............................................ 11,559 122 56 66 15.1 7.2 13.7 5.1 1.1 0.5 0.6

 Leisure and hospitality........................... 8,407 1,067 152 915 11.0 63.1 37.2 71.3 12.7 1.8 10.9

 Other services.................................. 3,097 91 28 63 4.0 5.4 6.8 4.9 2.9 0.9 2.0

 Public sector....................................... 9,407 104 34 70 12.3 6.1 8.3 5.5 1.1 0.4 0.7

 Federal............................................ 1,727 10 3 7 2.3 0.6 0.7 0.5 0.6 0.2 0.4

 State................................................ 2,598 35 15 20 3.4 2.1 3.7 1.6 1.3 0.6 0.8

 Local.................................................. 5,082 59 16 43 6.6 3.5 3.9 3.4 1.2 0.3 0.8

 

 NOTE: Data exclude all the self-employed, both unincorporated and incorporated. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet publication 

criteria.

Total paid 

hourly 

rates

Industry Total paid 

hourly 

rates
Table 6. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by 

educational attainment, 2006 annual averages

Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percent of workers paid 

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour

Total At $5.15 Below 

$5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15

Total, 16 years and over............................ 76,514 1,692 409 1,283 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.2 0.5 1.7

 Less than a high school diploma.................. 12,760 477 186 291 16.7 28.2 45.5 22.7 3.7 1.5 2.3

 Less than 1 year of high school.............. 3,544 71 21 50 4.6 4.2 5.1 3.9 2.0 0.6 1.4

 1 to 3 years of high school....................... 7,830 376 157 219 10.2 22.2 38.4 17.1 4.8 2.0 2.8

 4 years of high school, no diploma............. 1,386 30 8 22 1.8 1.8 2.0 1.7 2.2 0.6 1.6

 High school graduates or more................ 63,574 1,215 223 992 83.1 71.8 54.5 77.3 1.9 0.4 1.6

 High school graduates, no college.............27,767 535 118 417 36.3 31.6 28.9 32.5 1.9 0.4 1.5

 Some college or associate degree........ 25,031 553 91 462 32.7 32.7 22.2 36.0 2.2 0.4 1.8

 Some college, no degree.......................17,039 435 77 358 22.3 25.7 18.8 27.9 2.6 0.5 2.1

 Associate degree................................. 7,992 119 14 105 10.4 7.0 3.4 8.2 1.5 0.2 1.3

 Occupational program....................... 4,326 60 7 53 5.7 3.5 1.7 4.1 1.4 0.2 1.2

 Academic program............................. 3,666 58 7 51 4.8 3.4 1.7 4.0 1.6 0.2 1.4

 College graduates, total......................... 10,956 127 14 113 14.3 7.5 3.4 8.8 1.2 0.1 1.0

 Bachelor's degree........................... 8,766 112 10 102 11.5 6.6 2.4 8.0 1.3 0.1 1.2

 Master's degree............................... 1,716 10 2 8 2.2 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.1 0.5

 Professional degree......................... 279 2 - 2 0.4 0.1 - 0.2 0.7 - 0.7

 Doctoral degree............................... 195 1 1 - 0.3 0.1 0.2 - 0.5 0.5 -

 

 NOTE: Data exclude all the self-employed, both unincorporated and incorporated. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet publication 

criteria.

Total paid 

hourly 

rates

Educational attainment Total paid 

hourly 

rates
Table 7. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by 

age and sex, 2006 annual averages

Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percent of workers paid 

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour

Total At $5.15 Below 

$5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15 Total At $5.15 Below $5.15

BOTH SEXES

Total, 16 years and over...............76,514 1,692 409 1,283 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.2 0.5 1.7

 Under 25 years.................... 16,649 866 247 619 21.8 51.2 60.4 48.2 5.2 1.5 3.7

 16 to 19 years.................... 5,687 436 165 271 7.4 25.8 40.3 21.1 7.7 2.9 4.8

 20 to 24 years........................10,962 430 82 348 14.3 25.4 20.0 27.1 3.9 0.7 3.2

 25 years and over.......................... 59,865 826 162 664 78.2 48.8 39.6 51.8 1.4 0.3 1.1

 25 to 34 years........................17,019 358 51 307 22.2 21.2 12.5 23.9 2.1 0.3 1.8

 25 to 29 years................... 9,187 241 36 205 12.0 14.2 8.8 16.0 2.6 0.4 2.2

 30 to 34 years........................7,833 117 15 102 10.2 6.9 3.7 8.0 1.5 0.2 1.3

 35 to 44 years.................... 16,396 191 32 159 21.4 11.3 7.8 12.4 1.2 0.2 1.0

 35 to 39 years............................ 7,823 96 13 83 10.2 5.7 3.2 6.5 1.2 0.2 1.1

 40 to 44 years.................... 8,573 94 19 75 11.2 5.6 4.6 5.8 1.1 0.2 0.9

 45 to 54 years.......................... 15,672 150 31 119 20.5 8.9 7.6 9.3 1.0 0.2 0.8

 45 to 49 years....................... 8,560 86 15 71 11.2 5.1 3.7 5.5 1.0 0.2 0.8

 50 to 54 years................... 7,111 64 16 48 9.3 3.8 3.9 3.7 0.9 0.2 0.7

 55 to 64 years......................8,402 72 24 48 11.0 4.3 5.9 3.7 0.9 0.3 0.6

 55 to 59 years......................5,442 39 12 27 7.1 2.3 2.9 2.1 0.7 0.2 0.5

 60 to 64 years....................... 2,960 34 12 22 3.9 2.0 2.9 1.7 1.1 0.4 0.7

 65 years and over.................2,376 55 24 31 3.1 3.3 5.9 2.4 2.3 1.0 1.3

 65 to 69 years.................... 1,276 26 13 13 1.7 1.5 3.2 1.0 2.0 1.0 1.0

 70 years and over................1,100 29 11 18 1.4 1.7 2.7 1.4 2.6 1.0 1.6

MEN

Total, 16 years and over............38,193 568 146 422 49.9 33.6 35.7 32.9 1.5 0.4 1.1

 Under 25 years......................8,583 296 98 198 11.2 17.5 24.0 15.4 3.4 1.1 2.3

 16 to 19 years.................... 2,796 157 71 86 3.7 9.3 17.4 6.7 5.6 2.5 3.1

 20 to 24 years.................... 5,787 139 27 112 7.6 8.2 6.6 8.7 2.4 0.5 1.9

 25 years and over..................29,609 273 49 224 38.7 16.1 12.0 17.5 0.9 0.2 0.8

 25 to 34 years..................... 9,091 123 15 108 11.9 7.3 3.7 8.4 1.4 0.2 1.2

 25 to 29 years.................. 4,925 85 12 73 6.4 5.0 2.9 5.7 1.7 0.2 1.5

 30 to 34 years................... 4,166 37 2 35 5.4 2.2 0.5 2.7 0.9 0.0 0.8

 35 to 44 years.................... 8,164 66 11 55 10.7 3.9 2.7 4.3 0.8 0.1 0.7

 35 to 39 years.................... 3,997 42 5 37 5.2 2.5 1.2 2.9 1.1 0.1 0.9

 40 to 44 years................... 4,166 23 5 18 5.4 1.4 1.2 1.4 0.6 0.1 0.4

 45 to 54 years.................. 7,423 40 9 31 9.7 2.4 2.2 2.4 0.5 0.1 0.4

 45 to 49 years................. 4,062 21 3 18 5.3 1.2 0.7 1.4 0.5 0.1 0.4

 50 to 54 years.................. 3,362 19 6 13 4.4 1.1 1.5 1.0 0.6 0.2 0.4

 55 to 64 years..................... 3,833 31 9 22 5.0 1.8 2.2 1.7 0.8 0.2 0.6

 55 to 59 years................ 2,497 17 5 12 3.3 1.0 1.2 0.9 0.7 0.2 0.5

 60 to 64 years.................. 1,337 14 4 10 1.7 0.8 1.0 0.8 1.0 0.3 0.7

 65 years and over............... 1,098 14 6 8 1.4 0.8 1.5 0.6 1.3 0.5 0.7

 65 to 69 years................... 593 5 3 2 0.8 0.3 0.7 0.2 0.8 0.5 0.3

 70 years and over.............. 504 9 3 6 0.7 0.5 0.7 0.5 1.8 0.6 1.2

WOMEN

Total, 16 years and over................... 38,321 1,124 263 861 50.1 66.4 64.3 67.1 2.9 0.7 2.2

 Under 25 years..................... 8,065 570 149 421 10.5 33.7 36.4 32.8 7.1 1.8 5.2

 16 to 19 years.................... 2,890 279 94 185 3.8 16.5 23.0 14.4 9.7 3.3 6.4

 20 to 24 years......................5,175 291 55 236 6.8 17.2 13.4 18.4 5.6 1.1 4.6

 25 years and over...................... 30,256 554 114 440 39.5 32.7 27.9 34.3 1.8 0.4 1.5

 25 to 34 years.................... 7,928 236 37 199 10.4 13.9 9.0 15.5 3.0 0.5 2.5

 25 to 29 years.................... 4,261 156 24 132 5.6 9.2 5.9 10.3 3.7 0.6 3.1

 30 to 34 years.................. 3,667 80 13 67 4.8 4.7 3.2 5.2 2.2 0.4 1.8

 35 to 44 years.................... 8,233 125 21 104 10.8 7.4 5.1 8.1 1.5 0.3 1.3

 35 to 39 years............... 3,826 54 8 46 5.0 3.2 2.0 3.6 1.4 0.2 1.2

 40 to 44 years.................. 4,407 70 13 57 5.8 4.1 3.2 4.4 1.6 0.3 1.3

 45 to 54 years................... 8,248 111 23 88 10.8 6.6 5.6 6.9 1.3 0.3 1.1

 45 to 49 years................... 4,499 65 12 53 5.9 3.8 2.9 4.1 1.4 0.3 1.2

 50 to 54 years.................. 3,750 45 10 35 4.9 2.7 2.4 2.7 1.2 0.3 0.9

 55 to 64 years.................. 4,569 41 15 26 6.0 2.4 3.7 2.0 0.9 0.3 0.6

 55 to 59 years................ 2,945 21 7 14 3.8 1.2 1.7 1.1 0.7 0.2 0.5

 60 to 64 years................... 1,624 20 8 12 2.1 1.2 2.0 0.9 1.2 0.5 0.7

 65 years and over.................... 1,278 42 18 24 1.7 2.5 4.4 1.9 3.3 1.4 1.9

 65 to 69 years................... 682 21 10 11 0.9 1.2 2.4 0.9 3.1 1.5 1.6

 70 years and over.............. 596 20 8 12 0.8 1.2 2.0 0.9 3.4 1.3 2.0

 NOTE: Data exclude all the self-employed, both unincorporated and incorporated. 

Total paid 

hourly 

rates

Age and sex Total paid 

hourly 

rates
Table 8. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by 

marital status, age, and sex, 2006 annual averages

Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percent of workers paid 

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour

Total At $5.15 Below 

$5.15 Total At $5.15 Below 

$5.15 Total At $5.15 Below 

$5.15

BOTH SEXES

Total, 16 years and over............... 76,514 1,692 409 1,283 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.2 0.5 1.7

 Never married......................27,081 1,084 276 808 35.4 64.1 67.5 63.0 4.0 1.0 3.0

 16 to 24 years.....................14,636 796 231 565 19.1 47.0 56.5 44.0 5.4 1.6 3.9

 25 years and over...................... 12,446 288 45 243 16.3 17.0 11.0 18.9 2.3 0.4 2.0

 25 to 54 years..................11,770 273 39 234 15.4 16.1 9.5 18.2 2.3 0.3 2.0

 Married, spouse present.................. 36,300 380 81 299 47.4 22.5 19.8 23.3 1.0 0.2 0.8

 16 to 24 years................... 1,576 46 11 35 2.1 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.9 0.7 2.2

 25 years and over..................... 34,724 336 71 265 45.4 19.9 17.4 20.7 1.0 0.2 0.8

 25 to 54 years............... 27,906 271 47 224 36.5 16.0 11.5 17.5 1.0 0.2 0.8

 Other marital status..............13,132 228 52 176 17.2 13.5 12.7 13.7 1.7 0.4 1.3

 16 to 24 years................... 436 24 5 19 0.6 1.4 1.2 1.5 5.5 1.1 4.4

 25 years and over................. 12,696 204 47 157 16.6 12.1 11.5 12.2 1.6 0.4 1.2

 25 to 54 years....................9,412 154 28 126 12.3 9.1 6.8 9.8 1.6 0.3 1.3

MEN

Total, 16 years and over.... 38,193 568 146 422 49.9 33.6 35.7 32.9 1.5 0.4 1.1

 Never married....................... 14,582 422 120 302 19.1 24.9 29.3 23.5 2.9 0.8 2.1

 16 to 24 years.................. 7,683 284 96 188 10.0 16.8 23.5 14.7 3.7 1.2 2.4

 25 years and over................6,899 138 24 114 9.0 8.2 5.9 8.9 2.0 0.3 1.7

 25 to 54 years...................6,602 127 20 107 8.6 7.5 4.9 8.3 1.9 0.3 1.6

 Married, spouse present.................... 18,482 100 18 82 24.2 5.9 4.4 6.4 0.5 0.1 0.4

 16 to 24 years..................... 720 10 2 8 0.9 0.6 0.5 0.6 1.4 0.3 1.1

 25 years and over...............17,762 89 16 73 23.2 5.3 3.9 5.7 0.5 0.1 0.4

 25 to 54 years................... 14,114 68 8 60 18.4 4.0 2.0 4.7 0.5 0.1 0.4

 Other marital status.................... 5,128 48 9 39 6.7 2.8 2.2 3.0 0.9 0.2 0.8

 16 to 24 years..................... 180 2 - 2 0.2 0.1 - 0.2 1.1 - 1.1

 25 years and over........................ 4,948 45 8 37 6.5 2.7 2.0 2.9 0.9 0.2 0.7

 25 to 54 years...................3,962 34 6 28 5.2 2.0 1.5 2.2 0.9 0.2 0.7

WOMEN

Total, 16 years and over................ 38,321 1,124 263 861 50.1 66.4 64.3 67.1 2.9 0.7 2.2

 Never married......................... 12,499 662 156 506 16.3 39.1 38.1 39.4 5.3 1.2 4.0

 16 to 24 years............................ 6,953 512 135 377 9.1 30.3 33.0 29.4 7.4 1.9 5.4

 25 years and over.................... 5,546 150 21 129 7.2 8.9 5.1 10.1 2.7 0.4 2.3

 25 to 54 years.....................5,168 147 19 128 6.8 8.7 4.6 10.0 2.8 0.4 2.5

 Married, spouse present............17,818 282 64 218 23.3 16.7 15.6 17.0 1.6 0.4 1.2

 16 to 24 years.................... 856 36 9 27 1.1 2.1 2.2 2.1 4.2 1.1 3.2

 25 years and over..................16,962 245 54 191 22.2 14.5 13.2 14.9 1.4 0.3 1.1

 25 to 54 years.................... 13,792 203 39 164 18.0 12.0 9.5 12.8 1.5 0.3 1.2

 Other marital status................. 8,004 180 43 137 10.5 10.6 10.5 10.7 2.2 0.5 1.7

 16 to 24 years...................... 256 22 5 17 0.3 1.3 1.2 1.3 8.6 2.0 6.6

 25 years and over...............7,748 159 39 120 10.1 9.4 9.5 9.4 2.1 0.5 1.5

 25 to 54 years................ 5,450 121 22 99 7.1 7.2 5.4 7.7 2.2 0.4 1.8

 NOTE: Data exclude all the self-employed, both unincorporated and incorporated. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet publication

criteria.

Total paid 

hourly 

rates

Marital status, age, 

and sex Total paid 

hourly 

rates
Table 9. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by 

usual hours worked on primary job, 2006 annual averages

Number of workers (in thousands) Percent distribution Percent of workers paid 

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour At or below $5.15 per hour

Total At $5.15 Below 

$5.15 Total At $5.15 Below 

$5.15 Total At $5.15 Below 

$5.15

Total, 16 years and over............76,514 1,692 409 1,283 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.2 0.5 1.7

 Hours vary..................................... 5,329 233 68 165 7.0 13.8 16.6 12.9 4.4 1.3 3.1

 0 to 34 hours......................... 15,890 897 261 636 20.8 53.0 63.8 49.6 5.6 1.6 4.0

 0 to 4 hours....................... 329 14 5 9 0.4 0.8 1.2 0.7 4.3 1.5 2.7

 5 to 9 hours........................ 868 57 17 40 1.1 3.4 4.2 3.1 6.6 2.0 4.6

 10 to 14 hours.................... 1,410 104 39 65 1.8 6.1 9.5 5.1 7.4 2.8 4.6

 15 to 19 hours.....................2,210 137 47 90 2.9 8.1 11.5 7.0 6.2 2.1 4.1

 20 to 24 hours.................. 4,884 263 92 171 6.4 15.5 22.5 13.3 5.4 1.9 3.5

 25 to 29 hours................ 2,115 120 21 99 2.8 7.1 5.1 7.7 5.7 1.0 4.7

 30 to 34 hours............... 4,074 201 39 162 5.3 11.9 9.5 12.6 4.9 1.0 4.0

 35 hours or more...................55,294 562 80 482 72.3 33.2 19.6 37.6 1.0 0.1 0.9

 35 to 39 hours.................... 5,498 154 26 128 7.2 9.1 6.4 10.0 2.8 0.5 2.3

 40 hours or more..................49,796 409 55 354 65.1 24.2 13.4 27.6 0.8 0.1 0.7

 40 hours..........................42,727 350 46 304 55.8 20.7 11.2 23.7 0.8 0.1 0.7

 41 hours or more............... 7,069 57 8 49 9.2 3.4 2.0 3.8 0.8 0.1 0.7

 41 to 44 hours................... 832 4 2 2 1.1 0.2 0.5 0.2 0.5 0.2 0.2

 45 to 48 hours...................2,550 21 5 16 3.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 0.8 0.2 0.6

 49 to 59 hours...................2,629 21 1 20 3.4 1.2 0.2 1.6 0.8 - 0.8

 60 hours or more..................1,059 13 1 12 1.4 0.8 0.2 0.9 1.2 0.1 1.1

 NOTE: Data exclude all the self-employed, both unincorporated and incorporated. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet publication

criteria.

Total paid 

hourly 

rates

Usual hours worked per 

week on primary job Total paid 

hourly 

rates
Table 10. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum

wage by sex, 1979-2006 annual averages

(Numbers in thousands)

Workers paid hourly rates

##

BOTH SEXES

1979.................................. 87,529 51,721 59.1 2,916 3,997 6,912 13.4

1980......................... 87,644 51,335 58.6 3,087 4,686 7,773 15.1

1981....................... 88,516 51,869 58.6 3,513 4,311 7,824 15.1

1982.......................... 87,368 50,846 58.2 2,348 4,148 6,496 12.8

1983...............................88,290 51,820 58.7 2,077 4,261 6,338 12.2

1984............................ 92,194 54,143 58.7 1,838 4,125 5,963 11.0

1985............................. 94,521 55,762 59.0 1,639 3,899 5,538 9.9

1986 1............................ 96,903 57,529 59.4 1,599 3,461 5,060 8.8

1987............................ 99,303 59,552 60.0 1,468 3,229 4,698 7.9

1988...............................101,407 60,878 60.0 1,319 2,608 3,927 6.5

1989............................ 103,480 62,389 60.3 1,372 1,790 3,162 5.1

1990 1............................104,876 63,172 60.2 22,132 21,096 23,228 25.1

1991...............................103,723 62,627 60.4 22,377 22,906 25,283 28.4

1992..............................104,668 63,610 60.8 1,939 2,982 4,921 7.7

1993........................... 106,101 64,274 60.6 1,707 2,625 4,332 6.7

1994 1...........................107,989 66,549 61.6 1,995 2,132 4,128 6.2

1995.................................110,038 68,354 62.1 1,699 1,956 3,656 5.3

1996...............................111,960 69,255 61.9 21,863 21,861 23,724 25.4

1997 1................................ 114,533 70,735 61.8 22,990 21,764 24,754 26.7

1998 1......................... 116,730 71,440 61.2 2,834 1,593 4,427 6.2

1999 1......................... 118,963 72,306 60.8 2,194 1,146 3,340 4.6

2000 1......................... 122,089 73,496 60.2 1,752 898 2,650 3.6

2001......................... 122,229 73,392 60.0 1,518 656 2,174 3.0

2002......................... 121,826 72,508 59.5 1,579 567 2,146 3.0

2003 1....................... 122,358 72,946 59.6 1,555 545 2,100 2.9

2004 1......................... 123,554 73,939 59.8 1,483 520 2,003 2.7

2005 1......................... 125,889 75,609 60.1 1,403 479 1,882 2.5

2006 1......................... 128,237 76,514 59.7 1,283 409 1,692 2.2

MEN #

1979.................................. 49,400 28,392 57.5 846 1,353 2,199 7.7

1980......................... 48,700 27,709 56.9 983 1,696 2,678 9.7

1981....................... 48,844 27,576 56.5 1,119 1,533 2,652 9.6

1982.......................... 47,591 26,481 55.6 697 1,587 2,284 8.6

1983...............................47,856 26,831 56.1 585 1,658 2,243 8.4

1984............................ 50,022 28,140 56.3 490 1,626 2,116 7.5

1985............................. 51,015 28,893 56.6 440 1,544 1,984 6.9

1986 1............................ 51,942 29,666 57.1 408 1,336 1,743 5.9

1987............................ 52,938 30,474 57.6 364 1,283 1,647 5.4

1988...............................53,912 31,058 57.6 311 1,066 1,377 4.4

1989............................ 54,789 31,687 57.8 379 733 1,112 3.5

1990 1............................ 55,553 32,104 57.8 2712 2385 21,097 23.4

1991...............................54,618 31,639 57.9 2795 21,114 21,909 26.0

1992.............................. 54,826 32,155 58.6 653 1,231 1,885 5.9

1993........................... 55,475 32,337 58.3 573 1,091 1,664 5.1

1994 1........................... 56,570 33,528 59.3 674 891 1,565 4.7

1995.................................57,669 34,420 59.7 542 796 1,338 3.9

1996...............................58,473 34,838 59.6 2619 2755 21,374 23.9

1997 1................................ 59,825 35,521 59.4 21,147 2673 21,820 25.1

1998 1......................... 60,973 35,761 58.7 1,039 628 1,667 4.7

1999 1......................... 61,914 36,073 58.3 768 446 1,214 3.4

2000 1......................... 63,662 36,720 57.7 582 319 901 2.5

2001......................... 63,647 36,544 57.4 497 247 744 2.0

2002......................... 63,272 36,000 56.9 582 217 799 2.2

2003 1....................... 63,236 35,853 56.7 493 213 706 2.0

2004 1......................... 64,145 36,806 57.4 470 210 680 1.8

2005 1......................... 65,466 37,652 57.5 459 189 648 1.7

2006 1......................... 66,811 38,193 57.2 422 146 568 1.5

See footnotes at end of table.

Year and sex

Total

wage and

salary

workers Total

Percent of 

total wage 

and salary

workers

Below

prevailing

Federal

minimum 

wage

At 

prevailing

Federal

minimum 

wage

Number

Percent

of hourly

paid

workers

Total at or below prevailing 

Federal minimum wage
Table 10. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum

wage by sex, 1979-2006 annual averages -- Continued

(Numbers in thousands)

Workers paid hourly rates

WOMEN

1979.................................. 38,129 23,329 61.2 2,070 2,644 4,714 20.2

1980......................... 38,944 23,626 60.7 2,104 2,990 5,095 21.6

1981....................... 39,672 24,294 61.2 2,394 2,778 5,172 21.3

1982.......................... 39,777 24,365 61.3 1,651 2,561 4,212 17.3

1983............................... 40,433 24,989 61.8 1,492 2,603 4,095 16.4

1984............................ 42,172 26,003 61.7 1,348 2,499 3,847 14.8

1985............................. 43,506 26,869 61.8 1,198 2,356 3,554 13.2

1986 1............................ 44,961 27,863 62.0 1,192 2,125 3,317 11.9

1987............................ 46,365 29,078 62.7 1,105 1,946 3,051 10.5

1988...............................47,495 29,820 62.8 1,008 1,542 2,550 8.6

1989............................ 48,691 30,702 63.1 994 1,056 2,050 6.7

1990 1............................ 49,323 31,069 63.0 21,420 2711 22,131 26.9

1991...............................49,105 30,988 63.1 21,582 21,792 23,374 210.9

1992.............................. 49,842 31,454 63.1 1,286 1,751 3,036 9.7

1993........................... 50,626 31,937 63.1 1,133 1,534 2,667 8.4

1994 1........................... 51,419 33,021 64.2 1,322 1,241 2,563 7.8

1995.................................52,369 33,934 64.8 1,157 1,161 2,318 6.8

1996...............................53,488 34,418 64.3 21,244 21,106 22,350 26.8

1997 1................................ 54,708 35,214 64.4 21,843 21,092 22,935 28.3

1998 1......................... 55,757 35,680 64.0 1,794 965 2,760 7.7

1999 1......................... 57,050 36,233 63.5 1,426 700 2,126 5.9

2000 1......................... 58,427 36,777 62.9 1,170 579 1,749 4.8

2001......................... 58,582 36,848 62.9 1,021 409 1,430 3.9

2002......................... 58,555 36,508 62.3 997 350 1,347 3.7

2003 1....................... 59,122 37,093 62.7 1,062 332 1,394 3.8

2004 1......................... 59,408 37,133 62.5 1,013 310 1,323 3.6

2005 1......................... 60,423 37,957 62.8 944 290 1,234 3.3

2006 1......................... 61,426 38,321 62.4 861 263 1,124 2.9

Year and sex

Total

wage and

salary

workers Total

Percent of 

total wage 

and salary

workers Number

Percent

of hourly

paid

workers

1 The comparability of historical labor force data has been

affected at various times by methodological and conceptual

changes in the Current Population Survey (CPS). For an

explanation, see the Explanatory Notes and Estimates of Error

section of the February 2007 and subsequent issues of

Employment and Earnings , a monthly BLS periodical.

2 Data for 1990-91 and 1996-97 reflect changes in the

minimum wage that took place in those years.

NOTE: The prevailing Federal minimum wage was $2.90 in

1979, $3.10 in 1980, and $3.35 in 1981-89. The minimum wage

rose to $3.80 in April 1990, to $4.25 in April 1991, to $4.75 in

October 1996, and to $5.15 in September 1997. Data exclude all

the self-employed, both unincorporated and incorporated. The

presence of a sizable number of

workers with reported wages below the minimum does

not necessarily indicate violations of the Fair Labor

Standards Act, as there are numerous exemptions to

the minimum wage provisions of the law. Indeed, the

relatively large number of workers with reported wages

below the minimum in 1998-2005 includes some hourlypaid workers reported as earning exactly $5.00 per

hour (about 1.4 million in 1998, about 900,000 in 1999,

about 600,000 in 2000, about 500,000 in 2001 and in

2002, about 350,000 in 2003 and in 2004, 300,000 in

2005, and about 250,000 in 2006); to some extent, this

may reflect rounding on the part of survey respondents. 

Below

prevailing

Federal

minimum 

wage

At 

prevailing

Federal

minimum 

wage

Total at or below prevailing 

Federal minimum wage