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Federal Minimum Wage
The federal wage floor, before states set higher ones.
$7.25
Dollars per hour · latest, Jan 2026
vs prior month→ 0.0%
vs year ago→ 0.0%
| Year | Federal 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 |
Hover the line to read any month. Drag across the chart to zoom; double-click to reset.
Source: FRED · STTMINWGFG · series · Jan 1968 to Jan 2026 · latest-revised
Refreshed Jul 31, 2026 from FRED.
The federal wage floor, before states set higher ones.
The federal minimum hourly wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Source: FRED · Jan 2026 · Full lesson → Learn
About the bands. Shaded spans are NBER-dated US recessions, drawn as factual overlays. They mark when the economy contracted, not why. Lining an event up with a move is not evidence it caused the move.