Personal Finance
Mapped: Minimum Wage Around the World
Mapped: Minimum Wage Around the World
The purpose of a minimum wage is to establish a baseline income level for workers in a given jurisdiction. Ideally it’s enough to cover basic needs like food and housing, but this isn’t always a guarantee.
To see how the minimum wage differs around the world, we’ve visualized data from Picodi, which includes values for 67 countries as of January 2023.
Monthly Minimum Wage, by Country
The following table includes all of the data used in this infographic.
Each value represents the monthly minimum wage a full-time worker would receive in each country. Picodi states that these figures are net of taxes and have been converted to USD.
Country | Increase compared to Jan 2022 | Minimum wage as of Jan 2023 (full-time, USD) |
---|---|---|
Argentina | 104.5% | $336 |
Turkey | 100.0% | $457 |
Moldova | 32.5% | $180 |
Latvia | 27.1% | $555 |
Malaysia | 25.8% | $289 |
Pakistan | 24.6% | $111 |
Romania | 24.5% | $393 |
Germany | 21.9% | $1,594 |
Belarus | 21.2% | $189 |
Lithuania | 18.8% | $646 |
North Macedonia | 18.5% | $298 |
Mexico | 17.4% | $315 |
Chile | 17.1% | $369 |
Russia | 16.9% | $224 |
Kazakhstan | 16.6% | $131 |
Colombia | 16.4% | $249 |
Hungary | 16.0% | $383 |
Netherlands | 15.3% | $1,895 |
Poland | 14.6% | $584 |
Belgium | 14.3% | $1,509 |
Serbia | 14.3% | $347 |
Estonia | 14.2% | $704 |
Azerbaijan | 14.2% | $186 |
Albania | 13.3% | $265 |
Slovenia | 12.9% | $896 |
US | 12.6% | $1,550 |
Croatia | 12.0% | $571 |
Uzbekistan | 11.9% | $72 |
Paraguay | 11.4% | $323 |
Armenia | 11.4% | $138 |
Peru | 10.3% | $233 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 10.0% | $324 |
Bulgaria | 9.9% | $315 |
Luxembourg | 9.3% | $2,140 |
Philippines | 9.2% | $141 |
Uruguay | 9.0% | $424 |
Brazil | 8.9% | $232 |
India | 8.5% | $95 |
Indonesia | 8.1% | $173 |
Greece | 7.9% | $626 |
Portugal | 7.8% | $690 |
UK | 7.3% | $1,705 |
Slovakia | 7.2% | $572 |
South Africa | 6.9% | $226 |
France | 6.6% | $1,380 |
Czechia | 6.6% | $643 |
Vietnam | 6.0% | $162 |
Ecuador | 5.7% | $407 |
New Zealand | 5.6% | $1,866 |
Ireland | 5.4% | $1,753 |
Canada | 5.1% | $1,545 |
Thailand | 5.0% | $195 |
Australia | 4.8% | $2,022 |
South Korea | 4.7% | $1,333 |
Taiwan | 4.6% | $800 |
Bolivia | 4.0% | $284 |
Guatemala | 3.9% | $383 |
Malta | 3.6% | $788 |
Ukraine | 3.1% | $146 |
Israel | 0.0% | $1,389 |
Puerto Rico | 0.0% | $1,328 |
Hong Kong | 0.0% | $959 |
Saudi Arabia | 0.0% | $958 |
Spain | 0.0% | $925 |
Montenegro | 0.0% | $459 |
Nigeria | 0.0% | $68 |
Cyprus | -- | $854 |
Generally speaking, developed countries have a higher cost of living, and thus require a higher minimum wage.
Two outliers in this dataset are Argentina and Turkey, which have increased their minimum wages by 100% or more from January 2022 levels.
Turkey is suffering from an ongoing currency crisis, with the lira losing over 40% of its value in 2021. Prices of basic goods have increased considerably as the Turkish lira continues to plummet. In fact, a 2022 survey found that 70% of people in Turkey were struggling to pay for food.
Argentina, South America’s second-biggest economy, is also suffering from very high inflation. In response, the country announced three minimum wage increases throughout 2022.
Minimum Wage in the U.S.
Within the U.S., minimum wage varies significantly by state. We’ve visualized each state’s basic minimum rate (hourly) using January 2023 data from the U.S. Department of Labor.
2023-03-17 Update: This map was updated to fix several incorrect values. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
America’s federal minimum wage has remained unchanged since 2009 at $7.25 per hour.
Each state is allowed to set their own minimum wage, as long as it’s higher than the federal minimum. In states that do not set their own minimum, the federal minimum applies.
If we assume someone works 40 hours a week, the federal minimum wage of $7.25 translates to an annual figure of just $15,080 before taxes. California’s minimum wage of $15.50 translates to $32,240 before taxes.
For further perspective, check out our 2022 infographic on the salary needed to buy a home across 50 U.S. cities.
Personal Finance
Mapped: The Income a Family Needs to Live Comfortably in Every U.S. State
Families in expensive states require over $270,000 annually to live comfortably.
The Income a Family Needs to Live Comfortably in Every U.S. State
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Families in the top five most expensive U.S. states require an annual income exceeding $270,000 to live comfortably.
This visualization illustrates the income necessary for two working adults with two children to maintain a comfortable lifestyle in each state.
“Comfortable” is defined as the income needed to cover a 50/30/20 budget, with 50% allocated to necessities like housing and utilities, 30% to discretionary spending, and 20% to savings or investments.
The calculations for family income needed in each state were done by SmartAsset, using the cost of necessities sourced from the MIT Living Wage Calculator, last updated on Feb. 14, 2024.
Massachusetts Tops the List
Massachusetts is the most expensive state to live comfortably in, requiring a total family income of about $301,184. Hawaii ($294,611) comes in second, followed by Connecticut ($279,885).
Housing is one main reason Massachusetts is an expensive state to live in, particularly in the Boston area. In addition, the state also has a high cost of living, including expenses such as healthcare and utilities.
Rank | State | Income for 2 working adults raising 2 children |
---|---|---|
1 | Massachusetts | $301,184 |
2 | Hawaii | $294,611 |
3 | Connecticut | $279,885 |
4 | New York | $278,970 |
5 | California | $276,723 |
6 | Colorado | $264,992 |
7 | Washington | $257,421 |
8 | Oregon | $257,338 |
9 | New Jersey | $251,181 |
10 | Rhode Island | $249,267 |
11 | Vermont | $248,352 |
12 | Minnesota | $244,774 |
13 | New Hampshire | $244,109 |
14 | Alaska | $242,611 |
15 | Maryland | $239,450 |
16 | Nevada | $237,286 |
17 | Virginia | $235,206 |
18 | Illinois | $231,962 |
19 | Arizona | $230,630 |
20 | Pennsylvania | $230,464 |
21 | Maine | $229,549 |
22 | Delaware | $228,966 |
23 | Wisconsin | $225,056 |
24 | Utah | $218,483 |
25 | Michigan | $214,490 |
26 | Nebraska | $213,075 |
27 | Georgia | $212,826 |
28 | Montana | $211,411 |
28 | Iowa | $211,411 |
30 | Idaho | $211,245 |
31 | North Carolina | $209,331 |
31 | Ohio | $209,331 |
33 | Florida | $209,082 |
34 | Indiana | $206,003 |
35 | New Mexico | $203,923 |
36 | Wyoming | $203,424 |
37 | Missouri | $202,259 |
38 | North Dakota | $202,176 |
39 | Texas | $201,344 |
40 | South Carolina | $200,762 |
41 | Kansas | $196,768 |
42 | Tennessee | $195,770 |
43 | Oklahoma | $194,106 |
44 | Alabama | $193,606 |
45 | South Dakota | $192,608 |
46 | Kentucky | $190,112 |
47 | Louisiana | $189,613 |
48 | West Virginia | $189,363 |
49 | Arkansas | $180,794 |
50 | Mississippi | $177,798 |
Meanwhile, Mississippi is the least expensive state for a family to live comfortably, requiring $177,798 per year. Arkansas ($180,794) comes in second, followed by West Virginia ($189,363). In common, all these states share low prices of housing.
Learn More About Cost of Living From Visual Capitalist
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out this graphic, which ranks the median down payment for a house by U.S. state.
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