Average Hourly Earnings Price History
1964–2025 · Bureau of Labor Statistics
Average hourly earnings of production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls — in plain English, this is what the average rank-and-file worker actually takes home per hour. The BLS strips out executives and managers, so you get a much clearer picture of what ordinary workers earn. This series covers roughly 80% of the private-sector workforce and has been tracked since the mid-1960s, making it one of the longest-running thermometers for working-class pay in America.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics1964–2025
Price in 1964
$2.36
Price in 2025
$27.10
Total Change
+1048.3%
Years Tracked
61
Average Hourly Earnings Over Time
1964Year Range2025
Compare to inflation: The chart above shows nominal (not inflation-adjusted) prices. Use the toggle to switch to inflation-adjusted values when available, or try the inflation calculator to convert any amount between years.
Key Insights
- In 1964, the average worker earned $2.36 per hour. By 2025, that figure has climbed to $27.10 — an eleven-fold increase in nominal terms that sounds impressive until you account for the fact that prices rose even faster over long stretches.
- The 1970s were a brutal treadmill: hourly pay jumped from $3.23 in 1970 to $6.66 in 1980, but double-digit inflation meant workers were actually losing ground in real purchasing power year after year.
- From 2000 to 2015, hourly earnings crept from $13.75 to just $19.30 — a 40% nominal gain over fifteen years that barely kept pace with rising costs for housing, healthcare, and education.
- The post-pandemic years brought the fastest wage growth in decades, with hourly pay surging from $22.42 in 2020 to $27.10 in 2025 — though much of that bump was offset by the inflation spike of 2021-2023.
Year-by-Year Data
| Year | Price (USD per hour) | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | $2.36 | — |
| 1965 | $2.46 | +4.2% |
| 1966 | $2.56 | +4.1% |
| 1967 | $2.68 | +4.7% |
| 1968 | $2.85 | +6.3% |
| 1969 | $3.04 | +6.7% |
| 1970 | $3.23 | +6.2% |
| 1971 | $3.45 | +6.8% |
| 1972 | $3.70 | +7.2% |
| 1973 | $3.94 | +6.5% |
| 1974 | $4.24 | +7.6% |
| 1975 | $4.53 | +6.8% |
| 1976 | $4.86 | +7.3% |
| 1977 | $5.25 | +8.0% |
| 1978 | $5.69 | +8.4% |
| 1979 | $6.16 | +8.3% |
| 1980 | $6.66 | +8.1% |
| 1981 | $7.25 | +8.9% |
| 1982 | $7.68 | +5.9% |
| 1983 | $8.02 | +4.4% |
| 1984 | $8.32 | +3.7% |
| 1985 | $8.57 | +3.0% |
| 1986 | $8.76 | +2.2% |
| 1987 | $8.98 | +2.5% |
| 1988 | $9.28 | +3.3% |
| 1989 | $9.66 | +4.1% |
| 1990 | $10.01 | +3.6% |
| 1991 | $10.32 | +3.1% |
| 1992 | $10.57 | +2.4% |
| 1993 | $10.83 | +2.5% |
| 1994 | $11.12 | +2.7% |
| 1995 | $11.43 | +2.8% |
| 1996 | $11.82 | +3.4% |
| 1997 | $12.28 | +3.9% |
| 1998 | $12.78 | +4.1% |
| 1999 | $13.24 | +3.6% |
| 2000 | $13.75 | +3.9% |
| 2001 | $14.26 | +3.7% |
| 2002 | $14.56 | +2.1% |
| 2003 | $14.95 | +2.7% |
| 2004 | $15.27 | +2.1% |
| 2005 | $15.67 | +2.6% |
| 2006 | $16.15 | +3.1% |
| 2007 | $16.76 | +3.8% |
| 2008 | $17.29 | +3.2% |
| 2009 | $17.46 | +1.0% |
| 2010 | $17.72 | +1.5% |
| 2011 | $17.98 | +1.5% |
| 2012 | $18.26 | +1.6% |
| 2013 | $18.57 | +1.7% |
| 2014 | $18.88 | +1.7% |
| 2015 | $19.30 | +2.2% |
| 2016 | $19.75 | +2.3% |
| 2017 | $20.25 | +2.5% |
| 2018 | $20.83 | +2.9% |
| 2019 | $21.52 | +3.3% |
| 2020 | $22.42 | +4.2% |
| 2021 | $23.37 | +4.2% |
| 2022 | $24.53 | +5.0% |
| 2023 | $25.62 | +4.4% |
| 2024 | $26.50 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | $27.10 | +2.3% |
Year1964
Price (USD per hour)$2.36
YoY Change—
Year1965
Price (USD per hour)$2.46
YoY Change+4.2%
Year1966
Price (USD per hour)$2.56
YoY Change+4.1%
Year1967
Price (USD per hour)$2.68
YoY Change+4.7%
Year1968
Price (USD per hour)$2.85
YoY Change+6.3%
Year1969
Price (USD per hour)$3.04
YoY Change+6.7%
Year1970
Price (USD per hour)$3.23
YoY Change+6.2%
Year1971
Price (USD per hour)$3.45
YoY Change+6.8%
Year1972
Price (USD per hour)$3.70
YoY Change+7.2%
Year1973
Price (USD per hour)$3.94
YoY Change+6.5%
Year1974
Price (USD per hour)$4.24
YoY Change+7.6%
Year1975
Price (USD per hour)$4.53
YoY Change+6.8%
Year1976
Price (USD per hour)$4.86
YoY Change+7.3%
Year1977
Price (USD per hour)$5.25
YoY Change+8.0%
Year1978
Price (USD per hour)$5.69
YoY Change+8.4%
Year1979
Price (USD per hour)$6.16
YoY Change+8.3%
Year1980
Price (USD per hour)$6.66
YoY Change+8.1%
Year1981
Price (USD per hour)$7.25
YoY Change+8.9%
Year1982
Price (USD per hour)$7.68
YoY Change+5.9%
Year1983
Price (USD per hour)$8.02
YoY Change+4.4%
Year1984
Price (USD per hour)$8.32
YoY Change+3.7%
Year1985
Price (USD per hour)$8.57
YoY Change+3.0%
Year1986
Price (USD per hour)$8.76
YoY Change+2.2%
Year1987
Price (USD per hour)$8.98
YoY Change+2.5%
Year1988
Price (USD per hour)$9.28
YoY Change+3.3%
Year1989
Price (USD per hour)$9.66
YoY Change+4.1%
Year1990
Price (USD per hour)$10.01
YoY Change+3.6%
Year1991
Price (USD per hour)$10.32
YoY Change+3.1%
Year1992
Price (USD per hour)$10.57
YoY Change+2.4%
Year1993
Price (USD per hour)$10.83
YoY Change+2.5%
Year1994
Price (USD per hour)$11.12
YoY Change+2.7%
Year1995
Price (USD per hour)$11.43
YoY Change+2.8%
Year1996
Price (USD per hour)$11.82
YoY Change+3.4%
Year1997
Price (USD per hour)$12.28
YoY Change+3.9%
Year1998
Price (USD per hour)$12.78
YoY Change+4.1%
Year1999
Price (USD per hour)$13.24
YoY Change+3.6%
Year2000
Price (USD per hour)$13.75
YoY Change+3.9%
Year2001
Price (USD per hour)$14.26
YoY Change+3.7%
Year2002
Price (USD per hour)$14.56
YoY Change+2.1%
Year2003
Price (USD per hour)$14.95
YoY Change+2.7%
Year2004
Price (USD per hour)$15.27
YoY Change+2.1%
Year2005
Price (USD per hour)$15.67
YoY Change+2.6%
Year2006
Price (USD per hour)$16.15
YoY Change+3.1%
Year2007
Price (USD per hour)$16.76
YoY Change+3.8%
Year2008
Price (USD per hour)$17.29
YoY Change+3.2%
Year2009
Price (USD per hour)$17.46
YoY Change+1.0%
Year2010
Price (USD per hour)$17.72
YoY Change+1.5%
Year2011
Price (USD per hour)$17.98
YoY Change+1.5%
Year2012
Price (USD per hour)$18.26
YoY Change+1.6%
Year2013
Price (USD per hour)$18.57
YoY Change+1.7%
Year2014
Price (USD per hour)$18.88
YoY Change+1.7%
Year2015
Price (USD per hour)$19.30
YoY Change+2.2%
Year2016
Price (USD per hour)$19.75
YoY Change+2.3%
Year2017
Price (USD per hour)$20.25
YoY Change+2.5%
Year2018
Price (USD per hour)$20.83
YoY Change+2.9%
Year2019
Price (USD per hour)$21.52
YoY Change+3.3%
Year2020
Price (USD per hour)$22.42
YoY Change+4.2%
Year2021
Price (USD per hour)$23.37
YoY Change+4.2%
Year2022
Price (USD per hour)$24.53
YoY Change+5.0%
Year2023
Price (USD per hour)$25.62
YoY Change+4.4%
Year2024
Price (USD per hour)$26.50
YoY Change+3.4%
Year2025
Price (USD per hour)$27.10
YoY Change+2.3%
Sources & Methodology
BLS Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey. Average hourly earnings of production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls. This covers about 80% of private-sector workers and excludes executives and managers.
Primary source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
For a full explanation of how we collect and adjust data, see our methodology page.