Monthly minimum wage in United States
United States: Monthly minimum wage was 1,257 in 2026. ▲ Rising
Monthly minimum wage in United States, 1980–2026
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
United States recorded 1,257 for monthly minimum wage in 2026. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, monthly minimum wage in United States peaked at 1,257 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 537.32, in 1980.
United States ranks 127th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Monthly minimum wage in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 537.32 | — |
| 1981 | 580.66 | +8.1% |
| 1988 | 580.66 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 658.65 | +13.4% |
| 1992 | 736.65 | +11.8% |
| 1994 | 736.65 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 736.65 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 823.32 | +11.8% |
| 1998 | 892.65 | +8.4% |
| 1999 | 893 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 893 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 893 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 893 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 893 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 893 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 893 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 893 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 893 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 1,014 | +13.5% |
| 2009 | 1,135 | +11.9% |
| 2010 | 1,257 | +10.7% |
| 2011 | 1,257 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1,257 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1,257 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1,257 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1,257 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1,257 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1,257 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1,257 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1,257 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1,257 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 1,257 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1,257 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 1,257 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 1,257 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 1,257 | +0.0% |
| 2026 | 1,257 | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 566.21 | 537.32 | 580.66 | 3 |
| 1990s | 782.51 | 658.65 | 893 | 7 |
| 2000s | 929.3 | 893 | 1,135 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,257 | 1,257 | 1,257 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,257 | 1,257 | 1,257 | 7 |
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)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.3372 % change on previous year (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is monthly minimum wage in United States?
- Monthly minimum wage in United States was 1,257 in 2026, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest monthly minimum wage recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 1,257 in 2010.
- What is the lowest monthly minimum wage recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 537.32 in 1980.
- How does United States rank for monthly minimum wage?
- United States ranks 127th out of 173 countries with data for 2026.
- Is monthly minimum wage rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Monthly minimum wage (Local currency). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 37 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Data refer to the minimum monthly earnings of all employees as of December 31st of each year. Minimum wages are not reported for countries for which collective bargaining is in place for minimum wages. In cases where a national minimum wage is not mandated, the minimum wage in place in the capital or major city is used. In some cases, an average of multiple regional minimum wages is used. In countries where the minimum wage is set at the sectoral level or occupational level, the minimum wage for manufacturing or unskilled workers is generally applied. Data are converted to U.S. dollars as the common currency, using exchange rates or purchasing power parity (PPP) rates rates for private consumption expenditures. The latter series allows for international comparisons by taking account of the differences in relative prices between countries. For more information, refer to the Wages and Working Time Statistics (COND) database description.