Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2004

Bureau of Labor Statistics

U.S. Department of Labor

April 2005
Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2004

According to Current Population Survey estimates for 2004, some 73.9 million American workers were paid at hourly rates, 

representing 59.8 percent of all wage and salary workers.1 Of those paid by the hour, 520,000 were reported as earning exactly 

$5.15, the prevailing Federal minimum wage, and another 1.5 million were reported earning wages below the minimum. 2 

Together, these 2.0 million workers with wages at or below the minimum made up 2.7 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 2004 data.

-- Minimum wage workers tend to be young. About half of all hourly-paid workers earning $5.15 or less were under age 25, and 

about one-fourth were age 16-19. Among teenagers, about 9 percent earned $5.15 or less. About 2 percent of workers age 25 and 

over earned the minimum wage or less. Among those age 65 and over, the proportion was 4 percent. (See table 1 and table 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.)

-- Nearly 3 percent of white hourly-paid workers earned $5.15 or less, compared with about 2 percent for both blacks and Hispanics

or Latinos. The figure for Asians was about 1 percent. Among whites and Hispanics or Latinos, women were about twice as likely 

as men to earn the Federal minimum wage or less. (See table 1.)

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

(See table 8.)

-- Among hourly-paid workers age 16 and over, about 2 percent of those who had a high school diploma but had not gone on to 

college earned the minimum or less, compared with about 1 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 7 percent versus 1 percent). (See table 1 and table 9.)

-- By occupational group, the proportion of hourly-paid workers whose earnings were reported at or below $5.15 ranged from less 

than 1 percent for persons employed in management, professional, and related occupations, to about 9 percent for those in service

occupations. About three in four workers earning $5.15 or less in 2004 were employed in service 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 leisure and 

hospitality (about 15 percent). About three-fifths of all workers paid at or below the Federal minimum wage were employed in this 

industry, primarily in food services and drinking places. For many of these workers, tips supplement the hourly wages received. 

(See table 5.)

-- Among the four broad geographic regions, the West had the lowest proportion of hourly-paid workers with earnings at or below 

$5.15, at under 2 percent. This compared with about 3 percent for the other regions. In 2004, 24 states and the District of Columbia 

had a proportion of hourly-paid workers earning at or below the Federal minimum wage that exceeded the national average (2.7 

percent); 22 states had a lower proportion. 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 2004 annual averages. 

 

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 2004 includes about 350,000 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, 2004 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................. 73,939 2,003 520 1,483 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.7 0.7 2.0

 16 to 24 years........................... 16,174 1,022 272 750 21.9 51.0 52.3 50.6 6.3 1.7 4.6

 16 to 19 years.......................... 5,433 497 168 329 7.3 24.8 32.3 22.2 9.1 3.1 6.1

 25 years and over....................... 57,765 982 249 733 78.1 49.0 47.9 49.4 1.7 0.4 1.3

 

Men, 16 years and over................. 36,806 680 210 470 49.8 33.9 40.4 31.7 1.8 0.6 1.3

 16 to 24 years........................... 8,305 366 127 239 11.2 18.3 24.4 16.1 4.4 1.5 2.9

 16 to 19 years......................... 2,672 179 78 101 3.6 8.9 15.0 6.8 6.7 2.9 3.8

 25 years and over....................... 28,500 314 83 231 38.5 15.7 16.0 15.6 1.1 0.3 0.8

 

Women, 16 years and over............ 37,133 1,323 310 1,013 50.2 66.1 59.6 68.3 3.6 0.8 2.7

 16 to 24 years............................ 7,869 655 145 510 10.6 32.7 27.9 34.4 8.3 1.8 6.5

 16 to 19 years......................... 2,761 319 90 229 3.7 15.9 17.3 15.4 11.6 3.3 8.3

 25 years and over...................... 29,265 668 166 502 39.6 33.3 31.9 33.9 2.3 0.6 1.7

 

RACE, SEX, AND 

HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY

White 1....................................... 59,877 1,681 395 1,286 81.0 83.9 76.0 86.7 2.8 0.7 2.1

 Men........................................ 30,255 554 161 393 40.9 27.7 31.0 26.5 1.8 0.5 1.3

 Women.................................... 29,621 1,126 234 892 40.1 56.2 45.0 60.1 3.8 0.8 3.0

Black or African American 1.................................... 9,417 227 99 128 12.7 11.3 19.0 8.6 2.4 1.1 1.4

 Men........................................ 4,243 89 40 49 5.7 4.4 7.7 3.3 2.1 0.9 1.2

 Women................................... 5,174 138 59 79 7.0 6.9 11.3 5.3 2.7 1.1 1.5

Asian 1....................................... 2,672 38 8 30 3.6 1.9 1.5 2.0 1.4 0.3 1.1

 Men......................................... 1,295 15 3 12 1.8 0.7 0.6 0.8 1.2 0.2 0.9

 Women.................................... 1,378 23 5 18 1.9 1.1 1.0 1.2 1.7 0.4 1.3

Hispanic or Latino 1....................... 12,073 250 82 168 16.3 12.5 15.8 11.3 2.1 0.7 1.4

 Men........................................ 7,183 98 32 66 9.7 4.9 6.2 4.5 1.4 0.4 0.9

 Women................................... 4,890 151 49 102 6.6 7.5 9.4 6.9 3.1 1.0 2.1

FULL- AND PART-TIME

STATUS AND SEX

Full-time workers 2......................... 55,739 760 177 583 75.4 37.9 34.0 39.3 1.4 0.3 1.0

 Men........................................ 30,951 300 77 223 41.9 15.0 14.8 15.0 1.0 0.2 0.7

 Women................................... 24,788 460 100 360 33.5 23.0 19.2 24.3 1.9 0.4 1.5

Part-time workers 2....................... 18,046 1,240 343 897 24.4 61.9 66.0 60.5 6.9 1.9 5.0

 Men........................................ 5,770 378 132 246 7.8 18.9 25.4 16.6 6.6 2.3 4.3

 Women................................... 12,276 861 210 651 16.6 43.0 40.4 43.9 7.0 1.7 5.3

 

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, 2004 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.... 73,939 2,003 520 1,483 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.7 0.7 2.0

 Northeast......................... 12,923 364 93 271 17.5 18.2 17.9 18.3 2.8 0.7 2.1

 New England................... 3,809 89 13 76 5.2 4.4 2.5 5.1 2.3 0.3 2.0

 Middle Atlantic................ 9,114 275 79 196 12.3 13.7 15.2 13.2 3.0 0.9 2.2

 Midwest........................... 18,768 533 110 423 25.4 26.6 21.2 28.5 2.8 0.6 2.3

 East North Central........... 12,978 384 69 315 17.6 19.2 13.3 21.2 3.0 0.5 2.4

 West North Central.......... 5,790 149 41 108 7.8 7.4 7.9 7.3 2.6 0.7 1.9

 South.............................. 25,343 840 232 608 34.3 41.9 44.6 41.0 3.3 0.9 2.4

 South Atlantic................. 13,020 374 66 308 17.6 18.7 12.7 20.8 2.9 0.5 2.4

 East South Central.......... 4,455 154 55 99 6.0 7.7 10.6 6.7 3.5 1.2 2.2

 West South Central......... 7,868 312 111 201 10.6 15.6 21.3 13.6 4.0 1.4 2.6

 West............................... 16,905 267 86 181 22.9 13.3 16.5 12.2 1.6 0.5 1.1

 Mountain....................... 5,143 168 53 115 7.0 8.4 10.2 7.8 3.3 1.0 2.2

 Pacific.......................... 11,761 99 33 66 15.9 4.9 6.3 4.5 0.8 0.3 0.6

 

 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, 2004 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.. 73,939 2,003 520 1,483 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.7 0.7 2.0

Alabama........................ 1,142 53 28 25 1.5 2.6 5.4 1.7 4.6 2.5 2.2

Alaska........................... 194 1 - 1 0.3 - - 0.1 0.5 - 0.5

Arizona.......................... 1,470 43 10 33 2.0 2.1 1.9 2.2 2.9 0.7 2.2

Arkansas........................ 655 18 8 10 0.9 0.9 1.5 0.7 2.7 1.2 1.5

California........................ 8,575 72 26 46 11.6 3.6 5.0 3.1 0.8 0.3 0.5

Colorado........................ 1,116 40 6 34 1.5 2.0 1.2 2.3 3.6 0.5 3.0

Connecticut.................... 876 16 2 14 1.2 0.8 0.4 0.9 1.8 0.2 1.6

Delaware........................ 204 4 1 3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 2.0 0.5 1.5

District of Columbia.......... 107 3 1 2 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 2.8 0.9 1.9

Florida........................... 4,037 146 13 133 5.5 7.3 2.5 9.0 3.6 0.3 3.3

Georgia.......................... 2,022 39 7 32 2.7 1.9 1.3 2.2 1.9 0.3 1.6

Hawaii............................ 329 5 1 4 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.3 1.5 0.3 1.2

Idaho.............................. 383 12 3 9 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.6 3.1 0.8 2.3

Illinois............................ 3,184 84 13 71 4.3 4.2 2.5 4.8 2.6 0.4 2.2

Indiana........................... 1,779 36 5 31 2.4 1.8 1.0 2.1 2.0 0.3 1.7

Iowa.............................. 882 26 6 20 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.3 2.9 0.7 2.3

Kansas.......................... 797 23 6 17 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.1 2.9 0.8 2.1

Kentucky....................... 1,148 45 15 30 1.6 2.2 2.9 2.0 3.9 1.3 2.6

Louisiana...................... 1,070 55 23 32 1.4 2.7 4.4 2.2 5.1 2.1 3.0

Maine............................ 396 9 1 8 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.5 2.3 0.3 2.0

Maryland........................ 1,294 24 4 20 1.8 1.2 0.8 1.3 1.9 0.3 1.5

Massachusetts................ 1,679 43 8 35 2.3 2.1 1.5 2.4 2.6 0.5 2.1

Michigan........................ 2,888 90 16 74 3.9 4.5 3.1 5.0 3.1 0.6 2.6

Minnesota....................... 1,529 31 13 18 2.1 1.5 2.5 1.2 2.0 0.9 1.2

Mississippi...................... 658 17 6 11 0.9 0.8 1.2 0.7 2.6 0.9 1.7

Missouri......................... 1,601 42 9 33 2.2 2.1 1.7 2.2 2.6 0.6 2.1

Montana......................... 252 8 5 3 0.3 0.4 1.0 0.2 3.2 2.0 1.2

Nebraska.......................... 557 16 4 12 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 2.9 0.7 2.2

Nevada.......................... 640 16 9 7 0.9 0.8 1.7 0.5 2.5 1.4 1.1

New Hampshire................ 376 9 1 8 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.5 2.4 0.3 2.1

New Jersey..................... 1,842 59 14 45 2.5 2.9 2.7 3.0 3.2 0.8 2.4

New Mexico.................... 470 26 13 13 0.6 1.3 2.5 0.9 5.5 2.8 2.8

New York........................ 4,009 128 39 89 5.4 6.4 7.5 6.0 3.2 1.0 2.2

North Carolina.................. 2,099 54 16 38 2.8 2.7 3.1 2.6 2.6 0.8 1.8

North Dakota................... 195 5 2 3 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.2 2.6 1.0 1.5

Ohio.............................. 3,324 125 25 100 4.5 6.2 4.8 6.7 3.8 0.8 3.0

Oklahoma....................... 849 41 13 28 1.1 2.0 2.5 1.9 4.8 1.5 3.3

Oregon........................... 951 6 3 3 1.3 0.3 0.6 0.2 0.6 0.3 0.3

Pennsylvania................... 3,263 89 27 62 4.4 4.4 5.2 4.2 2.7 0.8 1.9

Rhode Island................... 306 8 1 7 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.5 2.6 0.3 2.3

South Carolina................. 1,062 43 7 36 1.4 2.1 1.3 2.4 4.0 0.7 3.4

South Dakota................... 229 8 2 6 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.4 3.5 0.9 2.6

Tennesee....................... 1,507 40 7 33 2.0 2.0 1.3 2.2 2.7 0.5 2.2

Texas............................ 5,293 198 67 131 7.2 9.9 12.9 8.8 3.7 1.3 2.5

Utah............................... 667 19 6 13 0.9 0.9 1.2 0.9 2.8 0.9 1.9

Vermont......................... 176 5 1 4 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 2.8 0.6 2.3

Virginia.......................... 1,720 42 5 37 2.3 2.1 1.0 2.5 2.4 0.3 2.2

Washington.................... 1,713 15 3 12 2.3 0.7 0.6 0.8 0.9 0.2 0.7

West Virginia................... 475 20 11 9 0.6 1.0 2.1 0.6 4.2 2.3 1.9

Wisconsin...................... 1,804 49 10 39 2.4 2.4 1.9 2.6 2.7 0.6 2.2

Wyoming........................ 145 4 1 3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 2.8 0.7 2.1

 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. 

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.

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, 2004 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.......................... 73,939 2,003 520 1,483 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.7 0.7 2.0

Management, professional, and related 

 occupations........................................13,743 66 27 39 18.6 3.3 5.2 2.6 0.5 0.2 0.3

 Management, business, and financial

 operations occupations..................................... 3,750 16 2 14 5.1 0.8 0.4 0.9 0.4 0.1 0.4

 Professional and related occupations......................... 9,993 50 25 25 13.5 2.5 4.8 1.7 0.5 0.3 0.3

Service occupations................................ 16,381 1,494 256 1,238 22.2 74.6 49.2 83.5 9.1 1.6 7.6

 Healthcare support occupations...................... 2,460 33 12 21 3.3 1.6 2.3 1.4 1.3 0.5 0.9

 Protective service occupations.............. 1,823 24 4 20 2.5 1.2 0.8 1.3 1.3 0.2 1.1

 Food preparation and serving related

 occupations.................................... 6,236 1,183 147 1,036 8.4 59.1 28.3 69.9 19.0 2.4 16.6

 Building and grounds cleaning and 

 maintenance occupations.......................................... 3,608 102 39 63 4.9 5.1 7.5 4.2 2.8 1.1 1.7

 Personal care and service occupations.. 2,254 151 54 97 3.0 7.5 10.4 6.5 6.7 2.4 4.3

Sales and office occupations............................. 20,650 250 146 104 27.9 12.5 28.1 7.0 1.2 0.7 0.5

 Sales and related occupations............................... 7,512 142 76 66 10.2 7.1 14.6 4.5 1.9 1.0 0.9

 Office and administrative support 

 occupations.................................... 13,139 106 69 37 17.8 5.3 13.3 2.5 0.8 0.5 0.3

Natural resources, construction, and 

 maintenance occupations................................. 9,368 50 26 24 12.7 2.5 5.0 1.6 0.5 0.3 0.3

 Farming, fishing, and forestry

 occupations.................................... 603 21 11 10 0.8 1.0 2.1 0.7 3.5 1.8 1.7

 Construction and extraction

 occupations.................................... 5,430 13 6 7 7.3 0.6 1.2 0.5 0.2 0.1 0.1

 Installation, maintenance, and 

 repair occupations.......................................... 3,335 15 9 6 4.5 0.7 1.7 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.2

Production, transportation, and 

 material moving occupations.............. 13,796 144 66 78 18.7 7.2 12.7 5.3 1.0 0.5 0.6

 Production occupations....................... 7,708 54 18 36 10.4 2.7 3.5 2.4 0.7 0.2 0.5

 Transportation and material moving

 occupations.................................... 6,087 89 47 42 8.2 4.4 9.0 2.8 1.5 0.8 0.7

 

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

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, 2004 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.......................... 73,939 2,003 520 1,483 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.7 0.7 2.0

 Private sector......................................... 64,708 1,890 467 1,423 87.5 94.4 89.8 96.0 2.9 0.7 2.2

 Agriculture and related industries.................................... 623 19 10 9 0.8 0.9 1.9 0.6 3.0 1.6 1.4

 Nonagricultural industries.................... 64,085 1,870 457 1,413 86.7 93.4 87.9 95.3 2.9 0.7 2.2

 Mining............................................... 312 1 1 - 0.4 - 0.2 - 0.3 0.3 -

 Construction.........................................5,552 18 8 10 7.5 0.9 1.5 0.7 0.3 0.1 0.2

 Manufacturing.................................... 10,388 61 23 38 14.0 3.0 4.4 2.6 0.6 0.2 0.4

 Durable goods ................................. 6,397 28 8 20 8.7 1.4 1.5 1.3 0.4 0.1 0.3

 Nondurable goods ........................... 3,991 33 15 18 5.4 1.6 2.9 1.2 0.8 0.4 0.5

 Wholesale and retail trade................. 12,456 181 96 85 16.8 9.0 18.5 5.7 1.5 0.8 0.7

 Wholesale trade............................ 2,038 17 10 7 2.8 0.8 1.9 0.5 0.8 0.5 0.3

 Retail trade.................................. 10,418 164 86 78 14.1 8.2 16.5 5.3 1.6 0.8 0.7

 Transportation and utilities................. 2,915 20 7 13 3.9 1.0 1.3 0.9 0.7 0.2 0.4

 Information..................................... 1,472 14 10 4 2.0 0.7 1.9 0.3 1.0 0.7 0.3

 Financial activities...................................... 3,453 33 20 13 4.7 1.6 3.8 0.9 1.0 0.6 0.4

 Professional and business services.......... 5,461 61 24 37 7.4 3.0 4.6 2.5 1.1 0.4 0.7

 Education and health services............................................ 11,022 138 62 76 14.9 6.9 11.9 5.1 1.3 0.6 0.7

 Leisure and hospitality........................... 8,095 1,242 176 1,066 10.9 62.0 33.8 71.9 15.3 2.2 13.2

 Other services.................................. 2,959 102 31 71 4.0 5.1 6.0 4.8 3.4 1.0 2.4

 Public sector....................................... 9,231 113 53 60 12.5 5.6 10.2 4.0 1.2 0.6 0.6

 Federal............................................ 1,781 19 11 8 2.4 0.9 2.1 0.5 1.1 0.6 0.4

 State................................................ 2,347 32 17 15 3.2 1.6 3.3 1.0 1.4 0.7 0.6

 Local.................................................. 5,103 62 25 37 6.9 3.1 4.8 2.5 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

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, 2004 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............................ 73,939 2,003 520 1,483 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.7 0.7 2.0

 Less than a high school diploma.................. 12,276 579 203 376 16.6 28.9 39.0 25.4 4.7 1.7 3.1

 Less than 1 year of high school.............. 3,428 85 26 59 4.6 4.2 5.0 4.0 2.5 0.8 1.7

 1 to 3 years of high school....................... 7,631 443 158 285 10.3 22.1 30.4 19.2 5.8 2.1 3.7

 4 years of high school, no diploma............. 1,217 50 19 31 1.6 2.5 3.7 2.1 4.1 1.6 2.5

 High school graduates or more................ 61,663 1,424 317 1,107 83.4 71.1 61.0 74.6 2.3 0.5 1.8

 High school graduates, no college.............27,399 633 156 477 37.1 31.6 30.0 32.2 2.3 0.6 1.7

 Some college or associate degree........ 24,002 653 130 523 32.5 32.6 25.0 35.3 2.7 0.5 2.2

 Some college, no degree.......................16,662 536 107 429 22.5 26.8 20.6 28.9 3.2 0.6 2.6

 Associate degree................................. 7,340 116 23 93 9.9 5.8 4.4 6.3 1.6 0.3 1.3

 Occupational program....................... 4,170 51 8 43 5.6 2.5 1.5 2.9 1.2 0.2 1.0

 Academic program............................. 3,170 64 14 50 4.3 3.2 2.7 3.4 2.0 0.4 1.6

 Bachelor's degree and higher, total......................... 10,262 139 31 108 13.9 6.9 6.0 7.3 1.4 0.3 1.1

 Bachelor's degree........................... 8,171 125 26 99 11.1 6.2 5.0 6.7 1.5 0.3 1.2

 Master's degree............................... 1,629 9 4 5 2.2 0.4 0.8 0.3 0.6 0.2 0.3

 Professional degree......................... 289 3 - 3 0.4 0.1 - 0.2 1.0 - 1.0

 Doctoral degree............................... 173 1 - 1 0.2 - - 0.1 0.6 - 0.6

 

 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, 2004 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...............73,939 2,003 520 1,483 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.7 0.7 2.0

 Under 25 years.................... 16,174 1,022 272 750 21.9 51.0 52.3 50.6 6.3 1.7 4.6

 16 to 19 years.................... 5,433 497 168 329 7.3 24.8 32.3 22.2 9.1 3.1 6.1

 20 to 24 years........................10,741 523 103 420 14.5 26.1 19.8 28.3 4.9 1.0 3.9

 25 years and over.......................... 57,765 982 249 733 78.1 49.0 47.9 49.4 1.7 0.4 1.3

 25 to 34 years........................16,574 384 64 320 22.4 19.2 12.3 21.6 2.3 0.4 1.9

 25 to 29 years................... 8,449 226 34 192 11.4 11.3 6.5 12.9 2.7 0.4 2.3

 30 to 34 years........................8,125 157 30 127 11.0 7.8 5.8 8.6 1.9 0.4 1.6

 35 to 44 years.................... 16,715 238 63 175 22.6 11.9 12.1 11.8 1.4 0.4 1.0

 35 to 39 years............................ 8,007 117 25 92 10.8 5.8 4.8 6.2 1.5 0.3 1.1

 40 to 44 years.................... 8,708 121 37 84 11.8 6.0 7.1 5.7 1.4 0.4 1.0

 45 to 54 years.......................... 14,796 173 48 125 20.0 8.6 9.2 8.4 1.2 0.3 0.8

 45 to 49 years....................... 8,201 101 30 71 11.1 5.0 5.8 4.8 1.2 0.4 0.9

 50 to 54 years................... 6,595 72 18 54 8.9 3.6 3.5 3.6 1.1 0.3 0.8

 55 to 64 years......................7,501 101 40 61 10.1 5.0 7.7 4.1 1.3 0.5 0.8

 55 to 59 years......................4,756 60 21 39 6.4 3.0 4.0 2.6 1.3 0.4 0.8

 60 to 64 years....................... 2,745 41 19 22 3.7 2.0 3.7 1.5 1.5 0.7 0.8

 65 years and over.................2,177 86 33 53 2.9 4.3 6.3 3.6 4.0 1.5 2.4

 65 to 69 years.................... 1,196 41 15 26 1.6 2.0 2.9 1.8 3.4 1.3 2.2

 70 years and over................ 981 45 18 27 1.3 2.2 3.5 1.8 4.6 1.8 2.8

MEN

Total, 16 years and over............36,806 680 210 470 49.8 33.9 40.4 31.7 1.8 0.6 1.3

 Under 25 years......................8,305 366 127 239 11.2 18.3 24.4 16.1 4.4 1.5 2.9

 16 to 19 years.................... 2,672 179 78 101 3.6 8.9 15.0 6.8 6.7 2.9 3.8

 20 to 24 years.................... 5,633 187 49 138 7.6 9.3 9.4 9.3 3.3 0.9 2.4

 25 years and over..................28,500 314 83 231 38.5 15.7 16.0 15.6 1.1 0.3 0.8

 25 to 34 years..................... 8,929 141 30 111 12.1 7.0 5.8 7.5 1.6 0.3 1.2

 25 to 29 years.................. 4,610 88 15 73 6.2 4.4 2.9 4.9 1.9 0.3 1.6

 30 to 34 years................... 4,319 52 14 38 5.8 2.6 2.7 2.6 1.2 0.3 0.9

 35 to 44 years.................... 8,277 71 17 54 11.2 3.5 3.3 3.6 0.9 0.2 0.7

 35 to 39 years.................... 4,081 33 3 30 5.5 1.6 0.6 2.0 0.8 0.1 0.7

 40 to 44 years................... 4,196 36 13 23 5.7 1.8 2.5 1.6 0.9 0.3 0.5

 45 to 54 years.................. 6,928 57 17 40 9.4 2.8 3.3 2.7 0.8 0.2 0.6

 45 to 49 years................. 3,847 33 10 23 5.2 1.6 1.9 1.6 0.9 0.3 0.6

 50 to 54 years.................. 3,081 25 7 18 4.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 0.8 0.2 0.6

 55 to 64 years..................... 3,402 27 13 14 4.6 1.3 2.5 0.9 0.8 0.4 0.4

 55 to 59 years................ 2,167 17 9 8 2.9 0.8 1.7 0.5 0.8 0.4 0.4

 60 to 64 years.................. 1,235 9 4 5 1.7 0.4 0.8 0.3 0.7 0.3 0.4

 65 years and over............... 964 20 7 13 1.3 1.0 1.3 0.9 2.1 0.7 1.3

 65 to 69 years................... 530 8 1 7 0.7 0.4 0.2 0.5 1.5 0.2 1.3

 70 years and over.............. 434 10 5 5 0.6 0.5 1.0 0.3 2.3 1.2 1.2

WOMEN

Total, 16 years and over................... 37,133 1,323 310 1,013 50.2 66.1 59.6 68.3 3.6 0.8 2.7

 Under 25 years..................... 7,869 655 145 510 10.6 32.7 27.9 34.4 8.3 1.8 6.5

 16 to 19 years.................... 2,761 319 90 229 3.7 15.9 17.3 15.4 11.6 3.3 8.3

 20 to 24 years......................5,108 337 55 282 6.9 16.8 10.6 19.0 6.6 1.1 5.5

 25 years and over...................... 29,265 668 166 502 39.6 33.3 31.9 33.9 2.3 0.6 1.7

 25 to 34 years.................... 7,645 244 35 209 10.3 12.2 6.7 14.1 3.2 0.5 2.7

 25 to 29 years.................... 3,839 138 19 119 5.2 6.9 3.7 8.0 3.6 0.5 3.1

 30 to 34 years.................. 3,806 106 16 90 5.1 5.3 3.1 6.1 2.8 0.4 2.4

 35 to 44 years.................... 8,439 168 46 122 11.4 8.4 8.8 8.2 2.0 0.5 1.4

 35 to 39 years............... 3,927 83 22 61 5.3 4.1 4.2 4.1 2.1 0.6 1.6

 40 to 44 years.................. 4,512 84 24 60 6.1 4.2 4.6 4.0 1.9 0.5 1.3

 45 to 54 years................... 7,868 115 31 84 10.6 5.7 6.0 5.7 1.5 0.4 1.1

 45 to 49 years................... 4,355 68 20 48 5.9 3.4 3.8 3.2 1.6 0.5 1.1

 50 to 54 years.................. 3,514 48 11 37 4.8 2.4 2.1 2.5 1.4 0.3 1.1

 55 to 64 years.................. 4,099 74 27 47 5.5 3.7 5.2 3.2 1.8 0.7 1.1

 55 to 59 years................ 2,589 43 12 31 3.5 2.1 2.3 2.1 1.7 0.5 1.2

 60 to 64 years................... 1,510 31 15 16 2.0 1.5 2.9 1.1 2.1 1.0 1.1

 65 years and over.................... 1,213 67 27 40 1.6 3.3 5.2 2.7 5.5 2.2 3.3

 65 to 69 years................... 666 33 14 19 0.9 1.6 2.7 1.3 5.0 2.1 2.9

 70 years and over.............. 547 35 13 22 0.7 1.7 2.5 1.5 6.4 2.4 4.0

 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, 2004 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............... 73,939 2,003 520 1,483 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.7 0.7 2.0

 Never married......................25,411 1,244 320 924 34.4 62.1 61.5 62.3 4.9 1.3 3.6

 16 to 24 years.....................14,155 940 253 687 19.1 46.9 48.7 46.3 6.6 1.8 4.9

 25 years and over...................... 11,256 303 67 236 15.2 15.1 12.9 15.9 2.7 0.6 2.1

 25 to 54 years..................10,694 289 59 230 14.5 14.4 11.3 15.5 2.7 0.6 2.2

 Married, spouse present.................. 36,130 481 114 367 48.9 24.0 21.9 24.7 1.3 0.3 1.0

 16 to 24 years................... 1,603 65 14 51 2.2 3.2 2.7 3.4 4.1 0.9 3.2

 25 years and over..................... 34,527 416 100 316 46.7 20.8 19.2 21.3 1.2 0.3 0.9

 25 to 54 years............... 28,353 331 73 258 38.3 16.5 14.0 17.4 1.2 0.3 0.9

 Other marital status..............12,397 278 86 192 16.8 13.9 16.5 12.9 2.2 0.7 1.5

 16 to 24 years................... 415 16 5 11 0.6 0.8 1.0 0.7 3.9 1.2 2.7

 25 years and over................. 11,982 263 82 181 16.2 13.1 15.8 12.2 2.2 0.7 1.5

 25 to 54 years....................9,040 176 44 132 12.2 8.8 8.5 8.9 1.9 0.5 1.5

MEN

Total, 16 years and over.... 36,806 680 210 470 49.8 33.9 40.4 31.7 1.8 0.6 1.3

 Never married....................... 13,637 490 150 340 18.4 24.5 28.8 22.9 3.6 1.1 2.5

 16 to 24 years.................. 7,429 351 120 231 10.0 17.5 23.1 15.6 4.7 1.6 3.1

 25 years and over................6,208 139 30 109 8.4 6.9 5.8 7.3 2.2 0.5 1.8

 25 to 54 years...................5,960 132 26 106 8.1 6.6 5.0 7.1 2.2 0.4 1.8

 Married, spouse present.................... 18,546 135 36 99 25.1 6.7 6.9 6.7 0.7 0.2 0.5

 16 to 24 years..................... 724 12 4 8 1.0 0.6 0.8 0.5 1.7 0.6 1.1

 25 years and over................] 17,822 123 32 91 24.1 6.1 6.2 6.1 0.7 0.2 0.5

 25 to 54 years................... 14,506 98 24 74 19.6 4.9 4.6 5.0 0.7 0.2 0.5

 Other marital status.................... 4,623 54 23 31 6.3 2.7 4.4 2.1 1.2 0.5 0.7

 16 to 24 years..................... 153 3 3 - 0.2 0.1 0.6 - 2.0 2.0 -

 25 years and over........................ 4,470 52 21 31 6.0 2.6 4.0 2.1 1.2 0.5 0.7

 25 to 54 years...................3,667 37 13 24 5.0 1.8 2.5 1.6 1.0 0.4 0.7

WOMEN

Total, 16 years and over................ 37,133 1,323 310 1,013 50.2 66.1 59.6 68.3 3.6 0.8 2.7

 Never married......................... 11,774 754 170 584 15.9 37.6 32.7 39.4 6.4 1.4 5.0

 16 to 24 years............................ 6,727 588 132 456 9.1 29.4 25.4 30.7 8.7 2.0 6.8

 25 years and over.................... 5,047 164 37 127 6.8 8.2 7.1 8.6 3.2 0.7 2.5

 25 to 54 years.....................4,733 156 33 123 6.4 7.8 6.3 8.3 3.3 0.7 2.6

 Married, spouse present............17,584 346 78 268 23.8 17.3 15.0 18.1 2.0 0.4 1.5

 16 to 24 years.................... 879 54 11 43 1.2 2.7 2.1 2.9 6.1 1.3 4.9

 25 years and over..................16,705 293 68 225 22.6 14.6 13.1 15.2 1.8 0.4 1.3

 25 to 54 years.................... 13,847 232 48 184 18.7 11.6 9.2 12.4 1.7 0.3 1.3

 Other marital status................. 7,774 224 63 161 10.5 11.2 12.1 10.9 2.9 0.8 2.1

 16 to 24 years...................... 262 13 2 11 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.7 5.0 0.8 4.2

 25 years and over...............7,512 211 61 150 10.2 10.5 11.7 10.1 2.8 0.8 2.0

 25 to 54 years................ 5,372 139 31 108 7.3 6.9 6.0 7.3 2.6 0.6 2.0

 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 per week, 2004 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............73,939 2,003 520 1,483 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.7 0.7 2.0

 Hours vary..................................... 5,499 289 56 233 7.4 14.4 10.8 15.7 5.3 1.0 4.2

 0 to 34 hours......................... 15,833 1,060 305 755 21.4 52.9 58.7 50.9 6.7 1.9 4.8

 0 to 4 hours....................... 309 21 6 15 0.4 1.0 1.2 1.0 6.8 1.9 4.9

 5 to 9 hours........................ 913 75 23 52 1.2 3.7 4.4 3.5 8.2 2.5 5.7

 10 to 14 hours.................... 1,458 110 38 72 2.0 5.5 7.3 4.9 7.5 2.6 4.9

 15 to 19 hours.....................2,110 155 57 98 2.9 7.7 11.0 6.6 7.3 2.7 4.6

 20 to 24 hours.................. 4,921 338 111 227 6.7 16.9 21.3 15.3 6.9 2.3 4.6

 25 to 29 hours................ 2,163 143 30 113 2.9 7.1 5.8 7.6 6.6 1.4 5.2

 30 to 34 hours............... 3,959 218 40 178 5.4 10.9 7.7 12.0 5.5 1.0 4.5

 35 hours or more...................52,607 654 159 495 71.1 32.7 30.6 33.4 1.2 0.3 0.9

 35 to 39 hours.................... 5,037 167 26 141 6.8 8.3 5.0 9.5 3.3 0.5 2.8

 40 hours or more..................47,570 487 133 354 64.3 24.3 25.6 23.9 1.0 0.3 0.7

 40 hours..........................41,302 429 121 308 55.9 21.4 23.3 20.8 1.0 0.3 0.7

 41 hours or more............... 6,267 59 13 46 8.5 2.9 2.5 3.1 0.9 0.2 0.7

 41 to 44 hours................... 746 4 - 4 1.0 0.2 - 0.3 0.5 - 0.5

 45 to 48 hours...................2,263 18 4 14 3.1 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.2 0.6

 49 to 59 hours...................2,266 27 5 22 3.1 1.3 1.0 1.5 1.2 0.2 1.0

 60 hours or more..................992 9 4 5 1.3 0.4 0.8 0.3 0.9 0.4 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

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, 1979-2004 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

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

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, 1979-2004 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

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 2005 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. 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 1998-2004 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, about

500,000 in 2002, and about 350,000 in 2003 and in

2004); 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