Chart 3
Preliminary, not final. The Fed OT salary threshold and the minimum wage, 1949–2016
Dates | Federal OT salary threshold (annualized) | WA minimum wage** |
---|---|---|
1949 | $5200 | N/A |
1958 | 6500 | N/A |
1963 | 7800 | N/A |
1970 | 10400 | N/A |
1975 | 13000 | 4160 |
2004 | 23660 | 14892.8 |
2016 | 47476 | 19697.6 |
Notes:
Years provided are years in which the federal OT salary threshold was updated.
*Annual earnings for full time full year workers earning the federal minimum wage
**Annual earnings for full time full year workers earning the Washington state minimum wage
For years 1949, 1958, 1963 & 1970, data is unavailable for WA minimum wage
Sources: EPI analysis of Social Security Administration National Wage Index data; Office of Financial Management data; Table 1 in Social Security Bulletin, November 1949; Fair labor standards act and amendments:Wage and Hour Division,81 Fed. Reg. 32449-32450 (May 23, 2018);Washington State Department of Labor and Industries; and Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment and Earnings data