February 2021 Report 1091

Characteristics of minimum wage workers, 2020

In 2020, 73.3 million workers age 16 and older in the United States were paid at hourly rates, representing 55.5 percent of all wage and salary workers. Among those paid by the hour, 247,000 workers earned exactly the prevailing federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. About 865,000 workers had wages below the federal minimum. Together, these 1.1 million workers with wages at or below the federal minimum made up 1.5 percent of all hourly paid workers.

Data on minimum wage workers for 2020 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. Large declines in employment in 2020, particularly among low-wage workers, resulted in changes in the hourly earnings distribution. More information on labor market developments in 2020 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 declined from 1.9 percent in 2019 to 1.5 percent in 2020. 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 2020. 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.

Highlights

The following are highlights from the 2020 data:

Age. Minimum wage workers tend to be young. Although workers under age 25 represented just under one-fifth of hourly paid workers, they made up 48 percent of those paid the federal minimum wage or less. Among employed teenagers (ages 16 to 19) paid by the hour, about 5 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 2020, 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. About 2 percent of Black workers earned the federal minimum wage or less. Among White, Asian, and Hispanic workers, the percentage was about 1 percent. (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 3 percent versus about 1 percent). (See table 8.)

Full- and part-time status. About 4 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. Seven out of ten workers earning the minimum wage or less in 2020 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 2020 was leisure and hospitality (about 8 percent). Three-fifths 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 in the South: about 4 percent for South Carolina and about 3 percent for Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Virginia. 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: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, 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, 2020 annual averages
Characteristic	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Age and gender
Total, 16 years and older	73,305	1,112	247	865	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	1.5	0.3	1.2
16 to 24 years	14,051	529	153	376	19.2	47.6	62.0	43.4	3.8	1.1	2.7
16 to 19 years	4,352	222	93	129	5.9	19.9	37.5	14.9	5.1	2.1	3.0
25 years and older	59,254	583	94	489	80.8	52.4	38.0	56.6	1.0	0.2	0.8
Men, 16 years and older	36,792	369	111	258	50.2	33.2	45.0	29.9	1.0	0.3	0.7
16 to 24 years	7,059	159	65	94	9.6	14.3	26.3	10.9	2.3	0.9	1.3
16 to 19 years	2,125	81	41	40	2.9	7.3	16.8	4.6	3.8	1.9	1.9
25 years and older	29,734	210	46	164	40.6	18.9	18.7	19.0	0.7	0.2	0.6
Women, 16 years and older	36,513	742	136	607	49.8	66.8	55.0	70.1	2.0	0.4	1.7
16 to 24 years	6,992	369	88	281	9.5	33.2	35.7	32.5	5.3	1.3	4.0
16 to 19 years	2,226	141	51	89	3.0	12.7	20.8	10.3	6.3	2.3	4.0
25 years and older	29,521	373	48	325	40.3	33.5	19.3	37.6	1.3	0.2	1.1

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
White(1)	55,889	810	178	631	76.2	72.8	72.2	73.0	1.4	0.3	1.1
Men	28,632	266	86	180	39.1	23.9	34.7	20.8	0.9	0.3	0.6
Women	27,257	544	92	451	37.2	48.9	37.5	52.2	2.0	0.3	1.7
Black or African American(1)	10,738	196	50	146	14.6	17.7	20.4	16.9	1.8	0.5	1.4
Men	4,892	57	15	42	6.7	5.1	6.2	4.8	1.2	0.3	0.8
Women	5,846	139	35	104	8.0	12.5	14.1	12.1	2.4	0.6	1.8
Asian(1)	3,533	43	3	39	4.8	3.8	1.3	4.5	1.2	0.1	1.1
Men	1,676	23	1	22	2.3	2.1	0.4	2.5	1.4	0.1	1.3
Women	1,857	20	2	18	2.5	1.8	0.9	2.0	1.1	0.1	0.9
Hispanic or Latino(1)	16,220	205	46	160	22.1	18.5	18.5	18.5	1.3	0.3	1.0
Men	8,963	82	24	58	12.2	7.3	9.6	6.7	0.9	0.3	0.6
Women	7,257	124	22	102	9.9	11.1	8.8	11.8	1.7	0.3	1.4

Full- and part-time status
Full-time workers(2)	55,669	468	72	397	75.9	42.1	29.0	45.8	0.8	0.1	0.7
Men	30,514	150	34	116	41.6	13.5	13.7	13.4	0.5	0.1	0.4
Women	25,156	318	38	281	34.3	28.6	15.3	32.4	1.3	0.2	1.1
Part-time workers(2)	17,531	637	175	462	23.9	57.3	71.0	53.4	3.6	1.0	2.6
Men	6,226	216	77	139	8.5	19.5	31.3	16.1	3.5	1.2	2.2
Women	11,305	421	98	323	15.4	37.9	39.7	37.3	3.7	0.9	2.9
Footnotes (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, 2020 annual averages
Region and division	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and older	73,305	1,112	247	865	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	1.5	0.3	1.2

Northeast	11,728	178	39	139	16.0	16.0	15.9	16.1	1.5	0.3	1.2
New England	3,392	43	9	33	4.6	3.8	3.8	3.8	1.3	0.3	1.0
Middle Atlantic	8,336	136	30	106	11.4	12.2	12.1	12.2	1.6	0.4	1.3

Midwest	17,212	232	44	187	23.5	20.8	18.0	21.6	1.3	0.3	1.1
East North Central	11,488	162	30	132	15.7	14.6	12.3	15.2	1.4	0.3	1.1
West North Central	5,724	70	14	56	7.8	6.3	5.7	6.4	1.2	0.2	1.0

South	26,576	580	138	442	36.3	52.1	56.0	51.0	2.2	0.5	1.7
South Atlantic	13,490	288	56	232	18.4	25.9	22.5	26.8	2.1	0.4	1.7
East South Central	4,314	87	31	57	5.9	7.9	12.6	6.5	2.0	0.7	1.3
West South Central	8,771	204	52	153	12.0	18.4	20.9	17.7	2.3	0.6	1.7

West	17,789	122	25	97	24.3	11.0	10.1	11.3	0.7	0.1	0.5
Mountain	6,055	56	16	40	8.3	5.1	6.5	4.6	0.9	0.3	0.7
Pacific	11,734	66	9	57	16.0	5.9	3.6	6.6	0.6	0.1	0.5
Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. The four major regions and nine census divisions of the United States are as follows: Northeast: New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania Midwest: East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin West North Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota South: South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee West South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas West: Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington 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, 2020 annual averages
State	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and older	73,305	1,112	247	865	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	1.5	0.3	1.2

Alabama	1,137	28	14	14	1.6	2.5	5.8	1.6	2.5	1.3	1.2
Alaska	170	3	0	3	0.2	0.3	0.1	0.3	1.6	0.2	1.5
Arizona	1,789	18	4	14	2.4	1.6	1.7	1.6	1.0	0.2	0.8
Arkansas	673	10	2	8	0.9	0.9	0.6	0.9	1.4	0.2	1.2
California	8,548	48	7	41	11.7	4.3	3.0	4.7	0.6	0.1	0.5
Colorado	1,305	8	2	6	1.8	0.7	0.6	0.7	0.6	0.1	0.5
Connecticut	862	11	4	7	1.2	1.0	1.6	0.8	1.2	0.4	0.8
Delaware	245	6	0	6	0.3	0.5	0.1	0.7	2.4	0.1	2.4
District of Columbia	79	1	0	1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	1.8	0.2	1.6
Florida	4,279	75	7	68	5.8	6.8	2.9	7.9	1.8	0.2	1.6
Georgia	2,196	46	23	23	3.0	4.1	9.4	2.6	2.1	1.1	1.0
Hawaii	303	2	0	2	0.4	0.2	0.0	0.2	0.7	0.0	0.7
Idaho	479	7	2	4	0.7	0.6	1.0	0.5	1.4	0.5	0.9

Illinois	2,813	31	6	25	3.8	2.8	2.6	2.8	1.1	0.2	0.9
Indiana	1,659	24	7	16	2.3	2.1	2.9	1.9	1.4	0.4	1.0
Iowa	861	12	4	8	1.2	1.1	1.6	0.9	1.4	0.4	0.9
Kansas	805	18	5	13	1.1	1.6	2.1	1.5	2.2	0.6	1.6
Kentucky	1,011	17	6	10	1.4	1.5	2.6	1.2	1.7	0.6	1.0
Louisiana	990	34	11	23	1.4	3.0	4.3	2.6	3.4	1.1	2.3
Maine	352	4	1	2	0.5	0.3	0.5	0.3	1.0	0.3	0.6
Maryland	1,249	18	0	18	1.7	1.6	0.0	2.1	1.4	0.0	1.4
Massachusetts	1,397	19	3	16	1.9	1.7	1.2	1.9	1.4	0.2	1.2
Michigan	2,416	35	3	32	3.3	3.2	1.2	3.7	1.5	0.1	1.3
Minnesota	1,524	12	0	12	2.1	1.1	0.0	1.4	0.8	0.0	0.8
Mississippi	652	18	6	13	0.9	1.7	2.3	1.5	2.8	0.9	1.9
Missouri	1,534	17	4	12	2.1	1.5	1.8	1.4	1.1	0.3	0.8

Montana	282	1	0	1	0.4	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.5	0.1	0.4
Nebraska	540	5	0	4	0.7	0.4	0.1	0.5	0.9	0.1	0.8
Nevada	759	5	3	1	1.0	0.4	1.4	0.1	0.6	0.5	0.2
New Hampshire	375	5	0	5	0.5	0.4	0.1	0.5	1.3	0.1	1.2
New Jersey	1,581	22	2	20	2.2	2.0	0.8	2.4	1.4	0.1	1.3
New Mexico	449	6	0	6	0.6	0.5	0.0	0.7	1.3	0.0	1.3
New York	3,634	38	3	35	5.0	3.4	1.0	4.1	1.0	0.1	1.0
North Carolina	2,284	40	10	31	3.1	3.6	3.9	3.5	1.8	0.4	1.3
North Dakota	211	3	0	3	0.3	0.3	0.1	0.3	1.3	0.1	1.2
Ohio	2,931	43	2	41	4.0	3.9	0.9	4.7	1.5	0.1	1.4
Oklahoma	859	18	4	14	1.2	1.6	1.8	1.6	2.1	0.5	1.6
Oregon	943	3	0	3	1.3	0.3	0.0	0.4	0.4	0.0	0.4
Pennsylvania	3,121	75	25	50	4.3	6.8	10.3	5.8	2.4	0.8	1.6

Rhode Island	264	4	1	3	0.4	0.3	0.4	0.3	1.4	0.3	1.1
South Carolina	1,079	48	3	44	1.5	4.3	1.4	5.1	4.4	0.3	4.1
South Dakota	249	4	0	4	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.4	1.5	0.0	1.5
Tennessee	1,515	25	5	20	2.1	2.2	1.9	2.3	1.6	0.3	1.3
Texas	6,249	143	35	108	8.5	12.9	14.2	12.5	2.3	0.6	1.7
Utah	835	9	4	5	1.1	0.8	1.5	0.6	1.1	0.4	0.6
Vermont	142	1	0	0	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.5	0.1	0.4
Virginia	1,653	45	11	33	2.3	4.0	4.6	3.8	2.7	0.7	2.0
Washington	1,770	10	1	9	2.4	0.9	0.5	1.0	0.5	0.1	0.5
West Virginia	428	9	0	8	0.6	0.8	0.2	1.0	2.0	0.1	1.9
Wisconsin	1,668	29	12	18	2.3	2.6	4.7	2.0	1.8	0.7	1.1
Wyoming	158	3	0	3	0.2	0.3	0.2	0.3	1.9	0.3	1.6
Note: Data exclude all self-employed persons whether or not their businesses are incorporated. These data are based on a sample and therefore are subject to sampling error; the degree of error may be quite large for less populous states. 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, 2020 annual averages
Occupation	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and older	73,305	1,112	247	865	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	1.5	0.3	1.2

Management, professional, and related occupations	17,769	83	20	63	24.2	7.4	8.1	7.2	0.5	0.1	0.4
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	5,354	16	0	16	7.3	1.4	0.2	1.8	0.3	0.0	0.3
Professional and related occupations	12,415	66	20	47	16.9	6.0	7.9	5.4	0.5	0.2	0.4

Service occupations	16,295	774	114	660	22.2	69.6	46.2	76.3	4.8	0.7	4.1
Healthcare support occupations	3,906	60	9	51	5.3	5.4	3.8	5.9	1.5	0.2	1.3
Protective service occupations	1,972	19	0	18	2.7	1.7	0.1	2.1	0.9	0.0	0.9
Food preparation and serving related occupations	5,675	605	73	533	7.7	54.5	29.5	61.6	10.7	1.3	9.4
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	3,243	29	14	15	4.4	2.6	5.8	1.7	0.9	0.4	0.5
Personal care and service occupations	1,499	61	17	44	2.0	5.5	6.9	5.0	4.1	1.1	2.9

Sales and office occupations	16,929	139	70	69	23.1	12.5	28.4	8.0	0.8	0.4	0.4
Sales and related occupations	6,849	90	49	41	9.3	8.1	19.8	4.7	1.3	0.7	0.6
Office and administrative support occupations	10,080	50	21	28	13.8	4.5	8.6	3.3	0.5	0.2	0.3

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	8,438	31	4	28	11.5	2.8	1.4	3.2	0.4	0.0	0.3
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	676	11	4	8	0.9	1.0	1.4	0.9	1.6	0.5	1.1
Construction and extraction occupations	4,681	14	0	14	6.4	1.3	0.0	1.7	0.3	0.0	0.3
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	3,081	6	0	6	4.2	0.5	0.0	0.7	0.2	0.0	0.2

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	13,874	85	39	45	18.9	7.6	15.9	5.2	0.6	0.3	0.3
Production occupations	6,100	34	16	18	8.3	3.1	6.6	2.1	0.6	0.3	0.3
Transportation and material moving occupations	7,773	50	23	28	10.6	4.5	9.3	3.2	0.6	0.3	0.4
Note: 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, 2020 annual averages
Industry	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and older	73,305	1,112	247	865	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	1.5	0.3	1.2

Private sector	64,248	1,058	231	827	87.6	95.2	93.7	95.6	1.6	0.4	1.3
Agriculture and related industries	847	11	2	9	1.2	1.0	0.9	1.0	1.3	0.3	1.1
Nonagricultural industries	63,401	1,047	229	818	86.5	94.2	92.9	94.5	1.7	0.4	1.3
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction	350	3	0	3	0.5	0.3	0.0	0.3	0.8	0.0	0.8
Construction	5,059	15	3	12	6.9	1.4	1.2	1.4	0.3	0.1	0.2
Manufacturing	8,288	37	16	22	11.3	3.4	6.4	2.5	0.5	0.2	0.3
Durable goods	5,070	24	11	14	6.9	2.2	4.4	1.6	0.5	0.2	0.3
Nondurable goods	3,218	13	5	8	4.4	1.2	2.0	0.9	0.4	0.2	0.2
Wholesale and retail trade	11,846	97	47	50	16.2	8.7	19.0	5.8	0.8	0.4	0.4
Wholesale trade	1,522	5	3	2	2.1	0.4	1.3	0.2	0.3	0.2	0.1
Retail trade	10,324	92	44	48	14.1	8.3	17.7	5.6	0.9	0.4	0.5
Transportation and utilities	3,826	15	3	12	5.2	1.3	1.1	1.4	0.4	0.1	0.3
Information	877	5	3	2	1.2	0.5	1.2	0.2	0.6	0.3	0.2
Financial activities	3,217	10	2	8	4.4	0.9	0.8	1.0	0.3	0.1	0.3
Professional and business services	6,103	27	9	18	8.3	2.4	3.5	2.1	0.4	0.1	0.3
Education and health services	13,146	129	34	95	17.9	11.6	13.7	11.0	1.0	0.3	0.7
Leisure and hospitality	7,933	667	103	564	10.8	59.9	41.7	65.2	8.4	1.3	7.1
Other services	2,753	42	10	32	3.8	3.8	4.2	3.7	1.5	0.4	1.2

Public sector	9,057	54	15	38	12.4	4.8	6.3	4.4	0.6	0.2	0.4
Federal	1,862	8	1	7	2.5	0.7	0.5	0.8	0.4	0.1	0.4
State	2,782	17	6	11	3.8	1.5	2.5	1.2	0.6	0.2	0.4
Local	4,413	29	8	21	6.0	2.6	3.3	2.4	0.7	0.2	0.5
Note: 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, 2020 annual averages
Educational attainment	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and older	73,305	1,112	247	865	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	1.5	0.3	1.2

Less than a high school diploma	7,860	170	76	94	10.7	15.3	30.7	10.9	2.2	1.0	1.2
Less than 1 year of high school	2,217	18	4	14	3.0	1.6	1.4	1.7	0.8	0.2	0.7
1 to 3 years of high school	4,485	127	62	64	6.1	11.4	25.3	7.4	2.8	1.4	1.4
4 years of high school, no diploma	1,158	25	10	15	1.6	2.2	4.0	1.7	2.1	0.8	1.3
High school graduates or more	65,445	942	171	771	89.3	84.7	69.3	89.1	1.4	0.3	1.2
High school graduates, no college	24,685	390	85	304	33.7	35.1	34.6	35.2	1.6	0.3	1.2
Some college or associate degree	24,578	390	78	312	33.5	35.1	31.5	36.1	1.6	0.3	1.3
Some college, no degree	15,310	308	59	249	20.9	27.7	24.0	28.7	2.0	0.4	1.6
Associate degree	9,268	82	19	64	12.6	7.4	7.5	7.4	0.9	0.2	0.7
Occupational program	3,990	28	8	20	5.4	2.5	3.1	2.4	0.7	0.2	0.5
Academic program	5,277	54	11	43	7.2	4.9	4.4	5.0	1.0	0.2	0.8
Bachelor's degree and higher	16,183	162	8	155	22.1	14.6	3.2	17.9	1.0	0.0	1.0
Bachelor's degree	12,279	123	7	115	16.8	11.0	3.0	13.3	1.0	0.1	0.9
Master's degree	3,122	28	1	27	4.3	2.5	0.2	3.2	0.9	0.0	0.9
Professional degree	341	6	0	6	0.5	0.5	0.0	0.7	1.8	0.0	1.8
Doctoral degree	441	6	0	6	0.6	0.5	0.0	0.7	1.3	0.0	1.3
Note: 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, 2020 annual averages
Age and gender	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total
Total, 16 years and older	73,305	1,112	247	865	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	1.5	0.3	1.2
16 to 24 years	14,051	529	153	376	19.2	47.6	62.0	43.4	3.8	1.1	2.7
16 to 19 years	4,352	222	93	129	5.9	19.9	37.5	14.9	5.1	2.1	3.0
20 to 24 years	9,699	307	60	247	13.2	27.6	24.5	28.5	3.2	0.6	2.5
25 years and older	59,254	583	94	489	80.8	52.4	38.0	56.6	1.0	0.2	0.8
25 to 34 years	17,872	250	34	216	24.4	22.5	13.7	25.0	1.4	0.2	1.2
25 to 29 years	9,571	143	15	128	13.1	12.9	6.0	14.8	1.5	0.2	1.3
30 to 34 years	8,302	107	19	88	11.3	9.6	7.7	10.1	1.3	0.2	1.1
35 to 44 years	13,691	130	17	113	18.7	11.7	6.9	13.1	1.0	0.1	0.8
35 to 39 years	7,111	75	6	69	9.7	6.7	2.6	7.9	1.1	0.1	1.0
40 to 44 years	6,581	55	11	45	9.0	5.0	4.3	5.2	0.8	0.2	0.7
45 to 54 years	12,672	93	13	80	17.3	8.4	5.4	9.2	0.7	0.1	0.6
45 to 49 years	6,379	49	9	40	8.7	4.4	3.8	4.6	0.8	0.1	0.6
50 to 54 years	6,292	44	4	40	8.6	4.0	1.6	4.6	0.7	0.1	0.6
55 to 64 years	11,179	75	14	60	15.3	6.7	5.8	7.0	0.7	0.1	0.5
55 to 59 years	6,304	36	6	30	8.6	3.2	2.6	3.4	0.6	0.1	0.5
60 to 64 years	4,876	39	8	31	6.7	3.5	3.2	3.5	0.8	0.2	0.6
65 years and older	3,840	35	15	20	5.2	3.2	6.3	2.3	0.9	0.4	0.5
65 to 69 years	2,228	19	7	12	3.0	1.7	2.8	1.4	0.9	0.3	0.6
70 years and older	1,612	16	9	8	2.2	1.4	3.4	0.9	1.0	0.5	0.5

Men
Total, 16 years and older	36,792	369	111	258	50.2	33.2	45.0	29.9	1.0	0.3	0.7
16 to 24 years	7,059	159	65	94	9.6	14.3	26.3	10.9	2.3	0.9	1.3
16 to 19 years	2,125	81	41	40	2.9	7.3	16.8	4.6	3.8	1.9	1.9
20 to 24 years	4,933	78	24	55	6.7	7.0	9.6	6.3	1.6	0.5	1.1
25 years and older	29,734	210	46	164	40.6	18.9	18.7	19.0	0.7	0.2	0.6
25 to 34 years	9,412	90	14	76	12.8	8.1	5.6	8.8	1.0	0.1	0.8
25 to 29 years	5,002	53	6	46	6.8	4.7	2.6	5.3	1.0	0.1	0.9
30 to 34 years	4,410	38	7	30	6.0	3.4	3.0	3.5	0.9	0.2	0.7
35 to 44 years	7,004	41	9	32	9.6	3.7	3.8	3.7	0.6	0.1	0.5
35 to 39 years	3,712	19	3	17	5.1	1.7	1.1	1.9	0.5	0.1	0.4
40 to 44 years	3,292	22	7	15	4.5	2.0	2.6	1.8	0.7	0.2	0.5
45 to 54 years	6,218	33	11	22	8.5	3.0	4.5	2.5	0.5	0.2	0.4
45 to 49 years	3,136	20	7	12	4.3	1.8	2.9	1.4	0.6	0.2	0.4
50 to 54 years	3,082	13	4	10	4.2	1.2	1.6	1.1	0.4	0.1	0.3
55 to 64 years	5,253	34	8	26	7.2	3.1	3.3	3.0	0.7	0.2	0.5
55 to 59 years	2,965	14	4	10	4.0	1.3	1.6	1.1	0.5	0.1	0.3
60 to 64 years	2,288	20	4	16	3.1	1.8	1.7	1.9	0.9	0.2	0.7
65 years and older	1,847	11	4	8	2.5	1.0	1.5	0.9	0.6	0.2	0.4
65 to 69 years	1,082	7	0	7	1.5	0.7	0.0	0.8	0.7	0.0	0.7
70 years and older	765	4	4	0	1.0	0.4	1.5	0.0	0.5	0.5	0.0

Women
Total, 16 years and older	36,513	742	136	607	49.8	66.8	55.0	70.1	2.0	0.4	1.7
16 to 24 years	6,992	369	88	281	9.5	33.2	35.7	32.5	5.3	1.3	4.0
16 to 19 years	2,226	141	51	89	3.0	12.7	20.8	10.3	6.3	2.3	4.0
20 to 24 years	4,766	229	37	192	6.5	20.6	14.9	22.2	4.8	0.8	4.0
25 years and older	29,521	373	48	325	40.3	33.5	19.3	37.6	1.3	0.2	1.1
25 to 34 years	8,460	160	20	140	11.5	14.4	8.1	16.2	1.9	0.2	1.7
25 to 29 years	4,569	90	8	82	6.2	8.1	3.4	9.5	2.0	0.2	1.8
30 to 34 years	3,892	69	12	58	5.3	6.2	4.7	6.7	1.8	0.3	1.5
35 to 44 years	6,687	89	8	81	9.1	8.0	3.1	9.4	1.3	0.1	1.2
35 to 39 years	3,398	55	4	52	4.6	5.0	1.4	6.0	1.6	0.1	1.5
40 to 44 years	3,289	34	4	29	4.5	3.0	1.7	3.4	1.0	0.1	0.9
45 to 54 years	6,454	60	2	58	8.8	5.4	0.8	6.7	0.9	0.0	0.9
45 to 49 years	3,243	29	2	27	4.4	2.6	0.8	3.2	0.9	0.1	0.8
50 to 54 years	3,211	31	0	31	4.4	2.7	0.0	3.5	1.0	0.0	1.0
55 to 64 years	5,926	40	6	34	8.1	3.6	2.5	3.9	0.7	0.1	0.6
55 to 59 years	3,338	22	2	20	4.6	2.0	0.9	2.3	0.7	0.1	0.6
60 to 64 years	2,588	18	4	14	3.5	1.6	1.6	1.7	0.7	0.2	0.6
65 years and older	1,993	24	12	12	2.7	2.2	4.7	1.4	1.2	0.6	0.6
65 to 69 years	1,147	12	7	5	1.6	1.1	2.8	0.6	1.0	0.6	0.4
70 years and older	846	12	5	7	1.2	1.1	1.9	0.8	1.4	0.6	0.9
Note: 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, 2020 annual averages
Marital status, age, and gender	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total
Total, 16 years and older	73,305	1,112	247	865	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	1.5	0.3	1.2
Never married	30,236	772	184	589	41.2	69.5	74.4	68.0	2.6	0.6	1.9
16 to 24 years	12,983	504	144	360	17.7	45.4	58.4	41.6	3.9	1.1	2.8
25 years and older	17,253	268	40	228	23.5	24.1	16.0	26.4	1.6	0.2	1.3
25 to 54 years	15,619	258	38	220	21.3	23.2	15.3	25.5	1.7	0.2	1.4
Married, spouse present(1)	31,844	218	38	180	43.4	19.6	15.4	20.8	0.7	0.1	0.6
16 to 24 years	752	11	4	6	1.0	1.0	1.8	0.7	1.4	0.6	0.8
25 years and older	31,093	207	34	174	42.4	18.7	13.7	20.1	0.7	0.1	0.6
25 to 54 years	22,003	152	19	134	30.0	13.7	7.6	15.4	0.7	0.1	0.6
Widowed, divorced, or separated(2)	11,225	121	25	96	15.3	10.9	10.2	11.1	1.1	0.2	0.9
16 to 24 years	316	14	5	9	0.4	1.2	1.9	1.1	4.4	1.5	2.9
25 years and older	10,909	108	20	87	14.9	9.7	8.3	10.1	1.0	0.2	0.8
25 to 54 years	6,613	63	8	55	9.0	5.6	3.1	6.4	0.9	0.1	0.8

Men
Total, 16 years and older	36,792	369	111	258	50.2	33.2	45.0	29.9	1.0	0.3	0.7
Never married	15,921	259	86	173	21.7	23.3	34.9	20.0	1.6	0.5	1.1
16 to 24 years	6,584	150	63	87	9.0	13.5	25.5	10.1	2.3	1.0	1.3
25 years and older	9,336	109	23	86	12.7	9.8	9.3	9.9	1.2	0.2	0.9
25 to 54 years	8,540	106	23	83	11.7	9.6	9.3	9.6	1.2	0.3	1.0
Married, spouse present(1)	16,462	77	18	60	22.5	6.9	7.1	6.9	0.5	0.1	0.4
16 to 24 years	328	3	0	3	0.4	0.3	0.0	0.4	1.0	0.0	1.0
25 years and older	16,134	74	18	56	22.0	6.6	7.1	6.5	0.5	0.1	0.3
25 to 54 years	11,361	43	9	34	15.5	3.9	3.6	4.0	0.4	0.1	0.3
Widowed, divorced, or separated(2)	4,409	33	8	26	6.0	3.0	3.1	3.0	0.8	0.2	0.6
16 to 24 years	146	6	2	4	0.2	0.5	0.8	0.4	4.0	1.3	2.6
25 years and older	4,263	27	6	22	5.8	2.5	2.3	2.5	0.6	0.1	0.5
25 to 54 years	2,732	15	2	13	3.7	1.3	0.9	1.5	0.5	0.1	0.5

Women
Total, 16 years and older	36,513	742	136	607	49.8	66.8	55.0	70.1	2.0	0.4	1.7
Never married	14,315	513	98	416	19.5	46.2	39.6	48.1	3.6	0.7	2.9
16 to 24 years	6,398	354	81	273	8.7	31.9	32.8	31.6	5.5	1.3	4.3
25 years and older	7,917	159	17	143	10.8	14.3	6.7	16.5	2.0	0.2	1.8
25 to 54 years	7,078	152	15	137	9.7	13.6	5.9	15.8	2.1	0.2	1.9
Married, spouse present(1)	15,382	141	21	120	21.0	12.7	8.3	13.9	0.9	0.1	0.8
16 to 24 years	424	7	4	3	0.6	0.7	1.8	0.3	1.7	1.0	0.7
25 years and older	14,959	134	16	117	20.4	12.0	6.6	13.6	0.9	0.1	0.8
25 to 54 years	10,642	109	10	99	14.5	9.8	4.0	11.5	1.0	0.1	0.9
Widowed, divorced, or separated(2)	6,816	88	17	71	9.3	7.9	7.1	8.2	1.3	0.3	1.0
16 to 24 years	170	8	3	5	0.2	0.7	1.1	0.6	4.7	1.6	3.1
25 years and older	6,645	80	15	65	9.1	7.2	6.0	7.6	1.2	0.2	1.0
25 to 54 years	3,881	48	5	42	5.3	4.3	2.1	4.9	1.2	0.1	1.1
Footnotes (1) Beginning with data for 2020, refers to people in both opposite-sex and same-sex married couples. Prior to 2020, referred 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, 2020 annual averages
Usual hours worked per week on primary job	Number of workers (in thousands)				Percent distribution				Percentage of workers paid hourly rates
	Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			Total paid hourly rates	At or below minimum wage			At or below minimum wage
	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total paid hourly rates	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage	Total	At minimum wage	Below minimum wage
Total, 16 years and older	73,305	1,112	247	865	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	1.5	0.3	1.2
Hours vary	3,868	130	20	109	5.3	11.7	8.3	12.6	3.3	0.5	2.8
0 to 34 hours	16,160	590	165	425	22.0	53.0	66.8	49.1	3.6	1.0	2.6
0 to 4 hours	276	6	1	6	0.4	0.6	0.3	0.6	2.3	0.3	2.0
5 to 9 hours	770	33	17	16	1.1	3.0	7.0	1.8	4.3	2.2	2.0
10 to 14 hours	1,526	57	28	29	2.1	5.1	11.4	3.3	3.7	1.8	1.9
15 to 19 hours	2,042	86	26	61	2.8	7.7	10.3	7.0	4.2	1.3	3.0
20 to 24 hours	4,657	158	51	108	6.4	14.2	20.5	12.4	3.4	1.1	2.3
25 to 29 hours	2,391	91	21	70	3.3	8.2	8.5	8.1	3.8	0.9	2.9
30 to 34 hours	4,497	158	22	136	6.1	14.2	8.8	15.7	3.5	0.5	3.0
35 hours or more	53,277	393	62	331	72.7	35.3	24.9	38.3	0.7	0.1	0.6
35 to 39 hours	5,302	103	14	89	7.2	9.3	5.8	10.3	1.9	0.3	1.7
40 hours or more	47,975	290	47	242	65.4	26.0	19.2	28.0	0.6	0.1	0.5
40 hours	41,652	248	46	202	56.8	22.3	18.8	23.3	0.6	0.1	0.5
41 hours or more	6,323	41	1	40	8.6	3.7	0.3	4.6	0.6	0.0	0.6
41 to 44 hours	618	0	0	0	0.8	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
45 to 48 hours	2,130	12	1	11	2.9	1.1	0.3	1.3	0.6	0.0	0.5
49 to 59 hours	2,479	23	0	23	3.4	2.1	0.0	2.7	0.9	0.0	0.9
60 hours or more	1,096	5	0	5	1.5	0.5	0.0	0.6	0.5	0.0	0.5
Note: 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, 1979–2020 annual averages [Numbers in thousands]
Year and gender	Total wage and salary workers	Workers paid hourly rates
		Total	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 wage
		Total	Percentage of total wage and salary workers	At prevailing federal minimum wage(1)	Below prevailing federal minimum wage(1)	Number	Percentage of hourly paid workers
Total
1979	87,529	51,721	59.1	3,997	2,916	6,912	13.4
1980	87,644	51,335	58.6	4,686	3,087	7,773	15.1
1981	88,516	51,869	58.6	4,311	3,513	7,824	15.1
1982	87,368	50,846	58.2	4,148	2,348	6,496	12.8
1983	88,290	51,820	58.7	4,261	2,077	6,338	12.2
1984	92,194	54,143	58.7	4,125	1,838	5,963	11.0
1985	94,521	55,762	59.0	3,899	1,639	5,538	9.9
1986	96,903	57,529	59.4	3,461	1,599	5,060	8.8
1987	99,303	59,552	60.0	3,229	1,468	4,698	7.9
1988	101,407	60,878	60.0	2,608	1,319	3,927	6.5
1989	103,480	62,389	60.3	1,790	1,372	3,162	5.1
1990	104,876	63,172	60.2	1,096	2,132	3,228	5.1
1991	103,723	62,627	60.4	2,906	2,377	5,283	8.4
1992	104,668	63,610	60.8	2,982	1,939	4,921	7.7
1993	106,101	64,274	60.6	2,625	1,707	4,332	6.7
1994	107,989	66,549	61.6	2,132	1,995	4,128	6.2
1995	110,038	68,354	62.1	1,956	1,699	3,656	5.3
1996	111,960	69,255	61.9	1,861	1,863	3,724	5.4
1997	114,533	70,735	61.8	1,764	2,990	4,754	6.7
1998	116,730	71,440	61.2	1,593	2,834	4,427	6.2
1999	118,963	72,306	60.8	1,146	2,194	3,340	4.6
2000	122,089	73,496	60.2	898	1,752	2,650	3.6
2001	122,229	73,392	60.0	656	1,518	2,174	3.0
2002	121,826	72,508	59.5	567	1,579	2,146	3.0
2003	122,358	72,946	59.6	545	1,555	2,100	2.9
2004	123,554	73,939	59.8	520	1,483	2,003	2.7
2005	125,889	75,609	60.1	479	1,403	1,882	2.5
2006	128,237	76,514	59.7	409	1,283	1,692	2.2
2007	129,767	75,873	58.5	267	1,462	1,729	2.3
2008	129,377	75,305	58.2	286	1,940	2,226	3.0
2009	124,490	72,611	58.3	980	2,592	3,572	4.9
2010	124,073	72,902	58.8	1,820	2,541	4,361	6.0
2011	125,187	73,926	59.1	1,677	2,152	3,829	5.2
2012	127,577	75,276	59.0	1,566	1,984	3,550	4.7
2013	129,110	75,948	58.8	1,532	1,768	3,301	4.3
2014	131,431	77,207	58.7	1,255	1,737	2,992	3.9
2015	133,743	78,232	58.5	870	1,691	2,561	3.3
2016	136,101	79,883	58.7	701	1,451	2,153	2.7
2017	137,890	80,439	58.3	542	1,282	1,824	2.3
2018	140,099	81,915	58.5	434	1,276	1,711	2.1
2019	141,737	82,289	58.1	392	1,211	1,603	1.9
2020	132,174	73,305	55.5	247	865	1,112	1.5

Men
1979	49,400	28,392	57.5	1,353	846	2,199	7.7
1980	48,700	27,709	56.9	1,696	983	2,678	9.7
1981	48,844	27,576	56.5	1,533	1,119	2,652	9.6
1982	47,591	26,481	55.6	1,587	697	2,284	8.6
1983	47,856	26,831	56.1	1,658	585	2,243	8.4
1984	50,022	28,140	56.3	1,626	490	2,116	7.5
1985	51,015	28,893	56.6	1,544	440	1,984	6.9
1986	51,942	29,666	57.1	1,336	408	1,743	5.9
1987	52,938	30,474	57.6	1,283	364	1,647	5.4
1988	53,912	31,058	57.6	1,066	311	1,377	4.4
1989	54,789	31,687	57.8	733	379	1,112	3.5
1990	55,553	32,104	57.8	385	712	1,097	3.4
1991	54,618	31,639	57.9	1,114	795	1,909	6.0
1992	54,826	32,155	58.6	1,231	653	1,885	5.9
1993	55,475	32,337	58.3	1,091	573	1,664	5.1
1994	56,570	33,528	59.3	891	674	1,565	4.7
1995	57,669	34,420	59.7	796	542	1,338	3.9
1996	58,473	34,838	59.6	755	619	1,374	3.9
1997	59,825	35,521	59.4	673	1,147	1,820	5.1
1998	60,973	35,761	58.7	628	1,039	1,667	4.7
1999	61,914	36,073	58.3	446	768	1,214	3.4
2000	63,662	36,720	57.7	319	582	901	2.5
2001	63,647	36,544	57.4	247	497	744	2.0
2002	63,272	36,000	56.9	217	582	799	2.2
2003	63,236	35,853	56.7	213	493	706	2.0
2004	64,145	36,806	57.4	210	470	680	1.8
2005	65,466	37,652	57.5	189	459	648	1.7
2006	66,811	38,193	57.2	146	422	568	1.5
2007	67,468	37,790	56.0	86	460	546	1.4
2008	66,846	37,334	55.9	90	638	728	1.9
2009	63,539	35,185	55.4	368	990	1,358	3.9
2010	63,531	35,498	55.9	669	943	1,612	4.5
2011	64,686	36,457	56.4	648	785	1,433	3.9
2012	65,898	37,113	56.3	567	696	1,263	3.4
2013	66,794	37,544	56.2	622	621	1,243	3.3
2014	68,048	38,405	56.4	516	598	1,114	2.9
2015	69,298	38,732	55.9	330	629	959	2.5
2016	70,589	39,568	56.1	270	499	769	1.9
2017	71,469	39,781	55.7	226	452	678	1.7
2018	72,632	40,691	56.0	168	464	632	1.6
2019	73,349	40,918	55.8	125	411	536	1.3
2020	68,711	36,792	53.5	111	258	369	1.0

Women
1979	38,129	23,329	61.2	2,644	2,070	4,714	20.2
1980	38,944	23,626	60.7	2,990	2,104	5,095	21.6
1981	39,672	24,294	61.2	2,778	2,394	5,172	21.3
1982	39,777	24,365	61.3	2,561	1,651	4,212	17.3
1983	40,433	24,989	61.8	2,603	1,492	4,095	16.4
1984	42,172	26,003	61.7	2,499	1,348	3,847	14.8
1985	43,506	26,869	61.8	2,356	1,198	3,554	13.2
1986	44,961	27,863	62.0	2,125	1,192	3,317	11.9
1987	46,365	29,078	62.7	1,946	1,105	3,051	10.5
1988	47,495	29,820	62.8	1,542	1,008	2,550	8.6
1989	48,691	30,702	63.1	1,056	994	2,050	6.7
1990	49,323	31,069	63.0	711	1,420	2,131	6.9
1991	49,105	30,988	63.1	1,792	1,582	3,374	10.9
1992	49,842	31,454	63.1	1,751	1,286	3,036	9.7
1993	50,626	31,937	63.1	1,534	1,133	2,667	8.4
1994	51,419	33,021	64.2	1,241	1,322	2,563	7.8
1995	52,369	33,934	64.8	1,161	1,157	2,318	6.8
1996	53,488	34,418	64.3	1,106	1,244	2,350	6.8
1997	54,708	35,214	64.4	1,092	1,843	2,935	8.3
1998	55,757	35,680	64.0	965	1,794	2,760	7.7
1999	57,050	36,233	63.5	700	1,426	2,126	5.9
2000	58,427	36,777	62.9	579	1,170	1,749	4.8
2001	58,582	36,848	62.9	409	1,021	1,430	3.9
2002	58,555	36,508	62.3	350	997	1,347	3.7
2003	59,122	37,093	62.7	332	1,062	1,394	3.8
2004	59,408	37,133	62.5	310	1,013	1,323	3.6
2005	60,423	37,957	62.8	290	944	1,234	3.3
2006	61,426	38,321	62.4	263	861	1,124	2.9
2007	62,299	38,082	61.1	181	1,002	1,183	3.1
2008	62,532	37,972	60.7	196	1,302	1,498	3.9
2009	60,951	37,426	61.4	612	1,603	2,215	5.9
2010	60,542	37,404	61.8	1,151	1,598	2,749	7.3
2011	60,502	37,469	61.9	1,029	1,366	2,395	6.4
2012	61,679	38,163	61.9	999	1,288	2,287	6.0
2013	62,316	38,404	61.6	910	1,148	2,058	5.4
2014	63,383	38,802	61.2	739	1,139	1,878	4.8
2015	64,445	39,500	61.3	540	1,062	1,602	4.1
2016	65,512	40,315	61.5	432	952	1,384	3.4
2017	66,421	40,658	61.2	316	829	1,146	2.8
2018	67,467	41,223	61.1	267	812	1,078	2.6
2019	68,388	41,372	60.5	268	800	1,067	2.6
2020	63,462	36,513	57.5	136	607	742	2.0
Footnotes (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 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.

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 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, 2009

Estimates 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.