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Prices and Wages by Decade: 1870-1879

Links to government documents and primary sources listing retail prices for products and services, as well as wages for common occupations.

Wages in the United States, 1870-1879

Wages by sex, 1870-1879

Wages by occupation, 1870-1879

A

  • Astronomers on expedition for U.S. Northern Boundary Commission, 1873

B

C

D-E

G

H-I

L

M

Job printer, 1871Pressmen generally worked 60 hrs per week in the 1870s
(Image source)

Note: We have access to teacher salaries and wages for nearly every state. If you would like a certain state added to this list, simply send us a request.

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U

V

  • Veterinary surgeons in fed. govt. - annual salaries in 1877 Official register of the U.S., p. 211 

W

Wages by state, 1870-1879

CALIFORNIA

CONNECTICUT

COLORADO

DELAWARE

ILLINOIS

MASSACHUSETTS

MISSOURI

MONTANA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

NORTH CAROLINA

NEW YORK

OHIO

PENNSYLVANIA

See box below.

RHODE ISLAND

WYOMING

Wages in Pennsylvania by occupation and industry, 1870s

Foreign wages by country, then occupation - 1870-1879

Wages in ENGLAND, 1870s

Wages throughout AFRICA, 1870s

Wages in AUSTRALIA, 1870s

Wages in AUSTRIA, 1870s

Wages in BELGIUM, 1870s

Wages in CANADA, 1870s

Wages in DENMARK, 1870s

Wages in FRANCE, 1870s

Wages in GERMANY, 1870s

Wages in GREECE, 1870s

Wages in INDIA, 1870s

Wages in IRELAND, 1870s

Wages in ITALY, 1870s

Wages in the NETHERLANDS, 1870s

Wages in SCOTLAND, 1870s

Wages in SWITZERLAND, 1870s

Wages in SPAIN, 1870s

Wages in SWEDEN, 1870s

Wages in WALES, 1870s

Wages in MULTIPLE COUNTRIES, 1870s

Foreign wages by occupation (A-Z), then country - 1870s

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Shows average daily wages for males and females by occupation, state and country. Source: A Compilation of wages in commercial countries from official sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).

Food prices by state, 1870-1879

PRICES for FOOD, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Alabama, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Arkansas, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in California, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Colorado, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Dakota Territory, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Deleware, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Georgia, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Idaho, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Massachusetts, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Michigan, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Minnesota, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Mississippi, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Montana, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in North Carolina, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Nebraska, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in New Hampshire, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in New Jersey, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in New Mexico, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Nevada, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in New York, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Ohio, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Oregon, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Pennsylvania, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Rhode Island, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in South Carolina, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Texas, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Virginia, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Vermont, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Washington, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Wisconsin, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in West Virginia, 1870s

PRICES for FOOD in Wyoming, 1870s

Home, farm and land prices by state, 1870-1879

  • House prices and rents - Washington DC, 1870s
    See classified ad sections of the Washington DC newspapers.  Use the Advanced Search in Chronicling America, select District of Columbia, restrict to desired dates, and try entering the words home and rooms into the box specifying that they must fall within 5 words of each other.  Here are some examples:

Travel & transportation prices, 1870-1879

Clothing prices, 1870-1879

Sewing machine1873 sewing machine

Health and medicine prices, 1870-1879

Communication rates, 1870-1879

More prices in the United States, 1870-1879

  • 1875 -- Montgomery Ward catalog
    Fabrics, linens, dishes, silverware, curtains, carpet, beds, feather ticking, mosquito nets and more.
  • 1877-1878 -- Macy's catalog
    Household linens, china, furnishings, books, toiletries, jewelry and more.
  • 1879 -- Wanamaker's catalog
    Dishes, bedding, toys, sporting goods, scissors, and other household items. Contains no illustrations.

Barbershop prices

University of Louisiana, 1878
Image from Medical Department Annual Circular 1878-1879

BOOK PRICES, 1870s

Foreign prices by country, 1870-1879

Analysis and calculators, 1870s

Timeline - Economic events of the 1870s

"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)

1870

"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)

1871

"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)

1872

"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)

1873

"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)

1874

"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)

1875

"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)

1876

"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)

1877

"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)

1878

"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)

1879

"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis

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Marie Concannon, Government Information Librarian
Government Documents Department, Ellis Library
University of Missouri, Columbia
Email: concannonm@missouri.edu
Phone (573) 882-0748