Average Hourly Wage in America (2026): By State, Age, and Industry
By Wealthvieu
·
Updated
Whether you’re benchmarking a job offer or checking if you’re underpaid, here’s how hourly wages break down across America.
Table of Contents
Average Hourly Wage Overview
| Metric |
Value |
Annual Equivalent (2,080 hrs) |
| Mean hourly wage |
$34.25 |
$71,240 |
| Median hourly wage |
$22.14 |
$46,050 |
| 10th percentile |
$10.20 |
$21,220 |
| 25th percentile |
$15.50 |
$32,240 |
| 75th percentile |
$38.00 |
$79,040 |
| 90th percentile |
$55.30 |
$115,020 |
| 95th percentile |
$72.00 |
$149,760 |
Hourly Wage by State
| Rank |
State |
Mean Hourly |
Median Hourly |
vs. National Median |
| 1 |
Massachusetts |
$40.50 |
$28.80 |
+30% |
| 2 |
Washington |
$39.80 |
$28.20 |
+27% |
| 3 |
California |
$39.50 |
$27.50 |
+24% |
| 4 |
New York |
$39.00 |
$27.00 |
+22% |
| 5 |
Connecticut |
$38.50 |
$27.50 |
+24% |
| 6 |
New Jersey |
$38.00 |
$26.80 |
+21% |
| 7 |
Maryland |
$37.20 |
$26.00 |
+17% |
| 8 |
Colorado |
$36.50 |
$25.50 |
+15% |
| 9 |
Virginia |
$36.00 |
$25.00 |
+13% |
| 10 |
Minnesota |
$35.50 |
$24.50 |
+11% |
| — |
National |
$34.25 |
$22.14 |
Baseline |
| 41 |
Kentucky |
$28.50 |
$19.00 |
-14% |
| 42 |
Alabama |
$28.00 |
$18.80 |
-15% |
| 43 |
South Carolina |
$27.80 |
$18.50 |
-16% |
| 44 |
New Mexico |
$27.50 |
$18.20 |
-18% |
| 45 |
Idaho |
$27.00 |
$18.00 |
-19% |
| 46 |
Louisiana |
$26.80 |
$17.80 |
-20% |
| 47 |
Arkansas |
$26.50 |
$17.50 |
-21% |
| 48 |
West Virginia |
$26.00 |
$17.00 |
-23% |
| 49 |
Oklahoma |
$26.20 |
$17.50 |
-21% |
| 50 |
Mississippi |
$25.00 |
$16.50 |
-25% |
Hourly Wage by Industry
| Industry |
Mean Hourly |
Median Hourly |
Workers (millions) |
| Information/technology |
$55.00 |
$48.00 |
3.0M |
| Finance/insurance |
$48.00 |
$36.50 |
6.6M |
| Professional/scientific |
$46.50 |
$38.00 |
10.0M |
| Utilities |
$45.00 |
$40.00 |
0.6M |
| Mining/oil/gas |
$42.00 |
$35.00 |
0.7M |
| Management |
$40.00 |
$32.00 |
0.8M |
| Wholesale trade |
$38.00 |
$28.00 |
5.8M |
| Manufacturing |
$33.50 |
$25.00 |
12.8M |
| Government |
$32.00 |
$27.50 |
22.0M |
| Construction |
$33.00 |
$26.00 |
8.0M |
| Healthcare/social assistance |
$30.00 |
$22.00 |
21.0M |
| Transportation/warehousing |
$28.50 |
$22.50 |
6.8M |
| Education |
$30.00 |
$24.50 |
14.0M |
| Real estate |
$33.00 |
$24.00 |
2.1M |
| Admin/support services |
$23.50 |
$18.00 |
9.2M |
| Retail |
$22.00 |
$16.50 |
15.5M |
| Arts/entertainment |
$24.00 |
$17.50 |
2.4M |
| Agriculture |
$20.50 |
$16.00 |
1.5M |
| Accommodation/food service |
$18.50 |
$14.50 |
16.0M |
Hourly Wage by Age
| Age Group |
Mean Hourly |
Median Hourly |
Peak Earning? |
| 16-19 |
$12.50 |
$11.00 |
No |
| 20-24 |
$18.00 |
$16.00 |
No |
| 25-34 |
$30.00 |
$24.00 |
No |
| 35-44 |
$38.00 |
$28.00 |
Near peak |
| 45-54 |
$40.00 |
$28.50 |
Peak |
| 55-64 |
$38.50 |
$27.00 |
Declining |
| 65+ |
$32.00 |
$22.00 |
Post-peak |
Peak earning hours: ages 45-54 for most workers.
Hourly Wage by Education
| Education |
Mean Hourly |
Median Hourly |
vs. HS (Median) |
| Less than HS |
$17.50 |
$13.50 |
-22% |
| HS diploma |
$22.50 |
$17.30 |
Baseline |
| Some college |
$25.00 |
$19.50 |
+13% |
| Associate’s |
$27.50 |
$21.00 |
+21% |
| Bachelor’s |
$40.00 |
$32.50 |
+88% |
| Master’s |
$48.00 |
$38.50 |
+122% |
| Professional degree |
$62.00 |
$50.00 |
+189% |
| Doctoral degree |
$55.00 |
$45.00 |
+160% |
Hourly Wage by Gender
| Gender |
Mean Hourly |
Median Hourly |
Gap |
| Men |
$37.00 |
$24.50 |
— |
| Women |
$31.00 |
$20.50 |
-16.3% |
The hourly gap (16.3%) is slightly smaller than the annual income gap (22%) because women are more likely to work part-time.
Minimum Wage by State
| State |
Minimum Wage |
Tipped Minimum |
% of State Median |
| Washington |
$16.66 |
$16.66 |
59% |
| California |
$16.00 |
$16.00 |
58% |
| New York |
$15.50 |
$10.65 |
57% |
| Connecticut |
$15.69 |
$6.38 |
57% |
| Massachusetts |
$15.00 |
$6.75 |
52% |
| Colorado |
$14.42 |
$11.40 |
57% |
| Oregon |
$14.70 |
$14.70 |
58% |
| Federal |
$7.25 |
$2.13 |
— |
| Georgia (state) |
$5.15 |
$2.13 |
28% |
| Wyoming (state) |
$5.15 |
$2.13 |
29% |
20 states still use the $7.25 federal minimum. 30+ states have set higher minimums.
What Hourly Wage Do You Need?
Single Person
| City |
Hourly Wage Needed (Basic Living) |
Federal Min. Covers? |
| New York City |
$27.50 |
No (covers 26%) |
| San Francisco |
$30.00 |
No (covers 24%) |
| Los Angeles |
$25.00 |
No (covers 29%) |
| Chicago |
$20.50 |
No (covers 35%) |
| Houston |
$17.50 |
No (covers 41%) |
| Phoenix |
$18.00 |
No (covers 40%) |
| Atlanta |
$17.00 |
No (covers 43%) |
| National average |
$18.50 |
No (covers 39%) |
| Jackson, MS |
$14.50 |
No (covers 50%) |
The federal minimum wage of $7.25 doesn’t cover basic living costs for a single person in any US county.
Family of 4 (Two Working Adults)
| City |
Hourly Wage Each (Two Workers) |
Hourly Wage (One Worker) |
| New York City |
$28.00 each |
$56.00 |
| San Francisco |
$30.00 each |
$60.00 |
| Los Angeles |
$26.00 each |
$52.00 |
| Chicago |
$22.00 each |
$44.00 |
| Houston |
$19.00 each |
$38.00 |
| National average |
$20.00 each |
$40.00 |
| Jackson, MS |
$15.50 each |
$31.00 |
Related: Average Income | Average Income by Age | Real Wage Growth | Income Percentile Calculator | Cost of Living by State
