A laborer worked and got paid, or did not work and did not get paid. During the decade 1910-1919 the average worker's salary increased to $750 a year. There were always workers earning more, and those making a great deal less.
Prices in 1912 Then again the average yearly income was $750. People usually ate at home.
OccupationAnnual Salary2000 $1900 Census Average Salary$449.80$8,973Unskilled Female$120$2,394African-American male laborer$150$2,992African-American Female laundress$180$3,59117 more rows
265. cents, or average actual weekly earnings of $13.55.
Massachusetts set the first statewide minimum wage in 1912 and in the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, the federal government set a minimum wage of $. 25 per hour for eligible workers—then about 20 percent of the American work force.
As we review these costs, don't forget that the average household income in the United States in 1920 was approximately $3,269.40–that's about $42,142.08 today, with inflation–so keep that in mind as we travel back 100 years and do a little window shopping.
OccupationIncomeWages per Full-Time Employee$ 23602/yearState and Local Government Workers$ 24818/yearPublic School Teacher$ 23653/yearBuilding Trades$ 25504/year1 more row
Minimum wage was set at 25 cents an hour, which works out to about $4 per hour in today's money. That minimum wage was introduced as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
1915. Today, the median home value in the U.S. is $177,600, according to the Zillow Home Value Index. In 1915, purchasing a house would have typically set you back $3,200, according to Census records.
$3,200The average cost of a house in 1915 was $3,200 ($75,600 in 2015 dollars) and the original Model T rolled off the line to the tune of $850 ($20,000 in 2015 dollars), but the average male worker only made $687 a year ($16,063 in today's money), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
History of California Minimum WageEffective DateNew Minimum WageOld Minimum Wage1920$0.33$0.281919$0.28$0.211918$0.21$0.161916$0.16-24 more rows
16 cents an hourIn the 1920s, American lawmakers sought to improve working conditions in their states. By 1925, fifteen states had passed minimum wage laws, including California at 16 cents an hour.