An official website of the United States government 
	  
	Here is how you know
 Department of Labor Logo  United States Department of Labor
 **The .gov means it's official.**
			 Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information,
			make sure you're on a federal government site.
 **The site is secure.**
			 The
			**https://** ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any
			information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.


U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
 Follow Us
 
 Release Calendar Blog
 Search button
          Search:


Menu

  Search button
          Search:
	
	  Follow Us Follow Us on X, formerly referred to as Twitter| Release Calendar | Blog
    Home
        About BLS
		History	
		Our Leadership
		Budget and Performance		
		Questions and Answers	
		A-Z Index	
		Glossary	
		Careers at BLS	
		BLS Speakers Available
		Errata  				
		Contact BLSOverview of BLS Statistics
		Guide to Programs & Services
		Demographics
		Industries
		Business Costs
		Occupations
		GeographyResources For
		Business Leaders
		Consumers
		Developers
		Economists
		Investors
		Jobseekers
		Media
		Public Policymakers
		Researcher		
		Students & Teachers
		Survey Respondents
    Subjects
        Inflation & Prices
		Consumer Price Index
		Producer Price Indexes
		Import/Export Price Indexes
		Contract Escalation
		Price Index Research
		Pay & Benefits
		Employment Cost Index
		Employer Costs for Employee Compensation
						Wage Data by Occupation
		Earnings by Demographics
		Earnings by Industry
		County Wages  
		Benefits
		Modeled Wage Estimates		
		Compensation Research
		Strikes & Lockouts
		Wage Records from Unemployment Insurance
		Occupational RequirementsUnemployment
		National Unemployment Rate
		State & Local Unemployment Rates
		Unemployment Research
		Employment
		National Employment
		State & Local Employment
		County Employment 
		Worker Characteristics
		American Indian Report
		Employment Projections
		Job Openings & Labor Turnover Survey
		Business Response Survey
		Employment by Occupation
		Work Experience Over Time
		Business Employment Dynamics
		Foreign Direct Investment
		Employment Research
		Workplace InjuriesProductivity
		Labor and Total Factor Productivity
		Productivity Research
		Spending & Time Use
		Consumer Expenditures
		How Americans Spend Time			
		International
		International Technical Cooperation
		Import/Export Price Indexes
		Geographic Information
		Northeast (Boston-New York)
		Mid-Atlantic (Philadelphia)
		Southeast (Atlanta)
		Midwest (Chicago)
		Southwest (Dallas)
		Mountain-Plains (Kansas City)
		West (San Francisco)
    Data Tools
        Data Retrieval Tools
		BLS Popular Series
		Series Report
		Top Picks, One Screen, Multi-Screen, and Maps
		Data Finder
		Public Data APICharts and Applications
		Charts for Economic News Releases	
		CPI Inflation Calculator	
		Injury and Illness Calculator		
		Pay Measure Comparison
		Demographic Data Sources
		COVID-19 Economic Trends
		Industry Productivity Viewer
		Employment and Wages Data Viewer
		Industry Finder from the Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesCustomized Tables
		U.S. Economy at a Glance
		Regions, States & Areas at a Glance
		Industry at a Glance			
		Text Files
		News Release Tables
		
		More Sources of Data
		Restricted Data Access
		Discontinued Databases
		Questions & Answers
		Special Notices
    Publications
        Latest Publications
		The Economics Daily
		Monthly Labor Review
		Beyond the Numbers
		Spotlight on Statistics
		Reports
		Commissioner's Corner
		Videos
		Career OutlookOccupational Outlook Handbook
		Geographic Profile
		Handbook of Methods
		Research Papers
		Copyright Information
		Contact & Help
		Weekly Update
    Economic Releases
        Latest Releases
		Major Economic Indicators
		Schedules for news Releases
		By Month
		By News Release
		Current Year
		Prior Years
		Archived News ReleasesEmployment & Unemployment
		Monthly
		Quarterly, annual, and other
		Inflation & Prices
		Pay & Benefits & Workplace Injuries
		Productivity & Technology
		Employment Projections
		Regional News Releases
    Classroom
        K-12 Student & Teacher Resources		
        Games & Quizzes
		Student's Desk
		Teacher's Desk
		Questions & Answers
    Beta
        Redesigned News Releases


home
                  archive
                  about BLS reports
				  subscribe



March 2018 
                    Report 1072

				 
			


		
		
























											



				 
                
                BLS Reports Menu
                    CONTENTS
                        Highlights
 
                          Statistical Tables 
						  Table 1. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 2. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 3. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 4. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 5. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 6. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 7. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 8. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 9. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...Table 10. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or...
                          Technical Notes
                  Subscribe to BLS Reports
		
		 
		
 
				
				
     Characteristics of minimum wage workers, 2017
Characteristics of minimum wage workers, 2017 imageIn 2017, 80.4 million workers age 16 and older in the United States were paid at hourly rates, representing 58.3 percent of all wage and salary workers. Among those paid by the hour, 542,000 workers earned exactly the prevailing federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. About 1.3 million had wages below the federal minimum. Together, these 1.8 million workers with wages at or below the federal minimum made up 2.3 percent of all hourly paid workers.The percentage of hourly paid workers earning the prevailing federal minimum wage or less declined from 2.7 percent in 2016 to 2.3 percent in 2017. This remains well below the percentage of 13.4 recorded in 1979, when data were first collected on a regular basis. (See table 10.)This report presents highlights and statistical tables describing workers who earned at or below the federal minimum wage in 2017. The data are obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a national monthly survey of approximately 60,000 households conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Information on earnings is collected from one-fourth of the CPS sample each month.The CPS does not include questions on whether workers are covered by the minimum wage provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) or by individual state or local minimum wage laws. The estimates of workers paid at or below the federal minimum wage are based solely on the hourly wage they report, which does not include overtime pay, tips, or commissions. See the accompanying technical notes section for more information, including a description of the source of the data and an explanation of the concepts and definitions used in this report.HighlightsThe following are highlights from the 2017 data:***Age*.** 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 (ages 16 to 19) paid by the hour, about 8 percent earned the minimum wage or less, compared with about 1 percent of workers age 25 and older. (See tables 1 and 7.)***Gender*.** Among workers who were paid hourly rates in 2017, about 3 percent of women and about 2 percent of men had wages at or below the prevailing federal minimum. (See table 1.)***Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity*.**The percentage of hourly paid workers with wages at or below the federal minimum differed little among the major race and ethnicity groups. About 3 percent of African American or Black workers earned the federal minimum wage or less. Among White, Asian, and Hispanic workers, the percentage was about 2 percent. (See table 1.)***Education*.** Among hourly paid workers age 16 and older, about 4 percent of those without a high school diploma earned the federal minimum wage or less, compared with about 2 percent of those who had a high school diploma (with no college), about 2 percent of those with some college or an associate degree, and about 1 percent of college graduates. (See table 6.)***Marital status*.** Of those paid an hourly wage, never-married workers, who tend to be young, were more likely (4 percent) than married workers (1 percent) to earn the federal minimum wage or less. (See table 8.)***Full- and part-time status*.** About 6 percent of part-time workers (persons who usually work fewer than 35 hours per week) were paid the federal minimum wage or less, compared with about 1 percent of full-time workers. (See table 1.)***Occupation*.** Among major occupational groups, service occupations had the highest percentage of hourly paid workers earning at or below the federal minimum wage, at about 7 percent. About two-thirds of workers earning the minimum wage or less in 2017 were employed in service occupations, mostly in food preparation and serving related jobs. (See table 4.)***Industry*.**The industry with the highest percentage of workers earning hourly wages at or below the federal minimum wage was leisure and hospitality (11 percent). About three-fifths of all workers paid at or below the federal minimum wage were employed in this industry, almost entirely in restaurants and other food services. For many of these workers, tips may supplement the hourly wages received. (See table 5.)***State of residence*.** The states with the highest percentages of hourly paid workers earning at or below the minimum wage were in the South: Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Virginia (all were about 4 percent). The states with the lowest percentages of hourly paid workers earning at or below the federal minimum wage were in the West or Midwest: California, Washington, Montana, and Minnesota (all were less than 1 percent). It should be noted that many states have minimum wage laws establishing standards that exceed the federal minimum wage. (See tables 2 and 3.)		
	
	 
	 Statistical Tables
        
                                                                                


Table 1. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by selected characteristics, 2017 annual averages
Characteristic
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageAge and genderTotal, 16 years and older
80,439
1,824
542
1,282
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
2.3
0.7
1.616 to 24 years
15,974
891
321
569
19.9
48.8
59.2
44.4
5.6
2.0
3.616 to 19 years
4,660
388
172
215
5.8
21.3
31.8
16.8
8.3
3.7
4.625 years and older
64,465
933
221
712
80.1
51.2
40.8
55.6
1.4
0.3
1.1Men, 16 years and older
39,781
678
226
452
49.5
37.2
41.6
35.3
1.7
0.6
1.116 to 24 years
8,009
329
131
198
10.0
18.0
24.1
15.5
4.1
1.6
2.516 to 19 years
2,252
146
65
81
2.8
8.0
12.1
6.3
6.5
2.9
3.625 years and older
31,772
349
95
254
39.5
19.1
17.5
19.8
1.1
0.3
0.8Women, 16 years and older
40,658
1,146
316
829
50.5
62.8
58.4
64.7
2.8
0.8
2.016 to 24 years
7,965
562
190
371
9.9
30.8
35.1
29.0
7.1
2.4
4.716 to 19 years
2,409
241
107
134
3.0
13.2
19.7
10.5
10.0
4.4
5.625 years and older
32,693
584
126
458
40.6
32.0
23.2
35.7
1.8
0.4
1.4Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicityWhite(1)
61,258
1,375
359
1,016
76.2
75.4
66.3
79.3
2.2
0.6
1.7Men
30,861
490
154
336
38.4
26.9
28.4
26.2
1.6
0.5
1.1Women
30,398
885
205
680
37.8
48.5
37.9
53.0
2.9
0.7
2.2Black or African American(1)
11,829
301
146
155
14.7
16.5
26.9
12.1
2.5
1.2
1.3Men
5,385
135
58
76
6.7
7.4
10.8
5.9
2.5
1.1
1.4Women
6,445
166
88
79
8.0
9.1
16.2
6.2
2.6
1.4
1.2Asian(1)
4,001
70
14
56
5.0
3.8
2.7
4.3
1.7
0.4
1.4Men
1,841
23
4
19
2.3
1.3
0.8
1.5
1.3
0.2
1.0Women
2,160
47
10
37
2.7
2.6
1.9
2.9
2.2
0.5
1.7Hispanic or Latino(1)
16,604
301
101
200
20.6
16.5
18.6
15.6
1.8
0.6
1.2Men
9,131
124
48
77
11.4
6.8
8.8
6.0
1.4
0.5
0.8Women
7,473
176
53
123
9.3
9.7
9.9
9.6
2.4
0.7
1.6Full- and part-time statusFull-time workers(2)
60,205
640
130
510
74.8
35.1
24.0
39.8
1.1
0.2
0.8Men
32,808
265
59
207
40.8
14.5
10.8
16.1
0.8
0.2
0.6Women
27,397
375
71
303
34.1
20.5
13.2
23.7
1.4
0.3
1.1Part-time workers(2)
20,139
1,181
412
769
25.0
64.7
76.0
60.0
5.9
2.0
3.8Men
6,921
412
167
245
8.6
22.6
30.8
19.1
5.9
2.4
3.5Women
13,219
769
245
524
16.4
42.2
45.2
40.9
5.8
1.9
4.0Footnotes(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. Full time is 35 hours or more per week; part time is less than 35 hours.Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 2. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by census region and division, 2017 annual averages
Region and division
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageTotal, 16 years and older
80,439
1,824
542
1,282
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
2.3
0.7
1.6Northeast
13,168
288
88
199
16.4
15.8
16.3
15.6
2.2
0.7
1.5New England
3,728
80
10
69
4.6
4.4
1.9
5.4
2.1
0.3
1.9Middle Atlantic
9,440
208
78
130
11.7
11.4
14.5
10.1
2.2
0.8
1.4Midwest
19,154
409
99
310
23.8
22.4
18.3
24.2
2.1
0.5
1.6East North Central
13,048
303
70
233
16.2
16.6
12.9
18.2
2.3
0.5
1.8West North Central
6,106
106
29
77
7.6
5.8
5.4
6.0
1.7
0.5
1.3South
28,700
918
302
616
35.7
50.3
55.7
48.1
3.2
1.1
2.1South Atlantic
14,904
452
111
341
18.5
24.8
20.4
26.6
3.0
0.7
2.3East South Central
4,775
190
84
106
5.9
10.4
15.4
8.3
4.0
1.8
2.2West South Central
9,021
276
108
168
11.2
15.2
19.9
13.1
3.1
1.2
1.9West
19,418
208
52
156
24.1
11.4
9.6
12.2
1.1
0.3
0.8Mountain
6,155
120
30
90
7.7
6.6
5.6
7.0
2.0
0.5
1.5Pacific
13,263
88
22
66
16.5
4.8
4.0
5.2
0.7
0.2
0.5Note: 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 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 3. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by state, 2017 annual averages
State
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageTotal, 16 years and older
80,439
1,824
542
1,282
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
2.3
0.7
1.6Alabama
1,189
40
26
14
1.5
2.2
4.8
1.1
3.4
2.2
1.2Alaska
203
2
1
1
0.3
0.1
0.2
0.1
1.2
0.6
0.5Arizona
1,644
29
2
27
2.0
1.6
0.4
2.1
1.8
0.1
1.6Arkansas
769
14
3
11
1.0
0.8
0.5
0.9
1.8
0.4
1.4California
9,685
52
14
39
12.0
2.9
2.5
3.0
0.5
0.1
0.4Colorado
1,292
22
0
22
1.6
1.2
0.0
1.7
1.7
0.0
1.7Connecticut
937
14
1
14
1.2
0.8
0.2
1.1
1.5
0.1
1.5Delaware
266
8
2
6
0.3
0.4
0.4
0.4
2.9
0.8
2.1District of Columbia
116
4
1
3
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.2
3.0
0.6
2.4Florida
4,726
123
6
116
5.9
6.7
1.1
9.1
2.6
0.1
2.5Georgia
2,288
73
30
43
2.8
4.0
5.6
3.3
3.2
1.3
1.9Hawaii
372
6
1
5
0.5
0.3
0.2
0.4
1.7
0.3
1.4Idaho
477
16
5
11
0.6
0.9
0.9
0.9
3.3
1.0
2.3Illinois
3,147
79
18
61
3.9
4.3
3.3
4.8
2.5
0.6
1.9Indiana
1,937
59
24
35
2.4
3.2
4.4
2.7
3.0
1.2
1.8Iowa
962
16
6
10
1.2
0.9
1.2
0.8
1.7
0.7
1.0Kansas
825
26
9
17
1.0
1.4
1.7
1.3
3.2
1.1
2.1Kentucky
1,176
52
17
35
1.5
2.9
3.2
2.7
4.4
1.5
3.0Louisiana
1,061
39
15
24
1.3
2.1
2.7
1.9
3.6
1.4
2.3Maine
366
10
1
8
0.5
0.5
0.3
0.7
2.7
0.4
2.3Maryland
1,458
39
11
28
1.8
2.1
2.1
2.1
2.7
0.8
1.9Massachusetts
1,567
40
4
36
1.9
2.2
0.7
2.8
2.5
0.2
2.3Michigan
2,711
57
6
52
3.4
3.1
1.0
4.0
2.1
0.2
1.9Minnesota
1,649
14
6
8
2.1
0.8
1.1
0.6
0.9
0.4
0.5Mississippi
704
29
15
14
0.9
1.6
2.7
1.1
4.1
2.1
2.0Missouri
1,634
33
4
29
2.0
1.8
0.8
2.3
2.0
0.3
1.8Montana
291
2
0
2
0.4
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.8
0.2
0.7Nebraska
540
7
1
6
0.7
0.4
0.2
0.5
1.3
0.2
1.1Nevada
883
12
6
6
1.1
0.7
1.1
0.5
1.4
0.7
0.7New Hampshire
382
8
2
6
0.5
0.4
0.4
0.5
2.1
0.5
1.6New Jersey
1,788
27
8
19
2.2
1.5
1.4
1.5
1.5
0.4
1.1New Mexico
505
14
3
11
0.6
0.8
0.5
0.9
2.7
0.5
2.2New York
4,236
75
28
47
5.3
4.1
5.2
3.7
1.8
0.7
1.1North Carolina
2,481
82
28
54
3.1
4.5
5.2
4.2
3.3
1.1
2.2North Dakota
234
5
1
4
0.3
0.3
0.2
0.3
2.0
0.5
1.5Ohio
3,391
58
6
52
4.2
3.2
1.1
4.1
1.7
0.2
1.5Oklahoma
901
28
12
16
1.1
1.5
2.3
1.2
3.1
1.4
1.7Oregon
1,094
13
3
10
1.4
0.7
0.6
0.8
1.2
0.3
0.9Pennsylvania
3,415
106
43
64
4.2
5.8
7.9
5.0
3.1
1.2
1.9Rhode Island
298
4
1
3
0.4
0.2
0.1
0.3
1.4
0.2
1.1South Carolina
1,132
43
14
29
1.4
2.4
2.6
2.3
3.8
1.2
2.6South Dakota
264
5
1
4
0.3
0.3
0.2
0.3
1.8
0.4
1.4Tennessee
1,706
69
26
43
2.1
3.8
4.8
3.4
4.1
1.5
2.5Texas
6,290
196
78
118
7.8
10.7
14.5
9.2
3.1
1.2
1.9Utah
900
21
13
9
1.1
1.2
2.3
0.7
2.4
1.4
1.0Vermont
177
3
1
2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.1
1.8
0.8
1.1Virginia
1,978
70
15
55
2.5
3.9
2.8
4.3
3.6
0.8
2.8Washington
1,910
14
3
12
2.4
0.8
0.5
0.9
0.8
0.1
0.6West Virginia
459
10
2
7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.6
2.1
0.5
1.6Wisconsin
1,862
50
17
33
2.3
2.7
3.1
2.6
2.7
0.9
1.8Wyoming
164
4
2
2
0.2
0.2
0.3
0.2
2.2
0.9
1.2Note: 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. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 4. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by occupation, 2017 annual averages
Occupation
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageTotal, 16 years and older
80,439
1,824
542
1,282
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
2.3
0.7
1.6Management, professional, and related occupations
18,233
102
23
79
22.7
5.6
4.3
6.2
0.6
0.1
0.4Management, business, and financial operations occupations
5,293
30
2
28
6.6
1.7
0.4
2.2
0.6
0.0
0.5Professional and related occupations
12,940
72
21
51
16.1
3.9
3.9
4.0
0.6
0.2
0.4Service occupations
19,261
1,249
240
1,009
23.9
68.5
44.3
78.7
6.5
1.2
5.2Healthcare support occupations
2,907
53
17
36
3.6
2.9
3.1
2.8
1.8
0.6
1.2Protective service occupations
1,996
27
8
19
2.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.3
0.4
0.9Food preparation and serving related occupations
7,199
971
134
837
8.9
53.2
24.6
65.3
13.5
1.9
11.6Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations
3,887
80
40
40
4.8
4.4
7.3
3.1
2.0
1.0
1.0Personal care and service occupations
3,273
119
42
77
4.1
6.5
7.7
6.0
3.6
1.3
2.4Sales and office occupations
20,214
289
207
82
25.1
15.8
38.1
6.4
1.4
1.0
0.4Sales and related occupations
8,010
199
141
58
10.0
10.9
26.0
4.5
2.5
1.8
0.7Office and administrative support occupations
12,204
90
66
24
15.2
4.9
12.1
1.9
0.7
0.5
0.2Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations
9,188
31
6
26
11.4
1.7
1.0
2.0
0.3
0.1
0.3Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
792
10
1
8
1.0
0.5
0.2
0.6
1.2
0.2
1.0Construction and extraction occupations
5,023
11
1
10
6.2
0.6
0.1
0.8
0.2
0.0
0.2Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
3,372
11
4
7
4.2
0.6
0.7
0.6
0.3
0.1
0.2Production, transportation, and material moving occupations
13,543
153
67
86
16.8
8.4
12.3
6.7
1.1
0.5
0.6Production occupations
6,913
48
19
29
8.6
2.6
3.5
2.3
0.7
0.3
0.4Transportation and material moving occupations
6,630
105
48
57
8.2
5.7
8.8
4.5
1.6
0.7
0.9Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 5. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by industry, 2017 annual averages
Industry
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageTotal, 16 years and older
80,439
1,824
542
1,282
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
2.3
0.7
1.6Private sector
70,794
1,744
514
1,230
88.0
95.6
94.8
96.0
2.5
0.7
1.7Agriculture and related industries
886
6
0
6
1.1
0.4
0.0
0.5
0.7
0.0
0.7Nonagricultural industries
69,908
1,737
514
1,223
86.9
95.3
94.8
95.5
2.5
0.7
1.8Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
397
1
1
1
0.5
0.1
0.2
0.0
0.4
0.2
0.1Construction
5,294
14
2
13
6.6
0.8
0.3
1.0
0.3
0.0
0.2Manufacturing
9,274
52
21
31
11.5
2.9
3.8
2.4
0.6
0.2
0.3Durable goods
5,680
34
11
23
7.1
1.8
1.9
1.8
0.6
0.2
0.4Nondurable goods
3,594
19
10
8
4.5
1.0
1.9
0.6
0.5
0.3
0.2Wholesale and retail trade
12,922
207
138
69
16.1
11.4
25.5
5.4
1.6
1.1
0.5Wholesale trade
1,658
7
4
3
2.1
0.4
0.8
0.2
0.4
0.2
0.2Retail trade
11,265
200
134
66
14.0
11.0
24.7
5.2
1.8
1.2
0.6Transportation and utilities
3,684
25
9
17
4.6
1.4
1.6
1.3
0.7
0.2
0.4Information
1,086
6
4
2
1.3
0.3
0.7
0.2
0.5
0.3
0.2Financial activities
3,545
24
11
14
4.4
1.3
2.0
1.1
0.7
0.3
0.4Professional and business services
6,607
63
30
33
8.2
3.5
5.5
2.6
1.0
0.5
0.5Education and health services
13,813
159
62
97
17.2
8.7
11.4
7.6
1.2
0.4
0.7Leisure and hospitality
10,015
1,105
213
893
12.5
60.6
39.2
69.7
11.0
2.1
8.9Other services
3,271
79
25
54
4.1
4.4
4.6
4.2
2.4
0.8
1.7Public sector
9,645
80
28
52
12.0
4.4
5.2
4.0
0.8
0.3
0.5Federal
1,807
13
6
8
2.2
0.7
1.0
0.6
0.7
0.3
0.4State
2,935
20
9
11
3.6
1.1
1.7
0.9
0.7
0.3
0.4Local
4,903
46
13
33
6.1
2.5
2.5
2.6
0.9
0.3
0.7Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 6. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by educational attainment, 2017 annual averages
Educational attainment
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageTotal, 16 years and older
80,439
1,824
542
1,282
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
2.3
0.7
1.6Less than a high school diploma
9,608
415
206
209
11.9
22.8
38.0
16.3
4.3
2.1
2.2Less than 1 year of high school
2,734
46
20
27
3.4
2.5
3.6
2.1
1.7
0.7
1.01 to 3 years of high school
5,576
325
164
161
6.9
17.8
30.3
12.6
5.8
2.9
2.94 years of high school, no diploma
1,298
43
22
21
1.6
2.4
4.1
1.6
3.3
1.7
1.6High school graduates or more
70,831
1,408
336
1,072
88.1
77.2
62.0
83.7
2.0
0.5
1.5High school graduates, no college
26,851
554
157
397
33.4
30.4
28.9
31.0
2.1
0.6
1.5Some college or associate degree
27,877
672
161
511
34.7
36.8
29.7
39.9
2.4
0.6
1.8Some college, no degree
17,995
526
132
394
22.4
28.8
24.3
30.7
2.9
0.7
2.2Associate degree
9,882
146
29
117
12.3
8.0
5.3
9.2
1.5
0.3
1.2Occupational program
4,264
66
16
50
5.3
3.6
3.0
3.9
1.5
0.4
1.2Academic program
5,618
80
13
67
7.0
4.4
2.4
5.3
1.4
0.2
1.2Bachelor's degree and higher
16,104
183
19
164
20.0
10.0
3.4
12.8
1.1
0.1
1.0Bachelor's degree
12,357
148
16
132
15.4
8.1
2.9
10.3
1.2
0.1
1.1Master's degree
2,985
25
1
24
3.7
1.4
0.1
1.9
0.8
0.0
0.8Professional degree
331
3
0
3
0.4
0.2
0.1
0.2
0.9
0.1
0.8Doctoral degree
432
6
2
5
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.4
1.5
0.4
1.1Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 7. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by age and gender, 2017 annual averages
Age and gender
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageTotalTotal, 16 years and older
80,439
1,824
542
1,282
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
2.3
0.7
1.616 to 24 years
15,974
891
321
569
19.9
48.8
59.2
44.4
5.6
2.0
3.616 to 19 years
4,660
388
172
215
5.8
21.3
31.8
16.8
8.3
3.7
4.620 to 24 years
11,314
503
149
354
14.1
27.6
27.4
27.6
4.4
1.3
3.125 years and older
64,465
933
221
712
80.1
51.2
40.8
55.6
1.4
0.3
1.125 to 34 years
19,269
415
76
338
24.0
22.7
14.1
26.4
2.2
0.4
1.825 to 29 years
10,563
264
46
218
13.1
14.5
8.6
17.0
2.5
0.4
2.130 to 34 years
8,706
150
30
120
10.8
8.2
5.5
9.4
1.7
0.3
1.435 to 44 years
14,620
210
47
162
18.2
11.5
8.7
12.7
1.4
0.3
1.135 to 39 years
7,756
105
22
82
9.6
5.8
4.1
6.4
1.4
0.3
1.140 to 44 years
6,864
105
25
80
8.5
5.7
4.6
6.2
1.5
0.4
1.245 to 54 years
14,793
158
38
121
18.4
8.7
6.9
9.4
1.1
0.3
0.845 to 49 years
7,420
88
19
69
9.2
4.8
3.6
5.3
1.2
0.3
0.950 to 54 years
7,373
70
18
52
9.2
3.9
3.4
4.1
1.0
0.2
0.755 to 64 years
11,865
105
42
62
14.8
5.7
7.8
4.9
0.9
0.4
0.555 to 59 years
6,983
71
26
45
8.7
3.9
4.8
3.5
1.0
0.4
0.660 to 64 years
4,881
33
16
17
6.1
1.8
3.0
1.3
0.7
0.3
0.365 years and older
3,918
46
18
29
4.9
2.5
3.2
2.2
1.2
0.4
0.765 to 69 years
2,299
25
10
15
2.9
1.4
1.9
1.2
1.1
0.4
0.670 years and older
1,619
21
7
14
2.0
1.2
1.3
1.1
1.3
0.4
0.9MenTotal, 16 years and older
39,781
678
226
452
49.5
37.2
41.6
35.3
1.7
0.6
1.116 to 24 years
8,009
329
131
198
10.0
18.0
24.1
15.5
4.1
1.6
2.516 to 19 years
2,252
146
65
81
2.8
8.0
12.1
6.3
6.5
2.9
3.620 to 24 years
5,757
183
65
117
7.2
10.0
12.0
9.1
3.2
1.1
2.025 years and older
31,772
349
95
254
39.5
19.1
17.5
19.8
1.1
0.3
0.825 to 34 years
9,919
155
38
117
12.3
8.5
7.0
9.1
1.6
0.4
1.225 to 29 years
5,423
98
25
73
6.7
5.4
4.6
5.7
1.8
0.5
1.430 to 34 years
4,496
57
13
43
5.6
3.1
2.5
3.4
1.3
0.3
1.035 to 44 years
7,432
77
18
59
9.2
4.2
3.3
4.6
1.0
0.2
0.835 to 39 years
4,020
36
7
30
5.0
2.0
1.2
2.3
0.9
0.2
0.740 to 44 years
3,412
40
11
29
4.2
2.2
2.1
2.2
1.2
0.3
0.845 to 54 years
7,152
56
13
43
8.9
3.1
2.4
3.4
0.8
0.2
0.645 to 49 years
3,594
28
5
23
4.5
1.5
0.9
1.8
0.8
0.1
0.750 to 54 years
3,558
28
8
20
4.4
1.5
1.5
1.6
0.8
0.2
0.655 to 64 years
5,504
40
20
20
6.8
2.2
3.7
1.6
0.7
0.4
0.455 to 59 years
3,272
28
14
14
4.1
1.5
2.5
1.1
0.8
0.4
0.460 to 64 years
2,232
12
6
6
2.8
0.7
1.1
0.5
0.6
0.3
0.365 years and older
1,766
21
6
16
2.2
1.2
1.1
1.2
1.2
0.3
0.965 to 69 years
1,026
10
3
8
1.3
0.6
0.5
0.6
1.0
0.3
0.870 years and older
739
11
3
8
0.9
0.6
0.6
0.6
1.5
0.4
1.0WomenTotal, 16 years and older
40,658
1,146
316
829
50.5
62.8
58.4
64.7
2.8
0.8
2.016 to 24 years
7,965
562
190
371
9.9
30.8
35.1
29.0
7.1
2.4
4.716 to 19 years
2,409
241
107
134
3.0
13.2
19.7
10.5
10.0
4.4
5.620 to 24 years
5,557
320
83
237
6.9
17.6
15.4
18.5
5.8
1.5
4.325 years and older
32,693
584
126
458
40.6
32.0
23.2
35.7
1.8
0.4
1.425 to 34 years
9,350
260
38
222
11.6
14.2
7.0
17.3
2.8
0.4
2.425 to 29 years
5,140
166
22
145
6.4
9.1
4.0
11.3
3.2
0.4
2.830 to 34 years
4,210
94
17
77
5.2
5.1
3.1
6.0
2.2
0.4
1.835 to 44 years
7,188
133
29
104
8.9
7.3
5.4
8.1
1.9
0.4
1.435 to 39 years
3,736
68
16
53
4.6
3.8
2.9
4.1
1.8
0.4
1.440 to 44 years
3,452
65
13
51
4.3
3.5
2.5
4.0
1.9
0.4
1.545 to 54 years
7,641
102
25
77
9.5
5.6
4.5
6.0
1.3
0.3
1.045 to 49 years
3,826
60
15
45
4.8
3.3
2.7
3.5
1.6
0.4
1.250 to 54 years
3,815
42
10
32
4.7
2.3
1.8
2.5
1.1
0.3
0.855 to 64 years
6,361
65
22
42
7.9
3.6
4.1
3.3
1.0
0.4
0.755 to 59 years
3,712
44
12
32
4.6
2.4
2.2
2.5
1.2
0.3
0.960 to 64 years
2,650
21
10
11
3.3
1.2
1.9
0.8
0.8
0.4
0.465 years and older
2,153
25
12
13
2.7
1.4
2.1
1.0
1.1
0.5
0.665 to 69 years
1,273
15
8
7
1.6
0.8
1.4
0.5
1.1
0.6
0.570 years and older
880
10
4
6
1.1
0.6
0.7
0.5
1.1
0.4
0.7Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 8. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage, by marital status, age, and gender, 2017 annual averages
Marital status, age, and gender
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageTotalTotal, 16 years and older
80,439
1,824
542
1,282
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
2.3
0.7
1.6Never married
32,149
1,247
392
855
40.0
68.4
72.3
66.7
3.9
1.2
2.716 to 24 years
14,583
841
308
532
18.1
46.1
56.8
41.6
5.8
2.1
3.725 years and older
17,566
407
84
323
21.8
22.3
15.5
25.2
2.3
0.5
1.825 to 54 years
16,009
390
75
315
19.9
21.4
13.8
24.6
2.4
0.5
2.0Married, spouse present(1)
35,317
387
99
288
43.9
21.2
18.3
22.5
1.1
0.3
0.816 to 24 years
1,063
41
12
29
1.3
2.2
2.1
2.3
3.9
1.1
2.825 years and older
34,254
346
88
258
42.6
19.0
16.2
20.2
1.0
0.3
0.825 to 54 years
24,514
257
54
204
30.5
14.1
9.9
15.9
1.0
0.2
0.8Widowed, divorced, or separated(2)
12,973
189
51
139
16.1
10.4
9.3
10.8
1.5
0.4
1.116 to 24 years
328
9
1
7
0.4
0.5
0.3
0.6
2.7
0.5
2.325 years and older
12,645
180
49
131
15.7
9.9
9.1
10.2
1.4
0.4
1.025 to 54 years
8,159
135
33
103
10.1
7.4
6.0
8.0
1.7
0.4
1.3MenTotal, 16 years and older
39,781
678
226
452
49.5
37.2
41.6
35.3
1.7
0.6
1.1Never married
16,612
511
166
345
20.7
28.0
30.7
26.9
3.1
1.0
2.116 to 24 years
7,404
324
128
196
9.2
17.7
23.6
15.3
4.4
1.7
2.625 years and older
9,208
188
39
149
11.4
10.3
7.1
11.6
2.0
0.4
1.625 to 54 years
8,511
179
35
144
10.6
9.8
6.5
11.3
2.1
0.4
1.7Married, spouse present(1)
18,106
114
37
77
22.5
6.2
6.8
6.0
0.6
0.2
0.416 to 24 years
469
5
3
2
0.6
0.3
0.5
0.2
1.0
0.6
0.425 years and older
17,637
109
34
75
21.9
6.0
6.3
5.8
0.6
0.2
0.425 to 54 years
12,603
70
19
52
15.7
3.8
3.4
4.0
0.6
0.1
0.4Widowed, divorced, or separated(2)
5,064
53
22
31
6.3
2.9
4.1
2.4
1.0
0.4
0.616 to 24 years
136
0
0
0
0.2
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.3
0.1
0.225 years and older
4,927
53
22
30
6.1
2.9
4.1
2.4
1.1
0.5
0.625 to 54 years
3,389
39
16
23
4.2
2.1
2.9
1.8
1.1
0.5
0.7WomenTotal, 16 years and older
40,658
1,146
316
829
50.5
62.8
58.4
64.7
2.8
0.8
2.0Never married
15,538
736
226
510
19.3
40.4
41.6
39.8
4.7
1.5
3.316 to 24 years
7,179
517
180
337
8.9
28.4
33.3
26.3
7.2
2.5
4.725 years and older
8,358
219
45
174
10.4
12.0
8.4
13.5
2.6
0.5
2.125 to 54 years
7,498
211
40
171
9.3
11.5
7.3
13.3
2.8
0.5
2.3Married, spouse present(1)
17,212
274
62
211
21.4
15.0
11.5
16.5
1.6
0.4
1.216 to 24 years
594
36
9
27
0.7
2.0
1.6
2.1
6.1
1.5
4.625 years and older
16,617
237
54
184
20.7
13.0
9.9
14.3
1.4
0.3
1.125 to 54 years
11,911
187
35
152
14.8
10.3
6.5
11.9
1.6
0.3
1.3Widowed, divorced, or separated(2)
7,909
136
28
108
9.8
7.5
5.2
8.4
1.7
0.4
1.416 to 24 years
192
9
1
7
0.2
0.5
0.2
0.6
4.4
0.7
3.825 years and older
7,717
128
27
101
9.6
7.0
5.0
7.9
1.7
0.3
1.325 to 54 years
4,770
97
17
80
5.9
5.3
3.2
6.2
2.0
0.4
1.7Footnotes(1) Refers to people in opposite-sex married couples only.(2) Separated includes people who are married, spouse absent.Note: Data exclude all self-employed workers, whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 9. 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, 2017 annual averages
Usual hours worked per week on primary job
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paid hourly ratesTotal paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
Total paid hourly rates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wage
Total
At minimum wage
Below minimum wageTotal, 16 years and older
80,439
1,824
542
1,282
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
2.3
0.7
1.6Hours vary
4,444
160
43
117
5.5
8.8
7.9
9.1
3.6
1.0
2.60 to 34 hours
18,526
1,094
379
716
23.0
60.0
69.8
55.9
5.9
2.0
3.90 to 4 hours
381
21
6
15
0.5
1.2
1.1
1.2
5.6
1.6
4.05 to 9 hours
996
68
21
47
1.2
3.7
3.8
3.7
6.8
2.1
4.710 to 14 hours
1,710
116
54
63
2.1
6.4
9.9
4.9
6.8
3.1
3.715 to 19 hours
2,341
158
67
91
2.9
8.7
12.4
7.1
6.7
2.9
3.920 to 24 hours
5,427
319
123
196
6.7
17.5
22.7
15.3
5.9
2.3
3.625 to 29 hours
2,879
168
60
108
3.6
9.2
11.1
8.4
5.8
2.1
3.730 to 34 hours
4,791
243
47
196
6.0
13.3
8.8
15.3
5.1
1.0
4.135 hours or more
57,470
569
121
449
71.4
31.2
22.2
35.0
1.0
0.2
0.835 to 39 hours
5,864
153
31
122
7.3
8.4
5.7
9.5
2.6
0.5
2.140 hours or more
51,606
416
90
327
64.2
22.8
16.5
25.5
0.8
0.2
0.640 hours
44,481
363
84
279
55.3
19.9
15.5
21.8
0.8
0.2
0.641 hours or more
7,125
53
5
48
8.9
2.9
1.0
3.7
0.7
0.1
0.741 to 44 hours
741
4
1
3
0.9
0.2
0.2
0.3
0.6
0.2
0.445 to 48 hours
2,416
27
1
25
3.0
1.5
0.3
2.0
1.1
0.1
1.149 to 59 hours
2,731
16
1
15
3.4
0.9
0.1
1.2
0.6
0.0
0.660 hours or more
1,238
6
2
3
1.5
0.3
0.4
0.3
0.4
0.2
0.3Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Estimates of usual hours worked presented in this table differ from usual full- or part-time status (as shown in table 1) because of a sizable number of workers whose usual hours vary on the primary job. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Table 10. Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below prevailing federal minimum wage, by gender, 1979-2017 annual averages [Numbers in thousands]
Year and gender
Total wage and salary workers
Workers paid hourly ratesTotal
Percentage of total wage and salary workers
At prevailing federal minimum wage(1)
Below prevailing federal minimum wage(1)
Total at or below prevailing federal minimum wageNumber
Percentage of hourly paid workersTotal1979
87,529
51,721
59.1
3,997
2,916
6,912
13.41980
87,644
51,335
58.6
4,686
3,087
7,773
15.11981
88,516
51,869
58.6
4,311
3,513
7,824
15.11982
87,368
50,846
58.2
4,148
2,348
6,496
12.81983
88,290
51,820
58.7
4,261
2,077
6,338
12.21984
92,194
54,143
58.7
4,125
1,838
5,963
11.01985
94,521
55,762
59.0
3,899
1,639
5,538
9.91986
96,903
57,529
59.4
3,461
1,599
5,060
8.81987
99,303
59,552
60.0
3,229
1,468
4,698
7.91988
101,407
60,878
60.0
2,608
1,319
3,927
6.51989
103,480
62,389
60.3
1,790
1,372
3,162
5.11990
104,876
63,172
60.2
1,096
2,132
3,228
5.11991
103,723
62,627
60.4
2,906
2,377
5,283
8.41992
104,668
63,610
60.8
2,982
1,939
4,921
7.71993
106,101
64,274
60.6
2,625
1,707
4,332
6.71994
107,989
66,549
61.6
2,132
1,995
4,128
6.21995
110,038
68,354
62.1
1,956
1,699
3,656
5.31996
111,960
69,255
61.9
1,861
1,863
3,724
5.41997
114,533
70,735
61.8
1,764
2,990
4,754
6.71998
116,730
71,440
61.2
1,593
2,834
4,427
6.21999
118,963
72,306
60.8
1,146
2,194
3,340
4.62000
122,089
73,496
60.2
898
1,752
2,650
3.62001
122,229
73,392
60.0
656
1,518
2,174
3.02002
121,826
72,508
59.5
567
1,579
2,146
3.02003
122,358
72,946
59.6
545
1,555
2,100
2.92004
123,554
73,939
59.8
520
1,483
2,003
2.72005
125,889
75,609
60.1
479
1,403
1,882
2.52006
128,237
76,514
59.7
409
1,283
1,692
2.22007
129,767
75,873
58.5
267
1,462
1,729
2.32008
129,377
75,305
58.2
286
1,940
2,226
3.02009
124,490
72,611
58.3
980
2,592
3,572
4.92010
124,073
72,902
58.8
1,820
2,541
4,361
6.02011
125,187
73,926
59.1
1,677
2,152
3,829
5.22012
127,577
75,276
59.0
1,566
1,984
3,550
4.72013
129,110
75,948
58.8
1,532
1,768
3,301
4.32014
131,431
77,207
58.7
1,255
1,737
2,992
3.92015
133,743
78,232
58.5
870
1,691
2,561
3.32016
136,101
79,883
58.7
701
1,451
2,153
2.72017
137,890
80,439
58.3
542
1,282
1,824
2.3Men1979
49,400
28,392
57.5
1,353
846
2,199
7.71980
48,700
27,709
56.9
1,696
983
2,678
9.71981
48,844
27,576
56.5
1,533
1,119
2,652
9.61982
47,591
26,481
55.6
1,587
697
2,284
8.61983
47,856
26,831
56.1
1,658
585
2,243
8.41984
50,022
28,140
56.3
1,626
490
2,116
7.51985
51,015
28,893
56.6
1,544
440
1,984
6.91986
51,942
29,666
57.1
1,336
408
1,743
5.91987
52,938
30,474
57.6
1,283
364
1,647
5.41988
53,912
31,058
57.6
1,066
311
1,377
4.41989
54,789
31,687
57.8
733
379
1,112
3.51990
55,553
32,104
57.8
385
712
1,097
3.41991
54,618
31,639
57.9
1,114
795
1,909
6.01992
54,826
32,155
58.6
1,231
653
1,885
5.91993
55,475
32,337
58.3
1,091
573
1,664
5.11994
56,570
33,528
59.3
891
674
1,565
4.71995
57,669
34,420
59.7
796
542
1,338
3.91996
58,473
34,838
59.6
755
619
1,374
3.91997
59,825
35,521
59.4
673
1,147
1,820
5.11998
60,973
35,761
58.7
628
1,039
1,667
4.71999
61,914
36,073
58.3
446
768
1,214
3.42000
63,662
36,720
57.7
319
582
901
2.52001
63,647
36,544
57.4
247
497
744
2.02002
63,272
36,000
56.9
217
582
799
2.22003
63,236
35,853
56.7
213
493
706
2.02004
64,145
36,806
57.4
210
470
680
1.82005
65,466
37,652
57.5
189
459
648
1.72006
66,811
38,193
57.2
146
422
568
1.52007
67,468
37,790
56.0
86
460
546
1.42008
66,846
37,334
55.9
90
638
728
1.92009
63,539
35,185
55.4
368
990
1,358
3.92010
63,531
35,498
55.9
669
943
1,612
4.52011
64,686
36,457
56.4
648
785
1,433
3.92012
65,898
37,113
56.3
567
696
1,263
3.42013
66,794
37,544
56.2
622
621
1,243
3.32014
68,048
38,405
56.4
516
598
1,114
2.92015
69,298
38,732
55.9
330
629
959
2.52016
70,589
39,568
56.1
270
499
769
1.92017
71,469
39,781
55.7
226
452
678
1.7Women1979
38,129
23,329
61.2
2,644
2,070
4,714
20.21980
38,944
23,626
60.7
2,990
2,104
5,095
21.61981
39,672
24,294
61.2
2,778
2,394
5,172
21.31982
39,777
24,365
61.3
2,561
1,651
4,212
17.31983
40,433
24,989
61.8
2,603
1,492
4,095
16.41984
42,172
26,003
61.7
2,499
1,348
3,847
14.81985
43,506
26,869
61.8
2,356
1,198
3,554
13.21986
44,961
27,863
62.0
2,125
1,192
3,317
11.91987
46,365
29,078
62.7
1,946
1,105
3,051
10.51988
47,495
29,820
62.8
1,542
1,008
2,550
8.61989
48,691
30,702
63.1
1,056
994
2,050
6.71990
49,323
31,069
63.0
711
1,420
2,131
6.91991
49,105
30,988
63.1
1,792
1,582
3,374
10.91992
49,842
31,454
63.1
1,751
1,286
3,036
9.71993
50,626
31,937
63.1
1,534
1,133
2,667
8.41994
51,419
33,021
64.2
1,241
1,322
2,563
7.81995
52,369
33,934
64.8
1,161
1,157
2,318
6.81996
53,488
34,418
64.3
1,106
1,244
2,350
6.81997
54,708
35,214
64.4
1,092
1,843
2,935
8.31998
55,757
35,680
64.0
965
1,794
2,760
7.71999
57,050
36,233
63.5
700
1,426
2,126
5.92000
58,427
36,777
62.9
579
1,170
1,749
4.82001
58,582
36,848
62.9
409
1,021
1,430
3.92002
58,555
36,508
62.3
350
997
1,347
3.72003
59,122
37,093
62.7
332
1,062
1,394
3.82004
59,408
37,133
62.5
310
1,013
1,323
3.62005
60,423
37,957
62.8
290
944
1,234
3.32006
61,426
38,321
62.4
263
861
1,124
2.92007
62,299
38,082
61.1
181
1,002
1,183
3.12008
62,532
37,972
60.7
196
1,302
1,498
3.92009
60,951
37,426
61.4
612
1,603
2,215
5.92010
60,542
37,404
61.8
1,151
1,598
2,749
7.32011
60,502
37,469
61.9
1,029
1,366
2,395
6.42012
61,679
38,163
61.9
999
1,288
2,287
6.02013
62,316
38,404
61.6
910
1,148
2,058
5.42014
63,383
38,802
61.2
739
1,139
1,878
4.82015
64,445
39,500
61.3
540
1,062
1,602
4.12016
65,512
40,315
61.5
432
952
1,384
3.42017
66,421
40,658
61.2
316
829
1,146
2.8Footnotes(1) Data for 1990-1991, 1996-1997, and 2007-2009 reflect changes in the minimum wage that took place in those years.Note: The comparability of historical labor force data has been affected at various times by methodological and conceptual changes in the Current Population Survey (CPS). Information about historical comparability is available at https://www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#comp. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Technical Notes
     
The estimates in this report were obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS), which provides information on the labor force, employment, and unemployment. The survey is conducted monthly for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by the U.S. Census Bureau using a scientifically selected national sample of about 60,000 eligible households in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The survey also provides data on earnings, which are based on one-fourth of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to wage and salary workers. All self-employed workers, both incorporated and unincorporated, are excluded from these earnings estimates.
Material in this report is in the public domain and may be used without permission. This information is available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice telephone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.
Concepts and definitions
The principal definitions used in connection with the estimates of minimum wage workers presented in this report are described briefly below.
*Wage and salary workers.*These are those age 16 and older who receive wages, salaries, commissions, tips, payments in kind, or piece rates on their sole or principal job. This group includes employees in both the private and public sectors. All self-employed workers are excluded whether or not their businesses are incorporated.
*Workers paid by the hour*. These are wage and salary workers who report that they are paid at an hourly rate on their job. Historically, workers paid an hourly wage have made up approximately three-fifths of all wage and salary workers. Estimates of workers paid by the hour include both full- and part-time workers unless otherwise specified.
*Hourly earnings.* Data are for wage and salary workers who are paid by the hour and refer to a person’s sole or principal job. Hourly earnings for hourly paid workers do not include overtime pay, commissions, or tips received.
*Workers paid at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage*. The estimates of the numbers of workers with reported earnings at or below the federal minimum wage pertain only to workers who are paid hourly rates. Salaried workers and the other nonhourly paid workers are excluded.
Regular collection of earnings data in the basic CPS began in 1979. The prevailing federal minimum wage for 1979 and later years is listed below:

**Federal minimum wage**
**Effective date**$2.90
January 1, 1979$3.10
January 1, 1980$3.35
January 1, 1981$3.80
April 1, 1990$4.25
April 1, 1991$4.75
October 1, 1996$5.15
September 1, 1997$5.85
July 24, 2007$6.55
July 24, 2008$7.25
July 24, 2009
Estimates of the annual average number of minimum wage workers for years when the minimum wage increased reflect both minimum wage levels in effect during the year. For example, data for 2007 reflect the number of workers at or below the federal minimum of $5.15 for January to July and $5.85 for August to December.
*Full-time workers.* People who usually work 35 hours or more per week at their sole or principal job are defined as working full time.
*Part-time workers.*People who usually work fewer than 35 hours per week at their sole or principal job are defined as working part time.
*Race*. In the survey process, race is determined by the household respondent. In accordance with the Office of Management and Budget guidelines, White, Black or African American, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander are terms used to describe a person’s race. The latter two race groups and people who selected more than one race are included in totals but not separately identified in this report because the number of survey respondents is too small to develop estimates of sufficient quality.
*Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.* These are people who identified themselves in the survey process as being of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin. People whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.
Interpreting minimum wage data
The CPS does not determine whether workers are covered by the minimum wage provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) or by individual state or local minimum wage laws. The estimates of workers paid at or below the federal minimum wage are based solely on the hourly wage that respondents report (which does not include overtime pay, tips, or commissions). It should be noted that some respondents might round hourly earnings when answering survey questions. As a result, some workers might be reported as having hourly earnings above or below the federal minimum wage when, in fact, they earn the minimum wage.
Some workers reported as earning at or below the prevailing federal minimum wage may not, in fact, be covered by federal or state minimum wage laws because of exclusions and exemptions in the statutes. Thus, the presence of workers with hourly earnings below the federal minimum wage does not necessarily indicate violations of the FLSA or state statutes in cases where such standards apply.
Estimates of the number of minimum wage workers in this report pertain only to workers who are paid hourly rates. Salaried workers and other workers who are not paid by the hour are excluded, even though some have earnings that, if converted to hourly rates, would be at or below the federal minimum wage. Consequently, the estimates presented in this report likely underestimate the actual number of workers with hourly earnings at or below the minimum wage. BLS does not routinely estimate the hourly earnings of workers not paid by the hour because of data-quality concerns associated with constructing such an estimate.
A number of states have established minimum wage rates that exceed the federal level. (Information on state minimum wage laws is available at www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm.) Users should be cautious about comparing state estimates in this report because of differing statutory minimum wages. It also should be noted that the CPS sample is based on residence; workers report their earnings on their job, which may or may not be located in the same state in which they live. In addition, the degree of sampling error may be quite large for some state estimates.
Reliability
Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the true population values they represent. The component of this difference that occurs because samples differ by chance is known as sampling error, and its variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate. There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the true population value because of sampling error. BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence.
The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the population, inability to obtain information for all respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data. For example, respondents may round their hourly earnings to whole dollars when answering survey questions.
Information about the reliability of data from the CPS is available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability.
 Facebook
 Twitter
 LinkedIn


Home
   Subjects
   Data Tools
   Publications
   Economic Releases
   Classroom
   Beta


**U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics**
Division of Information and Marketing Services 
PSB Suite 2850 
2 Massachusetts Avenue NE  
Washington, DC 20212-0001 Telephone:1-202-691-5200 Telecommunications Relay Service:7-1-1 www.bls.gov/OPUB Contact Us
 resources  Inspector General (OIG)
								Budget and Performance	
								Department of Labor Grants									
								No Fear Act
								USA.gov
								Vote.gov
 about the site  Sitemap						
								Freedom of Information Act
								Privacy and Security Statement
								Disclaimers
								Linking and Copyright Info	
								Important Website Notices
								Help and Tutorials
								Babel Notice: accessing language services


Twitter Youtube Email


- Publications
- BLS Reports