Mind the wage gap: Cumulative nominal average hourly earnings, actual and hypothetical if they had grown at 3.5% since the recession began, 2007–2025

Date Average hourly earnings of all private employees Hypothetical, assuming 3.5% growth* Gap
Jan-2007 $20.59
Feb-2007 $20.68
Mar-2007 $20.73
Apr-2007 $20.77
May-2007 $20.84
Jun-2007 $20.95
Jul-2007 $20.94
Aug-2007 $21.00
Sep-2007 $21.04
Oct-2007 $21.07
Nov-2007 $21.12
Dec-2007 $21.16 $21.16 $0.00
Jan-2008 $21.19 $21.22 $0.03
Feb-2008 $21.27 $21.28 $0.01
Mar-2008 $21.35 $21.34 -$0.01
Apr-2008 $21.38 $21.40 $0.02
May-2008 $21.47 $21.47 $0.00
Jun-2008 $21.52 $21.53 $0.01
Jul-2008 $21.61 $21.59 -$0.02
Aug-2008 $21.70 $21.65 -$0.05
Sep-2008 $21.73 $21.71 -$0.02
Oct-2008 $21.76 $21.78 $0.02
Nov-2008 $21.86 $21.84 -$0.02
Dec-2008 $21.94 $21.90 -$0.04
Jan-2009 $21.96 $21.96 $0.00
Feb-2009 $21.98 $22.03 $0.05
Mar-2009 $22.05 $22.09 $0.04
Apr-2009 $22.10 $22.15 $0.05
May-2009 $22.12 $22.22 $0.10
Jun-2009 $22.14 $22.28 $0.14
Jul-2009 $22.18 $22.34 $0.16
Aug-2009 $22.23 $22.41 $0.18
Sep-2009 $22.27 $22.47 $0.20
Oct-2009 $22.31 $22.54 $0.23
Nov-2009 $22.33 $22.60 $0.27
Dec-2009 $22.37 $22.67 $0.30
Jan-2010 $22.41 $22.73 $0.32
Feb-2010 $22.46 $22.80 $0.34
Mar-2010 $22.46 $22.86 $0.40
Apr-2010 $22.49 $22.93 $0.44
May-2010 $22.51 $22.99 $0.48
Jun-2010 $22.53 $23.06 $0.53
Jul-2010 $22.59 $23.13 $0.54
Aug-2010 $22.62 $23.19 $0.57
Sep-2010 $22.67 $23.26 $0.59
Oct-2010 $22.74 $23.33 $0.59
Nov-2010 $22.73 $23.39 $0.66
Dec-2010 $22.76 $23.46 $0.70
Jan-2011 $22.87 $23.53 $0.66
Feb-2011 $22.87 $23.60 $0.73
Mar-2011 $22.87 $23.66 $0.79
Apr-2011 $22.91 $23.73 $0.82
May-2011 $22.97 $23.80 $0.83
Jun-2011 $23.01 $23.87 $0.86
Jul-2011 $23.11 $23.94 $0.83
Aug-2011 $23.07 $24.00 $0.93
Sep-2011 $23.11 $24.07 $0.96
Oct-2011 $23.18 $24.14 $0.96
Nov-2011 $23.19 $24.21 $1.02
Dec-2011 $23.22 $24.28 $1.06
Jan-2012 $23.26 $24.35 $1.09
Feb-2012 $23.28 $24.42 $1.14
Mar-2012 $23.36 $24.49 $1.13
Apr-2012 $23.38 $24.56 $1.18
May-2012 $23.41 $24.63 $1.22
Jun-2012 $23.46 $24.70 $1.24
Jul-2012 $23.49 $24.77 $1.28
Aug-2012 $23.49 $24.84 $1.35
Sep-2012 $23.57 $24.92 $1.35
Oct-2012 $23.56 $24.99 $1.43
Nov-2012 $23.63 $25.06 $1.43
Dec-2012 $23.72 $25.13 $1.41
Jan-2013 $23.75 $25.20 $1.45
Feb-2013 $23.77 $25.28 $1.51
Mar-2013 $23.80 $25.35 $1.55
Apr-2013 $23.87 $25.42 $1.55
May-2013 $23.89 $25.49 $1.60
Jun-2013 $23.96 $25.57 $1.61
Jul-2013 $23.98 $25.64 $1.66
Aug-2013 $24.02 $25.71 $1.69
Sep-2013 $24.06 $25.79 $1.73
Oct-2013 $24.09 $25.86 $1.77
Nov-2013 $24.16 $25.94 $1.78
Dec-2013 $24.18 $26.01 $1.83
Jan-2014 $24.23 $26.09 $1.86
Feb-2014 $24.33 $26.16 $1.83
Mar-2014 $24.31 $26.24 $1.93
Apr-2014 $24.34 $26.31 $1.97
May-2014 $24.40 $26.39 $1.99
Jun-2014 $24.46 $26.46 $2.00
Jul-2014 $24.48 $26.54 $2.06
Aug-2014 $24.54 $26.61 $2.07
Sep-2014 $24.55 $26.69 $2.14
Oct-2014 $24.58 $26.77 $2.19
Nov-2014 $24.66 $26.84 $2.18
Dec-2014 $24.63 $26.92 $2.29
Jan-2015 $24.75 $27.00 $2.25
Feb-2015 $24.80 $27.08 $2.28
Mar-2015 $24.85 $27.15 $2.30
Apr-2015 $24.89 $27.23 $2.34
May-2015 $24.97 $27.31 $2.34
Jun-2015 $24.97 $27.39 $2.42
Jul-2015 $25.01 $27.47 $2.46
Aug-2015 $25.09 $27.55 $2.46
Sep-2015 $25.11 $27.63 $2.52
Oct-2015 $25.20 $27.70 $2.50
Nov-2015 $25.25 $27.78 $2.53
Dec-2015 $25.25 $27.86 $2.61
Jan-2016 $25.37 $27.94 $2.57
Feb-2016 $25.38 $28.02 $2.64
Mar-2016 $25.45 $28.10 $2.65
Apr-2016 $25.53 $28.19 $2.66
May-2016 $25.58 $28.27 $2.69
Jun-2016 $25.62 $28.35 $2.73
Jul-2016 $25.69 $28.43 $2.74
Aug-2016 $25.71 $28.51 $2.80
Sep-2016 $25.77 $28.59 $2.82
Oct-2016 $25.90 $28.67 $2.77
Nov-2016 $25.90 $28.76 $2.86
Dec-2016 $25.93 $28.84 $2.91
Jan-2017 $26.00 $28.92 $2.92
Feb-2017 $26.07 $29.00 $2.93
Mar-2017 $26.11 $29.09 $2.98
Apr-2017 $26.17 $29.17 $3.00
May-2017 $26.21 $29.26 $3.05
Jun-2017 $26.26 $29.34 $3.08
Jul-2017 $26.35 $29.42 $3.07
Aug-2017 $26.37 $29.51 $3.14
Sep-2017 $26.49 $29.59 $3.10
Oct-2017 $26.50 $29.68 $3.18
Nov-2017 $26.54 $29.76 $3.22
Dec-2017 $26.63 $29.85 $3.22
Jan-2018 $26.72 $29.93 $3.21
Feb-2018 $26.74 $30.02 $3.28
Mar-2018 $26.85 $30.11 $3.26
Apr-2018 $26.91 $30.19 $3.28
May-2018 $26.98 $30.28 $3.30
Jun-2018 $27.03 $30.37 $3.34
Jul-2018 $27.10 $30.45 $3.35
Aug-2018 $27.21 $30.54 $3.33
Sep-2018 $27.32 $30.63 $3.31
Oct-2018 $27.37 $30.72 $3.35
Nov-2018 $27.44 $30.80 $3.36
Dec-2018 $27.56 $30.89 $3.33
Jan-2019 $27.59 $30.98 $3.39
Feb-2019 $27.69 $31.07 $3.38
Mar-2019 $27.77 $31.16 $3.39
Apr-2019 $27.79 $31.25 $3.46
May-2019 $27.88 $31.34 $3.46
Jun-2019 $27.96 $31.43 $3.47
Jul-2019 $28.03 $31.52 $3.49
Aug-2019 $28.14 $31.61 $3.47
Sep-2019 $28.16 $31.70 $3.54
Oct-2019 $28.23 $31.79 $3.56
Nov-2019 $28.34 $31.88 $3.54
Dec-2019 $28.38 $31.97 $3.59
Jan-2020 $28.43 $32.07 $3.64
Feb-2020 $28.54 $32.16 $3.62
Mar-2020 $28.74 $32.25 $3.51
Apr-2020 $30.04 $32.34 $2.30
May-2020 $29.72 $32.44 $2.72
Jun-2020 $29.38 $32.53 $3.15
Jul-2020 $29.39 $32.62 $3.23
Aug-2020 $29.50 $32.72 $3.22
Sep-2020 $29.51 $32.81 $3.30
Oct-2020 $29.55 $32.90 $3.35
Nov-2020 $29.64 $33.00 $3.36
Dec-2020 $29.91 $33.09 $3.18
Jan-2021 $29.92 $33.19 $3.27
Feb-2021 $30.07 $33.28 $3.21
Mar-2021 $30.04 $33.38 $3.34
Apr-2021 $30.23 $33.47 $3.24
May-2021 $30.41 $33.57 $3.16
Jun-2021 $30.55 $33.67 $3.12
Jul-2021 $30.66 $33.76 $3.10
Aug-2021 $30.79 $33.86 $3.07
Sep-2021 $30.96 $33.96 $3.00
Oct-2021 $31.15 $34.06 $2.91
Nov-2021 $31.25 $34.15 $2.90
Dec-2021 $31.41 $34.25 $2.84
Jan-2022 $31.62 $34.35 $2.73
Feb-2022 $31.66 $34.45 $2.79
Mar-2022 $31.82 $34.55 $2.73
Apr-2022 $31.96 $34.65 $2.69
May-2022 $32.10 $34.75 $2.65
Jun-2022 $32.20 $34.85 $2.65
Jul-2022 $32.35 $34.95 $2.60
Aug-2022 $32.44 $35.05 $2.61
Sep-2022 $32.55 $35.15 $2.60
Oct-2022 $32.70 $35.25 $2.55
Nov-2022 $32.84 $35.35 $2.51
Dec-2022 $32.96 $35.45 $2.49
Jan-2023 $33.05 $35.55 $2.50
Feb-2023 $33.16 $35.65 $2.49
Mar-2023 $33.28 $35.76 $2.48
Apr-2023 $33.42 $35.86 $2.44
May-2023 $33.52 $35.96 $2.44
Jun-2023 $33.69 $36.07 $2.38
Jul-2023 $33.84 $36.17 $2.33
Aug-2023 $33.89 $36.27 $2.38
Sep-2023 $33.99 $36.38 $2.39
Oct-2023 $34.07 $36.48 $2.41
Nov-2023 $34.19 $36.59 $2.40
Dec-2023 $34.31 $36.69 $2.38
Jan-2024 $34.47 $36.80 $2.33
Feb-2024 $34.54 $36.90 $2.36
Mar-2024 $34.67 $37.01 $2.34
Apr-2024 $34.75 $37.11 $2.36
May-2024 $34.89 $37.22 $2.33
Jun-2024 $35.00 $37.33 $2.33
Jul-2024 $35.07 $37.43 $2.36
Aug-2024 $35.23 $37.54 $2.31
Sep-2024 $35.33 $37.65 $2.32
Oct-2024 $35.48 $37.76 $2.28
Nov-2024 $35.61 $37.87 $2.26
Dec-2024 $35.68 $37.98 $2.30
Jan-2025 $35.83 $38.08 $2.25
Feb-2025 $35.90 $38.19 $2.29
Mar-2025 $36.00 $38.30 $2.30
Apr-2025 $36.06 $38.41 $2.35

* Nominal wage growth consistent with the Federal Reserve Board’s 2 percent inflation target, 1.5 percent productivity growth, and a stable labor share of income

Source: EPI analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics public data series

View the underlying data on epi.org.