Minimum wage, federal 1938–2026
Earliest (1938)
$0.25
per hour
Latest (2026)
$7.25
per hour
Total change
+2800%
over 88 years
History
Browse by decade
1940
minimum wage, federal
1950
minimum wage, federal
1960
minimum wage, federal
1970
minimum wage, federal
1980
minimum wage, federal
1990
minimum wage, federal
2000
minimum wage, federal
2010
minimum wage, federal
2020
minimum wage, federal
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics / FRED (public domain). Coverage 1938–2026; current year is 2026.