Chart of United States Minimum Wage History from 1938
through today.
For a graph of the data, see US
Minimum Wage History Chart
Minimum hourly wage of
workers in jobs first covered by
Effective
Date |
|
1938
Act 1 |
|
1961
Amendments 2 |
|
1966 and Subsequent
Amendments3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nonfarm
|
|
Farm
|
Oct 24, 1938
|
|
$0.25
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 24, 1939
|
|
$0.30
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 24, 1945
|
|
$0.40
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jan 25, 1950
|
|
$0.75
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 1, 1956
|
|
$1.00
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sep 3, 1961
|
|
$1.15
|
|
$1.00
|
|
|
|
|
Sep 3, 1963
|
|
$1.25
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sep 3, 1964
|
|
|
|
$1.15
|
|
|
|
|
Sep 3, 1965
|
|
|
|
$1.25
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 1, 1967
|
|
$1.40
|
|
$1.40
|
|
$1.00
|
|
$1.00
|
Feb 1, 1968
|
|
$1.60
|
|
$1.60
|
|
$1.15
|
|
$1.15
|
Feb 1, 1969
|
|
|
|
|
|
$1.30
|
|
$1.30
|
Feb 1, 1970
|
|
|
|
|
|
$1.45
|
|
|
Feb 1, 1971
|
|
|
|
|
|
$1.60
|
|
|
May 1, 1974
|
|
$2.00
|
|
$2.00
|
|
$1.90
|
|
$1.60
|
Jan. 1, 1975
|
|
$2.10
|
|
$2.10
|
|
$2.00
|
|
$1.80
|
Jan 1, 1976
|
|
$2.30
|
|
$2.30
|
|
$2.20
|
|
$2.00
|
Jan 1, 1977
|
|
|
|
|
|
$2.30
|
|
$2.20
|
Jan 1, 1978
|
|
$2.65 for all covered, nonexempt workers
|
Jan 1, 1979
|
|
$2.90 for all covered, nonexempt workers
|
Jan 1, 1980
|
|
$3.10 for all covered, nonexempt workers
|
Jan 1, 1981
|
|
$3.35 for all covered, nonexempt workers
|
Apr 1, 19904
|
|
$3.80 for all covered, nonexempt workers
|
Apr 1, 1991
|
|
$4.25 for all covered, nonexempt workers
|
Oct 1, 1996
|
|
$4.75 for all covered, nonexempt workers
|
Sep 1, 19975
|
|
$5.15 for all covered, nonexempt workers
|
Jul 24, 2007
|
|
$5.85 for all covered, nonexempt workers
|
Jul 24, 2008
|
|
$6.55 for all covered, nonexempt workers
|
Jul 24, 2009
|
|
$7.25 for all covered, nonexempt workers
|
|
|
Notes:
1 The 1938 Act was
applicable generally to employees engaged in interstate commerce or in
the production of goods for interstate commerce.
2 The 1961 Amendments extended
coverage primarily to employees in large retail and service enterprises
as well as to local transit, construction, and gasoline service station
employees.
3 The 1966 Amendments extended
coverage to State and local government employees of hospitals, nursing
homes, and schools, and to laundries, drycleaners, and large hotels,
motels, restaurants, and farms. Subsequent amendments extended overage
to the remaining Federal, State and local government employees who were
not protected in 1966, to certain workers in retail and service trades
previously exempted, and to certain domestic workers in private
household
employment.
4 Grandfather clause - Employees
who do not meet the tests for individual coverage, and whose employers
were covered by
the FLSA on March 31, 1990, and fail to meet the increased annual
dollar volume (ADV) test for enterprise coverage, must continue to
receive at least $3.35 an hour.
5 A subminimum wage -- $4.25 an
hour -- is established for employees under 20 years of age during their
first 90
consecutive calendar days of employment with an employer.
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