The federal minimum wage in the US has been $7.25 per hour since 2009

Minimum wage laws are a relatively new phenomenon in the US

Today, the federal minimum wage in the US is $7.25 per hour. But the country wasn’t founded with minimum wage laws in its DNA. The first federal minimum wage wasn’t set until 1938, when it was 25 cents per hour.

See every time the minimum wage has been raised

Unlike some other nations, the US minimum wage isn’t tied to inflation. So instead of it automatically rising alongside the cost of living, Congress has to vote to raise the minimum wage every time they think it’s necessary.

Pros and cons of minimum wage

The federal minimum wage hasn’t been raised since 2009. Over the past decade or so, proponents of significantly raising the minimum wage have argued that doing so could reduce reliance on government financial assistance programs and increase consumer spending. But opponents say higher labor costs could lead to job cuts.

This is the longest the US has gone without a minimum wage increase since 1938

The US government hasn’t increased the federal minimum wage in more than a decade. Some people argue it's wrong that Congress needs to debate whether or not to raise the minimum wage—and that perhaps these raises should be tied to inflation.

Since its inception in 1938, Congress has raised the federal minimum wage 22 times

If you want all the details about when and why these rate increases happened check out this resource from the US Department of Labor.

An animation of how the minimum wage changed every year from 1968 to 2018

In the United States, both the federal and state minimum wages have changed a lot over the years. See how—both in each state and at the federal level.

When a state’s minimum wage differs from the federal's, the higher number wins out

Being that the federal government hasn’t raised the minimum wage in over 15 years, some states have taken matters in their own hands.

The US had roughly 1.6 million minimum wage workers as of 2021

Typically, minimum wage workers are young. They’re not only more likely to be a woman than a man, but also more likely to be single than married.

The way the minimum wage is set in other countries often differs from US methods

Unlike the US, some countries set the minimum wage by industry through collective bargaining agreements. In Luxembourg, the minimum wage translates to roughly $19.50 per hour, currently making it the country with the highest minimum wage in the world.

In the Netherlands, the minimum wage amounts to a full-time salary of roughly $34,192 per year

The US minimum wage, however, only amounts to roughly $15K per year. This map shows how much minimum wage workers in countries around the world earn on an annual basis in US dollars.

The Fair Labor Standards Act established a minimum wage—but it didn't cover everyone

A 1966 amendment created the “tip credit,” which allowed restaurants to pay below minimum wage if tips compensated the difference. However, this federal tipped minimum wage has remained frozen at $2.13 per hour since 1991, whereas the regular minimum wage has increased multiple times since then.

Does minimum wage hurt workers?

Many economists traditionally believed raising the minimum wage hurt workers more than helped them. They argued that doing so would lead to job losses believing that if something is more expensive (like labor), people (like business owners) would want to buy less of it. However, recent research suggests otherwise.

Many states require higher direct wage amounts for tipped employees than the federal requirement

Employers of "tipped employees" are required to pay them $2.13 per hour in direct wages if that amount, combined with the tips, at least equals the federal minimum wage of $7.25. If the employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 per hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage, the employer has to make up the difference. However, this differs from state to state. This interactive map shows what tipped workers make per hour in every state.

The overall median annual salary in the US was $62,192 as of 2025

The age group with the highest median annual salary in the US, $70,824, was made up of people ages 45 to 54, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data from July 28, 2025.

Poverty rates by US state

As of 2022, 37.9 million people in the US were living in poverty. But those people aren't evenly distributed among the 50 states. Some states and regions of the country are more impoverished than others. For instance, US poverty rates are relatively higher in the South than they are in the North. See the state-by-state breakdown with this map.

At just over $1K, Mississippi has the lowest average weekly wage in the country

The mean weekly wage in the US is $1,459—more than a $1K difference from Washington, DC, where the average weekly wage is nearly $2.4K. Also among the highest earning states are Washington, Massachusetts, and California. Likewise, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Arkansas have the lowest weekly averages.

In 1980, the median US household income was $21,020

In 1980, a steady middle-class job paid roughly $13,000 to $16,000 a year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That income comfortably supported a household on one paycheck. The average full-time worker today, who makes $68K per year often cannot afford to support a household without a second income.

Some argue that restricting illegal immigration would raise wages for lower-income American workers

The Heritage Foundation argues that illegal immigrants' willingness to work for below-market wages suppresses wages for low-skilled American workers—and that reducing illegal immigration would increase wages and job opportunities, particularly for workers without a college degree.

The US federal government employs roughly 3 million people

Tracking began in 1939, when the federal workforce consisted of about 1 million people. The total peaked in 1990 at 3.4 million, and hit a recent low in 2014 at 2.7 million.

Living wage calculator

Some people who work low-wage jobs don't make enough money to pay for the cost of basic needs (like housing or child care) in their area of the country. Curious to see whether or not you make what's considered a "living wage" for your city or state? To find out, plug your locale into this Living Wage Calculator.

The status of federal pay transparency legislation

While many US states have pay transparency laws, no similar legislation has been passed at a federal level. However, the Salary Transparency Act was introduced in Congress in March 2023. For details about what that legislation would mandate and its status in the US House and Senate, click here.

Understanding the low corporate tax rate in the US

Corporate taxes, which make up roughly a third of the federal government's revenue, have been calculated using a flat 21% rate since the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act of 2017. The current rate is considered low both by historic standards (it averaged over 50% in the 1950s and 1960s) and compared to other countries.

11,000 new US dollar stores opened between 2007 and 2017

Dollar store retailers experienced significant fiscal gains during the 2010s, which were then accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. But in recent years, dollar stores have been closing in large numbers and suffering financial hardship. Experts point to Walmart's strategy of decreasing prices to cater to inflation-fatigued customers, and point out that when Walmart does well financially, dollar stores typically suffer.

Why coffee prices have reached record highs in 2026

Coffee beans reached $9.46 per pound in February 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest price since the Bureau began tracking the price in 1980. Experts blame bad weather in Brazil and Vietnam (the world's largest producers) and heightened US tariffs.

The Federal Reserve can set interest rates below zero

Interest rates, the cost of borrowing money, are the primary tool the Federal Reserve uses to control inflation. During periods of deflation, setting interest rates below zero penalizes saving, encourages banks to lend more and moves more cash through the economy.

The US dollar is the most widely circulated currency in the world, and is involved in nearly 90% of global transactions

Calculate how much of your tax dollars go to each federal program based on your income, filing status, and number of children

The United States is one of only around two dozen countries with a fully federal system of government, in which power is divided between national and state governments.

The USPS spent $3.97B in 2024, accounting for .058% of the federal budget.

Roughly 43 million US borrowers owe roughly $1.7T in student debt, the second-largest source of consumer debt behind mortgages.

The price of gas is a composite made up of several different factors, with the federal gas tax making up less than 20% of what drivers pay at the pump.

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

The American Society of Civil Engineers' infrastructure report card gave the US a C in 2025, its highest grade since the project launched in 1998.

See a ranking of the best (and worst) Federal Reserve Chairs since 1914 out of the 16 men and women who have held the office since.

See this overview of the firework rules across all 50 states, ranging from a complete ban on non-professional fireworks in Massachusetts to states with more lax rules like Indiana.

Before the current East Wing ballroom project, only two White House renovations in the past 100 years cost more than $10M.

Some coin denominations have ridges etched on their sides, partly to prevent counterfeiting, in a practice called 'reeding.'

The United States has had a tumultuous relationship with Cuba since its 1959 revolution, highlighted by a nuclear crisis and a decades-long trade embargo.

44% of Americans say they pray at least once a day—discover how your state's religiosity stacks up against the rest of the country.

View the ten deadliest tornadoes in US history.

In 2026, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year based on its wealth, social safety network, and high life expectancy, among other factors.

Experimental hantavirus vaccines and therapies, still under development, have long been funded by the US military.

Mark Twain spent decades feuding with the US Postal Service, convinced its costs and regulations were bureaucratic overreach.

Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' is infamous for having some of the highest industrial pollution, toxic air emissions, and cancer risks in the US.

Dozens of S&P 500 stocks, including Coca-Cola and Walmart—known as the dividend aristocrats—have increased dividends every year for 25 years

How Amazon operates a 'flywheel' business model, a self-reinforcing cycle that drives continuous growth

Domino's Pizza's 30-minute delivery guarantee was responsible for the chain's 1980s surge, but it was discontinued after the company was found liable for delivery driver accidents.

The boiling temperature of water decreases with increasing elevation because the molecules need less energy to overcome the lower atmospheric pressure associated with thinner air.

Lesser-known phobias include turophobia, or the fear of cheese, and nomophobia, the fear of being without your cell phone.

For centuries, it was common to sleep in two shifts: a few hours at the beginning of the night, and a longer period beginning around midnight