Figure E

Range of state minimum-to-median wage ratios, 1979−2014 and 2015–2020 (projected)

year Minimum Projected Minimum Maximum Projected Maximum 10th percentile Projected 10th percentile 25th percentile Projected 25th percentile 50th percentile Projected 50th percentile 75th percentile Projected 75th percentile 90th percentile Projected 90th percentile
1979 0.377778 0.666667 0.464 0.481728 0.515556 0.573123 0.610526
1980 0.36766 0.635246 0.442857 0.4712 0.496 0.553571 0.62
1981 0.385 0.653659 0.446667 0.465278 0.5025 0.54918 0.595556
1982 0.366667 0.625 0.41358 0.44021 0.471167 0.515385 0.558333
1983 0.342984 0.58625 0.406061 0.41875 0.446667 0.490842 0.536
1984 0.324211 0.558333 0.382857 0.394118 0.446667 0.477208 0.515385
1985 0.308 0.548182 0.372222 0.382857 0.41875 0.450867 0.499255
1986 0.301304 0.536 0.348958 0.373781 0.414861 0.446667 0.478571
1987 0.308 0.507576 0.335 0.370166 0.394118 0.430714 0.462069
1988 0.299378 0.509119 0.335 0.360215 0.394118 0.425397 0.446667
1989 0.296154 0.478571 0.335 0.355938 0.387283 0.41875 0.440789
1990 0.310185 0.491667 0.344318 0.36875 0.409722 0.435294 0.460938
1991 0.332338 0.537338 0.359783 0.391844 0.423469 0.472857 0.482708
1992 0.339286 0.53125 0.365591 0.402081 0.435897 0.472222 0.491329
1993 0.327586 0.53125 0.354167 0.38737 0.425 0.453333 0.472222
1994 0.310545 0.515669 0.354167 0.386364 0.425 0.447368 0.472222
1995 0.296055 0.485714 0.350371 0.373246 0.425 0.433342 0.459459
1996 0.30765 0.491573 0.35 0.368638 0.416667 0.4375 0.455729
1997 0.344327 0.542593 0.375641 0.400667 0.441631 0.476667 0.488333
1998 0.345333 0.554071 0.370198 0.398383 0.447826 0.47032 0.495931
1999 0.343333 0.515 0.367857 0.396154 0.429167 0.451754 0.478216
2000 0.332258 0.492922 0.361896 0.383975 0.42 0.445502 0.457778
2001 0.307279 0.480769 0.343333 0.367857 0.402658 0.429167 0.446342
2002 0.297001 0.454545 0.343333 0.365489 0.396154 0.412 0.429167
2003 0.289326 0.464646 0.333333 0.357069 0.384328 0.412 0.429167
2004 0.29129 0.47 0.321875 0.355172 0.374545 0.396154 0.433336
2005 0.289517 0.483333 0.321633 0.34868 0.374545 0.396154 0.415994
2006 0.282192 0.483871 0.327313 0.343333 0.367857 0.381481 0.426667
2007 0.317593 0.481184 0.346669 0.366667 0.392039 0.423159 0.444667
2008 0.318455 0.472615 0.361795 0.380952 0.413333 0.426471 0.445993
2009 0.332948 0.492857 0.363636 0.383333 0.429718 0.448503 0.46
2010 0.33526 0.508059 0.364841 0.402778 0.430523 0.457223 0.471875
2011 0.335113 0.511152 0.367089 0.402778 0.430862 0.453125 0.471254
2012 0.329974 0.512422 0.362319 0.389493 0.426471 0.452 0.47
2013 0.312204 0.502174 0.359049 0.3875 0.418894 0.445143 0.468346
2014 0.33441 0.515625 0.374525 0.390244 0.425653 0.443968 0.458183
2015 0.345311 0.345311 0.525518 0.525518 0.377462  0.377462 0.398432  0.398432 0.424371  0.424371 0.447996  0.447996   0.473714  0.473714
2016 0.368836 0.563674  0.397005  0.4179 0.45372  0.477402  0.496256
2017 0.393592  0.558646  0.422391  0.450269  0.486314  0.514652  0.541188
2018 0.402386  0.60249  0.444695  0.46693  0.518811  0.549329  0.580037
2019 0.393103  0.643953  0.475299  0.499064  0.554515  0.587134  0.619955
2020 0.400482 0.682758  0.50394  0.529137  0.587931  0.622515  0.657314
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Note: Projections over 2015–2020 assume that there is no growth in real median wages, and that the minimum wage is raised to $12.00 in 2020 as stipulated in the Raise the Wage Act of 2015. See technical appendix for methodology.

Source: Authors' analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata, 1979–2014

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