Massachusetts minimum wage benchmarks
| Federal minimum wage | Mass State Minimum | Proposed increases | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In 1968 | In 2017 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| Standard of living benchmarks | |||||||
| Nominal value | $1.60 | $7.25 | $11.00 | $12.00 | $13.00 | $14.00 | $15.00 |
| Real value (2017$)* | $9.90 | $7.25 | $11.00 | $11.74 | $12.43 | $13.07 | $13.68 |
| Percent of 1968 value (based on CPI-U-RS) | 100.0% | 73.2% | 111.1% | 118.6% | 125.5% | 132.0% | 138.1% |
| Wage distribution benchmarks | |||||||
| As a percent of state full-time full-year (FTFY) median wage (range of 0.0%-0.5% wage growth) | 52.1% | 33.6% | 42.4% – 42.7% | 45.1% – 45.5% | 47.5% – 48.2% | 49.7% – 50.7% | 51.8% – 53.0% |
| “Bite” – Percent of workers at or below the minimum wage using 2016 wage distribution (assuming 2018 start) | n.a. | 3.3% | 11.1% | 14.3% | 15.5% | 18.7% | 22.5% |
| Pace of nominal change | |||||||
| Total nominal change in the minimum wage | 28% | 40.8% | 37.5% | 9.1% | 18.2% | 27.3% | 36.4% |
| Average percent increase per year for X years | 13.1% for 2 years | 12.1% for 3 years* | 12.5% for 3 years** | 9.1% for 4 years | |||
Notes: Historical inflation adjustments use the CPI-U-RS. All projections for 2017 onward use CBO's June 2017 projections for inflation under the CPI. *Describes federal minimum wage increase from $5.15 to $7.25 that occurred from 2007-2009. **Changes describe Massachusetts state minimum wage increase from 2015-2017.
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement microdata, Fair Labor Standards Act and Amendments, and Massachusetts state minimum wage proposals