What Was the Minimum Wage the Year You Were Born?
Although the minimum wage is not as low as it used to be, America has a long way to go toward fairly paying its lowest-income workers. The federal minimum wage is currently still at $7.25 -- a figure that has stayed the same since 2009. For perspective, in the late 1960s, minimum wage was worth over $14 in today’s dollars. It has backslid ever since.
Bills to raise the wage have been introduced in Congress over the past few years, but none have progressed into law. The Raise the Wage Act of 2023 would have bumped the minimum to $11.50 in 2025, but didn't pass. Likewise, the Raise the Wage Act of 2025 proposed increasing the federal minimum wage to $17 per hour by 2030. It is currently pending but reportedly has a "low probability of passage."
In the meantime, many states and localities are taking it upon themselves to increase their minimum wages, and a few are up over $16. With that in mind, take a look at how minimum wage has morphed through the years.
1938
U.S. minimum wage: 25 cents
In 2025 dollars: $5.60
1939
U.S. minimum wage: 30 cents
In 2025 dollars: $6.81
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1940
U.S. minimum wage: 30 cents
In 2025 dollars: $6.76
1941
U.S. minimum wage: 30 cents
In 2025 dollars: $6.44
1942
U.S. minimum wage: 30 cents
In 2025 dollars: $5.81
1943
U.S. minimum wage: 30 cents
In 2025 dollars: $5.47
1944
U.S. minimum wage: 30 cents
In 2025 dollars: $5.38
1945
U.S. minimum wage: 40 cents
In 2025 dollars: $7.01
1946
U.S. minimum wage: 40 cents
In 2025 dollars: $6.47
1947
U.S. minimum wage: 40 cents
In 2024 dollars: $5.66
1948
U.S. minimum wage: 40 cents
In 2025 dollars: $5.24
1949
U.S. minimum wage: 40 cents
In 2025 dollars: $5.30
1950
U.S. minimum wage: 75 cents
In 2025 dollars: $9.82
1951
U.S. minimum wage: 75 cents
In 2025 dollars: $9.10
1952
U.S. minimum wage: 75 cents
In 2025 dollars: $8.93
1953
U.S. minimum wage: 75 cents
In 2025 dollars: $8.87
1954
U.S. minimum wage: 75 cents
In 2025 dollars: $8.80
1955
U.S. minimum wage: 75 cents
In 2025 dollars: $8.83
1956
U.S. minimum wage: $1
In 2025 dollars: $11.60
1957
U.S. minimum wage: $1
In 2025 dollars: $11.23
1958
U.S. minimum wage: $1
In 2025 dollars: $10.92
1959
U.S. minimum wage: $1
In 2025 dollars: $10.85
1960
U.S. minimum wage: $1
In 2025 dollars: $10.66
1961
U.S. minimum wage: $1.15
In 2025 dollars: $12.14
1962
U.S. minimum wage: $1.15
In 2025 dollars: $11.95
1963
U.S. minimum wage: $1.25
In 2025 dollars: $12.89
1964
U.S. minimum wage: $1.25
In 2025 dollars: $12.73
1965
U.S. minimum wage: $1.25
In 2025 dollars: $12.52
1966
U.S. minimum wage: $1.25
In 2025 dollars: $12.18
1967
U.S. minimum wage: $1.40
In 2025 dollars: $13.23
1968
U.S. minimum wage: $1.60
In 2025 dollars: $14.51
1969
U.S. minimum wage: $1.60
In 2025 dollars: $13.76
1970
U.S. minimum wage: $1.60
In 2025 dollars: $13.01
1971
U.S. minimum wage: $1.60
In 2025 dollars: $12.47
1972
U.S. minimum wage: $1.60
In 2025 dollars: $12.08
1973
U.S. minimum wage: $1.60
In 2025 dollars: $11.37
1974
U.S. minimum wage: $2
In 2025 dollars: $12.80
1975
U.S. minimum wage: $2.10
In 2025 dollars: $12.32
1976
U.S. minimum wage: $2.30
In 2025 dollars: $12.76
1977
U.S. minimum wage: $2.30
In 2025 dollars: $11.98
1978
U.S. minimum wage: $2.65
In 2025 dollars: $12.83
1979
U.S. minimum wage: $2.90
In 2025 dollars: $12.61
1980
U.S. minimum wage: $3.10
In 2025 dollars: $11.87
1981
U.S. minimum wage: $3.35
In 2025 dollars: $11.63
1982
U.S. minimum wage: $3.35
In 2025 dollars: $10.96
1983
U.S. minimum wage: $3.35
In 2025 dollars: $10.62
1984
U.S. minimum wage: $3.35
In 2025 dollars: $10.18
1985
U.S. minimum wage: $3.35
In 2025 dollars: $9.83
1986
U.S. minimum wage: $3.35
In 2025 dollars: $9.65
1987
U.S. minimum wage: $3.35
In 2025 dollars: $9.31
1988
U.S. minimum wage: $3.35
In 2025 dollars: $8.94
1989
U.S. minimum wage: $3.35
In 2025 dollars: $8.53
1990
U.S. minimum wage: $3.80
In 2025 dollars: $9.18
1991
U.S. minimum wage: $4.25
In 2025 dollars: $9.85
1992
U.S. minimum wage: $4.25
In 2025 dollars: $9.56
1993
U.S. minimum wage: $4.25
In 2025 dollars: $9.28
1994
U.S. minimum wage: $4.25
In 2025 dollars: $9.05
1995
U.S. minimum wage: $4.25
In 2025 dollars: $8.80
1996
U.S. minimum wage: $4.75
In 2025 dollars: $9.55
1997
U.S. minimum wage: $5.15
In 2025 dollars: $10.13
1998
U.S. minimum wage: $5.15
In 2025 dollars: $9.97
1999
U.S. minimum wage: $5.15
In 2025 dollars: $9.76
2000
U.S. minimum wage: $5.15
In 2025 dollars: $9.44
2001
U.S. minimum wage: $5.15
In 2025 dollars: $9.18
2002
U.S. minimum wage: $5.15
In 2025 dollars: $9.03
2003
U.S. minimum wage: $5.15
In 2025 dollars: $8.83
2004
U.S. minimum wage: $5.15
In 2025 dollars: $8.60
2005
U.S. minimum wage: $5.15
In 2025 dollars: $8.32
2006
U.S. minimum wage: $5.15
In 2025 dollars: $8.06
2007
U.S. minimum wage: $5.85
In 2025 dollars: $8.90
2008
U.S. minimum wage: $6.55
In 2025 dollars: $9.60
2009
U.S. minimum wage: $7.25
In 2025 dollars: $10.67
2010
U.S. minimum wage: $7.25
In 2025 dollars: $10.49
2011
U.S. minimum wage: $7.25
In 2025 dollars: $10.17
2012
U.S. minimum wage: $7.25
In 2025 dollars: $9.97
2013
U.S. minimum wage: $7.25
In 2025 dollars: $9.82
2014
U.S. minimum wage: $7.25
In 2025 dollars: $9.67
2015
U.S. minimum wage: $7.25
In 2025 dollars: $9.65
2016
U.S. minimum wage: $7.25
In 2025 dollars: $9.53
2017
U.S. minimum wage: $7.25
In 2025 dollars: $9.33
2018
U.S. minimum wage: $7.25
In 2025 dollars: $9.11
2019
U.S. minimum wage: $7.25
In 2025 dollars: $8.95
2020
U.S. minimum wage: $7.25
In 2025 dollars: $8.84
2021
U.S. minimum wage: $7.25
In 2025 dollars: $8.44
2022
U.S. minimum wage: $7.25
In 2025 dollars: $7.82
2023
U.S. minimum wage: $7.25
In 2025 dollars: $7.51
2024
U.S. minimum wage: $7.25
In 2025 dollars: $7.30
Gabrielle Olya and Amen Oyiboke-Osifo contributed to the reporting for this article.
In order to find the minimum wage the year you were born, we looked at the United States Department of Labor’s federal minimum wage data to find the minimum wage for every year from 1938 to 2024. Then, we used the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI inflation calculator to find the federal minimum wage in 2025 dollars for all years.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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