United States · Department of Labor · Minimum wage
Federal minimum wage history.
The 23 increases in the federal minimum wage from 1938 to 2009 as the Department of Labor lists them, the coverage columns explained, and a lookup for the rate on any date.
Short answer: The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour and has been since July 24, 2009, the longest stretch without an increase since the Fair Labor Standards Act created the wage at $0.25 an hour on October 24, 1938. The Department of Labor’s history chart shows 23 rate levels for workers covered by the original Act: $0.25 (1938), $0.30 (1939), $0.40 (1945), $0.75 (1950), $1.00 (1956), $1.15 (1961), $1.25 (1963), $1.40 (1967), $1.60 (1968), $2.00 (1974), $2.10 (1975), $2.30 (1976), $2.65 (1978), $2.90 (1979), $3.10 (1980), $3.35 (1981), $3.80 (1990), $4.25 (1991), $4.75 (1996), $5.15 (1997), $5.85 (2007), $6.55 (2008) and $7.25 (2009). As of November 11, 2026 the current rate is 17 years old.
Look up the rate on a date
Result
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Every federal minimum wage rate, 1938 to today
The Department of Labor’s chart has three columns because each round of amendments brought new groups of workers under the law at a lower starting rate that caught up over a few years. The 1938 Act column is the rate for workers covered from the start, and it is the figure most people mean by the federal minimum wage. The 1961 column is for employees of large retail and service enterprises, local transit, construction and gasoline stations added that year; the 1966 column is for state and local government hospitals, nursing homes and schools, laundries, large hotels, motels, restaurants and farms, with later amendments adding more public employees and certain domestic workers. From January 1, 1978 the three columns merge into one rate for all covered, nonexempt workers.
| Effective date | 1938 Act | 1961 amendments | 1966 and later amendments |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 24, 1938 | $0.25 | - | - |
| October 24, 1939 | $0.30 | - | - |
| October 24, 1945 | $0.40 | - | - |
| January 25, 1950 | $0.75 | - | - |
| March 1, 1956 | $1.00 | - | - |
| September 3, 1961 | $1.15 | $1.00 | - |
| September 3, 1963 | $1.25 | - | - |
| September 3, 1964 | - | $1.15 | - |
| September 3, 1965 | - | $1.25 | - |
| February 1, 1967 | $1.40 | $1.40 | Nonfarm $1.00; farm $1.00 |
| February 1, 1968 | $1.60 | $1.60 | Nonfarm $1.15; farm $1.15 |
| February 1, 1969 | - | - | Nonfarm $1.30; farm $1.30 |
| February 1, 1970 | - | - | Nonfarm $1.45 |
| February 1, 1971 | - | - | Nonfarm $1.60 |
| May 1, 1974 | $2.00 | $2.00 | Nonfarm $1.90; farm $1.60 |
| January 1, 1975 | $2.10 | $2.10 | Nonfarm $2.00; farm $1.80 |
| January 1, 1976 | $2.30 | $2.30 | Nonfarm $2.20; farm $2.00 |
| January 1, 1977 | - | - | Nonfarm $2.30; farm $2.20 |
| January 1, 1978 | $2.65 | $2.65 | $2.65 |
| January 1, 1979 | $2.90 | $2.90 | $2.90 |
| January 1, 1980 | $3.10 | $3.10 | $3.10 |
| January 1, 1981 | $3.35 | $3.35 | $3.35 |
| April 1, 1990 | $3.80 | $3.80 | $3.80 |
| April 1, 1991 | $4.25 | $4.25 | $4.25 |
| October 1, 1996 | $4.75 | $4.75 | $4.75 |
| September 1, 1997 | $5.15 | $5.15 | $5.15 |
| July 24, 2007 | $5.85 | $5.85 | $5.85 |
| July 24, 2008 | $6.55 | $6.55 | $6.55 |
| July 24, 2009 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
The three long gaps
Three stretches stand out. From January 1, 1981 to April 1, 1990 the rate stayed at $3.35 for nine years. From September 1, 1997 to July 24, 2007 it stayed at $5.15 for nearly ten. Since July 24, 2009 it has stayed at $7.25 for 17 years, the longest period without a change. The 2007 amendments raised the wage in three steps, $5.85, $6.55 and $7.25, on July 24 of 2007, 2008 and 2009, which is why the current rate has a July anniversary. The chart’s footnotes also record a $4.25 youth subminimum for employees under 20 in their first 90 consecutive calendar days, and a grandfather clause that kept $3.35 for certain employees after the 1990 coverage change.
Worked examples
On December 25, 1996 the federal minimum wage was $4.75, in effect since October 1, 1996; the next increase, to $5.15, took effect September 1, 1997.
From September 1, 1997 ($5.15) to July 24, 2009 ($7.25) there were 3 increases totalling $2.10, or 40.78% (derived). From the first rate in 1938 to 2009 the wage rose $7.00, a 2,800% increase in nominal terms over 22 steps (derived). Neither figure adjusts for inflation.
Method
The table was typed from the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division history chart on November 11, 2026, and the current rate from the Division’s minimum wage page, which states $7.25 effective July 24, 2009. The lookup uses the 1938 Act column, treating a rate as in force from its effective date until the next effective date. The comparison subtracts one rate from the other and counts the increases between the two dates; it is derived arithmetic, not a DOL figure. The years-since figure is computed from today’s date on your device.
What this does not cover
- State and city minimum wages, which are higher in most of the country; the linked state pages carry 2027 figures. The Department says that where state law provides greater protections, employers must comply with both.
- The tipped minimum cash wage, the youth wage and other subminimums.
- Inflation-adjusted comparisons.
- Which workers are covered or exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Figures read from the sources below on November 11, 2026. Last updated November 11, 2026.
Sources
- US DOL Wage and Hour Division: History of changes to the minimum wage law (chart and footnotes) (retrieved November 11, 2026)
- US DOL Wage and Hour Division: Minimum wage (current $7.25 rate) (retrieved November 11, 2026)
Common mix-ups
-
Often assumedThe federal minimum wage goes up every year with inflation.
What the source saysThe DOL chart shows the rate changes only when Congress amends the Fair Labor Standards Act; it has been $7.25 since July 24, 2009. [2]
-
Often assumedThe minimum wage was $1 an hour when it started.
What the source saysThe chart shows the 1938 Act set $0.25 an hour on October 24, 1938; $1.00 arrived on March 1, 1956. [1]
-
Often assumedThe 2007 law raised the wage to $7.25 in one step.
What the source saysThe chart lists three steps on July 24 of 2007, 2008 and 2009: $5.85, $6.55 and $7.25. [1]
-
Often assumedAll workers got the same rate in the 1960s and 1970s.
What the source saysThe chart has separate 1961 and 1966 amendment columns with lower rates for newly covered workers until the columns merged at $2.65 on January 1, 1978. [1]
- US DOL Wage and Hour Division: History of changes to the minimum wage law
- US DOL Wage and Hour Division: Minimum wage ($7.25 effective July 24, 2009)
Checked against these sources on .
Frequently asked questions
What is the federal minimum wage today?
$7.25 an hour, effective July 24, 2009, per the Department of Labor.
When was the last federal minimum wage increase?
July 24, 2009, when the third step of the 2007 amendments took the rate from $6.55 to $7.25.
What was the first federal minimum wage?
$0.25 an hour, effective October 24, 1938, under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
How many times has the federal minimum wage been raised?
The DOL chart lists 22 increases after the original $0.25, the last on July 24, 2009, for workers covered by the 1938 Act.
Why does the DOL chart have three columns?
The 1961 and 1966 amendments brought new groups of workers under the law at lower starting rates; the columns merged at $2.65 on January 1, 1978.
What was the minimum wage in 1997?
$4.75 from October 1, 1996, then $5.15 from September 1, 1997.
Does the federal rate apply if my state is higher?
The Department says some state laws provide greater employee protections and employers must comply with both, so the higher rate is paid.
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No. The lookup runs in your browser.
Not financial or legal advice
This page is general information from an unofficial guide, not financial or legal advice, and it is not an eligibility decision. Amounts come from the agencies named on the date shown; each program applies its own household, income-counting and deduction rules. Use the agency itself, or a qualified professional, before you rely on a figure. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. It runs in your browser.