Federal Minimum Wage
$7.25 · Jan 2026
econscout
1969-70 Recession · Dec 1969 – Nov 19701973-75 Recession · Nov 1973 – Mar 19751980 Recession · Jan 1980 – Jul 19801981-82 Recession · Jul 1981 – Nov 19821990-91 Recession · Jul 1990 – Mar 19912001 Recession · Mar 2001 – Nov 2001Global Financial Crisis · Dec 2007 – Jun 2009COVID-19 Recession · Feb 2020 – Apr 2020$2$3$4$5$6$7197019801990200020102020$7.25
Federal Minimum Wage — one value per year; US recessions are shaded on the chart.
YearFederal Minimum Wage
1968$1.60
1969$1.60
1970$1.60
1971$1.60
1972$1.60
1973$1.60
1974$1.60
1975$1.60
1976$2.30
1977$2.30
1978$2.30
1979$2.90
1980$3.10
1981$3.35
1982$3.35
1983$3.35
1984$3.35
1985$3.35
1986$3.35
1987$3.35
1988$3.35
1989$3.35
1990$3.35
1991$3.80
1992$4.25
1993$4.25
1994$4.25
1995$4.25
1996$4.25
1997$4.75
1998$5.15
1999$5.15
2000$5.15
2001$5.15
2002$5.15
2003$5.15
2004$5.15
2005$5.15
2006$5.15
2007$5.15
2008$5.85
2009$6.55
2010$7.25
2011$7.25
2012$7.25
2013$7.25
2014$7.25
2015$7.25
2016$7.25
2017$7.25
2018$7.25
2019$7.25
2020$7.25
2021$7.25
2022$7.25
2023$7.25
2024$7.25
2025$7.25
2026$7.25
Source: FRED · STTMINWGFG · econscout.com