How much was an hour of average pay (non-manager workers)?
An hour of average pay (non-manager workers) was $6.85 in 1980 and $31.34 in 2025: about 4.6 times as much.
Over the same years, prices in general (US inflation, measured by the consumer price index, CPI) rose about 3.9 times. That makes $6.85 in 1980 worth about $26.76 in 2025 money. So it grew faster than prices in general: it buys about 17% more than in 1980.
The biggest change between two listed years came between 2015 and 2025, when it went up 49%, from $21.03 to $31.34.
Average hourly pay: price by year
| Year | Amount | In 2025 dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | $6.85 | $26.76 |
| 1985 | $8.73 | $26.12 |
| 1990 | $10.20 | $25.12 |
| 1995 | $11.65 | $24.61 |
| 2000 | $14.01 | $26.19 |
| 2005 | $16.12 | $26.57 |
| 2010 | $19.05 | $28.12 |
| 2015 | $21.03 | $28.56 |
| 2025 | $31.34 | $31.34 |
"In 2025 dollars" adjusts each amount for inflation with the CPI, so the years can be compared fairly. How this works.
Where the numbers come from
Figures as published by the source below.
Source: Yearly average of the seasonally adjusted monthly figures; Average Hourly Earnings of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees, Total Private (BLS series AHETPI, via FRED). View the source.
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