Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2008 

Bureau of Labor Statistics 

U.S. Department of Labor 

March 11, 2009 
Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2008 

 According to Current Population Survey estimates for 2008, 75.3 million American workers age 16 and over were paid at hourly rates, 

representing 58.2 percent of all wage and salary workers.1

 On July 24, 2008, the Federal minimum wage increased to $6.55 per hour from 

$5.85 per hour. Data in this report reflect the average number of workers earning the prevailing Federal minimum wage or less for the year 

(those who earned $5.85 or less from January 2008 through July 2008 and those who earned $6.55 or less from August 2008 through the 

end of the year). Among those paid by the hour, 286,000 earned exactly the prevailing Federal minimum wage in 2008. About 1.9 million 

had 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 hourlypaid 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 2008 data. 

-- Minimum wage workers tend to be young. Although workers under age 25 represented only about one-fifth of hourly-paid workers, they 

made up half of those paid the Federal minimum wage or less. Among employed teenagers paid by the hour, about 11 percent earned the 

minimum wage or less, compared with about 2 percent of workers age 25 and over. (See table 1 and table 7.) 

-- About 4 percent of women paid hourly rates had wages at or below the prevailing Federal minimum, compared with about 2 percent of 

men. (See table 1.) 

-- The percentage of workers earning the minimum wage did not vary much across the major race and ethnicity groups. About 3 percent of 

white, black, and Hispanic hourly-paid workers earned the Federal minimum wage or less. Among Asian hourly-paid workers, about 2 

percent earned the minimum wage or less. (See table 1.) 

-- Among hourly-paid workers age 16 and over, about 5 percent of those who had less than a high school diploma earned the Federal 

minimum wage or less, compared with about 3 percent of those who had a high school diploma (with no college) and about 2 percent of 

college graduates. (See table 6.) 

-- Never-married workers, who tend to be young, were more likely than married workers to earn the Federal minimum wage or less (about 5 

percent versus about 2 percent). (See table 8.) 

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

Federal minimum wage or less (about 7 percent versus about 2 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, 

about 9 percent. About 7 in 10 workers earning the minimum wage or less in 2008 were employed in service occupations, mostly in food 

preparation and serving related jobs. (See table 4.) 

-- The industry with the highest proportion of workers with hourly wages at or below the Federal minimum wage was leisure and hospitality 

(about 14 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, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Oklahoma had the highest proportions of hourly-paid workers earning at or 

below the Federal minimum wage (about 6 percent). The percentage of workers earning at or below the Federal minimum wage was lowest 

(1 percent or less) in Alaska, California, and Oregon. It should be noted that some states have minimum wage laws establishing standards 

that exceed the Federal minimum wage. (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 2008 annual averages. 

 

1

 Data are for wage and salary workers age 16 and over and refer to earnings on a person's sole or principal job. All self-employed persons are excluded 

whether or not their businesses are incorporated. 

2

 It should be noted that the presence of a sizable number of workers with 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. 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 Federal 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, 2008 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

AGE AND SEX

Total, 16 years and over................. 75,305 2,226 286 1,940 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.4 2.6

 16 to 24 years.............................. 15,680 1,122 161 961 20.8 50.4 56.3 49.5 7.2 1.0 6.1

 16 to 19 years........................... 5,137 545 108 437 6.8 24.5 37.8 22.5 10.6 2.1 8.5

 25 years and over........................ 59,626 1,104 125 979 79.2 49.6 43.7 50.5 1.9 0.2 1.6

 

Men, 16 years and over................. 37,334 728 90 638 49.6 32.7 31.5 32.9 1.9 0.2 1.7

 16 to 24 years............................. 7,978 384 58 326 10.6 17.3 20.3 16.8 4.8 0.7 4.1

 16 to 19 years........................... 2,478 194 39 155 3.3 8.7 13.6 8.0 7.8 1.6 6.3

 25 years and over....................... 29,356 345 32 313 39.0 15.5 11.2 16.1 1.2 0.1 1.1

 

Women, 16 years and over............ 37,972 1,498 196 1,302 50.4 67.3 68.5 67.1 3.9 0.5 3.4

 16 to 24 years............................. 7,701 738 103 635 10.2 33.2 36.0 32.7 9.6 1.3 8.2

 16 to 19 years........................... 2,660 351 70 281 3.5 15.8 24.5 14.5 13.2 2.6 10.6

 25 years and over........................ 30,270 759 93 666 40.2 34.1 32.5 34.3 2.5 0.3 2.2

 

RACE, SEX, AND 

HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY 

White 1....................................... 60,464 1,783 215 1,568 80.3 80.1 75.2 80.8 2.9 0.4 2.6

 Men........................................... 30,533 560 65 495 40.5 25.2 22.7 25.5 1.8 0.2 1.6

 Women...................................... 29,931 1,224 151 1,073 39.7 55.0 52.8 55.3 4.1 0.5 3.6

 

Black or African American 1............... 9,866 308 49 259 13.1 13.8 17.1 13.4 3.1 0.5 2.6

 Men........................................... 4,408 122 17 105 5.9 5.5 5.9 5.4 2.8 0.4 2.4

 Women...................................... 5,457 186 32 154 7.2 8.4 11.2 7.9 3.4 0.6 2.8

Asian 1........................................ 2,844 69 11 58 3.8 3.1 3.8 3.0 2.4 0.4 2.0

 Men........................................... 1,301 27 3 24 1.7 1.2 1.0 1.2 2.1 0.2 1.8

 Women...................................... 1,543 42 8 34 2.0 1.9 2.8 1.8 2.7 0.5 2.2

Hispanic or Latino 1....................... 13,070 324 39 285 17.4 14.6 13.6 14.7 2.5 0.3 2.2

 Men........................................... 7,756 132 15 117 10.3 5.9 5.2 6.0 1.7 0.2 1.5

 Women...................................... 5,313 191 23 168 7.1 8.6 8.0 8.7 3.6 0.4 3.2

 

FULL- AND PART-TIME 

STATUS AND SEX 

Full-time workers 2......................... 56,837 873 95 778 75.5 39.2 33.2 40.1 1.5 0.2 1.4

 Men........................................... 31,363 340 27 313 41.6 15.3 9.4 16.1 1.1 0.1 1.0

 Women...................................... 25,474 532 68 464 33.8 23.9 23.8 23.9 2.1 0.3 1.8

 

Part-time workers 2........................ 18,334 1,353 191 1,162 24.3 60.8 66.8 59.9 7.4 1.0 6.3

 Men........................................... 5,903 388 63 325 7.8 17.4 22.0 16.8 6.6 1.1 5.5

 Women...................................... 12,431 965 128 837 16.5 43.4 44.8 43.1 7.8 1.0 6.7

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

Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.

2 The distinction between full- and part-time workers is based on hours usually worked. These data will not sum to totals because 

full- or part-time status on the principal job is not identifiable for a small number of multiple jobholders.

 NOTE: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are 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, 2008 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total, 16 years and over.... 75,305 2,226 286 1,940 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.4 2.6

 

 Northeast......................... 13,033 318 21 297 17.3 14.3 7.3 15.3 2.4 0.2 2.3

 New England................... 3,690 81 4 77 4.9 3.6 1.4 4.0 2.2 0.1 2.1

 Middle Atlantic............... 9,342 238 17 221 12.4 10.7 5.9 11.4 2.5 0.2 2.4

 Midwest......................... 18,567 522 47 475 24.7 23.5 16.4 24.5 2.8 0.3 2.6

 East North Central.......... 12,740 347 26 321 16.9 15.6 9.1 16.5 2.7 0.2 2.5

 West North Central......... 5,827 175 21 154 7.7 7.9 7.3 7.9 3.0 0.4 2.6

 South.............................. 25,942 1,092 187 905 34.4 49.1 65.4 46.6 4.2 0.7 3.5

 South Atlantic................ 13,461 488 54 434 17.9 21.9 18.9 22.4 3.6 0.4 3.2

 East South Central.......... 4,419 221 47 174 5.9 9.9 16.4 9.0 5.0 1.1 3.9

 West South Central......... 8,061 384 86 298 10.7 17.3 30.1 15.4 4.8 1.1 3.7

 West.............................. 17,764 292 30 262 23.6 13.1 10.5 13.5 1.6 0.2 1.5

 Mountain....................... 5,571 166 19 147 7.4 7.5 6.6 7.6 3.0 0.3 2.6

 Pacific.......................... 12,193 127 11 116 16.2 5.7 3.8 6.0 1.0 0.1 1.0

 

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

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

Northeast: 

 New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont

 Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania

Midwest:

 East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin

 West North Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota

South:

 South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia

 East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee

 West South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas

West:

 Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming

 Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington

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, 2008 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total, 16 years and over.. 75,305 2,226 286 1,940 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.4 2.6

 

Alabama........................ 1,119 47 17 30 1.5 2.1 5.9 1.5 4.2 1.5 2.7

Alaska........................... 204 2 - 2 0.3 0.1 - 0.1 1.0 - 1.0

Arizona.......................... 1,533 46 5 41 2.0 2.1 1.7 2.1 3.0 0.3 2.7

Arkansas........................ 703 26 5 21 0.9 1.2 1.7 1.1 3.7 0.7 3.0

California........................ 8,778 86 6 80 11.7 3.9 2.1 4.1 1.0 0.1 0.9

Colorado........................ 1,211 48 1 47 1.6 2.2 0.3 2.4 4.0 0.1 3.9

Connecticut.................... 892 16 1 15 1.2 0.7 0.3 0.8 1.8 0.1 1.7

Delaware........................ 220 6 - 6 0.3 0.3 - 0.3 2.7 - 2.7

District of Columbia.......... 110 3 - 3 0.1 0.1 - 0.2 2.7 - 2.7

Florida........................... 4,058 127 5 122 5.4 5.7 1.7 6.3 3.1 0.1 3.0

Georgia.......................... 2,084 76 13 63 2.8 3.4 4.5 3.2 3.6 0.6 3.0

Hawaii............................ 338 5 - 5 0.4 0.2 - 0.3 1.5 - 1.5

Idaho............................. 412 15 4 11 0.5 0.7 1.4 0.6 3.6 1.0 2.7

Illinois............................ 3,211 80 - 80 4.3 3.6 - 4.1 2.5 - 2.5

Indiana........................... 1,812 64 10 54 2.4 2.9 3.5 2.8 3.5 0.6 3.0

Iowa.............................. 927 21 1 20 1.2 0.9 0.3 1.0 2.3 0.1 2.2

Kansas.......................... 791 31 5 26 1.1 1.4 1.7 1.3 3.9 0.6 3.3

Kentucky....................... 1,101 45 9 36 1.5 2.0 3.1 1.9 4.1 0.8 3.3

Louisiana...................... 953 48 9 39 1.3 2.2 3.1 2.0 5.0 0.9 4.1

Maine............................ 397 7 - 7 0.5 0.3 - 0.4 1.8 - 1.8

Maryland........................ 1,339 37 5 32 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.6 2.8 0.4 2.4

Massachusetts................ 1,543 35 2 33 2.0 1.6 0.7 1.7 2.3 0.1 2.1

Michigan........................ 2,641 73 2 71 3.5 3.3 0.7 3.7 2.8 0.1 2.7

Minnesota....................... 1,511 40 6 34 2.0 1.8 2.1 1.8 2.6 0.4 2.3

Mississippi...................... 667 40 9 31 0.9 1.8 3.1 1.6 6.0 1.3 4.6

Missouri......................... 1,592 50 4 46 2.1 2.2 1.4 2.4 3.1 0.3 2.9

Montana......................... 287 4 2 2 0.4 0.2 0.7 0.1 1.4 0.7 0.7

Nebraska......................... 551 20 3 17 0.7 0.9 1.0 0.9 3.6 0.5 3.1

Nevada.......................... 736 16 2 14 1.0 0.7 0.7 0.7 2.2 0.3 1.9

New Hampshire............... 380 11 - 11 0.5 0.5 - 0.6 2.9 - 2.9

New Jersey..................... 1,781 53 5 48 2.4 2.4 1.7 2.5 3.0 0.3 2.7

New Mexico.................... 495 13 - 13 0.7 0.6 - 0.7 2.6 - 2.6

New York....................... 4,105 100 6 94 5.5 4.5 2.1 4.8 2.4 0.1 2.3

North Carolina................. 2,235 78 11 67 3.0 3.5 3.8 3.5 3.5 0.5 3.0

North Dakota................... 199 8 1 7 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.4 4.0 0.5 3.5

Ohio.............................. 3,329 77 5 72 4.4 3.5 1.7 3.7 2.3 0.2 2.2

Oklahoma....................... 878 48 19 29 1.2 2.2 6.6 1.5 5.5 2.2 3.3

Oregon.......................... 999 8 2 6 1.3 0.4 0.7 0.3 0.8 0.2 0.6

Pennsylvania................... 3,457 85 6 79 4.6 3.8 2.1 4.1 2.5 0.2 2.3

Rhode Island................... 296 6 - 6 0.4 0.3 - 0.3 2.0 - 2.0

South Carolina................. 1,111 66 6 60 1.5 3.0 2.1 3.1 5.9 0.5 5.4

South Dakota.................. 256 6 1 5 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 2.3 0.4 2.0

Tennessee....................... 1,533 89 12 77 2.0 4.0 4.2 4.0 5.8 0.8 5.0

Texas............................ 5,527 262 54 208 7.3 11.8 18.9 10.7 4.7 1.0 3.8

Utah.............................. 736 18 5 13 1.0 0.8 1.7 0.7 2.4 0.7 1.8

Vermont......................... 183 4 - 4 0.2 0.2 - 0.2 2.2 - 2.2

Virginia.......................... 1,809 70 5 65 2.4 3.1 1.7 3.4 3.9 0.3 3.6

Washington.................... 1,875 26 3 23 2.5 1.2 1.0 1.2 1.4 0.2 1.2

West Virginia................... 494 26 10 16 0.7 1.2 3.5 0.8 5.3 2.0 3.2

Wisconsin...................... 1,748 53 9 44 2.3 2.4 3.1 2.3 3.0 0.5 2.5

Wyoming........................ 160 7 1 6 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 4.4 0.6 3.8

 NOTE: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Users are reminded that these data are based on a

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

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 the prevailing Federal minimum wage 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.

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, 2008 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total, 16 years and over......................... 75,305 2,226 286 1,940 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.4 2.6

Management, professional, and related 

 occupations..................................... 14,774 114 25 89 19.6 5.1 8.7 4.6 0.8 0.2 0.6

 Management, business, and financial

 operations occupations...................... 4,118 30 2 28 5.5 1.3 0.7 1.4 0.7 0.0 0.7

 Professional and related occupations...... 10,656 84 23 61 14.2 3.8 8.0 3.1 0.8 0.2 0.6

Service occupations............................... 17,261 1,541 143 1,398 22.9 69.2 50.0 72.1 8.9 0.8 8.1

 Healthcare support occupations.............. 2,564 57 3 54 3.4 2.6 1.0 2.8 2.2 0.1 2.1

 Protective service occupations.............. 1,895 46 5 41 2.5 2.1 1.7 2.1 2.4 0.3 2.2

 Food preparation and serving related

 occupations.................................... 6,649 1,170 83 1,087 8.8 52.6 29.0 56.0 17.6 1.2 16.3

 Building and grounds cleaning and 

 maintenance occupations.................. 3,627 106 19 87 4.8 4.8 6.6 4.5 2.9 0.5 2.4

 Personal care and service occupations.. 2,526 162 34 128 3.4 7.3 11.9 6.6 6.4 1.3 5.1

Sales and office occupations................... 20,563 363 91 272 27.3 16.3 31.8 14.0 1.8 0.4 1.3

 Sales and related occupations................ 7,713 224 58 166 10.2 10.1 20.3 8.6 2.9 0.8 2.2

 Office and administrative support 

 occupations.................................... 12,850 138 32 106 17.1 6.2 11.2 5.5 1.1 0.2 0.8

Natural resources, construction, and 

 maintenance occupations................. 9,434 52 6 46 12.5 2.3 2.1 2.4 0.6 0.1 0.5

 Farming, fishing, and forestry

 occupations.................................... 636 13 - 13 0.8 0.6 - 0.7 2.0 - 2.0

 Construction and extraction

 occupations.................................... 5,388 29 5 24 7.2 1.3 1.7 1.2 0.5 0.1 0.4

 Installation, maintenance, and 

 repair occupations.............................. 3,410 10 - 10 4.5 0.4 - 0.5 0.3 - 0.3

Production, transportation, and 

 material moving occupations.............. 13,273 157 22 135 17.6 7.1 7.7 7.0 1.2 0.2 1.0

 Production occupations....................... 7,191 44 7 37 9.5 2.0 2.4 1.9 0.6 0.1 0.5

 Transportation and material moving

 occupations.................................... 6,082 113 15 98 8.1 5.1 5.2 5.1 1.9 0.2 1.6

 

 NOTE: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are 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, 2008 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total, 16 years and over.......................... 75,305 2,226 286 1,940 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.4 2.6

 Private sector....................................... 65,758 2,093 261 1,832 87.3 94.0 91.3 94.4 3.2 0.4 2.8

 Agriculture and related industries............ 692 12 - 12 0.9 0.5 - 0.6 1.7 - 1.7

 Nonagricultural industries.................... 65,066 2,080 260 1,820 86.4 93.4 90.9 93.8 3.2 0.4 2.8

 Mining............................................. 471 1 - 1 0.6 0.0 - 0.1 0.2 - 0.2

 Construction................................... 5,392 29 5 24 7.2 1.3 1.7 1.2 0.5 0.1 0.4

 Manufacturing................................. 9,557 62 7 55 12.7 2.8 2.4 2.8 0.6 0.1 0.6

 Durable goods .............................. 6,034 46 2 44 8.0 2.1 0.7 2.3 0.8 0.0 0.7

 Nondurable goods ........................ 3,523 15 4 11 4.7 0.7 1.4 0.6 0.4 0.1 0.3

 Wholesale and retail trade................ 12,437 271 64 207 16.5 12.2 22.4 10.7 2.2 0.5 1.7

 Wholesale trade............................ 1,752 12 2 10 2.3 0.5 0.7 0.5 0.7 0.1 0.6

 Retail trade.................................. 10,685 260 63 197 14.2 11.7 22.0 10.2 2.4 0.6 1.8

 Transportation and utilities................. 3,193 37 6 31 4.2 1.7 2.1 1.6 1.2 0.2 1.0

 Information..................................... 1,475 21 2 19 2.0 0.9 0.7 1.0 1.4 0.1 1.3

 Financial activities........................... 3,338 33 8 25 4.4 1.5 2.8 1.3 1.0 0.2 0.7

 Professional and business services...... 5,688 56 8 48 7.6 2.5 2.8 2.5 1.0 0.1 0.8

 Education and health services............ 11,895 203 38 165 15.8 9.1 13.3 8.5 1.7 0.3 1.4

 Leisure and hospitality........................ 8,642 1,247 101 1,146 11.5 56.0 35.3 59.1 14.4 1.2 13.3

 Other services................................. 2,978 119 21 98 4.0 5.3 7.3 5.1 4.0 0.7 3.3

 Public sector....................................... 9,547 133 25 108 12.7 6.0 8.7 5.6 1.4 0.3 1.1

 Federal........................................... 1,844 16 1 15 2.4 0.7 0.3 0.8 0.9 0.1 0.8

 State................................................ 2,490 47 12 35 3.3 2.1 4.2 1.8 1.9 0.5 1.4

 Local................................................ 5,213 70 12 58 6.9 3.1 4.2 3.0 1.3 0.2 1.1

 

 NOTE: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are 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, 2008 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total, 16 years and over........................... 75,305 2,226 286 1,940 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.4 2.6

 Less than a high school diploma............... 11,253 578 114 464 14.9 26.0 39.9 23.9 5.1 1.0 4.1

 Less than 1 year of high school............. 3,108 93 12 81 4.1 4.2 4.2 4.2 3.0 0.4 2.6

 1 to 3 years of high school..................... 6,974 450 94 356 9.3 20.2 32.9 18.4 6.5 1.3 5.1

 4 years of high school, no diploma......... 1,171 35 7 28 1.6 1.6 2.4 1.4 3.0 0.6 2.4

 High school graduates or more................ 64,053 1,648 172 1,476 85.1 74.0 60.1 76.1 2.6 0.3 2.3

 High school graduates, no college......... 27,163 709 89 620 36.1 31.9 31.1 32.0 2.6 0.3 2.3

 Some college or associate degree........ 25,267 753 75 678 33.6 33.8 26.2 34.9 3.0 0.3 2.7

 Some college, no degree.................. 17,267 634 63 571 22.9 28.5 22.0 29.4 3.7 0.4 3.3

 Associate degree.............................. 8,001 119 11 108 10.6 5.3 3.8 5.6 1.5 0.1 1.3

 Occupational program..................... 3,800 46 5 41 5.0 2.1 1.7 2.1 1.2 0.1 1.1

 Academic program........................ 4,201 74 7 67 5.6 3.3 2.4 3.5 1.8 0.2 1.6

 Bachelor's degree and higher............... 11,622 187 9 178 15.4 8.4 3.1 9.2 1.6 0.1 1.5

 Bachelor's degree........................... 9,215 161 8 153 12.2 7.2 2.8 7.9 1.7 0.1 1.7

 Master's degree.............................. 1,903 18 - 18 2.5 0.8 - 0.9 0.9 - 0.9

 Professional degree........................ 314 5 1 4 0.4 0.2 0.3 0.2 1.6 0.3 1.3

 Doctoral degree.............................. 190 3 - 3 0.3 0.1 - 0.2 1.6 - 1.6

 

 NOTE: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are 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, 2008 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

BOTH SEXES

Total, 16 years and over...... 75,305 2,226 286 1,940 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.4 2.6

 Under 25 years.................. 15,680 1,122 161 961 20.8 50.4 56.3 49.5 7.2 1.0 6.1

 16 to 19 years.................. 5,137 545 108 437 6.8 24.5 37.8 22.5 10.6 2.1 8.5

 20 to 24 years.................. 10,542 577 53 524 14.0 25.9 18.5 27.0 5.5 0.5 5.0

 25 years and over............... 59,626 1,104 125 979 79.2 49.6 43.7 50.5 1.9 0.2 1.6

 25 to 34 years.................. 16,893 482 41 441 22.4 21.7 14.3 22.7 2.9 0.2 2.6

 25 to 29 years............... 9,309 292 22 270 12.4 13.1 7.7 13.9 3.1 0.2 2.9

 30 to 34 years............... 7,584 190 19 171 10.1 8.5 6.6 8.8 2.5 0.3 2.3

 35 to 44 years.................. 15,478 242 23 219 20.6 10.9 8.0 11.3 1.6 0.1 1.4

 35 to 39 years............... 7,683 127 11 116 10.2 5.7 3.8 6.0 1.7 0.1 1.5

 40 to 44 years............... 7,795 114 11 103 10.4 5.1 3.8 5.3 1.5 0.1 1.3

 45 to 54 years.................. 15,625 201 29 172 20.7 9.0 10.1 8.9 1.3 0.2 1.1

 45 to 49 years............... 8,246 126 20 106 11.0 5.7 7.0 5.5 1.5 0.2 1.3

 50 to 54 years............... 7,379 76 10 66 9.8 3.4 3.5 3.4 1.0 0.1 0.9

 55 to 64 years.................. 8,987 106 23 83 11.9 4.8 8.0 4.3 1.2 0.3 0.9

 55 to 59 years............... 5,660 67 11 56 7.5 3.0 3.8 2.9 1.2 0.2 1.0

 60 to 64 years............... 3,327 40 13 27 4.4 1.8 4.5 1.4 1.2 0.4 0.8

 65 years and over............ 2,642 72 9 63 3.5 3.2 3.1 3.2 2.7 0.3 2.4

 65 to 69 years............... 1,465 37 4 33 1.9 1.7 1.4 1.7 2.5 0.3 2.3

 70 years and over......... 1,177 35 5 30 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.5 3.0 0.4 2.5

MEN

Total, 16 years and over...... 37,334 728 90 638 49.6 32.7 31.5 32.9 1.9 0.2 1.7

 Under 25 years.................. 7,978 384 58 326 10.6 17.3 20.3 16.8 4.8 0.7 4.1

 16 to 19 years.................. 2,478 194 39 155 3.3 8.7 13.6 8.0 7.8 1.6 6.3

 20 to 24 years.................. 5,500 190 20 170 7.3 8.5 7.0 8.8 3.5 0.4 3.1

 25 years and over............... 29,356 345 32 313 39.0 15.5 11.2 16.1 1.2 0.1 1.1

 25 to 34 years.................. 9,029 150 9 141 12.0 6.7 3.1 7.3 1.7 0.1 1.6

 25 to 29 years............... 4,963 86 5 81 6.6 3.9 1.7 4.2 1.7 0.1 1.6

 30 to 34 years............... 4,066 64 4 60 5.4 2.9 1.4 3.1 1.6 0.1 1.5

 35 to 44 years.................. 7,696 71 5 66 10.2 3.2 1.7 3.4 0.9 0.1 0.9

 35 to 39 years............... 3,885 42 4 38 5.2 1.9 1.4 2.0 1.1 0.1 1.0

 40 to 44 years............... 3,810 30 1 29 5.1 1.3 0.3 1.5 0.8 0.0 0.8

 45 to 54 years.................. 7,365 68 7 61 9.8 3.1 2.4 3.1 0.9 0.1 0.8

 45 to 49 years............... 3,899 39 2 37 5.2 1.8 0.7 1.9 1.0 0.1 0.9

 50 to 54 years............... 3,467 28 4 24 4.6 1.3 1.4 1.2 0.8 0.1 0.7

 55 to 64 years.................. 4,092 35 9 26 5.4 1.6 3.1 1.3 0.9 0.2 0.6

 55 to 59 years............... 2,593 18 1 17 3.4 0.8 0.3 0.9 0.7 0.0 0.7

 60 to 64 years............... 1,499 16 8 8 2.0 0.7 2.8 0.4 1.1 0.5 0.5

 65 years and over............ 1,174 22 3 19 1.6 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.9 0.3 1.6

 65 to 69 years............... 645 12 1 11 0.9 0.5 0.3 0.6 1.9 0.2 1.7

 70 years and over......... 529 10 2 8 0.7 0.4 0.7 0.4 1.9 0.4 1.5

WOMEN

Total, 16 years and over...... 37,972 1,498 196 1,302 50.4 67.3 68.5 67.1 3.9 0.5 3.4

 Under 25 years.................. 7,701 738 103 635 10.2 33.2 36.0 32.7 9.6 1.3 8.2

 16 to 19 years.................. 2,660 351 70 281 3.5 15.8 24.5 14.5 13.2 2.6 10.6

 20 to 24 years.................. 5,042 387 33 354 6.7 17.4 11.5 18.2 7.7 0.7 7.0

 25 years and over............... 30,270 759 93 666 40.2 34.1 32.5 34.3 2.5 0.3 2.2

 25 to 34 years.................. 7,864 332 32 300 10.4 14.9 11.2 15.5 4.2 0.4 3.8

 25 to 29 years............... 4,346 207 18 189 5.8 9.3 6.3 9.7 4.8 0.4 4.3

 30 to 34 years............... 3,518 127 15 112 4.7 5.7 5.2 5.8 3.6 0.4 3.2

 35 to 44 years.................. 7,783 170 17 153 10.3 7.6 5.9 7.9 2.2 0.2 2.0

 35 to 39 years............... 3,798 86 7 79 5.0 3.9 2.4 4.1 2.3 0.2 2.1

 40 to 44 years............... 3,985 84 10 74 5.3 3.8 3.5 3.8 2.1 0.3 1.9

 45 to 54 years.................. 8,260 134 23 111 11.0 6.0 8.0 5.7 1.6 0.3 1.3

 45 to 49 years............... 4,347 86 17 69 5.8 3.9 5.9 3.6 2.0 0.4 1.6

 50 to 54 years............... 3,913 49 6 43 5.2 2.2 2.1 2.2 1.3 0.2 1.1

 55 to 64 years.................. 4,895 72 15 57 6.5 3.2 5.2 2.9 1.5 0.3 1.2

 55 to 59 years............... 3,067 48 10 38 4.1 2.2 3.5 2.0 1.6 0.3 1.2

 60 to 64 years............... 1,828 24 5 19 2.4 1.1 1.7 1.0 1.3 0.3 1.0

 65 years and over............ 1,469 50 6 44 2.0 2.2 2.1 2.3 3.4 0.4 3.0

 65 to 69 years............... 820 25 2 23 1.1 1.1 0.7 1.2 3.0 0.2 2.8

 70 years and over......... 648 25 3 22 0.9 1.1 1.0 1.1 3.9 0.5 3.4

 NOTE: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are 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, 2008 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

BOTH SEXES

Total, 16 years and over...... 75,305 2,226 286 1,940 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.4 2.6

 Never married............... 26,790 1,388 173 1,215 35.6 62.4 60.5 62.6 5.2 0.6 4.5

 16 to 24 years............... 13,876 1,034 145 889 18.4 46.5 50.7 45.8 7.5 1.0 6.4

 25 years and over......... 12,914 355 29 326 17.1 15.9 10.1 16.8 2.7 0.2 2.5

 25 to 54 years............ 12,122 332 23 309 16.1 14.9 8.0 15.9 2.7 0.2 2.5

 Married, spouse present... 35,783 532 76 456 47.5 23.9 26.6 23.5 1.5 0.2 1.3

 16 to 24 years............... 1,335 61 12 49 1.8 2.7 4.2 2.5 4.6 0.9 3.7

 25 years and over......... 34,448 471 64 407 45.7 21.2 22.4 21.0 1.4 0.2 1.2

 25 to 54 years............ 27,060 387 51 336 35.9 17.4 17.8 17.3 1.4 0.2 1.2

 Other marital status......... 12,732 305 36 269 16.9 13.7 12.6 13.9 2.4 0.3 2.1

 16 to 24 years............... 468 28 4 24 0.6 1.3 1.4 1.2 6.0 0.9 5.1

 25 years and over......... 12,263 278 32 246 16.3 12.5 11.2 12.7 2.3 0.3 2.0

 25 to 54 years............ 8,815 207 19 188 11.7 9.3 6.6 9.7 2.3 0.2 2.1

MEN

Total, 16 years and over.... 37,334 728 90 638 49.6 32.7 31.5 32.9 1.9 0.2 1.7

 Never married............... 14,258 510 64 446 18.9 22.9 22.4 23.0 3.6 0.4 3.1

 16 to 24 years............... 7,213 363 54 309 9.6 16.3 18.9 15.9 5.0 0.7 4.3

 25 years and over......... 7,046 147 10 137 9.4 6.6 3.5 7.1 2.1 0.1 1.9

 25 to 54 years............ 6,691 134 6 128 8.9 6.0 2.1 6.6 2.0 0.1 1.9

 Married, spouse present... 18,134 152 17 135 24.1 6.8 5.9 7.0 0.8 0.1 0.7

 16 to 24 years............... 582 14 3 11 0.8 0.6 1.0 0.6 2.4 0.5 1.9

 25 years and over......... 17,552 138 14 124 23.3 6.2 4.9 6.4 0.8 0.1 0.7

 25 to 54 years............ 13,666 109 11 98 18.1 4.9 3.8 5.1 0.8 0.1 0.7

 Other marital status......... 4,941 67 9 58 6.6 3.0 3.1 3.0 1.4 0.2 1.2

 16 to 24 years............... 184 7 1 6 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 3.8 0.5 3.3

 25 years and over......... 4,758 60 8 52 6.3 2.7 2.8 2.7 1.3 0.2 1.1

 25 to 54 years............ 3,733 46 4 42 5.0 2.1 1.4 2.2 1.2 0.1 1.1

WOMEN

Total, 16 years and over...... 37,972 1,498 196 1,302 50.4 67.3 68.5 67.1 3.9 0.5 3.4

 Never married............... 12,532 878 109 769 16.6 39.4 38.1 39.6 7.0 0.9 6.1

 16 to 24 years............... 6,663 671 91 580 8.8 30.1 31.8 29.9 10.1 1.4 8.7

 25 years and over......... 5,869 208 18 190 7.8 9.3 6.3 9.8 3.5 0.3 3.2

 25 to 54 years............ 5,431 198 17 181 7.2 8.9 5.9 9.3 3.6 0.3 3.3

 Married, spouse present... 17,649 381 60 321 23.4 17.1 21.0 16.5 2.2 0.3 1.8

 16 to 24 years............... 753 47 9 38 1.0 2.1 3.1 2.0 6.2 1.2 5.0

 25 years and over......... 16,896 333 50 283 22.4 15.0 17.5 14.6 2.0 0.3 1.7

 25 to 54 years............ 13,394 277 40 237 17.8 12.4 14.0 12.2 2.1 0.3 1.8

 Other marital status......... 7,790 239 27 212 10.3 10.7 9.4 10.9 3.1 0.3 2.7

 16 to 24 years............... 285 21 3 18 0.4 0.9 1.0 0.9 7.4 1.1 6.3

 25 years and over......... 7,505 218 24 194 10.0 9.8 8.4 10.0 2.9 0.3 2.6

 25 to 54 years............ 5,082 161 15 146 6.7 7.2 5.2 7.5 3.2 0.3 2.9

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

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 on primary job, 2008 annual averages

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

hourly rates

At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage At or below minimum wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total

At 

minimum 

wage

Below 

minimum 

wage

Total, 16 years and over...... 75,305 2,226 286 1,940 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 3.0 0.4 2.6

 Hours vary..................... 4,938 303 29 274 6.6 13.6 10.1 14.1 6.1 0.6 5.5

 0 to 34 hours.................. 16,457 1,169 168 1,001 21.9 52.5 58.7 51.6 7.1 1.0 6.1

 0 to 4 hours.................. 316 22 4 18 0.4 1.0 1.4 0.9 7.0 1.3 5.7

 5 to 9 hours.................. 892 58 10 48 1.2 2.6 3.5 2.5 6.5 1.1 5.4

 10 to 14 hours............... 1,473 119 20 99 2.0 5.3 7.0 5.1 8.1 1.4 6.7

 15 to 19 hours............... 2,221 166 21 145 2.9 7.5 7.3 7.5 7.5 0.9 6.5

 20 to 24 hours............... 4,935 355 62 293 6.6 15.9 21.7 15.1 7.2 1.3 5.9

 25 to 29 hours............... 2,331 177 14 163 3.1 8.0 4.9 8.4 7.6 0.6 7.0

 30 to 34 hours............... 4,289 273 38 235 5.7 12.3 13.3 12.1 6.4 0.9 5.5

 35 hours or more............... 53,910 753 88 665 71.6 33.8 30.8 34.3 1.4 0.2 1.2

 35 to 39 hours............... 5,550 230 34 196 7.4 10.3 11.9 10.1 4.1 0.6 3.5

 40 hours or more............ 48,360 525 55 470 64.2 23.6 19.2 24.2 1.1 0.1 1.0

 40 hours..................... 41,843 439 47 392 55.6 19.7 16.4 20.2 1.0 0.1 0.9

 41 hours or more............ 6,517 86 8 78 8.7 3.9 2.8 4.0 1.3 0.1 1.2

 41 to 44 hours............ 819 12 2 10 1.1 0.5 0.7 0.5 1.5 0.2 1.2

 45 to 48 hours............ 2,235 15 3 16 3.0 0.7 1.0 0.8 0.7 0.1 0.7

 49 to 59 hours............ 2,433 37 1 36 3.2 1.7 0.3 1.9 1.5 0.0 1.5

 60 hours or more......... 1,030 17 1 16 1.4 0.8 0.3 0.8 1.7 0.1 1.6

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

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, 1979-2008 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........................ 125,889 75,609 60.1 1,403 479 1,882 2.5

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

2007........................ 129,767 75,873 58.5 21,462 2267 21,729 22.3

2008 1..................... 129,377 75,305 58.2 21,940 2286 22,226 23.0

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

minimum wage by sex, 1979-2008 annual averages -- Continued

(Numbers in thousands)

Workers paid hourly rates

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

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

2007........................ 67,468 37,790 56.0 2460 286 2546 21.4

2008 1..................... 66,846 37,334 55.9 2638 290 2728 21.9

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

minimum wage by sex, 1979-2008 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........................ 60,423 37,957 62.8 944 290 1,234 3.3

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

2007........................ 62,299 38,082 61.1 21,002 2181 21,183 23.1

2008 1..................... 62,532 37,972 60.7 21,302 2196 21,498 23.9

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 Historical Comparability section of the

Household Data technical documentation provided at

http://www.bls.gov/cps/eetech_methods.pdf. 

2 Data for 1990-91, 1996-97, and 2007-08 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 on April 1, 1990, to $4.25 on April 1, 1991, to $4.75

on October 1, 1996, to $5.15 on September 1, 1997, to $5.85 on 

on October 1, 1996, to $5.15 on September 1, 1997, to

$5.85 on July 24, 2007, and to $6.55 on July 24, 2008.

Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not

their businesses are 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.

In addition, the relatively large number of workers with

reported wages below the minimum in some years 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