Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2002

According to Current Population Survery estimates for 2002, some 72.7 million 

American workers were paid at hourly rates, representing 59.6 percent of all wage and 

salary workers.1 Of those paid by the hour, about 570,000 were reported earning exactly 

$5.15, the prevailing Federal minimum wage, and another 1.6 million were reported with 

wages below the minimum.2 Together, these 2.2 million workers with wages at or below 

the minimum made up 3.0 percent of all hourly-paid workers. Tables 1 - 10 present data 

on a wide array of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics for these low-wage 

workers. The following are some highlights from the 2002 data.

• Minimum wage workers tend to be young. About half of workers earning $5.15 or 

less were under age 25, and slightly more than one-fourth were age 16-19. Among 

teenagers, 10 percent earned $5.15 or less. About 2 percent of workers age 25 and 

over earned the minimum wage or less. However, among those age 65 and over, 

the proportion was about 5 percent. (See tables 1 and 7.)

• About 4 percent of women paid hourly rates reported wages at or below the 

prevailing Federal minimum, compared with about 2 percent of men. (See table 

1.)

• The proportion of hourly-paid workers receiving $5.15 or less was about 3 

percent for whites, blacks, and Hispanics. For whites and Hispanics, women were 

more likely than men to be low-wage earners. (See table 1.)

• Never-married workers, who also tend to be quite young, are more likely to earn 

the minimum wage or less than persons who are married. (See table 8.)

• The likelihood of a worker being paid the minimum wage or less is inversely 

related to the level of education attained. Among hourly-paid workers age 16 and 

over, a little over 2 percent of those who had a high school diploma but had not 

gone on to college earned the minimum or less, compared with less than 2 percent 

for those who had obtained a college degree. (See table 6.)

• Part-time workers (persons who usually work less than 35 hours per week) were 

much more likely than their full-time counterparts to be paid $5.15 or less (about 

8 percent versus about 2 percent). About 1 in 10 workers putting in fewer than 15 

hours per week earned the minimum or less. (See tables 1 and 9.)

• By occupational group, the proportion of hourly-paid workers whose earnings 

were reported at or below $5.15 ranged from a low of less than 1 percent for 

persons employed in managerial and professional specialty jobs and in precision 

production, craft, and repair positions, to a high of about 10 percent for those in 

service jobs. Roughly two-thirds of all low-wage workers in 2002 were in servicetype occupations, mostly in food service jobs. (See table 4.)

• Among industry groups, the proportion of workers with reported hourly wages at 

or below $5.15 was highest in retail trade (about 8 percent), agriculture (about 2 

percent), and services (also about 2 percent). About three-fifths of all low-wage 

workers were employed in retail trade, and nearly one-fourth worked in services. 

It should be recognized that for many working in these two industries, tips and 

commissions might supplement the hourly wages received. (See table 5.)
• Among the four broad geographic regions, the West had the lowest proportion of 

hourly workers with earnings at or below $5.15 (about 2 percent), while the South 

had the highest (about 4 percent). For a number of States, the proportion of 

hourly-paid workers earning at or below the Federal minimum wage exceeded the 

national average; in many other States, the proportion was much lower. Some 

States have minimum wage laws establishing minimum wage standards that 

exceed the Federal level of $5.15 per hour. (See tables 2 and 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 2002 annual averages.

Notes

1 Data are for wage and salary workers, excluding the 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 2002 

includes almost 500,000 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 nonhourly 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.
Table 1. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by 

selected characteristics, 2002 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15

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.............. 72,720 2,168 570 1,598 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.8 2.2

 16 to 24 years.........................16,191 1,158 340 818 22.3 53.4 59.6 51.2 7.2 2.1 5.1

 16 to 19 years................ 5,808 605 226 379 8.0 27.9 39.6 23.7 10.4 3.9 6.5

 25 years and over................ 56,529 1,010 230 780 77.7 46.6 40.4 48.8 1.8 0.4 1.4

 

Men, 16 years and over...............36,135 800 218 582 49.7 36.9 38.2 36.4 2.2 0.6 1.6

 16 to 24 years..................... 8,242 453 146 307 11.3 20.9 25.6 19.2 5.5 1.8 3.7

 16 to 19 years.................... 2,850 243 97 146 3.9 11.2 17.0 9.1 8.5 3.4 5.1

 25 years and over................. 27,893 347 72 275 38.4 16.0 12.6 17.2 1.2 0.3 1.0

 

Women, 16 years and over.... 36,585 1,368 352 1,016 50.3 63.1 61.8 63.6 3.7 1.0 2.8

 16 to 24 years................... 7,949 705 194 511 10.9 32.5 34.0 32.0 8.9 2.4 6.4

 16 to 19 years.................... 2,958 361 128 233 4.1 16.7 22.5 14.6 12.2 4.3 7.9

 25 years and over............... 28,636 663 158 505 39.4 30.6 27.7 31.6 2.3 0.6 1.8

 

RACE, SEX, AND 

HISPANIC ORIGIN

White.................................. 59,199 1,781 452 1,329 81.4 82.1 79.3 83.2 3.0 0.8 2.2

 Men................................... 29,829 626 162 464 41.0 28.9 28.4 29.0 2.1 0.5 1.6

 Women........................... 29,370 1,155 290 865 40.4 53.3 50.9 54.1 3.9 1.0 2.9

Black.................................... 9,692 276 89 187 13.3 12.7 15.6 11.7 2.8 0.9 1.9

 Men................................. 4,469 129 44 85 6.1 6.0 7.7 5.3 2.9 1.0 1.9

 Women...................................5,224 147 45 102 7.2 6.8 7.9 6.4 2.8 0.9 2.0

 

Hispanic origin....................... 11,206 305 110 195 15.4 14.1 19.3 12.2 2.7 1.0 1.7

 Men.................................... 6,624 144 47 97 9.1 6.6 8.2 6.1 2.2 0.7 1.5

 Women............................... 4,582 162 64 98 6.3 7.5 11.2 6.1 3.5 1.4 2.1

FULL- AND PART-TIME

STATUS AND SEX

Full-time workers......................... 55,029 851 169 682 75.7 39.3 29.6 42.7 1.5 0.3 1.2

 Men................................... 30,472 367 82 285 41.9 16.9 14.4 17.8 1.2 0.3 0.9

 Women.................................24,557 483 87 396 33.8 22.3 15.3 24.8 2.0 0.4 1.6

Part-time workers.................... 17,568 1,309 401 908 24.2 60.4 70.4 56.8 7.5 2.3 5.2

 Men................................ 5,599 430 136 294 7.7 19.8 23.9 18.4 7.7 2.4 5.3

 Women............................ 11,969 879 265 614 16.5 40.5 46.5 38.4 7.3 2.2 5.1

 

NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data 

for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. Also note that 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.

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, 2002 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15

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.... 72,720 2,168 570 1,598 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.8 2.2

 Northeast......................... 13,164 408 83 325 18.1 18.8 14.6 20.3 3.1 0.6 2.5

 New England................... 3,817 85 10 75 5.2 3.9 1.8 4.7 2.2 0.3 2.0

 Middle Atlantic................ 9,347 323 73 250 12.9 14.9 12.8 15.6 3.5 0.8 2.7

 Midwest........................... 18,797 570 138 432 25.8 26.3 24.2 27.0 3.0 0.7 2.3

 East North Central........... 12,955 403 92 311 17.8 18.6 16.1 19.5 3.1 0.7 2.4

 West North Central.......... 5,842 166 46 120 8.0 7.7 8.1 7.5 2.8 0.8 2.1

 South.............................. 24,324 901 263 638 33.4 41.6 46.1 39.9 3.7 1.1 2.6

 South Atlantic................. 12,500 411 66 345 17.2 19.0 11.6 21.6 3.3 0.5 2.8

 East South Central.......... 4,256 161 66 95 5.9 7.4 11.6 5.9 3.8 1.6 2.2

 West South Central......... 7,568 329 131 198 10.4 15.2 23.0 12.4 4.3 1.7 2.6

 West............................... 16,436 288 85 203 22.6 13.3 14.9 12.7 1.8 0.5 1.2

 Mountain....................... 4,939 172 68 104 6.8 7.9 11.9 6.5 3.5 1.4 2.1

 Pacific.......................... 11,497 116 17 99 15.8 5.4 3.0 6.2 1.0 0.1 0.9

 

NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. 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, 2002 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15

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.. 72,720 2,168 570 1,598 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.8 2.2

Alabama........................ 1,054 36 11 25 1.4 1.7 1.9 1.6 3.4 1.0 2.4

Alaska........................... 190 2 1 1 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.1 1.1 0.5 0.5

Arizona.......................... 1,293 52 20 32 1.8 2.4 3.5 2.0 4.0 1.5 2.5

Arkansas........................ 653 34 15 19 0.9 1.6 2.6 1.2 5.2 2.3 2.9

California........................ 8,441 85 13 72 11.6 3.9 2.3 4.5 1.0 0.2 0.9

Colorado........................ 1,141 34 5 29 1.6 1.6 0.9 1.8 3.0 0.4 2.5

Connecticut.................... 882 15 3 12 1.2 0.7 0.5 0.8 1.7 0.3 1.4

Delaware........................ 201 5 1 4 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3 2.5 0.5 2.0

District of Columbia.......... 117 4 1 3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 3.4 0.9 2.6

Florida........................... 3,851 145 20 125 5.3 6.7 3.5 7.8 3.8 0.5 3.2

Georgia.......................... 1,972 55 3 52 2.7 2.5 0.5 3.3 2.8 0.2 2.6

Hawaii............................ 293 6 - 6 0.4 0.3 - 0.4 2.0 - 2.0

Idaho.............................. 378 15 4 11 0.5 0.7 0.7 0.7 4.0 1.1 2.9

Illinois.......................... 3,169 97 31 66 4.4 4.5 5.4 4.1 3.1 1.0 2.1

Indiana........................... 1,802 54 5 49 2.5 2.5 0.9 3.1 3.0 0.3 2.7

Iowa.............................. 900 29 5 24 1.2 1.3 0.9 1.5 3.2 0.6 2.7

Kansas.......................... 784 24 9 15 1.1 1.1 1.6 0.9 3.1 1.1 1.9

Kentucky....................... 1,061 49 17 32 1.5 2.3 3.0 2.0 4.6 1.6 3.0

Louisiana...................... 1,034 54 23 31 1.4 2.5 4.0 1.9 5.2 2.2 3.0

Maine............................ 391 11 2 9 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.6 2.8 0.5 2.3

Maryland........................ 1,347 35 3 32 1.9 1.6 0.5 2.0 2.6 0.2 2.4

Massachusetts................ 1,682 38 3 35 2.3 1.8 0.5 2.2 2.3 0.2 2.1

Michigan........................ 2,884 88 17 71 4.0 4.1 3.0 4.4 3.1 0.6 2.5

Minnesota....................... 1,608 32 11 21 2.2 1.5 1.9 1.3 2.0 0.7 1.3

Mississippi...................... 640 34 17 17 0.9 1.6 3.0 1.1 5.3 2.7 2.7

Missouri......................... 1,610 48 10 38 2.2 2.2 1.8 2.4 3.0 0.6 2.4

Montana......................... 241 7 5 2 0.3 0.3 0.9 0.1 2.9 2.1 0.8

Nebraska.......................... 515 18 6 12 0.7 0.8 1.1 0.8 3.5 1.2 2.3

Nevada.......................... 612 15 9 6 0.8 0.7 1.6 0.4 2.5 1.5 1.0

New Hampshire................ 383 10 1 9 0.5 0.5 0.2 0.6 2.6 0.3 2.3

New Jersey..................... 1,920 72 11 61 2.6 3.3 1.9 3.8 3.8 0.6 3.2

New Mexico.................... 488 23 14 9 0.7 1.1 2.5 0.6 4.7 2.9 1.8

New York........................ 4,030 136 35 101 5.5 6.3 6.1 6.3 3.4 0.9 2.5

North Carolina.................. 2,043 64 10 54 2.8 3.0 1.8 3.4 3.1 0.5 2.6

North Dakota................... 192 8 4 4 0.3 0.4 0.7 0.3 4.2 2.1 2.1

Ohio.............................. 3,323 125 33 92 4.6 5.8 5.8 5.8 3.8 1.0 2.8

Oklahoma....................... 869 35 15 20 1.2 1.6 2.6 1.3 4.0 1.7 2.3

Oregon........................... 924 11 2 9 1.3 0.5 0.4 0.6 1.2 0.2 1.0

Pennsylvania................... 3,397 116 27 89 4.7 5.4 4.7 5.6 3.4 0.8 2.6

Rhode Island................... 291 8 1 7 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.4 2.7 0.3 2.4

South Carolina................. 930 31 8 23 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 3.3 0.9 2.5

South Dakota................... 234 7 2 5 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.3 3.0 0.9 2.1

Tennesee....................... 1,499 43 21 22 2.1 2.0 3.7 1.4 2.9 1.4 1.5

Texas............................ 5,013 207 78 129 6.9 9.5 13.7 8.1 4.1 1.6 2.6

Utah............................... 644 17 8 9 0.9 0.8 1.4 0.6 2.6 1.2 1.4

Vermont......................... 189 4 1 3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 2.1 0.5 1.6

Virginia.......................... 1,596 48 8 40 2.2 2.2 1.4 2.5 3.0 0.5 2.5

Washington.................... 1,648 12 1 11 2.3 0.6 0.2 0.7 0.7 0.1 0.7

West Virginia................... 443 25 13 12 0.6 1.2 2.3 0.8 5.6 2.9 2.7

Wisconsin...................... 1,776 39 6 33 2.4 1.8 1.1 2.1 2.2 0.3 1.9

Wyoming........................ 141 5 2 3 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.2 3.5 1.4 2.1

NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. 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. 

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 represents zero.

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, 2002 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15

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.......................... 72,720 2,168 570 1,598 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.8 2.2

 Managerial and professional

 specialty........................................ 10,744 73 25 48 14.8 3.4 4.4 3.0 0.7 0.2 0.4

 Executive, administrative, and

 managerial..................................... 4,531 34 6 28 6.2 1.6 1.1 1.8 0.8 0.1 0.6

 Professional specialty......................... 6,212 39 19 20 8.5 1.8 3.3 1.3 0.6 0.3 0.3

 Technical, sales, and

 administrative support........................ 22,594 331 174 157 31.1 15.3 30.5 9.8 1.5 0.8 0.7

 Technicians and related support............ 2,801 11 6 5 3.9 0.5 1.1 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.2

 Sales occupations.............................. 7,467 205 108 97 10.3 9.5 18.9 6.1 2.7 1.4 1.3

 Administrative support, including

 clerical.......................................... 12,326 115 61 54 16.9 5.3 10.7 3.4 0.9 0.5 0.4

 Service occupations............................. 14,235 1,454 263 1,191 19.6 67.1 46.1 74.5 10.2 1.8 8.4

 Private household............................... 371 63 5 58 0.5 2.9 0.9 3.6 17.0 1.3 15.6

 Protective service............................... 1,655 18 3 15 2.3 0.8 0.5 0.9 1.1 0.2 0.9

 Service, except private household

 and protective................................ 12,209 1,373 254 1,119 16.8 63.3 44.6 70.0 11.2 2.1 9.2

 Food service workers........................ 5,839 1,141 166 975 8.0 52.6 29.1 61.0 19.5 2.8 16.7

 Health service workers...................... 2,416 44 12 32 3.3 2.0 2.1 2.0 1.8 0.5 1.3

 Cleaning and building service

 workers.......................................... 2,439 80 34 46 3.4 3.7 6.0 2.9 3.3 1.4 1.9

 Personal service workers................... 1,514 109 42 67 2.1 5.0 7.4 4.2 7.2 2.8 4.4

 Precision production, craft, and repair..... 9,535 55 12 43 13.1 2.5 2.1 2.7 0.6 0.1 0.5

 Mechanics and repairers..................... 3,157 17 2 15 4.3 0.8 0.4 0.9 0.5 0.1 0.5

 Construction trades............................. 3,846 22 4 18 5.3 1.0 0.7 1.1 0.6 0.1 0.5

 Other precision, production, craft,

 and repair...................................... 2,532 17 7 10 3.5 0.8 1.2 0.6 0.7 0.3 0.4

 Operators, fabricators, and laborers....... 14,170 217 80 137 19.5 10.0 14.0 8.6 1.5 0.6 1.0

 Machine operators, assemblers,

 and inspectors................................ 5,610 47 17 30 7.7 2.2 3.0 1.9 0.8 0.3 0.5

 Transportation and material moving...... 3,745 49 11 38 5.1 2.3 1.9 2.4 1.3 0.3 1.0

 Handlers, equipment cleaners,

 helpers, and laborers....................... 4,815 121 52 69 6.6 5.6 9.1 4.3 2.5 1.1 1.4

 Farming, forestry, and fishing................. 1,443 37 15 22 2.0 1.7 2.6 1.4 2.6 1.0 1.5

 

NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. 

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, 2002 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15

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.......................... 72,720 2,168 570 1,598 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.8 2.2

 Private sector......................................... 63,670 2,027 509 1,518 87.6 93.5 89.3 95.0 3.2 0.8 2.4

 Goods-producing industries.................... 17,909 135 46 89 24.6 6.2 8.1 5.6 0.8 0.3 0.5

 Agriculture....................................... 1,220 29 10 19 1.7 1.3 1.8 1.2 2.4 0.8 1.6

 Mining............................................... 286 1 - 1 0.4 - - 0.1 0.3 - 0.3

 Construction......................................... 5,049 39 5 34 6.9 1.8 0.9 2.1 0.8 0.1 0.7

 Manufacturing.................................... 11,355 66 31 35 15.6 3.0 5.4 2.2 0.6 0.3 0.3

 Durable goods................................. 6,833 38 17 21 9.4 1.8 3.0 1.3 0.6 0.2 0.3

 Nondurable goods........................... 4,521 28 14 14 6.2 1.3 2.5 0.9 0.6 0.3 0.3

 Service-producing industries................. 45,760 1,891 463 1,428 62.9 87.2 81.2 89.4 4.1 1.0 3.1

 Transportation and public utilities................4,209 39 8 31 5.8 1.8 1.4 1.9 0.9 0.2 0.7

 Wholesale trade.................................. 2,230 13 4 9 3.1 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.2 0.4

 Retail trade...................................... 15,874 1,340 294 1,046 21.8 61.8 51.6 65.5 8.4 1.9 6.6

 Finance, insurance, and real estate.......... 3,010 22 8 14 4.1 1.0 1.4 0.9 0.7 0.3 0.5

 Services............................................ 20,436 476 148 328 28.1 22.0 26.0 20.5 2.3 0.7 1.6

 Private households........................... 414 66 6 60 0.6 3.0 1.1 3.8 15.9 1.4 14.5

 Other services.................................. 20,022 412 143 269 27.5 19.0 25.1 16.8 2.1 0.7 1.3

 Business, auto, and repair services................. 4,254 63 23 40 5.8 2.9 4.0 2.5 1.5 0.5 0.9

 Personal services............................. 1,829 114 42 72 2.5 5.3 7.4 4.5 6.2 2.3 3.9

 Entertainment and recreation........................1,391 69 17 52 1.9 3.2 3.0 3.3 5.0 1.2 3.7

 Professional services......................... 12,525 165 61 104 17.2 7.6 10.7 6.5 1.3 0.5 0.8

 Forestry and fisheries......................... 23 - - - - - - - - - -

 Public sector....................................... 9,050 142 61 81 12.4 6.5 10.7 5.1 1.6 0.7 0.9

 Federal............................................ 1,786 22 7 15 2.5 1.0 1.2 0.9 1.2 0.4 0.8

 State................................................ 2,382 50 23 27 3.3 2.3 4.0 1.7 2.1 1.0 1.1

 Local.................................................. 4,882 69 30 39 6.7 3.2 5.3 2.4 1.4 0.6 0.8

 

NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. Dash represents zero. 

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, 2002 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15

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............................ 72,720 2,168 570 1,598 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.8 2.2

 Less than a high school diploma.................. 12,577 717 257 460 17.3 33.1 45.1 28.8 5.7 2.0 3.7

 Less than 1 year of high school.............. 3,389 120 42 78 4.7 5.5 7.4 4.9 3.5 1.2 2.3

 1 to 3 years of high school....................... 7,902 543 201 342 10.9 25.0 35.3 21.4 6.9 2.5 4.3

 4 years of high school, no diploma............. 1,287 55 14 41 1.8 2.5 2.5 2.6 4.3 1.1 3.2

 High school graduates or more................ 60,143 1,451 313 1,138 82.7 66.9 54.9 71.2 2.4 0.5 1.9

 High school graduates, no college.............27,428 655 161 494 37.7 30.2 28.2 30.9 2.4 0.6 1.8

 Some college, no degree....................... 16,376 535 118 417 22.5 24.7 20.7 26.1 3.3 0.7 2.5

 Associate degree................................. 6,911 94 17 77 9.5 4.3 3.0 4.8 1.4 0.2 1.1

 Occupational program....................... 3,867 53 9 44 5.3 2.4 1.6 2.8 1.4 0.2 1.1

 Academic program............................. 3,043 41 8 33 4.2 1.9 1.4 2.1 1.3 0.3 1.1

 College graduates, total......................... 9,428 167 16 151 13.0 7.7 2.8 9.4 1.8 0.2 1.6

 Bachelor's degree........................... 7,579 149 14 135 10.4 6.9 2.5 8.4 2.0 0.2 1.8

 Master's degree............................... 1,460 14 2 12 2.0 0.6 0.4 0.8 1.0 0.1 0.8

 Professional degree......................... 255 3 - 3 0.4 0.1 - 0.2 1.2 - 1.2

 Doctoral degree............................... 134 1 - 1 0.2 - - 0.1 0.7 - 0.7

 

NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. Dash represents zero. 

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, 2002 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15

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...............72,720 2,168 570 1,598 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.8 2.2

 Under 25 years.................... 16,191 1,158 340 818 22.3 53.4 59.6 51.2 7.2 2.1 5.1

 16 to 19 years.................... 5,808 605 226 379 8.0 27.9 39.6 23.7 10.4 3.9 6.5

 20 to 24 years........................10,383 553 114 439 14.3 25.5 20.0 27.5 5.3 1.1 4.2

 25 years and over.......................... 56,529 1,010 230 780 77.7 46.6 40.4 48.8 1.8 0.4 1.4

 25 to 34 years........................16,357 375 81 294 22.5 17.3 14.2 18.4 2.3 0.5 1.8

 25 to 29 years................... 8,120 208 48 160 11.2 9.6 8.4 10.0 2.6 0.6 2.0

 30 to 34 years........................8,237 167 33 134 11.3 7.7 5.8 8.4 2.0 0.4 1.6

 35 to 44 years.................... 17,151 264 59 205 23.6 12.2 10.4 12.8 1.5 0.3 1.2

 35 to 39 years............................ 8,408 139 33 106 11.6 6.4 5.8 6.6 1.7 0.4 1.3

 40 to 44 years.................... 8,744 125 26 99 12.0 5.8 4.6 6.2 1.4 0.3 1.1

 45 to 54 years.......................... 14,190 167 31 136 19.5 7.7 5.4 8.5 1.2 0.2 1.0

 45 to 49 years....................... 7,888 97 18 79 10.8 4.5 3.2 4.9 1.2 0.2 1.0

 50 to 54 years................... 6,302 69 13 56 8.7 3.2 2.3 3.5 1.1 0.2 0.9

 55 to 64 years......................6,883 106 25 81 9.5 4.9 4.4 5.1 1.5 0.4 1.2

 55 to 59 years......................4,413 57 12 45 6.1 2.6 2.1 2.8 1.3 0.3 1.0

 60 to 64 years....................... 2,471 49 13 36 3.4 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.0 0.5 1.5

 65 years and over.................1,948 99 34 65 2.7 4.6 6.0 4.1 5.1 1.7 3.3

 65 to 69 years.................... 1,107 52 14 38 1.5 2.4 2.5 2.4 4.7 1.3 3.4

 70 years and over................ 841 47 20 27 1.2 2.2 3.5 1.7 5.6 2.4 3.2

MEN

Total, 16 years and over............36,135 800 218 582 49.7 36.9 38.2 36.4 2.2 0.6 1.6

 Under 25 years......................8,242 453 146 307 11.3 20.9 25.6 19.2 5.5 1.8 3.7

 16 to 19 years.................... 2,850 243 97 146 3.9 11.2 17.0 9.1 8.5 3.4 5.1

 20 to 24 years.................... 5,392 210 49 161 7.4 9.7 8.6 10.1 3.9 0.9 3.0

 25 years and over..................27,893 347 72 275 38.4 16.0 12.6 17.2 1.2 0.3 1.0

 25 to 34 years..................... 8,712 136 26 110 12.0 6.3 4.6 6.9 1.6 0.3 1.3

 25 to 29 years.................. 4,340 86 18 68 6.0 4.0 3.2 4.3 2.0 0.4 1.6

 30 to 34 years................... 4,372 52 9 43 6.0 2.4 1.6 2.7 1.2 0.2 1.0

 35 to 44 years.................... 8,428 87 16 71 11.6 4.0 2.8 4.4 1.0 0.2 0.8

 35 to 39 years.................... 4,225 45 8 37 5.8 2.1 1.4 2.3 1.1 0.2 0.9

 40 to 44 years................... 4,203 43 8 35 5.8 2.0 1.4 2.2 1.0 0.2 0.8

 45 to 54 years.................. 6,655 57 13 44 9.2 2.6 2.3 2.8 0.9 0.2 0.7

 45 to 49 years................. 3,686 32 7 25 5.1 1.5 1.2 1.6 0.9 0.2 0.7

 50 to 54 years.................. 2,969 25 6 19 4.1 1.2 1.1 1.2 0.8 0.2 0.6

 55 to 64 years..................... 3,190 32 5 27 4.4 1.5 0.9 1.7 1.0 0.2 0.8

 55 to 59 years................ 2,058 14 1 13 2.8 0.6 0.2 0.8 0.7 0.0 0.6

 60 to 64 years.................. 1,132 17 3 14 1.6 0.8 0.5 0.9 1.5 0.3 1.2

 65 years and over............... 907 35 12 23 1.2 1.6 2.1 1.4 3.9 1.3 2.5

 65 to 69 years................... 527 24 8 16 0.7 1.1 1.4 1.0 4.6 1.5 3.0

 70 years and over.............. 380 11 5 6 0.5 0.5 0.9 0.4 2.9 1.3 1.6

WOMEN

Total, 16 years and over................... 36,585 1,368 352 1,016 50.3 63.1 61.8 63.6 3.7 1.0 2.8

 Under 25 years..................... 7,949 705 194 511 10.9 32.5 34.0 32.0 8.9 2.4 6.4

 16 to 19 years.................... 2,958 361 128 233 4.1 16.7 22.5 14.6 12.2 4.3 7.9

 20 to 24 years......................4,991 343 65 278 6.9 15.8 11.4 17.4 6.9 1.3 5.6

 25 years and over...................... 28,636 663 158 505 39.4 30.6 27.7 31.6 2.3 0.6 1.8

 25 to 34 years.................... 7,644 238 55 183 10.5 11.0 9.6 11.5 3.1 0.7 2.4

 25 to 29 years.................... 3,779 122 30 92 5.2 5.6 5.3 5.8 3.2 0.8 2.4

 30 to 34 years.................. 3,865 116 25 91 5.3 5.4 4.4 5.7 3.0 0.6 2.4

 35 to 44 years.................... 8,723 177 43 134 12.0 8.2 7.5 8.4 2.0 0.5 1.5

 35 to 39 years............... 4,182 94 25 69 5.8 4.3 4.4 4.3 2.2 0.6 1.6

 40 to 44 years.................. 4,541 83 19 64 6.2 3.8 3.3 4.0 1.8 0.4 1.4

 45 to 54 years................... 7,535 109 18 91 10.4 5.0 3.2 5.7 1.4 0.2 1.2

 45 to 49 years................... 4,202 65 11 54 5.8 3.0 1.9 3.4 1.5 0.3 1.3

 50 to 54 years.................. 3,333 44 7 37 4.6 2.0 1.2 2.3 1.3 0.2 1.1

 55 to 64 years.................. 3,693 74 20 54 5.1 3.4 3.5 3.4 2.0 0.5 1.5

 55 to 59 years................ 2,354 43 11 32 3.2 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.8 0.5 1.4

 60 to 64 years................... 1,338 31 9 22 1.8 1.4 1.6 1.4 2.3 0.7 1.6

 65 years and over.................... 1,041 65 22 43 1.4 3.0 3.9 2.7 6.2 2.1 4.1

 65 to 69 years................... 580 29 7 22 0.8 1.3 1.2 1.4 5.0 1.2 3.8

 70 years and over.............. 461 36 15 21 0.6 1.7 2.6 1.3 7.8 3.3 4.6

NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. 

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, 2002 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15

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...............72,720 2,168 570 1,598 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.8 2.2

 Never married......................24,983 1,366 380 986 34.4 63.0 66.7 61.7 5.5 1.5 3.9

 16 to 24 years.....................14,167 1,074 319 755 19.5 49.5 56.0 47.2 7.6 2.3 5.3

 25 years and over...................... 10,815 292 61 231 14.9 13.5 10.7 14.5 2.7 0.6 2.1

 25 to 54 years..................10,340 277 57 220 14.2 12.8 10.0 13.8 2.7 0.6 2.1

 Married, spouse present.................. 35,558 496 108 388 48.9 22.9 18.9 24.3 1.4 0.3 1.1

 16 to 24 years................... 1,623 54 13 41 2.2 2.5 2.3 2.6 3.3 0.8 2.5

 25 years and over.....................33,935 442 95 347 46.7 20.4 16.7 21.7 1.3 0.3 1.0

 25 to 54 years............... 28,242 341 69 272 38.8 15.7 12.1 17.0 1.2 0.2 1.0

 Other marital status..............12,179 306 82 224 16.7 14.1 14.4 14.0 2.5 0.7 1.8

 16 to 24 years................... 400 30 8 22 0.6 1.4 1.4 1.4 7.5 2.0 5.5

 25 years and over.................11,778 277 74 203 16.2 12.8 13.0 12.7 2.4 0.6 1.7

 25 to 54 years....................9,116 187 45 142 12.5 8.6 7.9 8.9 2.1 0.5 1.6

MEN

Total, 16 years and over.... 36,135 800 218 582 49.7 36.9 38.2 36.4 2.2 0.6 1.6

 Never married.......................13,393 571 163 408 18.4 26.3 28.6 25.5 4.3 1.2 3.0

 16 to 24 years.................. 7,365 431 139 292 10.1 19.9 24.4 18.3 5.9 1.9 4.0

 25 years and over................ 6,027 141 24 117 8.3 6.5 4.2 7.3 2.3 0.4 1.9

 25 to 54 years................... 5,817 134 23 111 8.0 6.2 4.0 6.9 2.3 0.4 1.9

 Married, spouse present.................... 18,107 159 35 124 24.9 7.3 6.1 7.8 0.9 0.2 0.7

 16 to 24 years..................... 721 13 4 9 1.0 0.6 0.7 0.6 1.8 0.6 1.2

 25 years and over................]17,386 146 31 115 23.9 6.7 5.4 7.2 0.8 0.2 0.7

 25 to 54 years...................14,248 101 21 80 19.6 4.7 3.7 5.0 0.7 0.1 0.6

 Other marital status.................... 4,635 70 20 50 6.4 3.2 3.5 3.1 1.5 0.4 1.1

 16 to 24 years..................... 155 9 3 6 0.2 0.4 0.5 0.4 5.8 1.9 3.9

 25 years and over........................ 4,479 60 17 43 6.2 2.8 3.0 2.7 1.3 0.4 1.0

 25 to 54 years................... 3,730 45 11 34 5.1 2.1 1.9 2.1 1.2 0.3 0.9

WOMEN

Total, 16 years and over................ 36,585 1,368 352 1,016 50.3 63.1 61.8 63.6 3.7 1.0 2.8

 Never married......................... 11,590 794 217 577 15.9 36.6 38.1 36.1 6.9 1.9 5.0

 16 to 24 years............................ 6,802 644 180 464 9.4 29.7 31.6 29.0 9.5 2.6 6.8

 25 years and over.................... 4,788 151 37 114 6.6 7.0 6.5 7.1 3.2 0.8 2.4

 25 to 54 years.....................4,523 142 34 108 6.2 6.5 6.0 6.8 3.1 0.8 2.4

 Married, spouse present............17,451 338 74 264 24.0 15.6 13.0 16.5 1.9 0.4 1.5

 16 to 24 years.................... 902 41 9 32 1.2 1.9 1.6 2.0 4.5 1.0 3.5

 25 years and over..................16,549 296 64 232 22.8 13.7 11.2 14.5 1.8 0.4 1.4

 25 to 54 years....................13,994 240 48 192 19.2 11.1 8.4 12.0 1.7 0.3 1.4

 Other marital status.................7,544 237 62 175 10.4 10.9 10.9 11.0 3.1 0.8 2.3

 16 to 24 years...................... 245 20 5 15 0.3 0.9 0.9 0.9 8.2 2.0 6.1

 25 years and over............... 7,299 216 57 159 10.0 10.0 10.0 9.9 3.0 0.8 2.2

 25 to 54 years................ 5,386 143 35 108 7.4 6.6 6.1 6.8 2.7 0.6 2.0

NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. 

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 per week, 2002 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15 At or below $5.15

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............72,720 2,168 570 1,598 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.8 2.2

 Hours vary..................................... 4,818 278 64 214 6.6 12.8 11.2 13.4 5.8 1.3 4.4

 0 to 34 hours......................... 15,651 1,147 358 789 21.5 52.9 62.8 49.4 7.3 2.3 5.0

 0 to 4 hours....................... 335 33 11 22 0.5 1.5 1.9 1.4 9.9 3.3 6.6

 5 to 9 hours........................ 864 82 34 48 1.2 3.8 6.0 3.0 9.5 3.9 5.6

 10 to 14 hours.................... 1,471 136 48 88 2.0 6.3 8.4 5.5 9.2 3.3 6.0

 15 to 19 hours.....................2,153 175 57 118 3.0 8.1 10.0 7.4 8.1 2.6 5.5

 20 to 24 hours.................. 4,755 357 128 229 6.5 16.5 22.5 14.3 7.5 2.7 4.8

 25 to 29 hours................ 2,120 150 39 111 2.9 6.9 6.8 6.9 7.1 1.8 5.2

 30 to 34 hours............... 3,953 214 41 173 5.4 9.9 7.2 10.8 5.4 1.0 4.4

 35 hours or more...................52,250 743 148 595 71.9 34.3 26.0 37.2 1.4 0.3 1.1

 35 to 39 hours.................... 4,773 205 32 173 6.6 9.5 5.6 10.8 4.3 0.7 3.6

 40 hours or more..................47,478 538 116 422 65.3 24.8 20.4 26.4 1.1 0.2 0.9

 40 hours..........................41,009 451 105 346 56.4 20.8 18.4 21.7 1.1 0.3 0.8

 41 hours or more............... 6,469 87 11 76 8.9 4.0 1.9 4.8 1.3 0.2 1.2

 41 to 44 hours................... 879 8 2 6 1.2 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.9 0.2 0.7

 45 to 48 hours...................2,353 28 4 24 3.2 1.3 0.7 1.5 1.2 0.2 1.0

 49 to 59 hours...................2,298 35 3 32 3.2 1.6 0.5 2.0 1.5 0.1 1.4

 60 hours or more..................939 17 2 15 1.3 0.8 0.4 0.9 1.8 0.2 1.6

NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated self-employed. 

Total paid 

hourly 

rates

Usual hours worked 

per week 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, 1979-2002 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

19861............................ 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

19901............................ 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

19941...........................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

19971................................ 114,533 70,735 61.8 22,990 21,764 24,754 26.7

19981.........................116,730 71,440 61.2 2,834 1,593 4,427 6.2

19991.........................118,963 72,306 60.8 2,194 1,146 3,340 4.6

20001.........................122,292 73,638 60.2 1,853 870 2,724 3.7

2001.........................122,401 73,467 60.0 1,615 638 2,253 3.1

2002.........................122,009 72,720 59.6 1,598 570 2,168 3.0

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

19861............................ 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

19901............................ 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

19941...........................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

19971................................ 59,825 35,521 59.4 21,147 2673 21,820 25.1

19981.........................60,973 35,761 58.7 1,039 628 1,667 4.7

19991.........................61,914 36,073 58.3 768 446 1,214 3.4

20001.........................63,752 36,771 57.7 638 324 962 2.6

2001......................... 63,706 36,649 57.5 530 250 780 2.1

2002......................... 63,384 36,135 57.0 582 218 800 2.2

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, 1979-2002 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

19861............................ 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

19901............................ 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

19941...........................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

19971................................ 54,708 35,214 64.4 21,843 21,092 22,935 28.3

19981.........................55,757 35,680 64.0 1,794 965 2,760 7.7

19991.........................57,050 36,233 63.5 1,426 700 2,126 5.9

20001.........................58,540 36,867 63.0 1,215 547 1,762 4.8

2001......................... 58,695 36,818 62.7 1,085 388 1,473 4.0

2002......................... 58,625 36,585 62.4 1,016 352 1,368 3.7

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 2003 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 the

incorporated self-employed. Also note 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 numerous

exemptions to the minimum wage provisions of the law.

Indeed, the relatively large number of workers with

reported wages below the minimum in 1998-2002

includes some hourly-paid 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 almost 500,000 in 2002); 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