The table of federal minimum wage rates under the Fair Labor Standards Act, 1938 - 2009 is also available in a PDF Version . In order to view and/or print PDF documents you must have a PDF viewer (e.g., Adobe Acrobat Reader v5 or later ) available on your workstation.
| Effective Date | 1938 Act 1 | 1961 Amendments 2 | 1966 and Subsequent Amendments 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 24, 1938 | $0.25 | ||
| Oct 24, 1939 | $0.30 | ||
| Oct 24, 1945 | $0.40 | ||
| Jan 25, 1950 | $0.75 | ||
| Mar 1, 1956 | $1.00 | ||
| Sep 3, 1961 | $1.15 | $1.00 | |
| Sep 3, 1963 | $1.25 | ||
| Sep 3, 1964 | $1.15 | ||
| Sep 3, 1965 | $1.25 | ||
| Feb 1, 1967 | $1.40 | $1.40 | Nonfarm - $1.00, Farm - $1.00 |
| Feb 1, 1968 | $1.60 | $1.60 | Nonfarm - $1.15, Farm - $1.15 |
| Feb 1, 1969 | Nonfarm - $1.30, Farm - $1.30 | ||
| Feb 1, 1970 | Nonfarm - $1.00 | ||
| Feb 1, 1971 | Nonfarm - $1.60 | ||
| May 1, 1974 | $2.00 | $2.00 | Nonfarm - $1.90, Farm - $1.60 |
| Jan. 1, 1975 | $2.10 | $2.10 | Nonfarm - $2.00, Farm - $1.80 |
| Jan 1, 1976 | $2.30 | $2.30 | Nonfarm - $2.20, Farm - $2.00 |
| Jan 1, 1977 | Nonfarm - $2.30, Farm - $2.20 | ||
| Jan 1, 1978 | $2.65 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $2.65 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $2.65 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Jan 1, 1979 | $2.90 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $2.90 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $2.90 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Jan 1, 1980 | $3.10 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $3.10 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $3.10 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Jan 1, 1981 | $3.35 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $3.35 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $3.35 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Apr 1, 1990 4 | $3.80 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $3.80 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $3.80 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Apr 1, 1991 | $4.25 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $4.25 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $4.25 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Oct 1, 1996 | $4.75 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $4.75 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $4.75 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Sep 1, 1997 5 | $5.15 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $5.15 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $5.15 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Jul 24, 2007 | $5.85 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $5.85 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $5.85 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Jul 24, 2008 | $6.55 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $6.55 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $6.55 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
| Jul 24, 2009 | $7.25 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $7.25 for all covered, nonexempt workers | $7.25 for all covered, nonexempt workers |
Where to Obtain Additional Information
The contents of this document do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way. This document is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.
For additional information, visit our Wage-Hour website: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/ and/or call our Wage-Hour toll-free information and helpline, available 8am to 5pm in your time zone, 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243).
1 the 1938 Act was applicable generally to employees engaged in interstate commerce or in the production of goods for interstate commerce.
2 the 1961 Amendments extended coverage primarily to employees in large retail and service enterprises as well as to local transit, construction, and gasoline service station employees.
3 the 1966 Amendments extended coverage to State and local government employees of hospitals, nursing homes, and schools, and to laundries, drycleaners, and large hotels, motels, restaurants, and farms. Subsequent amendments extended overage to the remaining Federal, State and local government employees who were not protected in 1966, to certain workers in retail and service trades previously exempted, and to certain domestic workers in private household employment.
4 Grandfather clause - Employees who do not meet the tests for individual coverage, and whose employers were covered by the FLSA on March 31, 1990, and fail to meet the increased annual dollar volume (ADV) test for enterprise coverage, must continue to receive at least $3.35 an hour.
5 A subminimum wage -- $4.25 an hour -- is established for employees under 20 years of age during their first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment with an employer.