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April 2022 
                    Report 1098

				 
			

























											



				 
                
                BLS Reports Menu
                    CONTENTS
                        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
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     Characteristics of minimum wage workers, 2021
Characteristics of minimum wage workers, 2021 imageIn 2021, 76.1 million workers age 16 and older in the United States were paid at hourly rates, representing 55.8 percent of all wage and salary workers. Among those paid by the hour, 181,000 workers earned exactly the prevailing federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. About 910,000 workers had wages below the federal minimum. Together, these 1.1 million workers with wages at or below the federal minimum made up 1.4 percent of all hourly paid workers.Data on minimum wage workers for 2021 continue to reflect the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the labor market. Comparisons with data on minimum wage workers for earlier years should be interpreted with caution. More information on labor market developments in 2021 is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-and-response-on-the-employment-situation-news-release.htm.The percentage of hourly paid workers earning the prevailing federal minimum wage or less, at 1.4 percent in 2021, was little different than in 2020. This remains well below the 13.4 percent 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 2021. 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).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 2021 data:**Age.** Minimum wage workers tend to be young. Although workers under age 25 represented nearly one-fifth of hourly paid workers, they made up 44 percent of those paid the federal minimum wage or less. Among employed teenagers (ages 16 to 19) paid by the hour, 4 percent earned the minimum wage or less, compared with 1 percent of workers age 25 and older. (See tables 1 and 7.)**Gender.** Among workers who were paid hourly rates in 2021, about 2 percent of women and 1 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. White, Black, Asian, and Hispanic workers each had about 1 percent of workers who earned the federal minimum wage or less. (See table 1.)**Education.**Among hourly paid workers age 16 and older, about 2 percent of those without a high school diploma, high school graduates (no college), and those with some college or an associate degree earned the federal minimum wage or less, compared with 1 percent of those with a bachelor's degree and higher. (See table 6.)**Marital status.**Among workers paid an hourly wage, those who were never married were more likely than married workers to earn the federal minimum wage or less (about 2 percent versus about 1 percent). (See table 8.)**Full- and part-time status.**About 3 percent of part-time workers (people 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 5 percent. Nearly 3 out of 4 workers earning the minimum wage or less in 2021 were employed in service occupations, mostly in food preparation and serving related jobs.**** (See table 4.)**Industry.**As has historically been the case, the industry with the highest percentage of workers earning hourly wages at or below the federal minimum wage in 2021 was leisure and hospitality (8 percent). About two-thirds of all workers paid at or below the federal minimum wage were employed in this industry, almost entirely in restaurants, bars, 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 federal minimum wage were mostly in the South. Compared with recent years, a relatively large number of states had less than 1 percent of hourly paid workers earning at or below the federal minimum wage: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Montana, Nevada, New York, Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington. It should be noted that more than half of all states have minimum wages that exceed the federal minimum.**** (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, 2021 annual averages
Characteristic
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paidhourly ratesTotal paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
Total paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
BelowminimumwageAge and genderTotal, 16 years and older
76,125
1,091
181
910
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
1.4
0.2
1.216 to 24 years
15,153
484
111
373
19.9
44.3
61.5
40.9
3.2
0.7
2.516 to 19 years
4,776
190
62
128
6.3
17.4
34.1
14.1
4.0
1.3
2.725 years and older
60,973
607
70
538
80.1
55.7
38.5
59.1
1.0
0.1
0.9Men, 16 years and older
38,089
398
87
311
50.0
36.5
48.0
34.2
1.0
0.2
0.816 to 24 years
7,544
159
51
108
9.9
14.6
28.0
11.9
2.1
0.7
1.416 to 19 years
2,309
72
29
43
3.0
6.6
16.1
4.7
3.1
1.3
1.925 years and older
30,545
239
36
203
40.1
21.9
20.0
22.3
0.8
0.1
0.7Women, 16 years and older
38,036
693
94
599
50.0
63.5
52.0
65.8
1.8
0.2
1.616 to 24 years
7,608
325
61
264
10.0
29.8
33.5
29.0
4.3
0.8
3.516 to 19 years
2,467
118
33
85
3.2
10.8
18.0
9.4
4.8
1.3
3.525 years and older
30,428
368
34
335
40.0
33.7
18.5
36.8
1.2
0.1
1.1Race and Hispanicor Latino ethnicityWhite(1)
58,021
832
127
706
76.2
76.2
69.9
77.5
1.4
0.2
1.2Men
29,656
293
64
229
39.0
26.8
35.5
25.1
1.0
0.2
0.8Women
28,366
539
62
477
37.3
49.4
34.4
52.4
1.9
0.2
1.7Black or African American(1)
11,019
146
34
112
14.5
13.4
18.6
12.3
1.3
0.3
1.0Men
5,009
62
13
49
6.6
5.7
7.0
5.4
1.2
0.3
1.0Women
6,010
84
21
63
7.9
7.7
11.6
6.9
1.4
0.3
1.0Asian(1)
3,809
44
9
34
5.0
4.0
5.1
3.8
1.1
0.2
0.9Men
1,766
15
5
10
2.3
1.4
2.6
1.1
0.8
0.3
0.6Women
2,044
29
4
24
2.7
2.6
2.5
2.7
1.4
0.2
1.2Hispanic or Latino(1)
16,998
226
33
194
22.3
20.7
18.0
21.3
1.3
0.2
1.1Men
9,464
90
21
69
12.4
8.2
11.7
7.5
0.9
0.2
0.7Women
7,534
137
11
125
9.9
12.5
6.2
13.8
1.8
0.1
1.7Full- and part-time statusFull-time workers(2)
58,259
520
47
473
76.5
47.6
26.1
51.9
0.9
0.1
0.8Men
31,827
202
27
175
41.8
18.5
14.9
19.3
0.6
0.1
0.6Women
26,432
318
20
297
34.7
29.1
11.2
32.7
1.2
0.1
1.1Part-time workers(2)
17,757
567
134
433
23.3
52.0
73.9
47.6
3.2
0.8
2.4Men
6,205
193
60
133
8.2
17.7
33.1
14.6
3.1
1.0
2.1Women
11,552
374
74
300
15.2
34.3
40.8
33.0
3.2
0.6
2.6Footnotes(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, 2021 annual averages
Region and division
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paidhourly ratesTotal paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
Total paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
BelowminimumwageTotal, 16 years and older
76,125
1,091
181
910
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
1.4
0.2
1.2Northeast
12,195
167
26
140
16.0
15.3
14.5
15.4
1.4
0.2
1.2New England
3,505
47
1
46
4.6
4.3
0.6
5.0
1.3
0.0
1.3Middle Atlantic
8,691
120
25
94
11.4
11.0
13.9
10.4
1.4
0.3
1.1Midwest
17,688
230
34
197
23.2
21.1
18.5
21.6
1.3
0.2
1.1East North Central
11,884
160
25
135
15.6
14.6
13.6
14.8
1.3
0.2
1.1West North Central
5,804
71
9
62
7.6
6.5
5.0
6.8
1.2
0.2
1.1South
27,808
577
104
473
36.5
52.8
57.3
51.9
2.1
0.4
1.7South Atlantic
14,158
285
33
253
18.6
26.1
18.0
27.8
2.0
0.2
1.8East South Central
4,513
79
25
54
5.9
7.2
13.7
5.9
1.7
0.5
1.2West South Central
9,137
213
46
166
12.0
19.5
25.6
18.3
2.3
0.5
1.8West
18,434
118
18
100
24.2
10.8
9.7
11.0
0.6
0.1
0.5Mountain
6,187
57
11
46
8.1
5.2
6.2
5.1
0.9
0.2
0.7Pacific
12,246
61
6
54
16.1
5.6
3.5
6.0
0.5
0.1
0.4Note: 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, 2021 annual averages
State
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paidhourly ratesTotal paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
Total paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
BelowminimumwageTotal, 16 years and older
76,125
1,091
181
910
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
1.4
0.2
1.2Alabama
1,158
21
6
15
1.5
1.9
3.5
1.6
1.8
0.5
1.3Alaska
182
1
0
1
0.2
0.1
0.0
0.1
0.6
0.0
0.6Arizona
1,837
8
0
8
2.4
0.7
0.0
0.8
0.4
0.0
0.4Arkansas
698
4
1
3
0.9
0.4
0.8
0.3
0.6
0.2
0.4California
8,812
41
5
36
11.6
3.8
2.7
4.0
0.5
0.1
0.4Colorado
1,250
5
0
5
1.6
0.5
0.0
0.6
0.4
0.0
0.4Connecticut
842
4
0
4
1.1
0.4
0.0
0.5
0.5
0.0
0.5Delaware
260
6
1
5
0.3
0.6
0.4
0.6
2.4
0.3
2.1District of Columbia
81
2
0
2
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.2
2.5
0.6
2.0Florida
4,495
103
5
98
5.9
9.4
2.6
10.8
2.3
0.1
2.2Georgia
2,285
49
7
43
3.0
4.5
3.6
4.7
2.2
0.3
1.9Hawaii
311
3
0
3
0.4
0.3
0.1
0.3
1.0
0.1
0.9Idaho
508
11
4
7
0.7
1.0
2.0
0.8
2.1
0.7
1.4Illinois
2,820
28
2
26
3.7
2.6
1.3
2.8
1.0
0.1
0.9Indiana
1,698
30
4
26
2.2
2.7
2.4
2.8
1.8
0.3
1.5Iowa
909
10
1
9
1.2
0.9
0.4
1.0
1.1
0.1
1.0Kansas
736
12
1
11
1.0
1.1
0.7
1.2
1.6
0.2
1.4Kentucky
1,086
21
5
16
1.4
2.0
2.8
1.8
2.0
0.5
1.5Louisiana
1,045
34
7
27
1.4
3.1
3.7
3.0
3.2
0.6
2.6Maine
358
5
0
5
0.5
0.4
0.0
0.5
1.3
0.0
1.3Maryland
1,305
16
0
16
1.7
1.4
0.0
1.7
1.2
0.0
1.2Massachusetts
1,513
24
1
24
2.0
2.2
0.5
2.6
1.6
0.1
1.6Michigan
2,476
34
5
29
3.3
3.1
2.9
3.2
1.4
0.2
1.2Minnesota
1,574
15
3
12
2.1
1.4
1.6
1.4
1.0
0.2
0.8Mississippi
697
16
7
9
0.9
1.4
3.7
1.0
2.2
1.0
1.3Missouri
1,551
22
3
19
2.0
2.0
1.5
2.1
1.4
0.2
1.2Montana
297
3
0
2
0.4
0.2
0.1
0.2
0.8
0.1
0.8Nebraska
549
7
1
6
0.7
0.6
0.6
0.6
1.2
0.2
1.0Nevada
827
7
2
6
1.1
0.7
0.8
0.6
0.9
0.2
0.7New Hampshire
375
9
0
9
0.5
0.8
0.0
0.9
2.3
0.0
2.3New Jersey
1,606
26
0
26
2.1
2.4
0.0
2.8
1.6
0.0
1.6New Mexico
452
7
0
7
0.6
0.7
0.0
0.8
1.6
0.0
1.6New York
3,869
32
6
26
5.1
2.9
3.5
2.8
0.8
0.2
0.7North Carolina
2,402
41
6
35
3.2
3.8
3.5
3.8
1.7
0.3
1.4North Dakota
221
3
0
3
0.3
0.3
0.1
0.3
1.4
0.1
1.3Ohio
3,196
41
5
36
4.2
3.7
2.8
3.9
1.3
0.2
1.1Oklahoma
910
18
5
13
1.2
1.6
2.8
1.4
2.0
0.5
1.4Oregon
1,027
3
0
3
1.3
0.3
0.0
0.4
0.3
0.0
0.3Pennsylvania
3,216
62
19
43
4.2
5.7
10.4
4.7
1.9
0.6
1.3Rhode Island
272
3
0
3
0.4
0.3
0.0
0.4
1.2
0.0
1.2South Carolina
1,168
23
5
19
1.5
2.1
2.5
2.1
2.0
0.4
1.6South Dakota
265
2
0
2
0.3
0.2
0.0
0.3
0.9
0.0
0.9Tennessee
1,572
20
7
14
2.1
1.9
3.7
1.5
1.3
0.4
0.9Texas
6,485
157
33
124
8.5
14.4
18.4
13.6
2.4
0.5
1.9Utah
866
13
5
8
1.1
1.2
2.9
0.9
1.5
0.6
0.9Vermont
145
2
0
1
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.2
1.1
0.1
1.0Virginia
1,737
39
9
30
2.3
3.6
4.8
3.3
2.2
0.5
1.7Washington
1,914
12
1
11
2.5
1.1
0.7
1.2
0.6
0.1
0.6West Virginia
425
6
1
6
0.6
0.6
0.3
0.6
1.4
0.1
1.3Wisconsin
1,694
26
7
19
2.2
2.4
4.1
2.1
1.6
0.4
1.1Wyoming
151
3
1
2
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.2
1.9
0.5
1.4Note: 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, 2021 annual averages
Occupation
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paidhourly ratesTotal paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
Total paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
BelowminimumwageTotal, 16 years and older
76,125
1,091
181
910
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
1.4
0.2
1.2Management, professional, and related occupations
17,899
67
12
55
23.5
6.1
6.7
6.0
0.4
0.1
0.3Management, business, and financial operations occupations
5,594
27
2
24
7.3
2.4
1.3
2.7
0.5
0.0
0.4Professional and related occupations
12,305
40
10
30
16.2
3.7
5.4
3.3
0.3
0.1
0.2Service occupations
17,398
804
85
719
22.9
73.7
47.1
79.0
4.6
0.5
4.1Healthcare support occupations
3,896
23
9
15
5.1
2.2
4.8
1.6
0.6
0.2
0.4Protective service occupations
1,923
25
1
24
2.5
2.3
0.6
2.7
1.3
0.1
1.3Food preparation and serving related occupations
6,424
643
51
593
8.4
58.9
27.9
65.1
10.0
0.8
9.2Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations
3,503
49
6
43
4.6
4.5
3.4
4.7
1.4
0.2
1.2Personal care and service occupations
1,652
63
19
44
2.2
5.8
10.5
4.9
3.8
1.1
2.7Sales and office occupations
17,336
88
44
45
22.8
8.1
24.0
4.9
0.5
0.3
0.3Sales and related occupations
7,094
55
26
29
9.3
5.0
14.2
3.2
0.8
0.4
0.4Office and administrative support occupations
10,243
33
18
16
13.5
3.1
9.8
1.7
0.3
0.2
0.2Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations
8,867
24
6
18
11.6
2.2
3.1
2.0
0.3
0.1
0.2Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
660
2
1
0
0.9
0.2
0.8
0.0
0.3
0.2
0.1Construction and extraction occupations
4,903
14
0
14
6.4
1.3
0.0
1.5
0.3
0.0
0.3Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
3,305
8
4
4
4.3
0.8
2.3
0.5
0.2
0.1
0.1Production, transportation, and material moving occupations
14,624
108
34
74
19.2
9.9
19.0
8.1
0.7
0.2
0.5Production occupations
6,307
30
9
21
8.3
2.7
4.9
2.3
0.5
0.1
0.3Transportation and material moving occupations
8,317
78
26
53
10.9
7.2
14.1
5.8
0.9
0.3
0.6Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Effective with January 2020 data, occupations reflect the introduction of the 2018 Census occupational classification system, derived from the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). No historical data have been revised. Data for 2020 are not strictly comparable with earlier years.  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, 2021 annual averages
Industry
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paidhourly ratesTotal paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
Total paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
BelowminimumwageTotal, 16 years and older
76,125
1,091
181
910
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
1.4
0.2
1.2Private sector
67,168
1,023
176
847
88.2
93.7
97.1
93.1
1.5
0.3
1.3Agriculture and related industries
839
0
0
0
1.1
0.0
0.1
0.0
0.1
0.0
0.0Nonagricultural industries
66,329
1,023
176
847
87.1
93.7
97.1
93.0
1.5
0.3
1.3Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
282
1
0
1
0.4
0.1
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.0
0.2Construction
5,281
9
1
8
6.9
0.8
0.6
0.9
0.2
0.0
0.1Manufacturing
8,391
30
5
26
11.0
2.8
2.5
2.8
0.4
0.1
0.3Durable goods
5,251
15
1
15
6.9
1.4
0.3
1.6
0.3
0.0
0.3Nondurable goods
3,140
15
4
11
4.1
1.4
2.2
1.2
0.5
0.1
0.4Wholesale and retail trade
12,514
65
29
36
16.4
6.0
15.9
4.0
0.5
0.2
0.3Wholesale trade
1,598
0
0
0
2.1
0.0
0.2
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0Retail trade
10,916
65
28
36
14.3
5.9
15.7
4.0
0.6
0.3
0.3Transportation and utilities
4,269
27
10
17
5.6
2.4
5.3
1.9
0.6
0.2
0.4Information
894
2
1
1
1.2
0.1
0.3
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.1Financial activities
3,178
8
1
6
4.2
0.7
0.8
0.7
0.2
0.0
0.2Professional and business services
6,137
25
3
22
8.1
2.3
1.8
2.4
0.4
0.1
0.4Education and health services
13,445
77
30
47
17.7
7.0
16.5
5.2
0.6
0.2
0.3Leisure and hospitality
8,907
715
77
637
11.7
65.5
42.8
70.0
8.0
0.9
7.2Other services
3,032
65
19
46
4.0
5.9
10.6
5.0
2.1
0.6
1.5Public sector
8,957
68
5
63
11.8
6.3
2.9
6.9
0.8
0.1
0.7Federal
1,831
10
1
10
2.4
1.0
0.5
1.0
0.6
0.0
0.5State
2,620
18
3
15
3.4
1.7
1.7
1.6
0.7
0.1
0.6Local
4,506
40
1
39
5.9
3.6
0.7
4.2
0.9
0.0
0.9Note: 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, 2021 annual averages
Educational attainment
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paidhourly ratesTotal paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
Total paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
BelowminimumwageTotal, 16 years and older
76,125
1,091
181
910
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
1.4
0.2
1.2Less than a high school diploma
8,505
163
57
105
11.2
14.9
31.7
11.5
1.9
0.7
1.2Less than 1 year of high school
2,425
21
4
16
3.2
1.9
2.4
1.8
0.9
0.2
0.71 to 3 years of high school
4,892
113
46
67
6.4
10.4
25.6
7.3
2.3
0.9
1.44 years of high school, no diploma
1,189
29
7
22
1.6
2.6
3.7
2.4
2.4
0.6
1.9High school graduates or more
67,620
929
124
805
88.8
85.1
68.3
88.5
1.4
0.2
1.2High school graduates, no college
25,888
376
64
312
34.0
34.4
35.3
34.2
1.5
0.2
1.2Some college or associate degree
24,960
393
50
342
32.8
36.0
27.8
37.6
1.6
0.2
1.4Some college, no degree
15,419
297
39
257
20.3
27.2
21.8
28.3
1.9
0.3
1.7Associate degree
9,541
96
11
85
12.5
8.8
6.0
9.3
1.0
0.1
0.9Occupational program
4,094
36
4
33
5.4
3.3
2.1
3.6
0.9
0.1
0.8Academic program
5,447
60
7
52
7.2
5.5
3.9
5.8
1.1
0.1
1.0Bachelor's degree and higher
16,772
161
9
151
22.0
14.7
5.1
16.6
1.0
0.1
0.9Bachelor's degree
12,748
134
6
129
16.7
12.3
3.1
14.1
1.1
0.0
1.0Master's degree
3,207
20
2
18
4.2
1.8
1.0
2.0
0.6
0.1
0.6Professional degree
375
5
1
3
0.5
0.4
0.7
0.4
1.2
0.3
0.9Doctoral degree
442
1
1
1
0.6
0.1
0.4
0.1
0.3
0.2
0.2Note: 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, 2021 annual averages
Age and gender
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paidhourly ratesTotal paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
Total paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
BelowminimumwageTotalTotal, 16 years and older
76,125
1,091
181
910
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
1.4
0.2
1.216 to 24 years
15,153
484
111
373
19.9
44.3
61.5
40.9
3.2
0.7
2.516 to 19 years
4,776
190
62
128
6.3
17.4
34.1
14.1
4.0
1.3
2.720 to 24 years
10,377
294
50
244
13.6
26.9
27.4
26.8
2.8
0.5
2.425 years and older
60,973
607
70
538
80.1
55.7
38.5
59.1
1.0
0.1
0.925 to 34 years
18,352
268
18
250
24.1
24.6
10.2
27.5
1.5
0.1
1.425 to 29 years
9,607
153
6
146
12.6
14.0
3.5
16.1
1.6
0.1
1.530 to 34 years
8,745
116
12
104
11.5
10.6
6.7
11.4
1.3
0.1
1.235 to 44 years
14,137
117
11
106
18.6
10.7
6.0
11.7
0.8
0.1
0.835 to 39 years
7,342
70
7
63
9.6
6.4
3.7
7.0
1.0
0.1
0.940 to 44 years
6,795
47
4
43
8.9
4.3
2.4
4.7
0.7
0.1
0.645 to 54 years
12,826
97
9
88
16.8
8.9
4.9
9.6
0.8
0.1
0.745 to 49 years
6,399
57
6
51
8.4
5.2
3.1
5.7
0.9
0.1
0.850 to 54 years
6,428
40
3
36
8.4
3.6
1.8
4.0
0.6
0.1
0.655 to 64 years
11,524
91
17
74
15.1
8.3
9.4
8.1
0.8
0.1
0.655 to 59 years
6,360
49
6
44
8.4
4.5
3.0
4.8
0.8
0.1
0.760 to 64 years
5,164
41
12
30
6.8
3.8
6.4
3.3
0.8
0.2
0.665 years and older
4,134
34
14
20
5.4
3.1
8.0
2.2
0.8
0.3
0.565 to 69 years
2,411
16
5
10
3.2
1.4
2.9
1.1
0.6
0.2
0.470 years and older
1,723
19
9
10
2.3
1.7
5.0
1.1
1.1
0.5
0.6MenTotal, 16 years and older
38,089
398
87
311
50.0
36.5
48.0
34.2
1.0
0.2
0.816 to 24 years
7,544
159
51
108
9.9
14.6
28.0
11.9
2.1
0.7
1.416 to 19 years
2,309
72
29
43
3.0
6.6
16.1
4.7
3.1
1.3
1.920 to 24 years
5,235
87
22
66
6.9
8.0
11.9
7.2
1.7
0.4
1.325 years and older
30,545
239
36
203
40.1
21.9
20.0
22.3
0.8
0.1
0.725 to 34 years
9,691
100
14
86
12.7
9.1
7.7
9.4
1.0
0.1
0.925 to 29 years
5,004
55
3
51
6.6
5.0
1.8
5.6
1.1
0.1
1.030 to 34 years
4,687
45
11
34
6.2
4.1
5.9
3.8
1.0
0.2
0.735 to 44 years
7,251
43
7
36
9.5
4.0
3.8
4.0
0.6
0.1
0.535 to 39 years
3,859
25
6
19
5.1
2.3
3.4
2.1
0.6
0.2
0.540 to 44 years
3,392
18
1
18
4.5
1.7
0.4
1.9
0.5
0.0
0.545 to 54 years
6,194
38
4
34
8.1
3.5
2.2
3.7
0.6
0.1
0.545 to 49 years
3,103
23
1
21
4.1
2.1
0.7
2.4
0.7
0.0
0.750 to 54 years
3,092
15
3
12
4.1
1.4
1.5
1.4
0.5
0.1
0.455 to 64 years
5,477
41
6
35
7.2
3.7
3.3
3.8
0.7
0.1
0.655 to 59 years
2,994
20
2
18
3.9
1.8
1.0
2.0
0.7
0.1
0.660 to 64 years
2,483
21
4
17
3.3
1.9
2.3
1.9
0.8
0.2
0.765 years and older
1,931
18
5
12
2.5
1.6
2.9
1.4
0.9
0.3
0.665 to 69 years
1,114
5
0
5
1.5
0.5
0.0
0.6
0.5
0.0
0.570 years and older
818
12
5
7
1.1
1.1
2.9
0.8
1.5
0.6
0.9WomenTotal, 16 years and older
38,036
693
94
599
50.0
63.5
52.0
65.8
1.8
0.2
1.616 to 24 years
7,608
325
61
264
10.0
29.8
33.5
29.0
4.3
0.8
3.516 to 19 years
2,467
118
33
85
3.2
10.8
18.0
9.4
4.8
1.3
3.520 to 24 years
5,142
207
28
179
6.8
19.0
15.5
19.6
4.0
0.5
3.525 years and older
30,428
368
34
335
40.0
33.7
18.5
36.8
1.2
0.1
1.125 to 34 years
8,661
169
4
164
11.4
15.5
2.4
18.1
1.9
0.1
1.925 to 29 years
4,603
98
3
95
6.0
9.0
1.7
10.5
2.1
0.1
2.130 to 34 years
4,057
71
1
69
5.3
6.5
0.8
7.6
1.7
0.0
1.735 to 44 years
6,885
74
4
70
9.0
6.8
2.2
7.7
1.1
0.1
1.035 to 39 years
3,482
45
0
45
4.6
4.1
0.3
4.9
1.3
0.0
1.340 to 44 years
3,403
29
4
25
4.5
2.6
2.0
2.8
0.8
0.1
0.745 to 54 years
6,632
59
5
54
8.7
5.4
2.7
5.9
0.9
0.1
0.845 to 49 years
3,296
34
4
30
4.3
3.1
2.4
3.3
1.0
0.1
0.950 to 54 years
3,336
24
1
24
4.4
2.2
0.3
2.6
0.7
0.0
0.755 to 64 years
6,047
50
11
39
7.9
4.6
6.1
4.3
0.8
0.2
0.655 to 59 years
3,366
29
4
26
4.4
2.7
2.0
2.8
0.9
0.1
0.860 to 64 years
2,681
20
7
13
3.5
1.9
4.1
1.4
0.8
0.3
0.565 years and older
2,203
17
9
8
2.9
1.5
5.1
0.8
0.8
0.4
0.365 to 69 years
1,297
10
5
5
1.7
1.0
2.9
0.6
0.8
0.4
0.470 years and older
905
6
4
2
1.2
0.6
2.1
0.3
0.7
0.4
0.3Note: 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, 2021 annual averages
Marital status, age,and gender
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paidhourly ratesTotal paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
Total paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
BelowminimumwageTotalTotal, 16 years and older
76,125
1,091
181
910
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
1.4
0.2
1.2Never married
32,653
720
141
579
42.9
65.9
77.9
63.6
2.2
0.4
1.816 to 24 years
14,026
458
109
350
18.4
42.0
60.0
38.4
3.3
0.8
2.525 years and older
18,627
261
32
229
24.5
23.9
17.8
25.2
1.4
0.2
1.225 to 54 years
16,801
228
21
207
22.1
20.9
11.5
22.7
1.4
0.1
1.2Married, spouse present(1)
31,762
249
24
225
41.7
22.8
13.2
24.7
0.8
0.1
0.716 to 24 years
815
17
2
15
1.1
1.6
1.1
1.7
2.1
0.2
1.925 years and older
30,948
232
22
210
40.7
21.2
12.1
23.1
0.7
0.1
0.725 to 54 years
21,667
179
16
163
28.5
16.4
8.8
17.9
0.8
0.1
0.8Widowed, divorced, or separated(2)
11,710
123
16
107
15.4
11.2
8.9
11.7
1.0
0.1
0.916 to 24 years
312
8
1
8
0.4
0.8
0.3
0.9
2.7
0.2
2.525 years and older
11,398
114
15
99
15.0
10.5
8.6
10.9
1.0
0.1
0.925 to 54 years
6,847
75
1
74
9.0
6.9
0.8
8.1
1.1
0.0
1.1MenTotal, 16 years and older
38,089
398
87
311
50.0
36.5
48.0
34.2
1.0
0.2
0.8Never married
17,178
262
72
190
22.6
24.0
39.9
20.8
1.5
0.4
1.116 to 24 years
7,042
156
51
105
9.3
14.3
28.0
11.6
2.2
0.7
1.525 years and older
10,136
106
22
84
13.3
9.7
11.9
9.2
1.0
0.2
0.825 to 54 years
9,217
87
16
71
12.1
8.0
8.7
7.8
0.9
0.2
0.8Married, spouse present(1)
16,270
101
12
89
21.4
9.2
6.8
9.7
0.6
0.1
0.516 to 24 years
359
2
0
2
0.5
0.2
0.0
0.2
0.5
0.0
0.525 years and older
15,911
99
12
87
20.9
9.1
6.8
9.5
0.6
0.1
0.525 to 54 years
11,090
73
9
64
14.6
6.7
5.1
7.0
0.7
0.1
0.6Widowed, divorced, or separated(2)
4,641
36
2
33
6.1
3.3
1.3
3.7
0.8
0.0
0.716 to 24 years
143
1
0
1
0.2
0.1
0.0
0.1
0.8
0.0
0.825 years and older
4,498
34
2
32
5.9
3.2
1.3
3.5
0.8
0.1
0.725 to 54 years
2,830
21
0
21
3.7
1.9
0.0
2.3
0.7
0.0
0.7WomenTotal, 16 years and older
38,036
693
94
599
50.0
63.5
52.0
65.8
1.8
0.2
1.6Never married
15,475
458
69
389
20.3
41.9
38.0
42.7
3.0
0.4
2.516 to 24 years
6,984
302
58
244
9.2
27.7
32.0
26.8
4.3
0.8
3.525 years and older
8,490
156
11
145
11.2
14.3
5.9
15.9
1.8
0.1
1.725 to 54 years
7,584
140
5
135
10.0
12.9
2.8
14.9
1.9
0.1
1.8Married, spouse present(1)
15,492
148
12
137
20.4
13.6
6.4
15.0
1.0
0.1
0.916 to 24 years
456
15
2
13
0.6
1.4
1.1
1.5
3.4
0.4
2.925 years and older
15,037
133
10
123
19.8
12.2
5.3
13.5
0.9
0.1
0.825 to 54 years
10,578
106
7
100
13.9
9.7
3.7
10.9
1.0
0.1
0.9Widowed, divorced, or separated(2)
7,069
87
14
73
9.3
8.0
7.7
8.0
1.2
0.2
1.016 to 24 years
168
7
1
7
0.2
0.7
0.3
0.7
4.3
0.4
4.025 years and older
6,901
80
13
67
9.1
7.3
7.3
7.3
1.2
0.2
1.025 to 54 years
4,016
55
1
53
5.3
5.0
0.8
5.9
1.4
0.0
1.3Footnotes(1) Refers to persons in both opposite-sex and same-sex married couples.(2) Separated includes persons 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, 2021 annual averages
Usual hours worked per week on primary job
Number of workers (in thousands)
Percent distribution
Percentage of workers paidhourly ratesTotal paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
Total paidhourlyrates
At or below minimum wage
At or below minimum wageTotal
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
Belowminimumwage
Total
Atminimumwage
BelowminimumwageTotal, 16 years and older
76,125
1,091
181
910
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
1.4
0.2
1.2Hours vary
4,139
160
31
130
5.4
14.7
17.0
14.2
3.9
0.7
3.10 to 34 hours
16,430
518
124
394
21.6
47.5
68.7
43.2
3.2
0.8
2.40 to 4 hours
356
13
7
6
0.5
1.2
3.9
0.6
3.6
2.0
1.65 to 9 hours
863
37
9
29
1.1
3.4
4.7
3.1
4.3
1.0
3.310 to 14 hours
1,427
37
14
23
1.9
3.4
7.6
2.6
2.6
1.0
1.615 to 19 hours
2,066
52
19
33
2.7
4.8
10.6
3.6
2.5
0.9
1.620 to 24 hours
4,871
163
41
122
6.4
14.9
22.7
13.4
3.3
0.8
2.525 to 29 hours
2,507
100
23
77
3.3
9.2
12.7
8.5
4.0
0.9
3.130 to 34 hours
4,339
115
12
104
5.7
10.6
6.5
11.4
2.7
0.3
2.435 hours or more
55,557
413
26
387
73.0
37.8
14.4
42.5
0.7
0.0
0.735 to 39 hours
5,398
107
5
101
7.1
9.8
3.0
11.1
2.0
0.1
1.940 hours or more
50,158
306
21
286
65.9
28.1
11.4
31.4
0.6
0.0
0.640 hours
43,411
280
19
261
57.0
25.7
10.7
28.6
0.6
0.0
0.641 hours or more
6,748
26
1
25
8.9
2.4
0.7
2.8
0.4
0.0
0.441 to 44 hours
652
5
0
5
0.9
0.4
0.0
0.5
0.7
0.0
0.745 to 48 hours
2,250
10
0
10
3.0
0.9
0.0
1.1
0.4
0.0
0.449 to 59 hours
2,663
4
1
3
3.5
0.4
0.7
0.3
0.2
0.0
0.160 hours or more
1,182
7
0
7
1.6
0.7
0.0
0.8
0.6
0.0
0.6Note: 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, 1979–2021 annual averages [Numbers in thousands]
Year and gender
Totalwageandsalaryworkers
Workers paid hourly ratesTotal
Percentageof totalwageandsalaryworkers
At prevailingfederalminimumwage(1)
Belowprevailingfederalminimumwage(1)
Total at or belowprevailing federalminimum wageNumber
Percentageof hourlypaidworkersTotal1979
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
2.32018
140,099
81,915
58.5
434
1,276
1,711
2.12019
141,737
82,289
58.1
392
1,211
1,603
1.92020
132,174
73,305
55.5
247
865
1,112
1.52021
136,393
76,125
55.8
181
910
1,091
1.4Men1979
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
1.72018
72,632
40,691
56.0
168
464
632
1.62019
73,349
40,918
55.8
125
411
536
1.32020
68,711
36,792
53.5
111
258
369
1.02021
70,739
38,089
53.8
87
311
398
1.0Women1979
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
2.82018
67,467
41,223
61.1
267
812
1,078
2.62019
68,388
41,372
60.5
268
800
1,067
2.62020
63,462
36,513
57.5
136
607
742
2.02021
65,654
38,036
57.9
94
599
693
1.8Footnotes(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 athttps://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 nationally representative 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, whether or not their businesses are incorporated, are excluded from these earnings estimates.
The material in this report is in the public domain and may be used without permission.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services or the information voice phone at: (202) 691-5200.
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* are people 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* 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 pertain to earnings from 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*include only workers who are paid hourly rates. Salaried workers and 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 in the following table.
**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, 2009Estimates of the annual average number of minimum wage workers for years when the minimum wage increased during the year 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* are defined as those who usually work 35 hours or more per week at their sole or principal job. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not define full- or part-time employment.
*Part-time workers* are defined as those who usually work fewer than 35 hours per week at their sole or principal job.
*Race* is reported by the household respondent. In accordance with the Office of Management and Budget standards, White, Black or African American, and Asian are terms used to describe a person’s race for the data presented in this report. Data for other race groups--American Indians and Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders--and for people of Two or More Races are included in totals but not separately identified in this report because the number of survey respondents is too small to develop estimates of acceptable reliability.
*Hispanic or Latino ethnicity* refers to people who identified themselves in the survey process as being of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin. People who identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may be of any race.
*Married, spouse present* refers to people in both opposite-sex and same-sex marriages living together in the same household.
*Other marital status* refers to people who are never married; widowed; divorced; separated; or married, spouse absent. *Separated* includes people with legal separations, those living apart with intentions of obtaining a divorce, and other people permanently or temporarily separated because of marital discord. *Married, spouse absent* includes both opposite-sex and same-sex married people living apart because either the husband or wife was employed and living at a considerable distance from home, was serving away from home in the Armed Forces, had moved to another area, or had a different place of residence for any other reason except those listed in the previous definition of *separated*.
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 their 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 https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state.) Users should be cautious about comparing state estimates with CPS 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 from 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.
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