Library Guides: Prices and Wages by Decade: 1900-1909

Wages, 1900-1909

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PRICES in FOREIGN COUNTRIES

WAGES -- GENERAL SOURCES (all occupations and worker types)

Average weekly earnings of all U.S. workers put together
For those wanting the simplest possible figure, this table from the Census averages together the weekly wage of every man, woman and child in the year 1905. It also provides breakouts for womens' and childrens' wages.
Wages for hundreds of different jobs in manufacturing industries, ca. 1900
The link above leads to the back-of-the-book index. Find the page number in the index, then scroll to that page. Source: Employees and Wages, 1900 Census of the United States Special Report, published 1903.
Union Scale of Wages and Hours of Labor, 1907-1912
Table II shows union scale of wages and hours of labor in each trade, by cities, for each year from 1907-1912. The table extends from page 68-121, so be sure to scroll forward or use the magnifying glass tool to find a particular word in the text.
Hawaii - occupations, wages, hours, employee nationality, retail prices - 1905
Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 66, Volume XIII. Published September 1906.
Rates of wages and hours of labor in the United States and Europe, 1890-1903
Provides tables that compare wage rates in U.S., Great Britain, Germany, France and Belgium for specific occupations, including blacksmith, boiler makers, bricklayers, carpenters, compositors, hod carriers, iron molders, general laborers, machinists, house painters, plumbers, stone cutters, and stone masons. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 53, Volume IX, published July 1904.
African-Americans - Wages by occupation, 1890-1920
The book The Negro Wage Earner is not a government document but it cites government wage data. Use the table of contents to find the chapter on the type of job, then use the "Jump to..." box to quickly land on that page in the volume.

WAGES by OCCUPATION / INDUSTRY

Boot, shoe, hosiery and underwear manufacturing wages, 1907-1920
Building and construction wages by occupation, 1902-1910
Wages in 1902, 1904, 1907, 1908, 1909 and 1910 for bricklayers, stone masons, structural-iron setters, ornamental-iron setters, plasterers, tile setters, plumbers, steam fitters, gas fitters, carpenters, painters, stonecutters, electricians, sheet-metal workers, marble setters and cement finishers in each of 25 major American cities.
Clothing (men's) - Wages, 1911 to 1924
Tells wages for the years 1911 to 1914, 1919, and 1922. The wage data for this bulletin are from establishments engaged in making men’s outer garments—coats, pants, vests, and over-coats—for the trade, or what is commonly known as men’s ready-made clothing. Special-order and merchant-tailor establishments are not included.
Cotton, woolen, and silk industries, 1890-1912
These workers engaged in spinning, weaving, printing, dyeing and otherwise performing tasks for the manufacture of fabrics. Shows hourly wages and typical hours per week.
Farm workers - Wages and income, 1909 to 1938
The wage rates broken out by year and geographic location. Wages for farm workers are compared to that of factory workers. Article starts on page 59 of the BLS Monthly Labor Review, July 1939 issue.
Farm labor wages, 1866-1909
Browse this book's table of contents for wage rates for all states and the US as a whole, including some rates from prior to 1866.
Farm laborers, 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.
Government (city) employees - Salaries in New Haven, CT from 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.
Government (federal) - Congressional salaries, 1866-1955
The "History of Congressional Salaries" (a section beginning at bottom of page 8) reports base pay, travel allowances and other benefits to U.S. Senators and Representatives back to 1866. In another document, find a concise chart showing congressional pay from 1789-1982.
Iron and steel industry workers, 1907-1924
Earnings per hour, customary hours of labor, and actual hours and earnings in one pay period in 1924 are presented in this report for wage earners in ten departments of the iron and steel industry in the United States. Summary figures for preceding years are also shown for each department.
Hosiery and underwear manufacturing - Wages and hours, 1907-1932
Iron and steel industry -- Wages and hours, 1912 (Vol II)
Wages and hours of labor for workers in the steel industry, broken up by location and occupation.

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Source: Serial Set Vol. No. 6096, Session Vol. No.18, 62nd Congress, 1st Session, S.Doc. 110 vol.2
Lumber, millwork, and furniture industry wages - 1907 to 1913
Includes breakouts by state and occupation, including machine feeders for the planing mill, sawyers, edgers, trimmers, carriage men, etc.
Lumber, millwork, and furniture industries, 1890 to 1912
Wages and hours of labor in lumber manufacturing for the years 1907 to 1912, including information from 1890 to 1912. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 129.
Manufacturing industries, 1890-1906
In Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 71 , Volume XV, pages 1-174
Census of Manufactures: 1905 Earnings of Wage-Earners
A statement of the total amount paid in wages during the year and an estimate of the average number of wage-earners during the year.
Manufacturing industries - Wages and hours, 1890-1904
Source: Bulletin of the U. S. Bureau of Labor, no. 59, Volume XI. Published July 1905.
Manufacturing industries - Wages and hours, 1890-1905
Bulletin of the U. S. Bureau of Labor, No. 65, Volume XIII. Published July 1906.
Manufacturing industries - Wages and hours, 1890 to 1906
Bulletin of the U. S. Bureau of Labor, No. 71, Volume XV. Published July 1907.
Manufacturing industries - Wages and hours, 1890-1907
Bulletin of the U. S. Bureau of Labor, No. 77, Volume XVII. Published July 1908.
Military pay for enlisted men - 1908, 1916, 1919
Many military job titles are listed separately such as electrician, band leader, sergeant major, etc. Table is titled "Soliders' Adjusted Compensation."
Railway employee wages, 1896-1907
For each year from 1896-1907, this source lists average daily compensation in dollars for station agents, conductors, telegraph operators, enginemen, firemen, track men, switch tenders, crossing tenders, machinists, carpenters and more.
Railroad cars, building and repair - 1890 to 1912
Shows wages per hour and hours of work per week for the years 1907 to 1912, with breakouts by state. Includes a comparison from 1890 to 1912. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 137
Railroad cars, building and repair -- Wages, 1907 to 1913
Covers the rates of wages per hour in each year for the major occupations involved in the building and repairing of steam railroad cars. It also includes tables broken down by state.
Teacher wages, monthly average, by state and gender - 1894-1902
Taken from the U.S. Commissioner of Education Report for 1902. Starting on page LXXXI, the average monthly wages of teachers in 1902 are listed.

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MU affiliates may access a clearer copy at U. S. Congressional Serial Set database
Teacher salaries at elementary schools in California, 1907
Annual salary data is broken out by county.

Wages in Foreign Countries, 1900-1909

Wages in foreign countries, 1900-1910
Lists retail prices and wages for common occupations in England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and more. Each country can appear in multiple sections throughout the book, so be sure to use the Search in text feature. Source: Investigation Relative to Wages and Prices of Commodities, 1911.
Wages around the world for common occupations, 1900-1907
Lists wages in dollars for many common occupations (blacksmiths, carpenters, plumbers, bricklayers, machinists, book and newspaper printers, and postal employees) for selected cities in the US, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Tables on page 74-87.
Austria - Wages and Hours of Labor in Austria, 1906 and 1907
Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 88, Volume XX. Published May 1910.
Germany - Wages and Hours of Labor in German Woodworking Industries in 1906
Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 88, Volume XX. Published May 1910.
Great Britain - Earnings and Hours of Labor in British Building and Woodworking Trades
Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 87, Volume XX. Published March 1910.
Great Britain - Earnings and Hours of Labor in British Clothing Industries
Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 86, Volume XX. Published January 1910.
Great Britain - Earnings and Hours of Labor in British Textile Industries
Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 83, Volume XIX. Published July 1909.
United Kingdom - Wages by occupation, 1893-1913
Wages reported in UK government documents.
Philippines - Prices of Commodities and Rates of Wages in Manila
Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 32, Volume VI. Published January 1901.
Germany - Trend of Wages in Germany, 1898 to 1907
Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 88, Volume XX. Published May 1910.
Wales - Minimum Wage Act, 1908, New South Wales
Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 80, Volume XVIII. Published January 1909.

Prices, 1900-1909

PRICES for FOOD

Retail prices of food, nationwide average - 1901
Average nationwide price per pound, quart, dozen, etc. of each of the principle food items (meat, fish eggs, butter, cheese, coffee, tea, potatoes, etc.)
Retail food prices by type of food and state, 1900-1903
Detailed tables are listed by type of food and then by state. Average retail prices are reported for each year from 1890-1903. Scroll forward through the pages to see all the food types.
Retail prices of food by state, 1904-1905
Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 65, Volume XIII. Published July 1906.
Retail prices of food by state, 1906-1907
Source: Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 77, Volume XVII. Published July 1908.
Retail Prices of Food, 1901
Surveyed expenditures of 25,440 working families to determine their yearly cost of living. Shows prices not only for food but other items as well. Be careful to look for tables showing "average prices" rather than "relative prices" (which only indicate a percentage of increase or decrease.) Average expenditures for families are also presented with demographic breakouts.

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Taken from the 18th Annual Report of the U. S. Commissioner of Labor. Source: Serial Set Vol. No. 4739, Session Vol. No.113, 58th Congress, 2nd Session, H.Doc. 747
Average retail food prices reported annually from 1890-1970
This one-page table shows the average retail prices for bread, milk, eggs, meats, fruits, vegetables, coffee, beans, sugar, margarine, etc. each year from 1890-1970. Data collection took place in about 30-60 U.S. cities. Jump to page 193 of this resource for an excellent explanation of the historical table and the methodology of data collection.
Prices of Groceries in 1814 and 1905
Gives the price per pound of selected commodities in 1814 and 1905. Short list includes tea, coffee, sugar, figs, raisins, rice, mustard, saltpeter, treacle, etc.. Prices are given in both English and American currency.
Food prices in Hawaii, 1890-1910
The 4th Annual Report of the Commissioner of Labor for Hawaii lists prices of food, average wages of Hawaiians, and consumer expenditure data. Published in 1910 by the U.S. GPO and included in the U.S. Congressional Serial Set (#5928)
Restaurant food and drink prices, 1900s
Site has over 7,000 scanned restaurant menus and banquet event listings from the 1900-1909 decade. Restaurant and hotel menus will list prices; banquet menus do not. This is not a government resource but it can be useful for spot-checking prices for specific food or beverages at restaurants.

PRICES of MERCHANDISE AND DRY GOODS

Macy's mail order catalog, 1908
Use the table of contents to find a page number for a desired item, then enter it in the "jump to" box. Or use the "Search in this text" box to find words anywhere in the catalog.
Macy's 1906 Christmas Gifts Catalog
Jewelry, watches, handkerchiefs, books, stationery, desk sets, sporting goods including guns, children's toys, dolls, dishes, tea sets, clocks, household linens, cigars, slippers, smoking jackets, walking canes, perfume, comb and brush sets, ladies handbags, wallets, gloves, razor sets, opera glasses, pocketknives, ladies collars, etc.
Prices of articles bought by Missouri farmers, 1909
Lists items commonly purchased by farmers and their families, including such items as lamps, stoves, tin pails, wooden washtubs; food like coffee, lard and sugar; clothing and more. It also tells how much of these items could be purchased with the money brought in by one acre of cotton, corn, wheat, and other crops. Gives data for the years 1909, 1914, 1915, 1916 and 1917.
Investigation Relative to Wages and Prices of Commodities
Compares data for 1900 and 1910. Prices of common items such as workmans' boots, shoes, suits of clothing, coffee, and retail price of meat by the pound. Prices of more significant purchases such as agricultural implements are included. Compares to prices in London.
Prices of farm implements, machinery and hand tools, 1860-1900
Discusses prices of farm machinery for 1860, 1880, 1890, 1895 and 1900. Provides breakdowns by machine category and type.

PRICES for HOUSING, REAL ESTATE and BUILDING MATERIALS

Housing and rents - Selected eastern U.S. cities, 1909
Data collected by the British Board of Trade and reported in a U.S. Department of Labor report. Compares rents in 28 large eastern U.S. cities to that of England and Wales.
Sears home plans with estimated costs to build, 1908-1939
The Sears Archive site has digitized some pages from their home plan catalogs. Selected entries in their list are clickable. Shows drawing of the home, floor plan, and estimated cost to build.
Luxury home plan catalog with estimated costs to build - 1901
This catalog shows floor plans for mostly upper class homes, depictions of completed homes, and the estimated cost to have the homes built. Some modest homes can be found near the end, such as this one story colonial cottage for $2000-2200. The cost of the plans themselves are also included. This is not a government document.
Bathroom and kitchen fixtures - Price catalog, 1905
Commercial catalog shows prices and images for a range of bathroom sinks (lavatories), tubs, toilets, kitchen sinks and other fixtures, cast iron radiators and more. Some fixtures are intended for public buildings rather than private homes. Source: Nelson blue book on sanitary plumbing appliances.
Oklahoma - Price of farm land, 1902
Shows price of farm land by county, by the acre. Source: U.S. Department of the Interior report.
Price of land in Missouri - 1903
The book "State of Missouri: An Autobiography" published in 1904 by the State Historical Society describes each county in short chapters, and each of these has a section heading "Land" in which the average price per acre is given, or a typical price one might expect to pay for land that has certain amenities or in advantageous locations. Counties are listed in alphabetical order; use the "Search in this text" box to jump quickly to a certain county.
Farms for sale or rent in New York state, 1906
Book does not list averages, instead lists farms and farmhouses for sale along with amenities and asking price.
Prices for building materials in Hawaii, 1898-1910
Prices for red brick from California, window glass, nails and lumber (fir).
Price of lumber by wood type, 1899-1935
Tells average annual mill value per 1,000 board feet for 17 kinds of hardwood including oak, elm, hickory, walnut, maple, ash, sycamore, yellow poplar, etc.; and 14 kinds of softwood including redwood, spruce, cedar and several firs and pines.

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Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1937 edition, table #688.

PRICES for SERVICES

Cost to mail a letter, 1863-present
Chart shows postal rates for mailing a domestic letter. Source: the Historian of the U.S. Postal Service.
Telephone service rates in selected cities, 1900-1908
This data can be gleaned from articles in the American Telephone Journal (not a government document). Examples: Philadelphia 1900 and 1903, San Francisco, Kansas City, Chicago and Los Angeles 1908, Boston 1908, and Michigan, 1908.
Price of a newspaper subscription, 1869-1920
Look up by year, then state, then city, then title to find the cost of a newspaper subscription. Source: Rowell's & Ayer's American newspaper directories.

PRICES for TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION

Railway passenger fare, 1894-1918
Railway ticket prices were calculated on a formula of cents per mile, and from the time period 1894 until World War I they remained fairly constant at 2 cents per mile. See railroad passenger fare overview from 1890s-early 1930s in the section titled "Carrier Price," in the U.S. document "Passenger Traffic Report" on pages 38-39.
Passenger train fare in the U.S., 1871-1933
Average railroad passenger fare (ticket price) expressed in cents per mile.
Price of gasoline - 1900
In congressional testimony dated 1900, one witness reported that gasoline cost "7 or 9 cents a gallon."...also....In the July 19, 1899 issue of Horseless Age there is an ad for the Locomobile Company of America. The tenth in a list of points reads "The fuel is available in almost any town at 7 cents a gallon."

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Side note: Inventor Hiram Percy Maxim wrote in the preface to his memoir Horseless Carriage Days (not available online) that between 1893-1901, gasoline was typically purchased from paint shops or drug stores.
Price to take a ferry - 1907, St. Louis
Municipalities could set prices of some services. For example, the fee schedule to take a ferry across the river at St. Louis is detailed in the 1907 city ordinances. Search for ordinances or "revised code" for the big city of your choice in Hathi Trust, then search in the text for keywords "rates" and "cents" or "dollars."
Hotel rates - U.S. and Canada - 1900s
In each issue of Hotel Monthly, there is a hotel directory for the U.S. and Canada; find it in the table of contents on the front cover of each issue and then type the page number in the "Jump to page..." box. The directories list hotels by state and then by city, and tell the daily rates for each. For example, see the hotel directory published in the January 1904 edition, which would likely have had rates current for 1903. See also the New York Public Library site for hotel restaurant prices.
Theater and opera ticket prices, 1897-1909
Julius Cahn's official theatrical guide was a directory of all major theaters and opera houses in the U.S. It lists the range of ticket prices for each theater and shows rates for nearby hotels as well.

COST OF A COLLEGE EDUCATION

Cost to study agriculture in state colleges, 1910
Table shows all the state colleges offering coursework in agriculture in the U.S., along with tuition and the amount students might expect to pay for room, board and other fees.

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Source: "Undergraduate or collegiate courses in agriculture in the State Colleges of Agriculture in the United States," Supplement to Bulletin of the U.S. Bureau of Education, 1911, no.2, pages 5-7, by A.C. Monahan.
University tuition and fees, 1912-1913
Includes state universities and those which received some state funding. Tuition and fees for each university are listed on pages 22-26.
Tuition, fees and other costs for foreign students to attend American universities, 1909
This source shows survey answers from about 100 American colleges and universities telling how much Chinese students might expect to pay for a college education in the U.S. Note particularly the answer to question #5 from each institution, which asked the approximate annual tuition and living expenses.. Source: "Admission of Chinese Students to American Colleges." U.S. Bureau of Education Bulletin 1909, no.2 (whole number 399) by John Fryer.

Cost of Living and Consumer Expenditures, 1900-1909

Average annual food cost for a family
In an article titled "Retail Prices of Food," page 191 shows a list of average costs per workingman's family for each year from 1890-1906, broken out by U.S. region. See average family demographics (i. e. family size) on page 194.
Relative retail prices of food, 1890-1906
Tells how much families were spending on food in general but does not tell the actual prices of foods. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 71, pages 175-328.
Average annual expenditures by type
Shows what "workingman's families" would spend annually on rent, mortgage, fuel, lighting, clothing for husband, wife and children, taxes, insurance, religious donations, charity, furniture and utensils, books and newspapers, amusements and vacations, intoxicating liquors, tobacco, sickness and death expenses, and other categories. These are nationwide averages for the year 1901 only.
Cost-of-Living and Retail Prices in the United States, 1890 to 1903
Shows no actual retail prices but does show price increases and decreases over time. Also shows how much families were actually spending on various items over the course of a year.

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Source: Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 54, Volume IX, by G. W. W. Hanger. Published September 1904.
Cost of living (1903)
Lists the average cost of living of working families, geographic breakdown and shows average earnings by region. Including expenses overall and average expenditures on food.
The Cost of Living
Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 66, Volume XIII. Published September 1906.
Wages and Cost of Living
Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 53, Volume IX. Published July 1904.
Characteristics of families living in poverty
The purpose of this report was to explore the living conditions of people who were seeking assistance due to poverty. It does not report average wages among the poor but it does indicate the income of people who were seeking help. In addition, it explains some of the background reasons for poverty and barriers that prevented workers from overcoming it. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 79, vol. 17, published Nov 1908.

Prices in Foreign Countries, 1900-1909

Retail food prices around the world, 1900 and 1910
All prices listed in dollars. Tables on pages 43-52 list the retail prices of flour, butter, bacon, beef, mutton, ham, sugar and coffee in selected cities in the U.S., Austria, Canada, Nova Scotia, England, Germany, France, Russia, Bulgaria, Japan, Mexico

EUROPE

Europe - Prices and Cost of Living
Covers England and Wales, Germany, France, Belgium, and the United States. Some data collected by the British Board of Trade Report. Source: BLS Bulletin no. 93.
Austria - Retail food prices, 1900-1908
Tables on pages 2216-2228 show retail food prices in Austria as well as Germany and the U.S. Includes price of eggs, bread, coffee, butter and more.
Belgium - Cost of living of the working classes
Source: BLS Bulletin no. 87.
Belgium - Cost of living in Belgian towns, 1908
Covers food prices, rent, household budget and wages. Use the table of contents to find pages with data.
France - Cost of living of the working classes
Source: BLS Bulletin no. 83, published July 1909.
France - Cost of living in French towns, 1905
Covers food prices, rent, household budgets and wages. Published 1909 in London. Use table of contents to find pages with data.
France - "Household Budgets Abroad"
Shows amount a French family might pay for rent, food, taxes, servants, school tuition for children, clothing, and household fuel. Wages for various occupations are also discussed. See pages 336-348 of the July-Dec 1904 issue of Cornhill Magazine, published in London for an English audience. This is not a government document.
Germany - "Household Budgets Abroad"
This article was published in the July-December 1904 issue of Cornhill Magazine (published in London), pages 87-101. Provides information on prices, wages, common expenditures by the German family and how their money was typically budgeted. This is not a government document.
Germany - Cost of living of families of moderate income, 1907-1908
Source: BLS Bulletin no. 88, published May 1910.
Germany - Cost of living of the working class
Source: BLS Bulletin no. 78, published September 1908.
Germany - Cost of living in German towns, 1905
Covers prices rents, household budgets and wages. Use the table of contents to find pages with data.
Germany - Retail food prices, 1900-1908
Tables on pages 2216-2228 show retail food prices in Germany as well as Austria-Hungary and the U.S. Includes price of eggs, bread, coffee, butter and more.
Great Britain - Cost of living of the working classes
Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 77, Volume XVII. Published July 1908.
Cost of living in England and Wales compared to the U.S. - 1909
Publication from the British Board of Trade compares the cost of living in 28 large U.S. cities to that of England and Wales. Note: includes selected cities no further west than St. Louis or Minneapolis. Source: Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 93, vol. 22. Published March 1911.
Italy - "Household Budgets Abroad"
Chapter describes consumer expenditures for Italian families and how they typically budgeted their money for food, rent, clothing, taxes, servants, education, etc. See pages 467-480 in the July-Dec. issue of Cornhill Magazine (not a government document.)
Italy - Prices of Wheat, Bread, Etc. in Milan, Italy, 1801 to 1908
Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 87, Volume XX. Published March 1910.

NORTH AMERICA

Canada - "Household Budgets Abroad"
Chapter describes the consumer expenditures of Canadian families. See pages 806-821 of Cornhill Magazine, July-December 1904 issue. This is not a government document.

OCEANIA

Philippines - Prices of Commodities and Rates of Wages in Manila
Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 32, Volume VI. Published January 1901.
Australia - "Household Budgets Abroad"
Chapter describes consumer expenditures for Australian families. See pages 631-653 in Cornhill Magazine July-December 1904 issue. This is not a government document.

Timeline -- Major Economic Events of the 1900s

Taken from a 75-year graphical timeline of financial events in America, the links below each lead to a single year on the chart. To see the full chart in context, go to the St. Louis Federal Reserve website.

Prices and Wages by Decade: 1900-1909