Minimum wage workers by gender U.S. 1980-2023

This statistic shows the percent of workers paid hourly rates at or below prevailing federal minimum wage in the United States from 1980 to 2023, by gender. In 2023, only 1.5 percent of the female wage and salary workers were paid hourly rates at or below the federal minimum wage, compared to 21.6 percent in 1980.

Share of workers paid hourly rates at or below prevailing federal minimum wage in the United States from 1980 to 2023, by gender

Characteristic	Women	Men
1980	21.6%	9.7%
1981	21.3%	9.6%
1982	17.3%	8.6%
1983	16.4%	8.4%
1984	14.8%	7.5%
1985	13.2%	6.9%
1986	11.9%	5.9%
1987	10.5%	5.4%
1988	8.6%	4.4%
1989	6.7%	3.5%
1990	6.9%	3.4%
1991	10.9%	6%
1992	9.7%	5.9%
1993	8.4%	5.1%
1994	7.8%	4.7%
1995	6.8%	3.9%
1996	6.8%	3.9%
1997	8.3%	5.1%
1998	7.7%	4.7%
1999	5.9%	3.4%
2000	4.8%	2.5%
2001	3.9%	2%
2002	3.7%	2.2%
2003	3.8%	2%
2004	3.6%	1.8%
2005	3.3%	1.7%
2006	2.9%	1.5%
2007	3.1%	1.4%
2008	3.9%	1.9%
2009	5.9%	3.9%
2010	7.3%	4.5%
2011	6.4%	3.9%
2012	6%	3.4%
2013	5.4%	3.3%
2014	4.8%	2.9%
2015	4.1%	2.5%
2016	3.4%	1.9%
2017	2.8%	1.7%
2018	2.6%	1.6%
2019	2.6%	1.3%
2020	2%	1%
2021	1.7%	1%
2022	1.8%	0.8%
2023	1.5%	0.7%

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Release date

May 2024

More information

Region

United States

Survey time period

1980 to 2023

Age group

16 years and older

Supplementary notes

Data for 1990–91, 1996–97, and 2007–09 reflect changes in the minimum wage that took place in those years.

The prevailing Federal minimum wage was $2.90 in 1979, $3.10 in 1980, and $3.35 in 1981–89. The minimum wage rose to $3.80 in April 1990, to $4.25 in April 1991, to $4.75 in October 1996, to $5.15 in September 1997, to $5.85 in July 2007, to $6.55 in July 2008, and to $7.25 in July 2009.

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