Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2009

Bureau of Labor Statistics

U.S. Department of Labor

March 1, 2010
Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2009

In 2009, 72.6 million American workers age 16 and over were paid at hourly rates, representing 58.3 percent of all wage and 

salary workers.1 On July 24, 2009, the Federal minimum wage increased to $7.25 per hour from $6.55 per hour. Data in this 

report reflect the average number of workers earning the prevailing Federal minimum wage or less for the calendar year

2009 (those who earned $6.55 or less from January 2009 through July 2009 and those who earned $7.25 or less from 

August 2009 through the end of the year). Among those paid by the hour, 980,000 earned exactly the prevailing Federal 

minimum wage in 2009. Nearly 2.6 million had wages below the minimum.2Together, these 3.6 million workers with wages 

at or below the minimum made up 4.9 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 2009 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 about half of those paid the Federal minimum wage or less. Among employed teenagers paid by the 

hour, nearly 19 percent earned the minimum wage or less, compared with about 3 percent of workers age 25 and over. (See 

table 1 and table 7.)

-- About 6 percent of women paid hourly rates had wages at or below the prevailing Federal minimum, compared with about 

4 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 5 percent of white, black, and Hispanic hourly-paid workers earned the Federal minimum wage or less. Among Asian 

hourly-paid workers, about 4 percent earned the minimum wage or less. (See table 1.)

-- Among hourly-paid workers age 16 and over, about 10 percent of those who had less than a high school diploma earned 

the Federal minimum wage or less, compared with about 4 percent of those who had a high school diploma (with no college) 

and about 3 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 9 percent versus about 3 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 11 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 13 percent. About 6 in 10 workers earning the minimum wage or less in 2009 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 21 percent). About one-half 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, Texas (9 percent), West Virginia (8 percent), and Alabama (8 percent) had the highest proportion of 

hourly-paid workers earning at or below the Federal minimum wage. The percentage of workers earning at or below the 

Federal minimum wage was lowest in Oregon, Washington, and California (less than 2 percent). 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 in 2009, at nearly 5 percent, 

remains well below the figure of about 13 percent in 1979, when data were first collected on a regular basis. (See table 10.) 

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

Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly nationwide survey of households. Data in this summary are 2009 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

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 small 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.
Table 1. Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by 

selected characteristics, 2009 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................. 72,611 3,572 980 2,592 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 4.9 1.3 3.6

 16 to 24 years.............................. 14,389 1,737 508 1,229 19.8 48.6 51.8 47.4 12.1 3.5 8.5

 16 to 19 years.............................. 4,397 818 288 530 6.1 22.9 29.4 20.4 18.6 6.5 12.1

 25 years and over.......................... 58,222 1,835 472 1,363 80.2 51.4 48.2 52.6 3.2 0.8 2.3

 

Men, 16 years and over................. 35,185 1,358 368 990 48.5 38.0 37.6 38.2 3.9 1.0 2.8

 16 to 24 years.............................. 7,045 674 214 460 9.7 18.9 21.8 17.7 9.6 3.0 6.5

 16 to 19 years.................................2,053 322 121 201 2.8 9.0 12.3 7.8 15.7 5.9 9.8

 25 years and over....................... 28,140 684 154 530 38.8 19.1 15.7 20.4 2.4 0.5 1.9

 

Women, 16 years and over............ 37,426 2,215 612 1,603 51.5 62.0 62.4 61.8 5.9 1.6 4.3

 16 to 24 years............................... 7,344 1,064 295 769 10.1 29.8 30.1 29.7 14.5 4.0 10.5

 16 to 19 years............................ 2,345 496 167 329 3.2 13.9 17.0 12.7 21.2 7.1 14.0

 25 years and over........................ 30,082 1,151 318 833 41.4 32.2 32.4 32.1 3.8 1.1 2.8

 

RACE, SEX, AND 

HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY

White 1....................................... 58,633 2,857 763 2,094 80.7 80.0 77.9 80.8 4.9 1.3 3.6

 Men........................................... 28,873 1,074 300 774 39.8 30.1 30.6 29.9 3.7 1.0 2.7

 Women...................................... 29,760 1,783 463 1,320 41.0 49.9 47.2 50.9 6.0 1.6 4.4

Black or African American 1.................................... 9,269 495 168 327 12.8 13.9 17.1 12.6 5.3 1.8 3.5

 Men........................................... 4,038 192 50 142 5.6 5.4 5.1 5.5 4.8 1.2 3.5

 Women...................................... 5,231 302 117 185 7.2 8.5 11.9 7.1 5.8 2.2 3.5

Asian 1.......................................... 2,718 117 21 96 3.7 3.3 2.1 3.7 4.3 0.8 3.5

 Men........................................... 1,258 47 6 41 1.7 1.3 0.6 1.6 3.7 0.5 3.3

 Women...................................... 1,460 70 15 55 2.0 2.0 1.5 2.1 4.8 1.0 3.8

Hispanic or Latino 1....................... 12,740 622 183 439 17.5 17.4 18.7 16.9 4.9 1.4 3.4

 Men........................................... 7,291 290 80 210 10.0 8.1 8.2 8.1 4.0 1.1 2.9

 Women...................................... 5,449 331 102 229 7.5 9.3 10.4 8.8 6.1 1.9 4.2

FULL- AND PART-TIME

STATUS AND SEX

Full-time workers 2......................... 52,454 1,272 320 952 72.2 35.6 32.7 36.7 2.4 0.6 1.8

 Men........................................... 28,388 579 137 442 39.1 16.2 14.0 17.1 2.0 0.5 1.6

 Women...................................... 24,066 694 183 511 33.1 19.4 18.7 19.7 2.9 0.8 2.1

Part-time workers 2.......................... 20,027 2,281 656 1,625 27.6 63.9 66.9 62.7 11.4 3.3 8.1

 Men........................................... 6,721 769 229 540 9.3 21.5 23.4 20.8 11.4 3.4 8.0

 Women...................................... 13,307 1,513 428 1,085 18.3 42.4 43.7 41.9 11.4 3.2 8.2

 

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, 2009 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.... 72,611 3,572 980 2,592 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 4.9 1.3 3.6

 Northeast......................... 12,767 570 104 466 17.6 16.0 10.6 18.0 4.5 0.8 3.7

 New England................... 3,581 125 20 105 4.9 3.5 2.0 4.1 3.5 0.6 2.9

 Middle Atlantic................ 9,186 445 84 361 12.7 12.5 8.6 13.9 4.8 0.9 3.9

 Midwest........................... 17,795 864 229 635 24.5 24.2 23.4 24.5 4.9 1.3 3.6

 East North Central........... 12,105 555 122 433 16.7 15.5 12.4 16.7 4.6 1.0 3.6

 West North Central.......... 5,690 309 107 202 7.8 8.7 10.9 7.8 5.4 1.9 3.6

 South.............................. 25,035 1,721 545 1,176 34.5 48.2 55.6 45.4 6.9 2.2 4.7

 South Atlantic................. 12,726 768 216 552 17.5 21.5 22.0 21.3 6.0 1.7 4.3

 East South Central.......... 4,173 300 121 179 5.7 8.4 12.3 6.9 7.2 2.9 4.3

 West South Central......... 8,135 652 208 444 11.2 18.3 21.2 17.1 8.0 2.6 5.5

 West............................... 17,014 417 102 315 23.4 11.7 10.4 12.2 2.5 0.6 1.9

 Mountain....................... 5,231 221 55 166 7.2 6.2 5.6 6.4 4.2 1.1 3.2

 Pacific.......................... 11,783 196 47 149 16.2 5.5 4.8 5.7 1.7 0.4 1.3

 

 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, 2009 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.. 72,611 3,572 980 2,592 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 4.9 1.3 3.6

Alabama........................ 1,065 80 34 46 1.5 2.2 3.5 1.8 7.5 3.2 4.3

Alaska........................... 198 5 2 3 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.1 2.5 1.0 1.5

Arizona.......................... 1,450 59 18 41 2.0 1.7 1.8 1.6 4.1 1.2 2.8

Arkansas........................ 712 53 19 34 1.0 1.5 1.9 1.3 7.4 2.7 4.8

California........................ 8,515 140 35 105 11.7 3.9 3.6 4.1 1.6 0.4 1.2

Colorado........................ 1,137 44 5 39 1.6 1.2 0.5 1.5 3.9 0.4 3.4

Connecticut.................... 866 25 2 23 1.2 0.7 0.2 0.9 2.9 0.2 2.7

Delaware........................ 208 10 2 8 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 4.8 1.0 3.8

District of Columbia.......... 98 4 - 4 0.1 0.1 - 0.2 4.1 - 4.1

Florida........................... 3,795 215 48 167 5.2 6.0 4.9 6.4 5.7 1.3 4.4

Georgia.......................... 1,971 141 49 92 2.7 3.9 5.0 3.5 7.2 2.5 4.7

Hawaii............................ 320 9 3 6 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2 2.8 0.9 1.9

Idaho.............................. 388 24 9 15 0.5 0.7 0.9 0.6 6.2 2.3 3.9

Illinois............................ 3,057 103 21 82 4.2 2.9 2.1 3.2 3.4 0.7 2.7

Indiana........................... 1,669 108 44 64 2.3 3.0 4.5 2.5 6.5 2.6 3.8

Iowa.............................. 897 40 15 25 1.2 1.1 1.5 1.0 4.5 1.7 2.8

Kansas.......................... 809 47 19 28 1.1 1.3 1.9 1.1 5.8 2.3 3.5

Kentucky....................... 1,070 77 32 45 1.5 2.2 3.3 1.7 7.2 3.0 4.2

Louisiana...................... 976 68 18 50 1.3 1.9 1.8 1.9 7.0 1.8 5.1

Maine............................ 366 10 3 7 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.3 2.7 0.8 1.9

Maryland........................ 1,296 67 11 56 1.8 1.9 1.1 2.2 5.2 0.8 4.3

Massachusetts................ 1,527 60 10 50 2.1 1.7 1.0 1.9 3.9 0.7 3.3

Michigan........................ 2,440 104 15 89 3.4 2.9 1.5 3.4 4.3 0.6 3.6

Minnesota....................... 1,454 76 27 49 2.0 2.1 2.8 1.9 5.2 1.9 3.4

Mississippi...................... 644 47 18 29 0.9 1.3 1.8 1.1 7.3 2.8 4.5

Missouri......................... 1,534 87 28 59 2.1 2.4 2.9 2.3 5.7 1.8 3.8

Montana......................... 261 9 4 5 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.2 3.4 1.5 1.9

Nebraska.......................... 550 32 10 22 0.8 0.9 1.0 0.8 5.8 1.8 4.0

Nevada.......................... 659 23 3 20 0.9 0.6 0.3 0.8 3.5 0.5 3.0

New Hampshire................ 364 15 4 11 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.4 4.1 1.1 3.0

New Jersey..................... 1,696 98 8 90 2.3 2.7 0.8 3.5 5.8 0.5 5.3

New Mexico.................... 470 22 2 20 0.6 0.6 0.2 0.8 4.7 0.4 4.3

New York........................ 4,183 192 40 152 5.8 5.4 4.1 5.9 4.6 1.0 3.6

North Carolina.................. 2,132 136 38 98 2.9 3.8 3.9 3.8 6.4 1.8 4.6

North Dakota................... 193 12 4 8 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.3 6.2 2.1 4.1

Ohio.............................. 3,282 142 20 122 4.5 4.0 2.0 4.7 4.3 0.6 3.7

Oklahoma....................... 852 57 16 41 1.2 1.6 1.6 1.6 6.7 1.9 4.8

Oregon........................... 949 13 3 10 1.3 0.4 0.3 0.4 1.4 0.3 1.1

Pennsylvania................... 3,307 155 36 119 4.6 4.3 3.7 4.6 4.7 1.1 3.6

Rhode Island................... 279 11 1 10 0.4 0.3 0 0.4 3.9 0.4 3.6

South Carolina................. 1,076 60 21 39 1.5 1.7 2.1 1.5 5.6 2.0 3.6

South Dakota................... 254 13 3 10 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.4 5.1 1.2 3.9

Tennessee....................... 1,394 96 37 59 1.9 2.7 3.8 2.3 6.9 2.7 4.2

Texas............................ 5,596 474 155 319 7.7 13.3 15.8 12.3 8.5 2.8 5.7

Utah............................... 707 30 10 20 1.0 0.8 1.0 0.8 4.2 1.4 2.8

Vermont......................... 180 5 - 5 0.2 0.1 - 0.2 2.8 - 2.8

Virginia.......................... 1,701 100 32 68 2.3 2.8 3.3 2.6 5.9 1.9 4.0

Washington.................... 1,800 28 4 24 2.5 0.8 0.4 0.9 1.6 0.2 1.3

West Virginia................... 448 35 15 20 0.6 1.0 1.5 0.8 7.8 3.3 4.5

Wisconsin...................... 1,659 98 22 76 2.3 2.7 2.2 2.9 5.9 1.3 4.6

Wyoming........................ 159 8 3 5 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 5.0 1.9 3.1

 NOTE: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. 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, 2009 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.......................... 72,611 3,572 980 2,592 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 4.9 1.3 3.6

Management, professional, and related 

 occupations........................................14,839 141 40 101 20.4 3.9 4.1 3.9 1.0 0.3 0.7

 Management, business, and financial

 operations occupations..................................... 4,090 32 9 23 5.6 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.2 0.6

 Professional and related occupations......................... 10,749 109 31 78 14.8 3.1 3.2 3.0 1.0 0.3 0.7

Service occupations................................ 17,693 2,251 466 1,785 24.4 63.0 47.6 68.9 12.7 2.6 10.1

 Healthcare support occupations...................... 2,667 79 28 51 3.7 2.2 2.9 2.0 3.0 1.0 1.9

 Protective service occupations.............. 2,048 68 14 54 2.8 1.9 1.4 2.1 3.3 0.7 2.6

 Food preparation and serving related

 occupations.................................... 6,652 1,594 272 1,322 9.2 44.6 27.8 51.0 24.0 4.1 19.9

 Building and grounds cleaning and 

 maintenance occupations.......................................... 3,645 223 81 142 5.0 6.2 8.3 5.5 6.1 2.2 3.9

 Personal care and service occupations.. 2,681 288 72 216 3.7 8.1 7.3 8.3 10.7 2.7 8.1

Sales and office occupations............................. 19,880 733 336 397 27.4 20.5 34.3 15.3 3.7 1.7 2.0

 Sales and related occupations............................... 7,658 522 257 265 10.5 14.6 26.2 10.2 6.8 3.4 3.5

 Office and administrative support 

 occupations.................................... 12,222 211 79 132 16.8 5.9 8.1 5.1 1.7 0.6 1.1

Natural resources, construction, and 

 maintenance occupations................................. 8,411 95 22 73 11.6 2.7 2.2 2.8 1.1 0.3 0.9

 Farming, fishing, and forestry

 occupations.................................... 596 32 10 22 0.8 0.9 1.0 0.8 5.4 1.7 3.7

 Construction and extraction

 occupations.................................... 4,551 39 4 35 6.3 1.1 0.4 1.4 0.9 0.1 0.8

 Installation, maintenance, and 

 repair occupations.......................................... 3,264 24 8 16 4.5 0.7 0.8 0.6 0.7 0.2 0.5

Production, transportation, and 

 material moving occupations.............. 11,788 352 116 236 16.2 9.9 11.8 9.1 3.0 1.0 2.0

 Production occupations....................... 6,032 123 47 76 8.3 3.4 4.8 2.9 2.0 0.8 1.3

 Transportation and material moving

 occupations.................................... 5,756 230 70 160 7.9 6.4 7.1 6.2 4.0 1.2 2.8

 

 NOTE: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are 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, 2009 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.......................... 72,611 3,572 980 2,592 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 4.9 1.3 3.6

 Private sector......................................... 62,885 3,349 919 2,430 86.6 93.8 93.8 93.8 5.3 1.5 3.9

 Agriculture and related industries.................................... 642 37 14 23 0.9 1.0 1.4 0.9 5.8 2.2 3.6

 Nonagricultural industries.................... 62,243 3,312 905 2,407 85.7 92.7 92.3 92.9 5.3 1.5 3.9

 Mining............................................... 397 1 - 1 0.5 0.0 - 0.0 0.3 - 0.3

 Construction.........................................4,556 45 4 41 6.3 1.3 0.4 1.6 1.0 0.1 0.9

 Manufacturing.................................... 8,347 107 32 75 11.5 3.0 3.3 2.9 1.3 0.4 0.9

 Durable goods ................................. 5,077 47 13 34 7.0 1.3 1.3 1.3 0.9 0.3 0.7

 Nondurable goods ........................... 3,270 60 19 41 4.5 1.7 1.9 1.6 1.8 0.6 1.3

 Wholesale and retail trade................. 12,085 567 243 324 16.6 15.9 24.8 12.5 4.7 2.0 2.7

 Wholesale trade............................ 1,658 33 7 26 2.3 0.9 0.7 1.0 2.0 0.4 1.6

 Retail trade.................................. 10,427 534 236 298 14.4 14.9 24.1 11.5 5.1 2.3 2.9

 Transportation and utilities................. 2,942 41 12 29 4.1 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.4 0.4 1.0

 Information..................................... 1,288 35 10 25 1.8 1.0 1.0 1.0 2.7 0.8 1.9

 Financial activities...................................... 3,251 44 18 26 4.5 1.2 1.8 1.0 1.4 0.6 0.8

 Professional and business services.......... 5,286 132 50 82 7.3 3.7 5.1 3.2 2.5 0.9 1.6

 Education and health services............................................ 12,165 286 114 172 16.8 8.0 11.6 6.6 2.4 0.9 1.4

 Leisure and hospitality........................... 8,881 1,844 374 1,470 12.2 51.6 38.2 56.7 20.8 4.2 16.6

 Other services.................................. 3,045 209 48 161 4.2 5.9 4.9 6.2 6.9 1.6 5.3

 Public sector....................................... 9,725 223 61 162 13.4 6.2 6.2 6.3 2.3 0.6 1.7

 Federal............................................ 1,856 21 6 15 2.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 1.1 0.3 0.8

 State................................................ 2,672 66 16 50 3.7 1.8 1.6 1.9 2.5 0.6 1.9

 Local.................................................. 5,197 136 39 97 7.2 3.8 4.0 3.7 2.6 0.8 1.9

 

 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, 2009 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............................ 72,611 3,572 980 2,592 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 4.9 1.3 3.6

 Less than a high school diploma.................. 10,211 1,037 366 671 14.1 29.0 37.3 25.9 10.2 3.6 6.6

 Less than 1 year of high school.............. 2,988 218 62 156 4.1 6.1 6.3 6.0 7.3 2.1 5.2

 1 to 3 years of high school....................... 6,100 719 273 446 8.4 20.1 27.9 17.2 11.8 4.5 7.3

 4 years of high school, no diploma............. 1,123 100 31 69 1.5 2.8 3.2 2.7 8.9 2.8 6.1

 High school graduates or more................ 62,399 2,535 614 1,921 85.9 71.0 62.7 74.1 4.1 1.0 3.1

 High school graduates, no college.............25,693 1,105 326 779 35.4 30.9 33.3 30.1 4.3 1.3 3.0

 Some college or associate degree........ 24,960 1,135 254 881 34.4 31.8 25.9 34.0 4.5 1.0 3.5

 Some college, no degree.......................16,785 941 209 732 23.1 26.3 21.3 28.2 5.6 1.2 4.4

 Associate degree................................. 8,175 195 45 150 11.3 5.5 4.6 5.8 2.4 0.6 1.8

 Occupational program....................... 3,811 86 20 66 5.2 2.4 2.0 2.5 2.3 0.5 1.7

 Academic program............................. 4,364 109 25 84 6.0 3.1 2.6 3.2 2.5 0.6 1.9

 Bachelor's degree and higher......................... 11,746 295 33 262 16.2 8.3 3.4 10.1 2.5 0.3 2.2

 Bachelor's degree........................... 9,350 248 25 223 12.9 6.9 2.6 8.6 2.7 0.3 2.4

 Master's degree............................... 1,901 38 6 32 2.6 1.1 0.6 1.2 2.0 0.3 1.7

 Professional degree......................... 302 7 2 5 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 2.3 0.7 1.7

 Doctoral degree............................... 194 1 - 1 0.3 0.0 - 0.0 0.5 - 0.5

 

 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, 2009 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...............72,611 3,572 980 2,592 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 4.9 1.3 3.6

 Under 25 years.................... 14,389 1,737 508 1,229 19.8 48.6 51.8 47.4 12.1 3.5 8.5

 16 to 19 years.................... 4,397 818 288 530 6.1 22.9 29.4 20.4 18.6 6.5 12.1

 20 to 24 years........................9,991 919 220 699 13.8 25.7 22.4 27.0 9.2 2.2 7.0

 25 years and over.......................... 58,222 1,835 472 1,363 80.2 51.4 48.2 52.6 3.2 0.8 2.3

 25 to 34 years........................16,363 716 159 557 22.5 20.0 16.2 21.5 4.4 1.0 3.4

 25 to 29 years................... 8,917 424 83 341 12.3 11.9 8.5 13.2 4.8 0.9 3.8

 30 to 34 years........................7,446 292 76 216 10.3 8.2 7.8 8.3 3.9 1.0 2.9

 35 to 44 years.................... 14,575 440 104 336 20.1 12.3 10.6 13.0 3.0 0.7 2.3

 35 to 39 years............................ 7,219 240 54 186 9.9 6.7 5.5 7.2 3.3 0.7 2.6

 40 to 44 years.................... 7,356 201 51 150 10.1 5.6 5.2 5.8 2.7 0.7 2.0

 45 to 54 years.......................... 15,468 350 100 250 21.3 9.8 10.2 9.6 2.3 0.6 1.6

 45 to 49 years....................... 8,112 182 53 129 11.2 5.1 5.4 5.0 2.2 0.7 1.6

 50 to 54 years................... 7,356 168 47 121 10.1 4.7 4.8 4.7 2.3 0.6 1.6

 55 to 64 years......................9,151 209 69 140 12.6 5.9 7.0 5.4 2.3 0.8 1.5

 55 to 59 years......................5,680 122 37 85 7.8 3.4 3.8 3.3 2.1 0.7 1.5

 60 to 64 years....................... 3,471 87 32 55 4.8 2.4 3.3 2.1 2.5 0.9 1.6

 65 years and over.................2,665 120 40 80 3.7 3.4 4.1 3.1 4.5 1.5 3.0

 65 to 69 years.................... 1,456 65 22 43 2.0 1.8 2.2 1.7 4.5 1.5 3.0

 70 years and over................1,209 54 18 36 1.7 1.5 1.8 1.4 4.5 1.5 3.0

MEN

Total, 16 years and over............35,185 1,358 368 990 48.5 38.0 37.6 38.2 3.9 1.0 2.8

 Under 25 years......................7,045 674 214 460 9.7 18.9 21.8 17.7 9.6 3.0 6.5

 16 to 19 years.................... 2,053 322 121 201 2.8 9.0 12.3 7.8 15.7 5.9 9.8

 20 to 24 years.................... 4,992 352 93 259 6.9 9.9 9.5 10.0 7.1 1.9 5.2

 25 years and over..................28,140 684 154 530 38.8 19.1 15.7 20.4 2.4 0.5 1.9

 25 to 34 years..................... 8,536 279 63 216 11.8 7.8 6.4 8.3 3.3 0.7 2.5

 25 to 29 years.................. 4,685 173 32 141 6.5 4.8 3.3 5.4 3.7 0.7 3.0

 30 to 34 years................... 3,851 106 31 75 5.3 3.0 3.2 2.9 2.8 0.8 1.9

 35 to 44 years.................... 7,191 175 33 142 9.9 4.9 3.4 5.5 2.4 0.5 2.0

 35 to 39 years.................... 3,657 95 19 76 5.0 2.7 1.9 2.9 2.6 0.5 2.1

 40 to 44 years................... 3,533 81 14 67 4.9 2.3 1.4 2.6 2.3 0.4 1.9

 45 to 54 years.................. 7,087 103 21 82 9.8 2.9 2.1 3.2 1.5 0.3 1.2

 45 to 49 years................. 3,740 51 12 39 5.2 1.4 1.2 1.5 1.4 0.3 1.0

 50 to 54 years.................. 3,347 53 10 43 4.6 1.5 1.0 1.7 1.6 0.3 1.3

 55 to 64 years..................... 4,134 80 23 57 5.7 2.2 2.3 2.2 1.9 0.6 1.4

 55 to 59 years................ 2,562 45 10 35 3.5 1.3 1.0 1.4 1.8 0.4 1.4

 60 to 64 years.................. 1,572 35 13 22 2.2 1.0 1.3 0.8 2.2 0.8 1.4

 65 years and over............... 1,192 46 14 32 1.6 1.3 1.4 1.2 3.9 1.2 2.7

 65 to 69 years................... 644 27 8 19 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.7 4.2 1.2 3.0

 70 years and over.............. 548 19 6 13 0.8 0.5 0.6 0.5 3.5 1.1 2.4

WOMEN

Total, 16 years and over................... 37,426 2,215 612 1,603 51.5 62.0 62.4 61.8 5.9 1.6 4.3

 Under 25 years..................... 7,344 1,064 295 769 10.1 29.8 30.1 29.7 14.5 4.0 10.5

 16 to 19 years.................... 2,345 496 167 329 3.2 13.9 17.0 12.7 21.2 7.1 14.0

 20 to 24 years......................4,999 567 127 440 6.9 15.9 13.0 17.0 11.3 2.5 8.8

 25 years and over...................... 30,082 1,151 318 833 41.4 32.2 32.4 32.1 3.8 1.1 2.8

 25 to 34 years.................... 7,827 437 96 341 10.8 12.2 9.8 13.2 5.6 1.2 4.4

 25 to 29 years.................... 4,232 250 50 200 5.8 7.0 5.1 7.7 5.9 1.2 4.7

 30 to 34 years.................. 3,595 187 46 141 5.0 5.2 4.7 5.4 5.2 1.3 3.9

 35 to 44 years.................... 7,385 265 71 194 10.2 7.4 7.2 7.5 3.6 1.0 2.6

 35 to 39 years............... 3,562 144 34 110 4.9 4.0 3.5 4.2 4.0 1.0 3.1

 40 to 44 years.................. 3,823 121 37 84 5.3 3.4 3.8 3.2 3.2 1.0 2.2

 45 to 54 years................... 8,381 247 79 168 11.5 6.9 8.1 6.5 2.9 0.9 2.0

 45 to 49 years................... 4,372 131 41 90 6.0 3.7 4.2 3.5 3.0 0.9 2.1

 50 to 54 years.................. 4,009 116 38 78 5.5 3.2 3.9 3.0 2.9 0.9 1.9

 55 to 64 years.................. 5,017 129 46 83 6.9 3.6 4.7 3.2 2.6 0.9 1.7

 55 to 59 years................ 3,117 77 27 50 4.3 2.2 2.8 1.9 2.5 0.9 1.6

 60 to 64 years................... 1,900 51 19 32 2.6 1.4 1.9 1.2 2.7 1.0 1.7

 65 years and over.................... 1,473 74 26 48 2.0 2.1 2.7 1.9 5.0 1.8 3.3

 65 to 69 years................... 812 37 13 24 1.1 1.0 1.3 0.9 4.6 1.6 3.0

 70 years and over.............. 661 36 12 24 0.9 1.0 1.2 0.9 5.4 1.8 3.6

 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, 2009 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............... 72,611 3,572 980 2,592 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 4.9 1.3 3.6

 Never married......................25,437 2,192 611 1,581 35.0 61.4 62.3 61.0 8.6 2.4 6.2

 16 to 24 years.....................12,715 1,604 475 1,129 17.5 44.9 48.5 43.6 12.6 3.7 8.9

 25 years and over...................... 12,722 588 136 452 17.5 16.5 13.9 17.4 4.6 1.1 3.6

 25 to 54 years..................11,816 562 131 431 16.3 15.7 13.4 16.6 4.8 1.1 3.6

 Married, spouse present.................. 34,919 876 231 645 48.1 24.5 23.6 24.9 2.5 0.7 1.8

 16 to 24 years................... 1,270 84 22 62 1.7 2.4 2.2 2.4 6.6 1.7 4.9

 25 years and over..................... 33,649 793 210 583 46.3 22.2 21.4 22.5 2.4 0.6 1.7

 25 to 54 years............... 26,145 596 144 452 36.0 16.7 14.7 17.4 2.3 0.6 1.7

 Other marital status..............12,254 504 138 366 16.9 14.1 14.1 14.1 4.1 1.1 3.0

 16 to 24 years................... 404 50 12 38 0.6 1.4 1.2 1.5 12.4 3.0 9.4

 25 years and over................. 11,851 454 126 328 16.3 12.7 12.9 12.7 3.8 1.1 2.8

 25 to 54 years....................8,445 348 88 260 11.6 9.7 9.0 10.0 4.1 1.0 3.1

MEN

Total, 16 years and over.... 35,185 1,358 368 990 48.5 38.0 37.6 38.2 3.9 1.0 2.8

 Never married....................... 13,218 910 269 641 18.2 25.5 27.4 24.7 6.9 2.0 4.8

 16 to 24 years.................. 6,366 635 206 429 8.8 17.8 21.0 16.6 10.0 3.2 6.7

 25 years and over................6,851 275 63 212 9.4 7.7 6.4 8.2 4.0 0.9 3.1

 25 to 54 years...................6,425 264 62 202 8.8 7.4 6.3 7.8 4.1 1.0 3.1

 Married, spouse present.................... 17,384 311 65 246 23.9 8.7 6.6 9.5 1.8 0.4 1.4

 16 to 24 years..................... 523 27 5 22 0.7 0.8 0.5 0.8 5.2 1.0 4.2

 25 years and over................] 16,861 285 61 224 23.2 8.0 6.2 8.6 1.7 0.4 1.3

 25 to 54 years................... 12,979 199 36 163 17.9 5.6 3.7 6.3 1.5 0.3 1.3

 Other marital status.................... 4,583 137 34 103 6.3 3.8 3.5 4.0 3.0 0.7 2.2

 16 to 24 years..................... 155 13 3 10 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.4 8.4 1.9 6.5

 25 years and over........................ 4,427 124 30 94 6.1 3.5 3.1 3.6 2.8 0.7 2.1

 25 to 54 years...................3,411 95 19 76 4.7 2.7 1.9 2.9 2.8 0.6 2.2

WOMEN

Total, 16 years and over................ 37,426 2,215 612 1,603 51.5 62.0 62.4 61.8 5.9 1.6 4.3

 Never married......................... 12,220 1,282 342 940 16.8 35.9 34.9 36.3 10.5 2.8 7.7

 16 to 24 years............................ 6,349 969 269 700 8.7 27.1 27.4 27.0 15.3 4.2 11.0

 25 years and over.................... 5,871 313 73 240 8.1 8.8 7.4 9.3 5.3 1.2 4.1

 25 to 54 years.....................5,391 299 69 230 7.4 8.4 7.0 8.9 5.5 1.3 4.3

 Married, spouse present............17,535 565 166 399 24.1 15.8 16.9 15.4 3.2 0.9 2.3

 16 to 24 years.................... 747 57 17 40 1.0 1.6 1.7 1.5 7.6 2.3 5.4

 25 years and over..................16,787 508 149 359 23.1 14.2 15.2 13.9 3.0 0.9 2.1

 25 to 54 years.................... 13,167 396 108 288 18.1 11.1 11.0 11.1 3.0 0.8 2.2

 Other marital status................. 7,672 367 104 263 10.6 10.3 10.6 10.1 4.8 1.4 3.4

 16 to 24 years...................... 248 37 8 29 0.3 1.0 0.8 1.1 14.9 3.2 11.7

 25 years and over...............7,423 331 96 235 10.2 9.3 9.8 9.1 4.5 1.3 3.2

 25 to 54 years................ 5,034 254 69 185 6.9 7.1 7.0 7.1 5.0 1.4 3.7

 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, 2009 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............72,611 3,572 980 2,592 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 4.9 1.3 3.6

 Hours vary..................................... 4,920 520 128 392 6.8 14.6 13.1 15.1 10.6 2.6 8.0

 0 to 34 hours......................... 17,981 1,981 580 1,401 24.8 55.5 59.2 54.1 11.0 3.2 7.8

 0 to 4 hours....................... 345 38 10 28 0.5 1.1 1.0 1.1 11.0 2.9 8.1

 5 to 9 hours........................ 960 124 32 92 1.3 3.5 3.3 3.5 12.9 3.3 9.6

 10 to 14 hours.................... 1,600 242 83 159 2.2 6.8 8.5 6.1 15.1 5.2 9.9

 15 to 19 hours.....................2,323 312 103 209 3.2 8.7 10.5 8.1 13.4 4.4 9.0

 20 to 24 hours.................. 5,259 538 151 387 7.2 15.1 15.4 14.9 10.2 2.9 7.4

 25 to 29 hours................ 2,498 289 82 207 3.4 8.1 8.4 8.0 11.6 3.3 8.3

 30 to 34 hours............... 4,996 438 120 318 6.9 12.3 12.2 12.3 8.8 2.4 6.4

 35 hours or more...................49,709 1,073 273 800 68.5 30.0 27.9 30.9 2.2 0.5 1.6

 35 to 39 hours.................... 5,988 286 76 210 8.2 8.0 7.8 8.1 4.8 1.3 3.5

 40 hours or more..................43,721 787 197 590 60.2 22.0 20.1 22.8 1.8 0.5 1.3

 40 hours..........................38,666 680 170 510 53.3 19.0 17.3 19.7 1.8 0.4 1.3

 41 hours or more............... 5,055 107 27 80 7.0 3.0 2.8 3.1 2.1 0.5 1.6

 41 to 44 hours................... 665 13 4 9 0.9 0.4 0.4 0.3 2.0 0.6 1.4

 45 to 48 hours...................1,750 23 8 15 2.4 0.6 0.8 0.6 1.3 0.5 0.9

 49 to 59 hours...................1,885 40 11 29 2.6 1.1 1.1 1.1 2.1 0.6 1.5

 60 hours or more..................755 31 4 27 1.0 0.9 0.4 1.0 4.1 0.5 3.6

 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, 1979-2009 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

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

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

2009 1.................... 124,490 72,611 58.3 22,592 2980 23,572 24.9

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, 1979-2009 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

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

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

2009 1.................... 63,539 35,185 55.4 2990 2368 21,358 23.9

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, 1979-2009 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

Year and sex

Total

wage and

salary

workers Total

Percent of 

total wage 

and salary

workers Number

Percent

of hourly

paid

workers

Below

prevailing

Federal

minimum 

wage

At 

prevailing

Federal

minimum 

wage

Total at or below prevailing 

Federal minimum wage

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

2009 1.................... 60,951 37,426 61.4 21,603 2612 22,215 25.9

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

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

2 Data for 1990-91, 1996-97, and 2007-09 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

July 24, 2007, to $6.55 on July 24, 2008, and to $7.25

on July 24, 2009. 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