Annual Statistical Supplement, 2021

Social Welfare and the Economy

Employment and Earnings

Table 3.B3 Federal minimum wage rates under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and average hourly earnings and average weekly hours for production workers in manufacturing, selected years 1938–2021
Effective date Minimum hourly wage for workers in jobs first covered by— Production workers in manufacturing d
1938 act a (dollars) 1961 amendments b (dollars) 1966 and subsequent amendments c Average gross hourly earnings (dollars) Average weekly hours
Nonfarm (dollars) Farm (dollars)
October 24  
1938 0.25 . . . . . . . . . 0.62 35.6
1939 0.30 . . . . . . . . . 0.63 37.7
1945 0.40 . . . . . . . . . 1.02 43.5
January 25, 1950 0.75 . . . . . . . . . 1.44 40.5
March 1, 1956 1.00 . . . . . . . . . 1.95 40.4
September 3  
1961 1.15 1.00 . . . . . . 2.32 39.8
1963 1.25 1.00 . . . . . . 2.46 40.5
1964 1.25 1.15 . . . . . . 2.53 40.7
1965 1.25 1.25 . . . . . . 2.61 41.2
February 1  
1967 1.40 1.40 1.00 1.00 2.83 40.6
1968 1.60 1.60 1.15 1.15 3.01 40.7
1969 1.60 1.60 1.30 1.30 3.19 40.6
1970 1.60 1.60 1.45 1.30 3.36 39.8
1971 1.60 1.60 1.60 1.30 3.57 39.9
May 1, 1974 2.00 2.00 1.90 1.60 4.42 40.0
January 1  
1975 2.10 2.10 2.00 1.80 4.83 39.5
1976 2.30 2.30 2.20 2.00 5.22 40.1
1977 2.30 2.30 2.30 2.20 5.68 40.3
1978 2.65 2.65 2.65 2.65 6.17 40.4
1979 2.90 2.90 2.90 2.90 6.70 40.2
1980 3.10 3.10 3.10 3.10 7.27 39.7
1981 3.35 3.35 3.35 3.35 7.99 39.8
1982 3.35 3.35 3.35 3.35 8.49 38.9
1983 3.35 3.35 3.35 3.35 8.83 40.1
1984 3.35 3.35 3.35 3.35 9.19 40.7
1985 3.35 3.35 3.35 3.35 9.54 40.5
1986 3.35 3.35 3.35 3.35 9.73 40.7
1987 3.35 3.35 3.35 3.35 9.91 41.0
1988 3.35 3.35 3.35 3.35 10.19 41.1
1989 3.35 3.35 3.35 3.35 10.48 41.0
April 1  
1990 e 3.80 3.80 3.80 3.80 10.83 40.8
1991 e 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25 11.18 40.7
1992 e 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25 11.46 41.0
1993 e 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25 11.74 41.4
1994 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25 12.07 42.0
1995 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25 12.37 41.6
October 1, 1996 f 4.75 4.75 4.75 4.75 12.77 41.6
September 1, 1997 f 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 13.17 42.0
January 1  
1998 f 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 13.45 41.4
1999 f 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 13.85 41.4
2000 f 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 14.32 41.3
2001 f 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 14.76 40.3
2002 f 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 15.29 40.5
2003 f 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 15.74 40.4
2004 f 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 16.14 40.8
2005 f 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 16.56 40.7
2006 f 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 16.81 41.1
2007 f,g 5.85 5.85 5.85 5.85 17.26 41.2
2008 f,h 6.55 6.55 6.55 6.55 17.75 40.8
2009 f,i 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 18.24 39.8
2010 f 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 18.61 41.1
2011 f 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 18.93 41.4
2012 f 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 19.08 41.7
2013 f 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 19.30 41.8
2014 f 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 19.56 42.0
2015 f 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 19.92 41.8
2016 f 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 20.44 41.8
2017 f 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 20.88 41.9
2018 f 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 21.53 42.1
2019 f 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 22.14 41.6
2020 f 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 22.79 40.8
2021 f 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 -- --
SOURCE: Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
NOTE: . . . = not applicable; -- = not available.
a. The 1938 act was applicable generally to employees engaged in interstate commerce or in the production of goods for interstate commerce.
b. The 1961 amendments extended coverage primarily to employees in large retail and service trades as well as local transit, construction, and gasoline service station employees.
c. The 1966 amendments extended coverage to state and local government employees of hospitals, nursing homes, and schools, and to employees of laundries, dry cleaners, large hotels and motels, restaurants, and farms. Subsequent amendments extended coverage to the remaining federal, state, and local employees not protected in 1966, to certain workers in retail and service trades previously exempted, and to certain domestic workers in private household employment.
d. For year in which minimum wage rate changes were effective.
e. Effective April 1, 1990, employers could pay a training wage of $3.35 per hour for 90 days to an employee who had not attained age 20. From April 1, 1991 through March 31, 1993, the training wage was $3.61.
f. Effective October 1, 1996, employers may pay a youth sub minimum wage of $4.25 per hour for 90 calendar days (not workdays) to an employee who has not attained age 20. An employee is entitled to the full minimum wage on attaining age 20.
g. Effective July 24, 2007.
h. Effective July 24, 2008.
i. Effective July 24, 2009.
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