Minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers in United States
United States: Minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers was 17.15 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees in 2025. βΌ Falling
Minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers in United States, 1973β2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of average wage of full-time employees.
Analysis
United States recorded 17.15 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees for minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 53 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.9% on the previous year and down 31.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers in United States peaked at 42.4 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees in 1978 and was at its lowest, 17.15 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees, in 2025.
United States ranks 23rd of 23 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 40.52 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 36.53 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 42.4 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 7 |
| 1980s | 35.32 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 28.53 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 41.72 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 10 |
| 1990s | 30.33 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 28.66 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 32.32 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.65 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 23.45 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 28.53 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.68 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 22.32 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 28.43 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.97 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 17.15 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 21.11 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States
More work & labour data for United States
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 61.24 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 178,849 (2027)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (2023)
- Criminal penalties or civil remedies sexual harassment in employment 1 (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 61.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 67.1% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 84.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 56.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 73.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers in United States?
- Minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers in United States was 17.15 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 42.4 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees in 1978.
- What is the lowest minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.15 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees in 2025.
- How does United States rank for minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers?
- United States ranks 23rd out of 23 countries with data for 2025.
- Is minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 53 observations, free to reuse under OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required).
About this data
For cross-country comparisons, data on minimum wage levels are further supplemented with another measure of minimum wages relative to average wages, that is, the ratio of minimum wages to median earnings of full-time employees. Median rather than mean earnings provide a better basis for international comparisons as it accounts for differences in earnings dispersion across countries. However, while median of basic earnings of full-time workers - i.e. excluding overtime and bonus payments - are ideally, the preferred measure of average wages for international comparisons of minimum-to-median earnings, they are not available for a large number of countries. Minimum relative to mean earnings of full-time workers are also provided.