Incidence of low and high pay — Low pay incidence in United States of America
United States of America: Incidence of low and high pay — Low pay incidence was 22.51 Percentage of full-time employment in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
22.51 Percentage of full-time employment
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
5th
of 37 countries
All-time high
25.29 Percentage of full-time employment
in 2010
All-time low
20.4 Percentage of full-time employment
in 1983
Years of data
53
1973–2025
Incidence of low and high pay — Low pay incidence in United States of America, 1973–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of full-time employment.
Analysis
The most recent figure for incidence of low and high pay — low pay incidence in United States of America is 22.51 Percentage of full-time employment, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, incidence of low and high pay — low pay incidence in United States of America peaked at 25.29 Percentage of full-time employment in 2010 and was at its lowest, 20.4 Percentage of full-time employment, in 1983.
United States of America ranks 5th of 37 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 53 years of available data.
Incidence of low and high pay — Low pay incidence in United States of America, year by year
| Year | Percentage of full-time employment | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 21.66 Percentage of full-time employment | — |
| 1974 | 21.02 Percentage of full-time employment | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 22.63 Percentage of full-time employment | +7.6% |
| 1976 | 22.82 Percentage of full-time employment | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 23.01 Percentage of full-time employment | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 23.21 Percentage of full-time employment | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 21.91 Percentage of full-time employment | -5.6% |
| 1980 | 21.98 Percentage of full-time employment | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 22.08 Percentage of full-time employment | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 22.5 Percentage of full-time employment | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 20.4 Percentage of full-time employment | -9.3% |
| 1984 | 21.56 Percentage of full-time employment | +5.6% |
| 1985 | 23.73 Percentage of full-time employment | +10.1% |
| 1986 | 23.39 Percentage of full-time employment | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 23.6 Percentage of full-time employment | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 24.12 Percentage of full-time employment | +2.2% |
| 1989 | 23.53 Percentage of full-time employment | -2.4% |
| 1990 | 22.96 Percentage of full-time employment | -2.4% |
| 1991 | 22.56 Percentage of full-time employment | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 23.15 Percentage of full-time employment | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 23.92 Percentage of full-time employment | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 25.06 Percentage of full-time employment | +4.8% |
| 1995 | 25.17 Percentage of full-time employment | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 25.12 Percentage of full-time employment | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 24.87 Percentage of full-time employment | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 24.53 Percentage of full-time employment | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 24.45 Percentage of full-time employment | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 24.7 Percentage of full-time employment | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 23.77 Percentage of full-time employment | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 23.5 Percentage of full-time employment | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 23.27 Percentage of full-time employment | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 23.85 Percentage of full-time employment | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 23.96 Percentage of full-time employment | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 24.22 Percentage of full-time employment | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 24.54 Percentage of full-time employment | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 24.51 Percentage of full-time employment | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 24.84 Percentage of full-time employment | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 25.29 Percentage of full-time employment | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 25.15 Percentage of full-time employment | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 25.29 Percentage of full-time employment | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 25.05 Percentage of full-time employment | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 24.93 Percentage of full-time employment | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 25.02 Percentage of full-time employment | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 24.91 Percentage of full-time employment | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 24.5 Percentage of full-time employment | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 24.07 Percentage of full-time employment | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 23.38 Percentage of full-time employment | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 23.81 Percentage of full-time employment | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 22.69 Percentage of full-time employment | -4.7% |
| 2022 | 22.66 Percentage of full-time employment | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 23.28 Percentage of full-time employment | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 22.7 Percentage of full-time employment | -2.5% |
| 2025 | 22.51 Percentage of full-time employment | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.32 Percentage of full-time employment | 21.02 Percentage of full-time employment | 23.21 Percentage of full-time employment | 7 |
| 1980s | 22.69 Percentage of full-time employment | 20.4 Percentage of full-time employment | 24.12 Percentage of full-time employment | 10 |
| 1990s | 24.18 Percentage of full-time employment | 22.56 Percentage of full-time employment | 25.17 Percentage of full-time employment | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.12 Percentage of full-time employment | 23.27 Percentage of full-time employment | 24.84 Percentage of full-time employment | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.76 Percentage of full-time employment | 23.38 Percentage of full-time employment | 25.29 Percentage of full-time employment | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.94 Percentage of full-time employment | 22.51 Percentage of full-time employment | 23.81 Percentage of full-time employment | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
- 2 Bulgaria 26.31 Percentage of full-time employment compare
- 3 Israel 25.38 Percentage of full-time employment compare
- 4 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 23.5 Percentage of full-time employment compare
- 6 Hungary 22.06 Percentage of full-time employment compare
- 7 Peru 21.25 Percentage of full-time employment compare
- 8 India 20.85 Percentage of full-time employment compare
More reference data data for United States of America
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 19.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 24.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 20.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 64.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 52.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 133.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 589.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 112.69 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is incidence of low and high pay — low pay incidence in United States of America?
- Incidence of low and high pay — low pay incidence in United States of America was 22.51 Percentage of full-time employment in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest incidence of low and high pay — low pay incidence recorded in United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 25.29 Percentage of full-time employment in 2010.
- What is the lowest incidence of low and high pay — low pay incidence recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.4 Percentage of full-time employment in 1983.
- How does United States of America rank for incidence of low and high pay — low pay incidence?
- United States of America ranks 5th out of 37 countries with data for 2025.
- Is incidence of low and high pay — low pay incidence rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States of America data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Incidence of low and high pay — Low pay incidence. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This dataset contains series on the incidence of low-paid workers defined as the share of full-time workers earning less than two-thirds of gross median earnings of all full-time workers; the incidence of high-paid workers defined as the share of full-time workers earning more than one-and-half time gross median earnings of all full-time workers.