Home › Prices by year › Factory pay
🧰 Average factory worker's hourly pay by Year (1939–2025)
In 1939 it paid 49¢ (per hour, manufacturing production workers). In 2025 it was $29.05, and the latest figure (Sep 2026) is $30.21. Adjusted for inflation, it was cheapest in 1939 and most expensive in 1978.
Price at the timeIn today's money
| Year | Price then | In today's money |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $29.05 | $30.40 |
| 2024 | $27.78 | $29.84 |
| 2023 | $26.35 | $29.14 |
| 2022 | $25.05 | $28.84 |
| 2021 | $23.80 | $29.59 |
| 2020 | $22.79 | $29.67 |
| 2019 | $22.13 | $29.16 |
| 2018 | $21.52 | $28.87 |
| 2017 | $20.88 | $28.70 |
| 2016 | $20.44 | $28.69 |
| 2015 | $19.90 | $28.29 |
| 2014 | $19.55 | $27.83 |
| 2013 | $19.28 | $27.89 |
| 2012 | $19.06 | $27.98 |
| 2011 | $18.92 | $28.34 |
| 2010 | $18.61 | $28.75 |
| 2009 | $18.24 | $28.65 |
| 2008 | $17.75 | $27.78 |
| 2007 | $17.26 | $28.05 |
| 2006 | $16.81 | $28.09 |
| 2005 | $16.55 | $28.56 |
| 2004 | $16.14 | $28.80 |
| 2003 | $15.74 | $28.84 |
| 2002 | $15.29 | $28.64 |
| 2001 | $14.76 | $28.08 |
| 2000 | $14.31 | $28.01 |
| 1999 | $13.85 | $28.02 |
| 1998 | $13.45 | $27.80 |
| 1997 | $13.13 | $27.57 |
| 1996 | $12.74 | $27.38 |
| 1995 | $12.34 | $27.29 |
| 1994 | $12.03 | $27.35 |
| 1993 | $11.69 | $27.28 |
| 1992 | $11.40 | $27.38 |
| 1991 | $11.13 | $27.53 |
| 1990 | $10.77 | $27.78 |
| 1989 | $10.35 | $28.13 |
| 1988 | $10.05 | $28.64 |
| 1987 | $9.77 | $28.97 |
| 1986 | $9.59 | $29.49 |
| 1985 | $9.40 | $29.44 |
| 1984 | $9.05 | $29.36 |
| 1983 | $8.69 | $29.40 |
| 1982 | $8.36 | $29.20 |
| 1981 | $7.87 | $29.16 |
| 1980 | $7.15 | $29.24 |
| 1979 | $6.57 | $30.51 |
| 1978 | $6.04 | $31.22 |
| 1977 | $5.55 | $30.85 |
| 1976 | $5.09 | $30.15 |
| 1975 | $4.70 | $29.44 |
| 1974 | $4.31 | $29.45 |
| 1973 | $3.97 | $30.11 |
| 1972 | $3.70 | $29.80 |
| 1971 | $3.45 | $28.70 |
| 1970 | $3.23 | $28.07 |
| 1969 | $3.07 | $28.20 |
| 1968 | $2.89 | $27.97 |
| 1967 | $2.71 | $27.34 |
| 1966 | $2.60 | $26.96 |
| 1965 | $2.49 | $26.65 |
| 1964 | $2.41 | $26.15 |
| 1963 | $2.34 | $25.74 |
| 1962 | $2.27 | $25.31 |
| 1961 | $2.20 | $24.78 |
| 1960 | $2.15 | $24.45 |
| 1959 | $2.08 | $23.98 |
| 1958 | $1.99 | $23.19 |
| 1957 | $1.93 | $23.16 |
| 1956 | $1.84 | $22.78 |
| 1955 | $1.74 | $21.90 |
| 1954 | $1.66 | $20.86 |
| 1953 | $1.63 | $20.52 |
| 1952 | $1.53 | $19.38 |
| 1951 | $1.45 | $18.78 |
| 1950 | $1.32 | $18.42 |
| 1949 | $1.25 | $17.73 |
| 1948 | $1.21 | $16.90 |
| 1947 | $1.09 | $16.50 |
| 1946 | 95¢ | $16.35 |
| 1945 | 90¢ | $16.82 |
| 1944 | 91¢ | $17.47 |
| 1943 | 86¢ | $16.68 |
| 1942 | 74¢ | $15.25 |
| 1941 | 61¢ | $13.87 |
| 1940 | 53¢ | $12.70 |
| 1939 | 49¢ | $11.97 |
How to read this
“Price then” is the average for that year. “In today's money” converts it to Sep 2026 dollars with the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), so you can see whether factory pay really got pricier or the dollar just shrank.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics (series CES3000000008). Yearly figures are averages of the monthly or quarterly data.
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