Library Guides: Prices and Wages by Decade: 1870-1879

Wages in the United States, 1870-1879

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Farm labor - Wages

Farm labor - Average wages by state, 1866-1909
Tables 11-13 on pages 29-31 show average wages with and without board. Table 17 shows average wages per day without board, and Table 18 shows the daily wages with board.
Section titled "Extras Received by Laborers" explains the prevalence and value of non-monetary benefits paid to farm laborers, such as the use of a house or dwelling and garden plot, firewood for heat, stable and pasture for the worker's horse or cow, laundry service, occasional use of a buggy or a team for hauling, and one meal per day, pp. 49-52. Starting on page 53, there is discussion of the purchasing power of farm wages over the years.
Farm laborer monthly earnings, 1818-1948
Lists average monthly earnings with board, by geographic divisions. Data for years: 1818, 1826, 1830, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1909, 1919, 1929, 1940, 1948. Read the explanation and historical context for this table.
Farm labor, 1841-1899
Source:History of Wages in the United States from Colonial times to 1928.
Farm labor wages - 1875 and 1879
This source shows the national average for daily and monthly wages of hired farm labor, with board or without, at harvest or at other times.

Manufacturing - Wages

Manufacturing wages, 1850s-1870s
Published in 1886 as part of the 10th U.S. Census. Also printed in Serial Set Vol. 2150.
Clothing manufacture, 1851-1898
Listed wages for dressmakers and sewing machine operators
Glass and clay products, 1841-1898
Listed wages for glass blowers, potters, kiln placers and turners.
Leather products, 1855-1900
Listed wages for shoemakers, leather cutters, stitchers, vampers, lasters and tanners.
Textiles - Cloth manufacture, 1842-1900
Wages for doffers, drawing frame tenders, cotton dyers, loom fixers, cotton spinners, cotton weavers
Textiles - Hosiery and underwear manufacture, 1842-1900
Wages for knitters of hosiery and underwear, weavers and winders of silk goods, dressers and dyers of woolen and worsted goods, loom fixers, spinners, wool sorters
Tobacco product manufacture, 1860-1900
Wages for cigar makers, tobacco stemmers and strippers

Education occupations - Wages

School teacher wages - 1870s
- California - Average statewide teacher wages, 1871, 1872 and 1873
- California - Teacher wages by county and sex, 1872 and 1873
- Illinois school teacher pay by gender, 1855-1874
  Table shows the high, low and average pay received by school teachers in each year from 1855-1874. Source: Illinois Superintendent of Public Instruction 11th Biennial Report.
- Minnesota - Average teacher wages by sex, 1872

Political leaders' salaries

Congressional salaries, 1789-present
Historical chart shows salaries of members of the U.S. Congress, along with dates of enactment and statutory authority for each pay increase.

WAGES -- GENERAL SOURCES

Wages for hundreds of occupations by state - 1870
Lists wages for apothecaries, book binders, bakers, barbers, brick makers, cooks, dressmakers, fishermen, florists, gardeners, grave diggers, hatters, jewelers, leather tanners, locksmiths, nurses, plumbers, watch makers, distillery workers, ship builders, seamen, deck hands, shepherds, tailors, waiters, factory workers making carriages, pianos and organs and much more than can be listed here. Wages for jobs in cotton mills, woolen mills and paper mills, iron foundries and machine shops which could include carpenters, engineers, blacksmiths, firemen as well as spinners, dyers, etc. Lists wages by state and territory for certain mechanical occupations. Wage tables extend from p. 201-223 so be sure to scroll forward in the volume. Source: Information for Immigrants, published 1871.
Unskilled occupations - Average wages, 1840-1891
Shows average daily wage earnings for laborers, yard hands, watchmen, teamsters, quarrymen, coal-heavers, helpers, unskilled factory operatives, without any geographic breakouts. Source: Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 13 (1905).
Average daily wages in the US, Britain, France and Belgium - 1870-1898
Very simple table compares average wages in the US, Great Britain, Paris France and Liege Belgium for each year from 1870-1898.
Daily wages by city in the United States and Europe, 1870-1898
Lists daily wages in dollars for many occupations including blacksmiths, bricklayers, cabinet makers, carpenters, railroad conductors, railroad engineers, street laborers, machinists, house painters, stone masons, teamsters, plumbers, and more, in the U.S. cities of Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Richmond, St. Louis, St. Paul and San Francisco. The last column provides an average across all of these cities. Wage data tables for cities in Great Britain, France and Belgium begin on page 683. Source: Bulletin of the United States Department of Labor, no. 18, published September 1898.
Navy (U.S.) - Pay chart, 1870
This is not a government website. For original government documents showing pay, contact us.
History of Wages in the United States from Colonial times to 1928
Extensive tables show average wages paid each year for a variety of occupations, reported by state and sometimes by city, often broken out by sex, in the following industries:
- Roofers earned $24 per week in Ohio in 1873 (source).
  Building trades, 1840-1900
  Listed wages for bricklayers, carpenters, electricians, stationary engineers, stationary firemen, hod carriers, building laborers, marble cutters, stone masons, painters, plasterers, plumbers, stone cutters, granite cutters and tile layers.
- Iron and steel workers, 1840-1899
  Listed wages for furnace keepers for pig-iron blast furnaces and other jobs in iron and steel.
- Laborers, 1840-1900
- Metal trades other than iron or steel, 1840-1900
  Listed wages for blacksmiths in railroad shops, machine shops and other places, boiler makers in foundries and machine shops, core makers, horseshoers, foundry laborers, lathe hands, machinists, millwrights in flour mills and other places, iron molders, pattern makers, tool and die makers.
- Mining -- Coal mine and iron mine industries, 1840-1900
  Wages for coal mine drivers, loaders, coal miners, iron miners, drilling machine operators, timbermen for the mines
- Printing and publishing, 1842-1900
  Wages for bookbinders, press feeders, proof readers, compositors for newspapers and other shops, pressmen (operators of the printing press), stereotypers
- Transportation industry wages, 1840-1900
  Wages for railroad brakemen, conductors for passenger railroads, conductors for freight railroads, locomotive engineers and firemen, longshoremen, 1-horse teamsters, 2-horse teamsters and teamsters non-specified.
- Woodworking trades, 1845-1900
  Wages for cabinet makers, coopers, sawyers, loggers, lumber laborers, woodworkers
Monthly wages by occupation and sex, 1840-1891 (not averaged)
Reports monthly wages paid to individual, unnamed male and female employees in a variety of jobs at selected establishments in the northeast U.S. Industries covered: agricultural implement manufacture (MA), ale, beer and porter (NY), book and newspaper publishers (CT, NY, MD), building trades (CT, MD, MA, NJ, NY, PA, RI), railroad car and ship building (DE), wagon and carriage manufacture (NY), city public works (MA, NY, PA) and cotton milling (MA). Source: 1893 report of the U.S. Congressional Committee on Finance titled "Wholesale prices, wages and transportation."

Wages Reported at State and Local Levels, 1870-1879

WAGES reported at the STATE and LOCAL LEVEL, 1870s -- Multiple States

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Wages - Index of all reports issued by bureaus of labor statistics, 1870-1900
This is an index to topics covered in all labor statistics bureaus, both state and federal and even some foreign countries. There are ten pages of entries under "Wages" listing wages shown in state and federal reports. Find report abbreviations spelled out here. The strategy for using this source is to identify a report you want to track down and then look for it in Hathi Trust's online digital library. Contact us if you would like assistance with this.

WAGES in California, 1870s

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California wages, 1850s-1902
This index to California state government publications shows where one can find wages for various occupations such as teachers (1850s-1880s), railroad employees (1870s-1880s), farm workers (1890s), miners and lumbermen (1902), sailors (1904) and more. If you need assistance tracking down publications listed in this source, do not hesitate to contact us.
Health Officer in LA, 1873-1876
This publication tells the monthly salary of the Health Officer of the Board of Health of the City of Los Angles for 1873-1876.

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Source: A history of the medical profession of southern California by George H. Kress (1910).

WAGES in Connecticut, 1870s

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Connecticut (New Haven) city employee salaries, 1873-1921
This series of Municipal Year Books from New Haven, Connecticut, show salaries for police, firemen, school teachers, principals, building inspectors, clerks and other jobs working for city government.

WAGES in Massachusetts, 1870s

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Unskilled labor wages - Massachusetts, 1873
Detailed breakouts by occupation, without board. Also tells the number of hours per week typically worked.
Massachusetts - Wages by occupation, 1860-1897
Shows average weekly wages for 1860, 1872, 1878, 1881 and 1897 for hundreds of detailed occupations. This is an extensive table, scroll forward to see it all. Source: Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor 28th annual report.

WAGES in Missouri, 1870s

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Kansas City MO wages for common occupations, late 1870s
This report from the Missouri Immigration Society showed average wages paid to bookkeepers, bartenders, teamsters, laborers, plasterers, painters, carpenters, bricklayers, stone masons, dry goods clerks, clothing house clerks, grocery clerks and drug store clerks. Published in 1880, it probably drew from 1870s data. This is not a government document.
Farm labor wages in Missouri, 1866-1930
Shows average farm labor wage in Missouri with and without board, during harvest time or at other times. Source: Missouri State Dept of Agriculture.

WAGES in New Hampshire, 1870s

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New Hampshire wages and board, 1871
The 1872 Report of Commissioners on Bureau of Labor Statistics to the [New Hampshire] Legislature is an incredibly rich source of wages. It contains employment statistics gathered by circulars sent to manufacturers and employees in 1871:
- Manufacturers - Paper manufactures on pages 64-66, cotton on pages 67-68, woolen on pages 69-73 (wages and board on page 72), and other types of manufacturing on pages 73-83.
- Employees -- Responses on pages 86-93 came from a blacksmith, shoemaker, watchman, a woolen mill hand, cabinet maker, machinists, common laborer, flannel manufacturer, flannel weaver, clerks in grocery stores, wool sorters, spinner, spinner and carder, and a stationary engineer.
- Farm laborer wages in 1871.

WAGES in New York, 1870s

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New York City women's wages by occupation, 1870
Shows weekly pay and hours worked per day for women employed as tailoresses, seamstresses, operators, cloak makers, dressmakers, lace makers, hat makers, shoe fitters, glove sewers, and more. These figures were collected by a journalist and published in the New York Tribune on Feb 26, 1870 and later quoted in a federal report.
Wage rates on the Erie Canal, 1828-1881
This item is presently in copyright so it will be necessary to either find it in a library, or contact us for a lookup.

Wages in Foreign Countries, 1870-1879

Wages in MULTIPLE COUNTRIES, 1870s

Click the tabs above for single countries

Daily wages by occupation for selected European cities, 1870-1898
Lists average daily wages (in dollars) for common occupations in London, Manchester, Glasgow, Paris France and Liege Belgium.
Wages by country and occupation, 1870s-1880s
Shows average wage for each year and each place, whether it be an American state or European country. Some countries represented: Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, Great Britain, Saxony, France, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Bohemia, Moravia, Prussia, Russia, Australia, Argentine Republic, Canada, Hawaiian Islands, Mexico, New Zealand.
Wages in European countries, 1878
Full title: "State of Labor in Europe, 1878: Reports from the United States Consuls in the several countries of Europe on the rates of wages, cost of living to the laborers...." Includes detail on the countries of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Netherlands, and Spain. See also the single table showing wages expressed in dollars for various countries for many occupations, comparing to the United States.
European countries - Average daily wages in Britain, France and Belgium - 1870-1898
Very simple table compares average wages in the US, Great Britain, Paris France and Liege Belgium for each year from 1870-1898.
Wages and cost of living in foreign countries, early 1870s
Source: British publication titled "Further reports from Her Majesty's diplomatic and consular agents abroad respecting the condition of the industrial classes and the purchase power of money in foreign countries," published in London, 1872. Use the Table of Contents to find page numbers for each country report.
United Kingdom - Wages, 1810-1886
Extensive, 437-page government report indicates detailed wages by occupation in many locations throughout the UK. Wages are reported in British currency.

Wages in AUSTRALIA, 1870s

Australia (Melbourne) Wages ca. 1873
Wages expressed in pounds, shillings and pence for agricultural laborers, shepherds, masons, bricklayers, carpenters, blacksmiths, cooks, grooms, gardeners, laundresses, maids, nursemaids, household servants, ocean seamen, and more. Source: 1873 edition of the Victorian year-book, an Australian government publication.
Australia, Melbourne - Wages, 1878
Lists wages in pounds, shillings and pence for the above occupations and also for workers employed in printing and publishing, watchmakers, jewelers, tinsmiths, ironworkers, plumbers, gasfitters, carriage makers, painters, saddlers, workers on boats, ship carpenters, cabinet makers, coopers, tailors, milliners, dressmakers, boot makers, hatters, carpet salesmen, butchers, bakers, teamsters, tanners, brickmakers, miners, engineers, legal managers in mining industry, and more.

Wages in BELGIUM, 1870s

Belgium - Wages, prices and cost of living, 1870s
Also shows figures and discussion for Ghent. Source: U.S. federal document State of Labor in Europe: Reports from the United States Consuls... (1878)

Wages in CANADA, 1870s

Canada - Wages, prices and the cost of living, 1870s
See additional detail for Goderich and Hamilton, both in Ontario. Source: U.S. federal document State of Labor in Europe: Reports from the United States Consuls... (1878).

Wages in DENMARK, 1870s

Wages, prices and cost of living in Denmark, 1870s
The U.S. federal document State of Labor in Europe: Reports from the United States Consuls... provides data and discussion.

Wages in ENGLAND, 1870s

England - Wages, prices and cost of living, 1870s
Source: U.S. federal document State of Labor in Europe: Reports from the United States Consuls... (1878).

Wages in FRANCE, 1870s

France, Lyons - Wages, 1870 to 1896
Lists wages for occupations such as blacksmiths, bricklayers, cabinet makers, carpenters, street laborers, machinists, house painters, stone cutters, teamsters, and more. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 22, published May 1899.
France - Wages, prices and cost of living, 1870s
The U.S. federal document State of Labor in Europe: Reports from the United States Consuls... provides data and discussion for these areas in France:

Wages in GERMANY, 1870s

Germany - Wages, prices and the cost of living, 1870s
The U.S. federal document State of Labor in Europe: Reports from the United States Consuls... provides data and discussion for these areas in Germany:

Wages in INDIA, 1870s

India - Wages by place and occupation, 1873-1890
Shows wages in rupees by provinces and districts for every year from 1873-1890 for occupations such as agricultural laborer, mason, carpenter, horse-keeper and blacksmith. Scroll forward; this is a multi-page table.

Wages in IRELAND, 1870s

Ireland - Farm laborer wages, 1850 and 1870
Article in the Royal Statistical Society Journal (p 153-157) reprinted Irish farm laborer wages as they were reported in the Pall Mall Gazette. Page 156 shows prices of food and other items commonly needed by laborers.
Ireland - Wages, prices and cost of living, 1870s
See detail for Belfast, Cork and Londonderry. Source: U.S. federal document State of Labor in Europe: Reports from the United States Consuls... (1878).

Wages in ITALY, 1870s

Italy - Wages, prices and cost of living, 1870s
Source: U.S. federal document State of Labor in Europe: Reports from the United States Consuls... (1878).

Wages in the NETHERLANDS, 1870s

Netherlands - Wages, prices and cost of living, 1870s
See detail for Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Source: U.S. federal document State of Labor in Europe: Reports from the United States Consuls... (1878).

Wages in SCOTLAND, 1870s

Scotland - Wages, prices and cost of living, 1870s
Source: U.S. federal document State of Labor in Europe: Reports from the United States Consuls... (1878). See additional detail for the following areas:

Wages in SWITZERLAND, 1870s

Switzerland - Wages, prices and cost of living, 1870s
Source: U.S. federal document State of Labor in Europe: Reports from the United States Consuls... (1878).

Wages in SPAIN, 1870s

Spain - Wages, prices and cost of living, 1870s
The U.S.federal document State of Labor in Europe: Reports from the United States Consuls... provides data and discussion for these areas in Spain:

Wages in SWEDEN, 1870s

Sweden - Farming wages for male and female workers, 1866-1900
Shows average yearly salaries (besides room and board) for servants, the value of tenement laborers entire pay (including wages and provisions), summer and winter wages per day, and the wages earned in 300 days in Sweden for the years 1866-1900. Figures shown are in Kronor, but conversion rates for shillings and dollars are included. Source: Sweden: its people and its industry; historical and statistical handbook published by order of the government, Stockholm, 1904.

Wages in WALES, 1870s

Wales - Wages, prices and the cost of living, 1870s
Source: U.S. federal document State of Labor in Europe: Reports from the United States Consuls... (1878).