The minimum wage would be much higher if it had kept up with a growing economy: The inflation-adjusted minimum wage, and hypothetical minimum wage values if it had grown with average wages and productivity since 1968
| Actual minimum wage (2016$) | Minimum wage if it had grown with average wages | Minimum wage if it had grown with productivity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | $ 3.67 | ||
| 1939 | $ 4.46 | ||
| 1940 | $ 4.43 | ||
| 1941 | $ 4.22 | ||
| 1942 | $ 3.81 | ||
| 1943 | $ 3.59 | ||
| 1944 | $ 3.53 | ||
| 1945 | $ 4.60 | ||
| 1946 | $ 4.24 | ||
| 1947 | $ 3.71 | ||
| 1948 | $ 3.46 | $5.43 | |
| 1949 | $ 3.51 | $5.52 | |
| 1950 | $ 6.49 | $5.94 | |
| 1951 | $ 6.02 | $6.11 | |
| 1952 | $ 5.91 | $6.28 | |
| 1953 | $ 5.86 | $6.50 | |
| 1954 | $ 5.82 | $6.61 | |
| 1955 | $ 5.84 | $6.87 | |
| 1956 | $ 7.67 | $6.88 | |
| 1957 | $ 7.43 | $7.07 | |
| 1958 | $ 7.22 | $7.22 | |
| 1959 | $ 7.17 | $7.48 | |
| 1960 | $ 7.05 | $7.61 | |
| 1961 | $ 8.03 | $7.84 | |
| 1962 | $ 7.95 | $8.14 | |
| 1963 | $ 8.52 | $8.42 | |
| 1964 | $ 8.41 | $8.69 | |
| 1965 | $ 8.28 | $8.96 | |
| 1966 | $ 8.05 | $9.24 | |
| 1967 | $ 8.75 | $9.35 | |
| 1968 | $ 9.63 | $ 9.63 | $9.63 |
| 1969 | $ 9.21 | $ 9.80 | $9.67 |
| 1970 | $ 8.79 | $ 9.90 | $9.80 |
| 1971 | $ 8.42 | $ 10.10 | $10.17 |
| 1972 | $ 8.17 | $ 10.55 | $10.44 |
| 1973 | $ 7.69 | $ 10.53 | $10.69 |
| 1974 | $ 8.74 | $ 10.27 | $10.52 |
| 1975 | $ 8.48 | $ 10.12 | $10.76 |
| 1976 | $ 8.78 | $ 10.25 | $11.06 |
| 1977 | $ 8.26 | $ 10.35 | $11.18 |
| 1978 | $ 8.91 | $ 10.47 | $11.29 |
| 1979 | $ 8.90 | $ 10.31 | $11.31 |
| 1980 | $ 8.56 | $ 10.01 | $11.23 |
| 1981 | $ 8.45 | $ 9.93 | $11.47 |
| 1982 | $ 7.96 | $ 9.91 | $11.30 |
| 1983 | $ 7.64 | $ 9.91 | $11.64 |
| 1984 | $ 7.34 | $ 9.85 | $11.94 |
| 1985 | $ 7.09 | $ 9.80 | $12.14 |
| 1986 | $ 6.97 | $ 9.83 | $12.39 |
| 1987 | $ 6.74 | $ 9.74 | $12.45 |
| 1988 | $ 6.50 | $ 9.70 | $12.60 |
| 1989 | $ 6.23 | $ 9.66 | $12.70 |
| 1990 | $ 6.73 | $ 9.58 | $12.88 |
| 1991 | $ 7.27 | $ 9.53 | $12.98 |
| 1992 | $ 7.09 | $ 9.52 | $13.45 |
| 1993 | $ 6.92 | $ 9.53 | $13.50 |
| 1994 | $ 6.78 | $ 9.58 | $13.63 |
| 1995 | $ 6.62 | $ 9.61 | $13.63 |
| 1996 | $ 7.20 | $ 9.67 | $13.96 |
| 1997 | $ 7.64 | $ 9.83 | $14.16 |
| 1998 | $ 7.54 | $ 10.09 | $14.44 |
| 1999 | $ 7.38 | $ 10.24 | $14.79 |
| 2000 | $ 7.14 | $ 10.29 | $15.13 |
| 2001 | $ 6.95 | $ 10.39 | $15.37 |
| 2002 | $ 6.84 | $ 10.52 | $15.80 |
| 2003 | $ 6.69 | $ 10.57 | $16.31 |
| 2004 | $ 6.51 | $ 10.51 | $16.75 |
| 2005 | $ 6.30 | $ 10.44 | $17.04 |
| 2006 | $ 6.10 | $ 10.51 | $17.14 |
| 2007 | $ 6.74 | $ 10.62 | $17.27 |
| 2008 | $ 7.26 | $ 10.62 | $17.29 |
| 2009 | $8.07 | $ 10.97 | $17.65 |
| 2010 | $ 7.94 | $ 11.05 | $18.17 |
| 2011 | $ 7.70 | $ 10.93 | $18.19 |
| 2012 | $ 7.54 | $ 10.87 | $18.29 |
| 2013 | $ 7.43 | $ 10.94 | $18.31 |
| 2014 | $ 7.31 | $ 11.01 | $18.42 |
| 2015 | $ 7.30 | $ 11.23 | $18.48 |
| 2016 | $7.25 | $11.35 | $18.85 |
Note: Growth in average wages measures average wages of production workers.
Source: EPI analysis of the Fair Labor Standards Act and amendments. Total economy productivity data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Labor Productivity and Costs program. Average hourly wages of production nonsupervisory workers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics.