Prices and Wages by Decade: 1920-1929
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, 1920-1929
- Common labor - Average entrance wage rates, 1926-1934Shows data for unskilled male laborers in each of 13 industries, as well as an overall average. Source: Handbook of Labor Statistics (1936), p. 916.
- Manager's and clerk's pay by industry, 1921-1927Shows average annual pay. Source: National income and its purchasing power, p. 93
- Union wages by occupation and city, 1920-1921Click "more..." for direct links to each occupation.
- Union wages by occupation and city, 1929-1930Click "more..." for direct links to wages in each occupation.
- War and postwar wages, prices, and hours, 1914-23 and 1939-44Compares wage rates and hours of work for the WWI and WWII eras, focusing specifically on the manufacturing, mining, railroad, printing and maritime industries, as well as farm labor wages. Discussion puts wage data in context with price levels which were definitely affected by the wars.
Wages by race, 1920s
- Urban Negro weekly earnings by sex and occupational class, 1925Table 25 shows additional breakouts for skilled and white collar workers by region (see map). Source: The Urban Negro Worker in the United States, 1925-1936, pp. 110-112.
- Negro wages by occupation - Chicago, 1920Broken out by men's and women's jobs. Full chapter extends from pp. 365-372. Source: Chicago Commission on Race Relations report.
- Teacher salaries by race - North Carolina, 1922Shows salary scales for white teachers as well. Source: NC Supt. for Public Instruction.
- Teacher salaries by race - Texas, 1925-1926Source: Texas Dept. of Education.
- Cotton manufacturing wages - North and south compared, 1929By comparing wages in high-minority population states to low-minority states, one can detect differences in pay by race when it is not otherwise reported by that parameter.
Black women's wages, 1920s
- By state, 1920-1925Includes GA, KY, SC, AL, AR, MO, NJ, OH, MS, TN. The chapter on earnings includes much analysis and discussion, pp. 39-48. Source: Negro Women in Industry in 15 States, U.S. Women's Bureau (1929).
- By occupation, 1920-1925Source: Negro Women in Industry in 15 States, Women's Bureau.
- In South Carolina, 1921Part of a section on Negro women's wages, hours and earnings. Compare to wages for white women. Source: Women's Bureau
- In Alabama, 1920Source: Women in Alabama industries: a study of wages, hours and working conditions, Women's Bureau Bulletin #34.
Wages by occupation and industry (A to Z), 1920s
- Accountants, auditors, bookkeepers, etc. - Earnings, 1929
- From Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), pp. 212-214.
- Actors' wages, 1929
- Shows typical pay in stock companies, dramas, musical comedies, vaudeville and screen, from extras to Hollywood stars. From Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), pp. 230-235.
- Agricultural labor - Wages
1920s farmer- Farm wages by state, 1927-1929
- Farm wages by state, 1929-1930
- Average monthly wages by state, with and without board. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, Dec 1930.
- Farm workers' wages and income, 1909-1938
- Wages by year and U.S. region. Source: Monthly Labor Review, July 1939, p. 59.
- Male farm labor average wages by state, 1929
- Cotton picking wages by state, 1929-1935
- Farm labor wages by state
- Missouri, 1866-1930
- Source: Missouri State Dept of Agriculture.
- North Carolina counties, early 1920s.
- Vermont, 1780s-1937
- Table 26 shows wages for laborers with board for every year from 1780-1937; the explanation begins on page 43. Source: Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station.
- Missouri, 1866-1930
- Airplane pilot (commercial) - Salary, 1929
- $550/month according to Air commerce bulletin, Apr 15, 1934, p. 250.
- $2300-3200/year according to Manual of Occupations by R. Platt, p. 167.
- Airplane mechanic - Salary, 1929
- $157/month according to Air commerce bulletin, Apr 15, 1934, p. 250.
1920s farmer
- Barbers and hairdressers - Earnings, 1929
- From Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), p. 372.
- Baseball, major league - Player and umpire salaries, 1929
- From Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), pp. 281-282
- Blood selling, 1929
- Building trades - Union wages, 1920-1921Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin #302.
- Building trades - Union wages, 1929-1930Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin #540.
- Union wages in construction trades, 1913-1930Shows wages and hours for union bricklayers, building laborers, carpenters, cement finishers, hod carriers, inside wiremen, painters, plasterers, plumbers, stonecutters and more.
- Carpenter wages, 1920s
- Union carpenter wages in selected cities for 1924-1925
- Average hourly carpenter wage in U.S. for 1926. Compares the U.S. average to other countries.
- Carpenter wages for 1920-1928 for twelve major U.S. cities. Source: History of Wages in the United States from Colonial Times to 1928, pp. 165-167.
- SEE ALSO tab above for the "Building Trades"
- Cement industry job wages and hours, 1929
- Average earnings by occupation and districts. Source: BLS Bulletin no. 525.
- Coal mining jobs - Hours and earnings, 1919-1933
- Coal mining wages by state, 1923
- Source: Miners' wages and the cost of coal: an inquiry into the wages system..., pp. 294-295.
- Coal mining wages - Illinois, 1920
- Shows the changes in wages of united Illinois coal miners following a labor agreement. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, Dec 1920
- Convict labor in 1923 - Compensation
- About half of the surveyed penal institutions gave prisoners some compensation, based on its use as incentive toward good work and better behavior, and to provide the convict with a small way to provide for his family.
- About half of the surveyed penal institutions gave prisoners some compensation, based on its use as incentive toward good work and better behavior, and to provide the convict with a small way to provide for his family.
- Dentists' income, 1929-1948
- Includes breakouts by state, source of income, and more. Source: Survey of Current Business, Jan 1950, pp. 8-16.
- Domestic (household) service - Male workers' wages
- Median wages for butlers, chauffeurs, gardeners, furnace men and "house men" employed to work in private households in Philadelphia in the late 1920s.
- Elevator operator, 1929 - Salary, 1929
- From Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), p. 169.
- Engineers' earnings, 1929-1934
- Shows forty pages of income data with numerous breakouts. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin #682, chapter 9: "Monthly earnings of professional engineers," pp. 162-207.
- Executive salaries in private businesses, 1924
- This source lists actual salaries paid to administrators in various lines of business. Source: Study of salaries paid to key executives..., 1924.
- Teachers and principals' salaries by city, 1921-1922
- Covers elementary schools and junior high schools in American cities with populations of 2,500 or more. Teacher salaries for elementary school, junior high school and high school by size of city. Scroll forward for additional tables. Source: U.S. Bureau of Education City School Leaflet #1.
- Teachers' salaries in 1922-1923
- Source: Teachers' salaries and salary trends in 1923. Source: National Education Association of the United States.
- Teachers' salaries by school level, 1923
- Covers elementary, junior high, and high school teachers in American cities with populations of 2,500 or more.
- School personnel salaries by sex in selected cities, 1926
- Salary data for teachers, principals and school administrators in New York City, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago and Kansas City,
- Teacher's salaries by school level, 1924-1928
- Shows salaries for teachers of kindergarten, elementary school, junior high, high school, vocational school, college, and normal schools (teacher training academies).
- Teacher salaries from nursery school up to high school, college professors, 1929
- From Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), pp. 298-301.
- College professor salaries, 1928 (Source: AAUP report)
- By university
- By subject taught
Education job salaries by state
- Illinois teachers salaries in high schools, 1920-1921
- Lengthy article discusses educator's pay.
- New York state teachers' salaries, 1920-1932
- Table 41 in this source shows the average salary for all teachers in elementary and secondary schools in New York state, not including NYC. Some New York City teacher and principal salaries are shown on the following page in Table 42.
- North Carolina teacher salaries by race, 1922
- Salary scale for white teachers begins here. Section titled Salary Scale for Colored Teachers is on the last page.
- Texas school personnel salaries (white only), 1872-1953
- Shows annual salaries for all school personnel in Texas without breakouts for occupation, years of training, years of experience, etc.
- Farm labor -- SEE -- Agricultural labor in this box under "A"
- Firemen and fire department salaries by city, 1927
- Shows firemen salaries for 25 American cities including New York City, Chicago, New Orleans, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Boston, Detroit, Cleveland, St. Louis, Kansas City and more. Source: U.S. Congressional Serial Set Vol. No. 8836.
- Fire department salaries
- Compensation by job title for New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, San Francisco and more cities. Starts on p. 44.
- Fishing occupation earnings, 1929
- Includes clam, lobster, oyster industries and more. From Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), pp. 4-6.
- Foundry and machine shop jobs - Wages and hours, 1923-1931
- Wages of pattern makers, molders, drill press operators, lathe hands, machinists and more. Source: BLS Bulletins.
- Wages of pattern makers, molders, drill press operators, lathe hands, machinists and more. Source: BLS Bulletins.
- Government, federal
- Administrative and supervisors pay in federal government, 1926
- Lists annual pay for individuals occupying administrative and supervisory positions in the executive and judicial branches. Source: Official register of the United States, 1926.
- 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.
- Administrative and supervisors pay in federal government, 1926
- Government, state and local
- State employee pay, 1925-1928
- Shows average public employee pay for each state. Source: National Municipal Review, January 1932 issue.
- New York state, 1911-1931
- This source is entirely about compensation of state and local government employees in New York. See the table of contents for additional tables and discussion.
- Pennsylvania, 1928
- Shows salaries at the state, county and city levels. Source: Report of the Salary survey commission to the Pennsylvania General assembly, 1929.
- New Haven Connecticut, 1920 and 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. Use the search function to find salaries for these occupations, or contact us for assistance.
- State employee pay, 1925-1928
- Iron and steel industry wages and hours, 1907-193
- Journalist wages, 1929
- From Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), p. 307.
- Judge's salaries
- State and local courts, ca. 1928
- Salary data for judges in NY, PA, NJ and CT. Source: AAUP report, p. 162.
- Federal courts - 1926
- Shows compensation for individual judges on the U.S. Supreme Court, circuit courts and district courts. Also tells pay for court clerks and marshals. Source: Official register of the United States (1926) p. 131.
- State and local courts, ca. 1928
- Laundry wages, 1927-1928
- Breakouts by race, city, and more. Source: Women's Bureau bulletin #78, pp. 61-86.
- Lawyers' income, 1929-1948
- Shows lawyers' incomes in states and regions, by size of community served, by the age of the lawyer, number of years in practice, etc. Source: "Income of Lawyers, 1929-1948" in the August 1949 issue of Survey of Current Business.
- Logger pay, 1929
- From Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), pp. 10-12.
- Longshoremen, 1926
- Wages by port. Source: Monthly Labor Review, March 1927.
- Lumber industry job wages and hours, 1921-1932
- Manufacturing wages -- SEE box further below.
- Meat packing and slaughter industry wages, 1920s
- Metal trades - Union wages, 1920-1921
- Metal trades in railroad shops - Union wages, 1929-1930
- Military
- Military pay for officers on active duty - 1926
- Shows pay tables based on years of service, for Army and Navy generals, admirals, colonels, lieutenants, captains, ensigns, etc. Source: Appendix in Official register of the United States, 1926.
- Military pay charts (US), 1908-present
- This website does a good job of organizing a complex topic.
- Military salaries (US), 1929 in Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source)
- Army, pp. 409-411.
- Coast Guard, pp. 414-415
- Marine pay scales were the same as the Army's.
- Navy, pp. 405-406
- Military pay for officers on active duty - 1926
- Minister, Protestant - Salary in 1929
- Pay shown in Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), p. 286.
- Mining
- Mining metals - Wages and hours, 1924 and 1931
- BLS Bulletin no. 573.
- Mining - anthracite and bituminous coal, 1922 and 1924
- Shows mining wages in Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Wages on pages 34-40.
- Metalliferous mining job wages and hours, 1924
- BLS Bulletin no. 394.
- Mining metals - Wages and hours, 1924 and 1931
- Motion picture production salaries, 1929
- Typical compensation for directors, camera men, editors and more in Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), pp. 270-274.
- Musicians
- Pay in 1929 according to the Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source)
- Vaudeville musicians working in the orchestra pit could generally earn $50-$150 per week, p. 254.
- Pianists and organists playing at motion picture or vaudeville shows could earn $35-$90 per week, p. 253.
- Organ grinders' earnings discussed on p. 255.
- Symphony orchestra musicians could earn $75 per week, p. 253.
- Union musicians pay
- Pay in 1929 according to the Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source)
N
- Newspaper occupations - Wages, 1929
- Shows typical earnings for reporters, feature writers, sports editors and others, in Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), pp. 307-309
- Click the "Pr" tab above for more newspaper jobs under "Printing and publishing."
- Nursing - Average salaries for public health and institutional nurses, 1927
- Shows data on the number of nursing school graduates from 1880 to 1929 as well as salary information. Source: Nurses: Production, education, distribution and pay.
O
- Optometrists - Income, 1929
- Source: Chapter 11 in Optometry: professional, economic and legal aspects, published 1948.
- Osteopath physicians - Earnings, 1929
- in Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), p. 321.
- Petroleum industry - Wages by occupation and state, 1920
- Shows wages, hours and earnings for mechanics, pipe fitters, welders, tinsmiths derrick men, drillers, firemen, engineers and more. Source: BLS Bulletin no. 297.
- Police department personnel salaries and wages
- 1924
- Shows data for Washington DC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and other additional cities on pages 5-9. Separate listings for inspectors, police superintendents, captains, sergeants, privates, etc. Source: Congressional hearing.
- 1927
- Shows salaries for seven occupations in police departments of 25 American cities. Source: U.S. Congressional Serial Set vol. 8836.
- 1929
- Shows police department salaries for cities over 100,000 population. Source: U.S. BLS Monthly labor review, Jan 1930.
- 1924
Publishing and printing
Railroad employee wages
See also the "TRANSPORTATION" tab above.
- 1920-1928
- Shows the average annual wage per employee regardless of job title. Source: 1929 Yearbook of railroad information, p. 54.
-
1920-1921
The average RR worker earned $1,707 in 1928- Wage rates for engineers, conductors, baggage men, coal passers, firemen, switch tenders, hostlers, signalmen, station agents, telegraphers, machinists and more. Source: Monthly Labor Review, April 1922, pp. 82-85.
- 1922
- Compares 1922 to 1940 wage rates for a variety of RR jobs, pp. 7-8 in: Wages and labor relations in the railroad industry 1900-1941.
- 1914-1923
- Source: Wages, hours and employment of railroad workers published by the National Industrial Conference Board.
- 1927
- Pennsylvania Railroad wage data in BLS Bulletin no. 514.
- 1928
- Average wages by type of job in 1929 Yearbook of railroad information, p. 56.
- Radio announcer salary, 1929
- Broadcasting jobs described in Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), p. 275
- Railroads -- SEE separate tab, above.
- Religious organizations - Salaries, 1929 in Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source)
- Catholic priest, p. 287
- Hebrew teacher, p. 288
- Protestant minister or rector, p. 286
- Rabbi, p. 288
- Retail shop employees - Chain store wages, 1929
- Table shows average 1929 and 1931 weekly wages of full-time store employees, managers, and supervisors by kind and size of chain and location. Source: Chain Stores (Serial Set 9783).
- Sawmill wages, 1910-1930
- Shows the earnings per hour and week for sawmill workers over a 20 year period. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review (April 1931)
- Seamen and firemen on ocean ships - Wages, 1914-1918
- Shows monthly wages based on the ocean routes traveled: San Francisco to points west, and New York City to points south and east.
- Service industry wages, 1920-1933
Shows the average weekly wages of union hotel and restaurant employees. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, Aug 1933 - Shoe industry wages, 1910-1930
- Shows the average weekly hours and hourly wages for workers in the boot and shoe industry. Occupations included are limited before 1916. Wages shown in contemporary US dollars. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, July 1930
- Slaughtering and meat-packing industry, 1921-1929
- Data is broken out by occupation, sex and district.
- Street laborers (unskilled) - Wages and hours, 1928
- Unskilled labor hired by cities for construction, repair or cleaning of streets. Taken from Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 484
- Telegraph and cable industry - Salaries and wages, 1922
- Shows salaries for officers, managers, clerks, operators, etc. Source: National Wealth and Income.
- Telephone industry job salaries, 1922
- Shows salaries for officers, managers, clerks, operators, etc. Source: National Wealth and Income, p. 300.
- Theatrical occupations - NYC, 1928-1929
- Shows pay for those involved in "1st class New York City productions" including actors of various levels (from chorus to leads) as well as directors, designers, scene painters, stage hands, etc. Source: The Business of the Theater, pp. 199-203.
- Theatrical production occupations, 1929
- Shows pay for set carpenters, electricians, props men, show directors, agents, ushers and more. From Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), pp. 264-268. Also click on the "A" tab above to see actor's pay.
- Transportation industry - Union wages and hours, 1929-1930Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin #540.
- Bus drivers
- Street railway: motormen and conductors
- Harbor boatmen
- Railroad car porters, maids, etc.
- Sleeping and parlor car conductors
- Train dispatcher
- Railroad telegraphers
- Captains, masters, mates, pilots, and engineers
- Railway carmen
- Locomotive engineers
- Locomotive firemen and electric helpers
- Conductors and trainmen
- Railroad signalmen
- Railway, express, and steamship clerks
- Freight handlers, etc.
- Railroad maintenance-of-way employees:
- Carpenters
- Crossing and bridge flagmen and gatemen
- Gang foremen and assistant gang foremen
- Iron workers
- Laborers
- Masons, bricklayers, and plasterers
- Plumbers
- Helpers
- Painters
- Pumpers
- Section laborers
- Veterinarian's pay - 1920s
- Earnings for veterinarians with government jobs, in scientific labs, in sales, or working as inspectors, instructors, state veterinarians, etc. are listed in "The Veterinary Profession" article published in the March 1921 Ohio State University Bulletin, pp. 7-11.
- Typical fees charged for veterinary visits are described in the article "Business Methods in Country Practice" published in the Oct 1922 Cornell Veterinarian, p. 300.
- See 1926 annual salaries for individual veterinarians employed by the U.S. Dept of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Industry and stationed anywhere in the United States. It will be necessary to scroll forward in this source and browse the job titles. This source does not show averaged figures.
- Wages for thousands of occupations, indexed alphabetically - 1929This mammoth work lists typical earnings as well as job descriptions and working conditions for thousands of occupations just before the Great Depression. Source: Manual of Occupations by Rutherford Hayes Platt.
Manufacturing wages, 1920-1929
- Manufacturing job hours and earnings, 1919-1960Very simple table shows average hours and earnings for all production workers in manufacturing for each year from 1919-1960.
- Factory employee average annual wages - 1921, 1923Shows wage data by manufacturing categories for 1914, 1919, 1921, and 1923. See table 164 for average annual wage by region.
- Industrial home work - Earnings, early 1920sIndustrial home work was most common in clothing manufacturing and tobacco industries (rolling cigars, etc.) It was usually undertaken by women, and sometimes children.
- Average earnings by industry, 1920-1921Shows breakouts for automobile manufacture, cigar making, boots/shoe making, men's clothing, iron/steel and more. Source: Survey of Current Business. Find additional data by checking other issues of this publication.
WAGES in AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURING, 1920s
See tabs above for additional industries
- Automobile industry wages, 1922The tables show pay for employees engaged in the manufacture of automobiles, trucks, car bodies and parts. Tables are broken down by type of job, gender of employee, and geography.
- Automobile tire manufacturing wages, 1923Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 358
WAGES in AIRPLANE and AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURING, 1920s
See tabs above for additional industries
- Airplanes and aircraft engines manufacture - Hours and earnings, 1929Average hours and earnings by occupation and district. Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 523
WAGES in CLOTHING MANUFACTURING, 1920s
See tabs above for additional industries
- Garment, hat and shoe manufacturing - Union wages and hours, 1929-1930Shows data by city. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin #540.
WAGES in TEXTILE MANUFACTURING, 1920s
See tabs above for additional industries
- Cotton-goods manufacturing - Wages, 1922Tables are broken down by occupation, sex, and state. It also summarizes the years from 1907-1922.
- Cotton goods manufacturing wages, 1924The survey covered 114 different cotton mills in 12 different state, and generally divides tables by occupation, sex, and year or occupation, sex, and state.
- Woolen and worsted goods manufacturing, 1907-1922Shows average hours and earnings. See earnings by state starting on page 16.
- Cotton-goods wages, 1910-1930Shows wages and hours of workers in the cotton industry over a 23 year period. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Nov 1930.
- Furniture manufacturing industry - Wages and hours, 1910-1931Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin No. 571
- Pottery industry job wages and hours, 1925Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 412
- Paper and pulp industry job wages, 1923These figures are shown by occupation, sex, and region. .
- Paper box-board industry job wages and hours, 1926Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 407
Women's wages, 1920-1929
See list of the most common occupations for women in 1910 and 1920 (source: Census).
- Women's wages in 13 states - 1920sIncludes the states of RI, NJ, OH, DE, OK, MO, GA, TN, AR, KY, SC, AL and MS. Source: Women's Bureau Bulletin #85.
- Professional and business women - Salaries and income, 1927Source: Association of Business and Professional Women report.
- Library assistants - Earnings by city, 1923Also shows typical budgets for unmarried, working women. Source: Library Journal, Jan 1923.
- Women's median wages by state and industry, 1910s-1920sThis source quotes medians (the mid-point, with 50% falling below the line), first quartiles (25% falling below) and third quartiles (75% falling below). See quartile explanation on p. 334.
WOMEN'S WAGES in ALABAMA, 1920s
- Women's wages - Alabama, 1920"Women in Alabama industries: a study of hours, wages and working conditions," Women's Bureau Bulletin #34 (source.)
WOMEN'S WAGES in ARKANSAS, 1920s
- Women's wages in ArkansasReport published in 1923 gives wages for Arkansas women by occupation and race. Some occupations covered include telephone operators, waitresses, hotel maids, chambermaids, elevator girls, laundry workers, retail clerks, and factory workers in the wood working industry.
WOMEN'S WAGES in WASHINGTON DC, 1920s
- Women employed as cleaners, maids, and elevator operators in Washington DC, 1920Wages of certain women in the District of Columbia. The study pays particular attention to women who made less than the average wage.
WOMEN'S WAGES in ILLINOIS, 1920s
- Women's wages in the candy industry in St. Louis and Chicago, 1920-1921Women's Bureau Bulletin #25.
WOMEN'S WAGES in KANSAS, 1920s
- Women's wages in KansasReport published in 1921 tells wages for women working in offices, in meat and poultry packing, restaurants, food manufacturing, clothing manufacturing, laundries, and more.
WOMEN'S WAGES in KENTUCKY, 1920s
- Women's wages in KentuckyReport published in 1923 tells wages by race and by industry. Mostly covers manufacturing industries (tobacco was prominent), but there is some data for women who worked in mercantile stores, 5-and10-cent stores, and in laundries.
WOMEN'S WAGES in MISSOURI, 1920s
- Women's wages - Missouri, 1921-1922Source: "Women in Missouri industries: a study of hours and wages," U.S. Women's Bureau Bulletin #35.
- Women's wages in candy industry - St. Louis, 1920-1921Includes wage data for Chicago as well. Source: Women's Bureau Bulletin #25.
WOMEN'S WAGES in OHIO, 1920s
- Women's wages in OhioReport published in 1925 mainly covers wages in manufacturing industries.
WOMEN'S WAGES in NEW JERSEY, 1920s
WOMEN'S WAGES in PENNSYLVANIA, 1920s
- Women employed as household servants in Philadelphia - late 1920sChart shows median wages of women employed in Philadelphia households as chambermaids, cleaners, cooks, waitresses, laundress, seamstress, and children's nurses (nannies.) Includes breakouts for those who lived with the family and those who did not.
WOMEN'S WAGES in SOUTH CAROLINA, 1920s
- Women's wages, hours, and earnings - South Carolina, 1921Shows wages for white women, Negro women, hours, earnings and working conditions. Over 85% of women worked 60+ hour weeks. Source: Women's Bureau Bulletin #32.
WOMEN'S WAGES in TENNESSEE, 1920s
- Women in Tennessee industries - Hours, wages and working conditions, 1925Report published in 1927 includes extensive wage data for women in Tennessee by race, industry, education, and more, circa 1925.
Wages by state, 1920-1929
- Fishing wages - Alaska, 1929Shows the average monthly wages of multiple occupation in the Alaskan fishing industry. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review (July 1930)
- Mining wages - Alaska, 1929Shows the average wages of multiple occupation in the mining industry. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review (July 1930)
- Colorado - Wages by occupation and industry, 1928Shows weekly wages for male and female workers in common industries such as textile manufacture and mining, and also more uncommon like ice cream manufacture and hospitality services.
- Union workers' annual earnings - New Haven CT, 1927Compares 1927 and 1913 earnings. Source: AAUP report.
- Mining wages - Idaho, 1929Shows the average wages of multiple occupation in the mining industry. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review (July 1930)
- Wages by ocupation - Louisiana, 1929Shows wages for common and semi-skilled workers in manufacturing and construction industries, in baking, agriculture, metal and printing trades. From the Louisiana Department of Labor and Industrial Statistics Biennial Report for 1929-1930.
- Low skill wages - Louisiana, 1929 & 1931Shows the daily wages of various common and low-skill occupations like building laborers, canners, and rice mill workers throughout the state. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review (September 1932)
- Teenagers' wages by occupation and sex in Detroit, 1922See about 10 pages of boy's occupations and a separate section for girl's occupations. Gives high and low wage quotes and tells the amount of time needed to learn each job, as well as additional remarks about the work itself.
- Missouri wages in 1921This series of tables shows the wage distribution and average weekly wages of a variety of industries and occupations in Missouri in 1921. Data is separated by sex and age. Industries and occupations included are toilers, manufacturing, construction, mining, and more. Source: 43rd Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of Missouri, pp. 829 - 875
- Wage in the Missouri shoe industry, 1913-1922Shows the average weekly and hourly wages of different occupations in the Missouri shoe industry between 1913-1922. Source: 43rd Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of Missouri, pp. 876-887
- Coal mining wages in Missouri, 1890-1922Shows the hourly, daily, and biannual earnings of different occupations in the Missouri coal industry between 1890-1922. Source: 43rd Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of Missouri, pp. 887-889
- Factory wages - New York, 1918-1931Shows the average weekly wages of NY factory workers every month over a 14 year period. Data was originally published in the Industrial Bulletin of the State Department of Labor. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, March 1932
- Public school employee salaries - New York City, 1928Includes administrators, principals and teachers. Source: AAUP report.
- Average annual wages and salaries by occupation - Ohio,1916-1932The "Service Industries" chapter in this source breaks out wages paid to workers in hospitals, hotels, bowling alleys, theaters, parks, churches, country clubs, athletic clubs and yacht clubs, advertising agencies, banks, laundries, schools/colleges, and restaurants (making no distinction between waiters, cooks or bus boys). Lists wages paid to auto mechanics, office workers, window cleaners, barbers and hairdressers, bartenders in saloons, domestic servants, people working in social agencies, and more. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin, No. 613. Check the Table of Contents page for even more wages in manufacturing and construction industries and for people working in retail trades and in transportation.
- Mining wages - Utah, 1929Shows the daily rate of Utah coal mining workers in a variety of jobs and occupations. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review (June 1931)
- Wages by industry - Virginia, 1928Shows the average hours and daily wages of various workers in quarries, sawmills, and many other industries throughout Virginia. Wages are in contemporary US dollars. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, July 1930
Significant legislation concerning wages, 1920s
- Development of minimum wage laws in the U.S., 1912-1927During the 1910s and 1920s, minimum wage laws were adopted by a handful of states and generally applied only to women and children.
- Minimum wage laws of the U.S., construction and operation, 1921Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 285
- Laws relating to payment of wages, 1926Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 408
Foreign wages by country, 1920-1929
Wages in ARGENTINA, 1920s
- Wages by occupation in Buenos Aires, 1926Source: Monthly labor review, Dec 1927 (Vol 25 #6), pp. 137-138.
- Buenos Aries - Average Wages, 1922, 1926, 1928-1929Shows the wages of a variety of occupations in the capital of Argentina. Wages shows in 1930 US dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Dec 1930.
WAGES in AUSTRALIA, 1920s
- Minimum wages in Sydney and Melbourne, 1914 and 1921Shows wages by occupation grouped by industries, with breakouts for males and females. Source: Monthly Labor Review, June 1922, pp. 82-83.
- Wage regulation in AustraliaDescribes the labor policy of Australia in the 1920's and throughout the rest of the early 20th century.
- Weekly wages by city - Australia, 1925Shows the "living wage" per week for different metropolitan areas of Australia. Wages are shown in pounds, shillings, and pence. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, July 1926
WAGES in AUSTRIA, 1920s
- Wages and cost of living in Austria, 1920Shows wages and prices in kronen, along with the exchange rate to translate into U.S. dollars. Source: Monthly Labor Review, May 1921, pp. 81-83.
- Wages in Austria, 1923Shows the weekly wages of various occupations in Vienna. Wages are shown in Austrian kronen. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, Jan 1924
WAGES in BELGIUM, 1920s
- Minimum wages - Belgium, 1925Shows the minimum hourly wages of various occupations in Brussels. Wages are shown in Belgian francs. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Feb 1926
- Port worker wages - Antwerp, 1929Shows the standard wages for different shift at ports in Antwerp, Belgium. Wages are shown in 1930 US dollars. Convert to present-day dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, July 1930.
WAGES in BRAZIL, 1920s
- Wages in Brazil, 1925-1926Shows the daily wages for 11 different occupations in Parahyba, Brazil. Wages are shown in Brazilian milreis and contemporary US dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Mar 1927
- Wages by location - Brazil, 1926Shows the average daily or monthly wages for various occupations in 5 different cities in Brazil. Wages are shown in Brazilian milreis. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Feb 1928
Wages in CANADA, 1920s
- Wages by occupation in Canadian cities, 1920Source: Monthly Labor Review, May 1921, pp. 78-79.
- Wages and hours in Canada, 1920-1921Source: Canada Department of Labour.
- Wages by occupation in Canadian cities, 1921Source: Monthly Labor Review, Nov 1921, p. 100-101.
- Wages by occupation in Canadian provinces, 1924-26Covers occupations in the building trades, metal trades, printing trades, coal mining and more. Source: Monthly Labor Review, April 1927, pp. 105-108.
- Wages and hours of labour - Canada, 1920-1926Source: Canada Department of Labor report.
- Agricultural wages - Canada, 1924-1926Shows average wages (with and without board) by province. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, June 1927.
- Wage regulation in CanadaDescribes the labor policy of Canada in the 1920's and throughout the rest of the early 20th century.
WAGES in CHILE, 1920s
- Coal miner wages in Chile, 1911-1924Shows the daily wages of Chilean miners between 1911 and 1924 in both pesos and the U.S. dollar.
- Wages in Chile, 1922-23Shows the average daily wages paid to masons, electricians, bricklayers, bakers, blacksmiths and more. Source: Monthly Labor Review, Dec 1924, p. 54.
WAGES in CHINA, 1920s
- Wages of Chinese factory workers, 1923Lists minimum and maximum daily wages for male and female workers. Wages are listed in Mexican currency with exchange rate for calculating amounts in U.S. dollars. Source: Monthly Labor Review, Sep 1923, pp. 88-89.
- Barbers' earnings - China, 1924This short article about wages in Nanking, China reports barbers' earnings in US dollars. Source: Monthly Labor Review, Jan 1925, p. 61.
- Wages by occupation - Hong Kong, 1921Shows the daily or monthly wages of 13 occupations in the treaty port. Wages are shown in contemporary US dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Nov 1921
WAGES in DENMARK, 1920s
- Wages in Denmark, 1929Shows the wages of a variety of occupations both in and outside of Copenhagen, Denmark. Wages shown in 1930 US dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Dec 1930.
Wages in FINLAND, 1920s
- Union wages - Finland, 1921-1922Shows the hourly wages for men and women in Finnish unions. Wages are shown in Finnish marks. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Sept 1923
WAGES in FRANCE, 1920s
- Glass factory wages - France, 1922Shows the daily wages of workers in the glass factories of northern France. Wages are shown in French francs. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Jan 1923
- French coal mining wages, 1913-1924Shows the average daily wages for workers in different occupations in French coal mines. Wages are shown in French francs. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Aug 1925
- Wages in boot and shoe industries in France, 1924Mentions the wages paid to both skilled and unskilled workers in francs. Source: Monthly Labor Review, Sep 1924, p. 72.
- Wages in France, 1925-1926Shows the average hourly wages for various occupation both in and outside of Paris. Wages are shown in French francs. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, July 1927
- Postmen's wages in Paris, 1929Shows starting salary and increases granted based on marital status and number of children. Source: Monthly Labor Review, Aug 1929, p. 152.
- French wages by occupation, 1928 & 1929Shows the average hourly wage of a variety of jobs both in and outside of Paris. Occupations wages shown in 1930 US dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, June 1930, p. 195.
Wages in GERMANY, 1920s
- Wages by occupation - Germany, 1914-1922Shows the earnings over different times for both government employees and manual workers in Hamburg. Wages are shown in German marks. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Feb 1923
- "Real wages" in Germany by industry, 1923The explanation states: "real wage rates have been computed by the Statistical Office on the basis of the official German cost-of-living index. Since money wage rates of foreign countries have little meaning for economists in America, only the real wage rates are given...."
- Wages by occupation - Germany, 1925Shows the average hourly and weekly wages of various occupations for both skilled and unskilled laborers. Wages are shown in German marks. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Feb 1926
- Wages by occupation - Hamburg, 1925Shows the average wage rates for 19 different occupations in Hamburg, Germany. Wages are shown in German marks. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Dec 1926
- Metal industry wages in Germany, 1928Wages for workers engaged in the manufacture of iron and steel goods, machinery, railway rolling stock, boilers, vehicles, aircraft, electrical apparatus, scientific instruments and more.
- Trends of German wages, 1929-1942Shows average wages alongside a cost of living index for Germany between 1929-1942.
- Automobile manufacturing wages in Germany, 1929Chart indicates hourly earnings ranges for piecework at automobile manufacturing companies in Germany. The wage data is broken out by sex.
- Wages in Germany, 1929Shows the hourly and weekly wages for 12 principal industries throughout Germany. Wages are shown in both German marks and contemporary U.S. dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, June 1929
Wages in GREAT BRITAIN, 1920s
- Wages and hours in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1924Article includes tables showing average weekly earnings by industry and sex and average hourly earnings.
- Wages by industry in Great Britain, 1914-1921Source: Monthly Labor Review Aug 1922, pp. 93-96.
- Wages in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1924-1928Shows the average weekly earnings by industry and occupation. Source: Monthly labor review, Mar 1930, pp.140-141.
- Wages in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1924-1932Extensive article from the Monthly labor review, Apr 1933, pp. 871-907.
- Wages in Great Britain, 1926Source: Monthly labor review, Jan 1927, pp. 148-155.
- Agricultural trades - Minimum wage in Great Britain, 1920Source: Monthly labor review, Mar 1921, p. 105.
- Building trades - Wages by city in the UK, 1920Shows wages by occupation in Belfast, Cork, Glasgow, Dundee, Cardiff, London, Manchester and more. Source: Monthly labor review, Mar 1921, pp. 104-105.
- Iron and steel industry wages in Great Britain, 1926Extensive article provides wage detail by occupation and city. Source: Monthly labor review Oct 1926, pp. 131-146.
- Coal miner earnings in Great Britain, 1921-23Includes district-specific information and the average output of coal per person per shift.
Source: Trade Information Bulletin no. 247. - Judges of county courts (UK) - Salary, ca. 1920By law, judges earned £1,500 per year. Source: page 13 in Judges & Officers, Section 23 in Book 1, General Jurisdiction of the County Court in Yearly County Court Practice, 1923.
- Wage regulation in Great BritainDescribes the labor policy of Great Britain in the 1920's and throughout the rest of the early 20th century.
- Industrial wages in Britain, 1924Paragraph below the table describes the weekly earnings of blast furnace workers, smelters, rolling mill operators, and foundry workers in both Pounds Sterling and U.S. Dollars. Source: The United Kingdom: An Industrial, Commercial, and Financial Handbook, p. 184.
- Cotton industry wages, 1924Average weekly earnings of male and female workers in the British cotton industry are shown at four periods of time in 1924. Source: The United Kingdom: An Industrial, Commercial, and Financial Handbook, p. 281.
- Wages in common industries, 1924Compares wages in common industries such as building, engineering, shipbuilding, textiles, railway, agriculture, printing, and in pottery. Wages are based on the average weekly full-time positions from large cities. Source: The United Kingdom: An Industrial, Commercial, and Financial Handbook, p. 63.
Wages in GREECE, 1920s
- Wages by occupation - Greece, 1924Shows the average daily wages of various occupations in Athens and Piraeus. Wages are shown in Greek drachmas. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Nov 1925
- Mining wages - Greece, 1929Shows the average daily wages Greek workers were receiving in metal mines, lignite mines, smelting and refining plants, and quarries. Wages are shown in 1931 US dollars. Convert to present-day dollars. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, August 1931
Wages in HUNGARY, 1920s
- Wages by industry - Hungary, 1914-1926Shows the average weekly wages of various occupations in 8 different industries in Budapest. Wages are shown in both Hungarian gold crowns and contemporary U.S. dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, May 1928
Wages in ITALTY, 1920s
- Wages by occupation - Italy, 1925Shows the hourly, daily, and weekly earnings in Milan for various industries. Wages are shown in Italian lire. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, July 1925
- Wages in Milan, 1927Shows the average pay for a 48 hour week throughout 5 different industries in Milan. Wages are shown in both Italian lire and contemporary U.S. dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Oct 1927
- Wages in Central Italy, 1927Shows the average daily wages for 14 different occupations in the Florence district. Wages are shown in contemporary U.S. dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, May 1928
WAGES in JAPAN, 1920s
- Wages by industry - Japan, 1911-1920Shows the average daily wages for various occupations in 6 different industries in Japan. Wages are shown in Japanese yen. Source: BLS
, Aug 1922 - Wages by occupation - Tokyo, 1922Shows the daily wages for various occupations in Tokyo. Wages are shown in Japanese yen. Source: BLS BLS Monthly labor review, Feb 1923
- Wages by occupation in Japan, 1928-1929Shows the average daily wage in both yen and US dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, May 1931.
- Mining wages - Japan, 1929Shows the wages of Japanese mining workers by gender and age. Wages are shown in both contemporary Yen and US dollars. Convert to present-day dollars. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, October 1931
WAGES in LATVIA, 1920s
- Wages by industry - Latvia, 1921Shows the average daily wages of workers in various industries in Riga as well as other parts of Latvia. Wages are shown in Latvian rubles. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Aug 1922
- Daily wages in Riga, 1927Shows the average wages for an 8 hour work day in Riga within various industry groups. Wages are shown in contemporary U.S. dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, May 1928
WAGES in LITHUANIA, 1920s
- Wages in Lithuania, 1929Shows the average daily wages of day laborers, farm hands, clerks, bookkeepers, government employees, and army members in Lithuania. Wages shown in litas, and US dollars in parentheses. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, June 1930, p. 197.
WAGES in MANCHUKUO, 1920s
- Wages by occupation - Manchuria, 1920-1921Shows the wage scale for various occupations for Japanese and Chinese workers in Dairen. Wages are shown in yen. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, June 1921
- Manchurian railroad wages, 1929Shows the average daily wages of Japanese and Chinese workers in various occupations for the South Manchuria Railway Co. Wages are shown in both contemporary yen and US dollars. Convert to present-day dollars. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, September 1931
Wages in MEXICO, 1920s
- Wage regulation in MexicoDescribes the labor policy of Mexico in the 1920's and throughout the rest of the early 20th century.
Wages in the NETHERLAND, 1920s
- Wages by occupation - Netherlands, 1922Shows the weekly earnings for 9 occupations in Amsterdam, Haarlem, the Hague, and Rotterdam. Wages are shown in Dutch guilder. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Dec 1923
Wages in ROMANIA, 1920s
- Industrial wages - Romania, 1922Shows the hourly and weekly earnings of industrial wages in Romanian leu. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Sept 1923
- Wages in Romania, 1928Shows wages of various industrial and agricultural gender, in both Romanian leu and contemporary U.S. dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, July 1929.
Wages in SOUTH AFRICA, 1920s
- Wage regulation in South AfricaDescribes the labor policy of South Africa in the 1920's and throughout the rest of the early 20th century.
Wages in the SOVIET UNION, 1920s
- Daily and monthly wage earnings - Soviet Union, 1926-1927Shows average wages by industry in both rubles and US currency. Source: Monthly Labor Review, Dec 1927.
- Average yearly wages in the Soviet Union, 1929-1932This table provides average yearly wages per industry or trade type, including transportation, education and agriculture, among others.
- Wages in Russia, 1923This Congressional speech reports the salaries paid school teachers throughout Russia in 1922 (p. 69) and the actual monthly earnings of employees in 1922 (p. 101). Also states that the average wage for labor would seldom exceed 12 rubles per month in late 1923. Source: Serial Set 8246.
- Wages in Russia, 1926-1927The following two tables shows the average daily earnings of industrial and building workers by occupation as well as in Moscow, Leningrad, and the Ural mountain region. Wages are shown in both Chervonetz roubles and contemporary U.S. dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Dec 1927
WAGES in SPAIN, 1920s
- Agricultural wages - Spain, 1914-1924Shows the average wages of Spanish agricultural workers in different cities. Wages are shown in Spanish pesetas. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Aug 1925
- Wages in Madrid, 1914-1925Shows the daily wages and hours of workers in 4 different industries in Madrid. Wages are shown in Spanish pesetas. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, July 1926
- Wages in Barcelona - 1924Shows the average daily wages of manual work occupations in Barcelona, Spain. Wages are shown in Spanish pesetas. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Aug 1924
- Wages in Madrid, 1927Shows the average daily wages and hours of a variety of occupations in Madrid. Wages shown in 1930 US dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Jan 1931.
- Wages by province - Spain, 1928Shows the daily wages of masons, carpenters, stonecutters, painters, shoemakers, and tailors in each of the provincial capitals of Spain. Wages shown in 1931 US dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Jan 1931.
WAGES in SWEDEN, 1920s
- Wages in Sweden, 1913-1925Shows the annual earnings of manual and nonmanual workers in Sweden. Wages are shown in Sweden kronor. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Sept 1926
WAGES in SWITZERLAND, 1920s
- Agricultural wages - Switzerland in 1914, 1921, 1930Shows the weekly wages of various occupations in Swiss farming as well as the daily wages of day laborers. Wages are shown in both Francs and contemporary US dollars. Convert to present-day dollars. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, August 1931
- Earnings and prices - Switzerland, 1920-1921Shows the income of each member of a Zurich household and the amount that household spent on various necessities like food, clothing, rent, etc. Earnings and prices are shown in Swiss francs. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Oct 1921
Wages in NEW ZEALAND, 1920s
- New Zealand - Wages by occupation, 1920Expressed in pounds, shillings, and pence. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Dec 1920.
- Wage regulation in New ZealandDescribes the labor policy of New Zealand in the 1920's and throughout the rest of the early 20th century.
- Wages in New Zealand, 1929Shows the average weekly wages for a variety of occupations and industries in New Zealand. Wages are shown in both US and English currency. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, July 1933
Wages in MULTIPLE COUNTRIES, 1920s
Click for exchange rates, 1921-1930.
- Wages in foreign countries, 1914-1921Covers Great Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Italy and Austria. Wages are expressed in both foreign currency and dollars. Data gathered by the National Industrial Conference Board (a group of industry associations) which used European government publications for information.
- Wages in Great Britain, France and Germany (with addendum for Switzerland)Provides detailed breakouts by occupation. Figures expressed in both foreign currency and in dollars. Data gathered by the National Industrial Conference Board using foreign government sources. Published 1921.
- Minimum wage legislation in various countriesDiscussion covers the history of minimum wage legislation in Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Canada, South Africa, Mexico, France, Norway, Argentina, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Uruguay, Hungary, Poland, Italy, and Rumania (Romania) up to 1928. It may be necessary to read the chapters pertaining to the country, but you can find the actual minimum wages in the discussion. Source: BLS Bulletin no. 467.
- Comparative wage rates in the U.S. and in foreign countries, 1927Wage rates by occupation in foreign countries (sometimes just to a certain city in the foreign country), assembled for easy comparison to U.S. wage rates for the same occupations. Provides foreign wage data in native currency alongside the U.S. dollar equivalent to assist in comparing the rates.
- Wages paid on steamships by country and occupation, 1922Shows wages paid on American, Belgian, British, Danish, Dutch, French, Spanish and Swedish cargo ships, by occupations including seamen, engineers, first mates, second mates, radio operators, boatswains, firemen, coal passers, stewards, cooks, waiters, messmen, mess boys, carpenters, deck engineers, quartermasters, store keepers, donkey men, and more. There is also a table showing wages paid to Chinese and Lascar (Indian or southeast Asian) employees on British and Dutch steamships. Source: Monthly Labor Review, Feb 1923, pp. 132-138.
Family and household Income, 1920-1929
NOTE: For household income data for 1929, we recommend a 1934 Brookings Institution report titled America's Capacity to Consume. It is not yet available to read online; check your local library for a printed copy.
- White farm family incomes - Wake Co. NC, 1926Takes into account additional sources of income for farm families, such as income derived from animals or investments. Source: North Carolina Agri. Experiment Station Bulletin #269, pp. 24-28.
- Rural family incomes, 1920sThis bibliography lists reports that show income, budgets, consumer expenditures, etc. for rural households in the U.S. and selected foreign countries. Many of the reports can be found in HathiTrust, contact us for assistance if needed.
Food prices in the United States, 1920-1929
- Foods - Average retail prices across 39 cities, 1920-1928Shows prices by month and year. Each table spans 2 book pages, and row labels only show on even-numbered pages. Source: Retail prices, 1890 to 1928, BLS Bulletin no. 495.
- Food price averages for each year from 1890-1970One-page table shows 80 years of average retail prices for bread, milk, eggs and other common food items. See p. 193 of this source for explanation.
- Washington DC grocery prices, 1929Compares average retail prices for grocery items in independent stores and in chain stores. Shows brand names. Source: Chain Stores (Serial Set #9742)
- Los Angeles grocery prices, 1921Monthly price list for Ralph's Grocery Company, which sold only in the Los Angeles area. Includes many brand names.
- Cincinnati grocery prices, 1929Compares average retail prices for "warehoused" name brand grocery items at independent and chain stores in Cincinnati. Source: Chain Stores (Serial Set 9783)
- Food prices paid by farmers, 1929Prices paid in rural areas for a pound of butter, coffee, rice, bacon or lard. Also prices for 24-pound sack of flour and 10-pound sack of sugar. Compares prices to those of 1910-1914, 1919, 1939 and 1943.
Grocery store in rural Minnesota, 1922 - Food prices paid by farmers, 1910-1960Table shows 52 years of time-series prices on individual foods, such as round steak, bacon, lard, margarine, butter, cheese, flour (25-lb. sack), white bread, soda crackers, corn meal, rolled oats, potatoes, apples, bananas, oranges, sugar, coffee, tea on pp. 7-22. Source: USDA.
- Cigarette, cigar and rolling papers - Los Angeles, 1921Shows price list of one California retailer.
- Cigarette packs - Average retail price by brand, 1929Chain store prices for a pack of Lucky Strike, Chesterfield, Camel, Old Gold or Piedmont.
- About 12.9¢ per pack in Washington, DC
- About 13.4¢ per pack in Cincinnati OH
Housing and land prices, 1920-1929
- Average value of mortgaged homes - 1920Shows data for 68 cities of 100,000 or more population. Source: Mortgages on Homes, U.S. Census Bureau.
- Home ownership and rental costs - 1928"The sum of $4,000 will buy only a very modest home and even then it will have to be in one of the smaller cities...or in a remote suburb of a large city." Click for more info about the kind of home a family earning less than $2,500 annually could buy in 1928. Source: Monthly Labor Review, May 1929, p. 243.
- Farm houses in Iowa - Value and size, 1923Iowa farm houses averaged around 8 rooms and had an average value of $3,043. Source: Cost of living on Iowa farms, pp. 16-17.
NOTE: Some home plan sources below give the cost of building materials only. Others include an estimate for labor (usually based on labor costs in a certain city such as New York or Chicago). In most instances, the figures cited do not include cost of ground preparation or excavation.
- Sears homes, 1908-1939Shows images and estimated costs of materials. Shows labor costs in some instances.
- Sears homes - Cost of materials, 1920Full catalog of Sears "Honor Bilt" homes lists costs of materials to build any of dozens of homes. Does not include labor costs.
- Home plans and costs to build in California, 1920Bungalowcraft catalog shows home drawings and floor plans. Estimated costs to build in California on last page of the booklet.
- Montgomery Ward home catalog, 1925Cottage and bungalow home designs with illustrations and floor plans in the "Wardway homes" catalog. Prices on pp. 2-4.
- Retail prices of building materials by city, 1922Retail prices for brick, cement, lumber of various kinds, window glass, shingles, nails and more. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce.
- Building material prices paid by farmers, 1923-1924Lists the price of bricks, flooring, framing lumber, rough boards, Portland cement, roofing material, house paint and more. Source: U.S. Dept of Agriculture.
- Cost to construct houses, by type of material - 1921The Building Estimator's Reference Book gives detailed costs for the labor and materials for the construction of houses and office buildings.
- Building material prices paid by farmers, 1910-1960Details the price of various building materials on pp. 59-71. Source: USDA
- Farm real estate - Average value by state and county, 1920
Shows average value for farm land and buildings from 1850-1982. Use the following hyperlinks to see values for AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY. See data considerations for explanation. Source: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture report.
- Price of farm land by county in selected states, 1912-1924
Tables 6-13 show farm land prices by county in IA, MN, ND, ID, OH, KY, NC and TX. Source: U.S. Federal Trade Commission report.
- New England farms and land - Average value by county, 1920-1930
Shows average value per acre for all real estate with buildings, and the value of land alone, by county, for six states: MA, CT, RI , ME, VT and NH. Source: 1930 Census of Agriculture.
- Farm real estate values in Midwestern states, 1912-2019
Includes both land and buildings. Compares to national averages. Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.
- Land in Missouri - Cost to rent or buy by county, 1922
Shows by county the price of undeveloped land, plow land and farm land. Also shows the average cost to rent farm land or pastures by the acre, by county. Data available for additional years in Missouri Farm Census by Counties, Missouri State Dept of Agriculture.
- Rents - MA, NY, PA and OH cities, 1927Discusses working class housing and typical rents in Boston, Cleveland, New York City, Philadelphia, Dayton OH, Reading PA, Springfield MA, Syracuse NY and several smaller towns. Source: The cost of living in twelve industrial cities, pp. 19-29.
- Rents in working class neighborhoods - Cincinnati, 1920Source: Cost of living among wage-earners, Cincinnati OH, pp. 5-6.
- Rents and family budgets - 1928Article compares the cost of renting versus buying a home in 1928. Source: Monthly labor review, May 1929, p. 243.
- Household heating fuel costs and expenditures by city, 1927
Shows data for 12 cities located in NY, OH, PA and MA, including NYC, Boston, Philadelphia and more. Source: The cost of living in twelve industrial cities, p. 63.
- Electricity - Average monthly bill, 1924-1950
One-page table shows average charges for residential electricity each year from 1924-1934, for cities over 50,000 in population. Source: Federal Power Commission.
- Household electricity costs and expenditures by city, 1927
Shows data for 12 cities located in NY, OH, PA and MA, including NYC, Boston, Philadelphia and more. Source: The cost of living in twelve industrial cities, p. 63.
- Electricity - Monthly bills by city, 1923-1938
Indicates prices per kilowatt-hour. Discusses household expenditures for electricity, and estimates the number of homes that had various electrical appliances (radios, refrigerators, irons, etc.) over the years. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin, no. 664
- Telephone service rates, 1920-1922
Issues of Telephone engineer & management detail rates for telephone service in many states. For example, the 1920 volume gives rates in Ohio and Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana, and more. Tip: use the search tool to look for words like cents or rate.
- Fuel prices paid by farmers, 1910-1960
Price of coal and wood, p. 23. Source: USDA
Transportation costs, 1920-1929
NOTE: See top ten car manufacturers in 1920 (and which were out of business by 1930).
- Car prices, 1920-1924
Prices, specs and pictures of passenger cars in Handbook of Automobiles for 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923 and 1924. Includes photo guide to the body types. - Car prices, 1921-1928
Branham automobile reference book includes list prices for Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Duesenberg, Ford, Hupmobile, Kissel Kar, Lincoln, Mercedes, Nash, Oldsmobile, Packard, Pierce-Arrow, Pontiac, Rickenbacker, Rolls-Royce, Stanley Steamer, Studebaker and more. Truck prices on pp. 251-494. - Cars - Prices in the U.S.
- 1920 - Source: Automobile Trade Journal
- 1921 - Source: Automobile Trade Journal
- 1922 - Source: American Exporter, Feb'22
- 1926 - Source: Automobile Trade Journal
- 1927 - Source: American Exporter, Feb'28
- 1928 - Source: Motor Record, Jan '28
- 1928 - Source: American Exporter Mar '28
- Models under $1895, p. 21
- Models over $1895, p. 37
- 1929 -- Source: Motor Record, Jan '29
- Car prices with illustrations, 1900-1920s
Source: A Pictorial History of the Automobile, (1953). - Automobile parts prices - 1920
Prices of parts, car lights, batteries, and tires in the Montgomery Ward catalog. - Tires and car batteries - Prices paid by farmers, 1920s. Source: USDA.
- Gasoline prices and taxes, and annual consumption per vehicle, 1920-1939
Lists average gas price at service stations and more. Source: Automobile facts and figures (1940 edition), p. 69. - Gasoline prices, 1919-1936
Compares tank wagon to service station prices, with and without tax. Source: Automobile facts and figures (1938 edition), p. 33. - Gasoline prices paid by farmers, 1929
See price under the heading "Supplies" in the table on p. 21. - Gasoline storage tank for home use, 1920
Source: 1920 Montgomery Ward catalog.
- Inter-city bus fare to Detroit, 1926
Lists fares from Chicago, Toledo and several smaller Michigan cities and towns. Source: Facts and figures of the automobile industry, 1927 edition, p. 76.
- Horse-drawn carriages, buggies and accessories, 1920
Prices of buggies, road carts and other horse-drawn carriages, as well as harness, and saddles in the 1920 Montgomery Ward catalog.
- Horse and mule prices by state, 1919-1920
Average price per head in the USDA Yearbook, 1919 edition, p. 654.
Public transit fares
- City transit fares in NY, PA, OH and MA - 1927
Shows public transportation fares in 12 cities including NYC, Boston and Philadelphia. Chart on p. 48 shows average weekly expenditure on transportation to work. Source: Cost of living in twelve industrial cities, p. 44. - Streetcar, omnibus and subway rates, 1926
- Covers more than 1,200 cities. Tells cost of public transportation and railway fares as well. Use "search in this text" feature to navigate (or contact us for assistance). Source: The real North American pocket guide book by Harman Black.
Railroad fares
- Passenger train fare in the U.S., 1871-1933
Average railroad passenger fare (ticket price) expressed in cents per mile. - Railroad passenger ticket prices, 1923
5-page chart shows exact passenger fare for travel between 22 of the largest U.S. cities and hundreds of smaller towns. Also shows lower berth sleeping car rates. Source: Travel book and hotel directory, 1923, pp. i-v. - RR ticket prices between NYC and Chicago, 1910-1944
Source: Association of American Railroads' Passenger traffic study, p. 395. - Bus and railway fares, compared - 1920s
"Since July 1920, railroad passenger fares have generally been on the basis of 3.6 cents per mile throughout the country," with extra charges for parlor or sleeping car accommodations (p. 30). See exact fares for selected bus and railroad routes in the narrative spanning pages 28-32 of this publication. Source: 1932 Report to the U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission.
Steamship fares
- Great Lakes, 1921-1922
Service between Cleveland, Detroit, Buffalo, Toledo, etc. Source: Central states guide, pp.276-278. - To China, 1926
Fares from Seattle and San Francisco to Asia in Commercial travelers' guide to the Far East published 1926 by the U.S. Department of Commerce, p. 69-71. - To Latin America - 1920
The "Commercial Travelers' Guide to Latin America" (1922, U.S. Dept of Commerce) lists one-way, first class steamship fares from New York to Caribbean islands, Mexico, and Central and South American countries. Also shows some fares originating from New Orleans and San Francisco. Fares are listed on pages 30-43; taxes on page 44. The guide advises the traveler to always seek first class accommodation.
- Air fares, 1929Issues of the Official aviation guide displayed air fares and time tables. These were reprinted in Birth of an industry: a nostalgic collection of airline schedules for the years 1929 through 1939. See attached sample from the Aug 1929 issue (vol. I #6, pp. 42-43) or contact us for a lookup.
More passenger air fares from other sources:
Find domestic and intl. fares in timetables- United States
- Cleveland to Detroit on an Aeromarine flying boat
- 1922 - $75 RT. Source: Aviation 9/4/1922, p. 287.
- 1922 - $75 RT. Source: Aviation 9/4/1922, p. 287.
- Cleveland to Detroit on an Aeromarine flying boat
- Europe
- London to Paris
- London to Berlin
- 1923 - One-way air fare cost $30 (4¢ per mile). The trip was 750 miles and took eight hours. Source: Aviation magazine, June 4, 1923, p. 608.
- 1923 - One-way air fare cost $30 (4¢ per mile). The trip was 750 miles and took eight hours. Source: Aviation magazine, June 4, 1923, p. 608.
Merchandise prices, 1920-1929
- 1920 Montgomery Ward catalog
- 1922 Sears Roebuck mail order catalogUse the index to find items. Shipping rates are included as well.
- 1923 Christmas gift catalogFrom the Newcomb-Endicott store, Detroit, Michigan.
- 1924 Sears Roebuck catalogIndex starts on page 618.
- Prices of articles bought by farmers, 1909-1924Table 679 of this 1923 USDA Yearbook tells how much U.S. farmers paid for farm tools and implements, work gloves, shirts and shoes, shotguns, tobacco, wagons, building materials such as nails and shingles, and household items such as dishes and fruit jars, washtubs and buckets in 1909, 1914-1922. Prices for 1923 and 1924 begin on p.1152.
- Prices paid by farmers for household items, 1910-1960Prices of appliances, furniture, and more household items on pp. 45-57. Source: USDA
- Apparel prices in retail shops, 1921Shows prices for articles of clothing sold in 35 retailer shops in twelve cities. Source: Dry Goods Economist, a trade publication.
- Women's and children's clothing - Newcomb, Endicott, and Co.A mail order catalog for the Fall/Winter season, 1920-1921.
- Retail prices for imported merchandise, 1922Fascinating book that shows various imported items (such as kid gloves, bloomers, silk nightgown, men's pipe, electric flatiron, glass lamp, etc.) along with the country of origin, value in that country, transportation charges, duty charges and retail price in the U.S. Includes a photo of most items. For easier browsing, the information is shown in table format in the Oct 1922 issue of the BLS Monthly Labor Review
- New book prices, 1872-1922Each issue of the serial publication Publishers' Weekly shows prices of newly published books, music, and periodicals in both the United States and abroad.
Click 'more...' below for issues from 1880-1889. - Book prices by title, 1928Retail prices are listed in The United States Catalog: Books in Print.
- Radio price catalog, 1925Montgomery Ward catalog shows prices of radios and radio supplies on 60+ pages.
Health and medicine prices, 1920-1929
- Cost of hospital service"A good hotel room costs only $4-5 per day while a hospital charges $6 and $7." Source: Handbook of Labor Statistics, 1931 edition, p. 420.
- Cost of hospitalization, 1913 and 1926Tells average length of stay and daily charge based on room type. Source: Handbook of Labor Statistics 1929 edition, pp. 106-107.
- Rates charges for hospital services, 1928Much detail in Hospital service for patients of moderate means..., pp. 28-41. See also this 2-page summary in the BLS' Handbook of Labor Statistics 1931 edition.
- Cost of medical care, 1929Discusses average prices families paid for medical care and hospitalization. Source: BLS Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Sep 1930, pp. 59-60.
- Health care costs and expenditures, 1923-1925See fairly comprehensive coverage of this topic in Appendix 23, "Charges for various kinds of medical services" in American medicine and the people's health, pp. 531-550.
- Ohio - Medical service fees, 1920Fee schedules established by the Ohio State Medical Association for surgeons (p.7-11), ophthalmologists (p.13-14), and dental surgeons (p.16-17) as well as fees for x-rays.
- Ohio - Cost of major surgery, 1920"In this region, I presume that a fee of $200 would be a pretty fair estimate of the surgeon's charge for operation and the after-treatment there would be between the operation and the death of the patient." Source: Funeral Management and Costs (1921), p. 37.
- Maternity care - Berkeley, CASource: BLS Handbook of Labor Statistics, 1931 edition.
- Drugs and health products - Prices, 1920The 1920 Montgomery Ward mail order catalog showed the price of over-the-counter medicines and wheel chairs.
- Drug prices, 1922Lists single-unit prices for barbital, benzoyl peroxide, benzocaine, aspirin, quinoline, and more, showing proprietary and coined drug names. Priced by the single unit. Source: American Druggist, January 1923 issue.
- Drug store prices, 1929Compares average retail prices for drug-store items at independent stores and chain stores in Cincinnati and Washington DC. Includes drug items, toilet items, and miscellaneous items.
- Cincinnati, OH prices in Oct-Nov 1929. Source: Chain Stores (Serial Set 9783).
- Washington, DC prices in Sep 1929. Source: Chain Stores (Serial Set 9783).
- Average charges by type of medical complaint, 1929-1930Shows average charge per case for appendicitis, childbirth, heart troubles, cancer, dental problems and more. Survey covered only white families over a certain time period. More info in the methodology section.
- Maternity cases - Charges, 1929-1930Discusses doctor and hospital fees as well as related expenses. Source: The incidence of illness and the receipt and costs of medical care, pp. 183-188. Additional discussion in "The cost of being born," Met Life Statistical Bulletin, Dec. 1925.
- Major surgery costs - Ohio, 1920Quote: "I presume that a fee of $200 would be a pretty fair estimate of the surgeon's charge for operation and the after-treatment between the operation and the death of the patient." Source: Funeral Management and Costs (1921), p. 37.
More prices in the United States, 1920-1929
In the 1920s, 8% - 12% of people aged 18-21 enrolled in college. Source: U.S. Bur. of Ed.
- Public colleges - Tuition by institution, 1921-1922For each college, this table shows tuition for residents and non-residents by course of study. This table covers pages 357-360 in this source.
- Private colleges - Tuition by institution, 1921-1922For each college, this table shows tuition by course of study. This table covers pages 418-436 in this source.
Well dressed college man smoking a pipe, 1927 - Howard University School of Medicine - Tuition & expenses, 1920-21"The fees and cost of books, instruments, board, room, laundry and incidentals will hardly be less than $400 per session of thirty-two weeks." Source: Howard University Annual Announcement, 1920-21.
- Average college expenses and tuition by institution, 1928States "the average student probably spends about $700 per year for a college education" and shows minimum average student expenses. Estimates the minimum expenses for one year's college attendance and residence This source also lists tuition, fees, room and board by institution for 1928. (see explanation). Source: U.S. Bureau of Education.
- Cost to mail a letter or postcard, 1863-presentSource: the Historian of the U.S. Postal Service.
- Telephone service rates, 1920-1922Issues of Telephone engineer & management details rates for telephone service in many states. For example, the 1920 volume gives rates in Ohio and Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana, and more. Tip: use the search tool to look for words like cents or rate.
- Hotel rates, 1920
- Hotel rates by state and city. Source: Official Hotel Red Book and Directory
- Hotel rates in the U.S. and Canada, 1923
- Listed by state and city. Source: Hotel Book by Howard Johnson, pp. 3-113.
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Hotel rates in the U.S. and Canada, 1923
Contact us for 1928 hotel rates- Lists the minimum rate charged by each hotel. Starts on p. 4 with Alabama and ends on p. 864 with Wyoming. Here are quick links to Chicago, San Francisco and New York City. Source: Travel book and hotel directory.
- Hotel rates, 1920-1927
- Hotel rates can often be found within the advertisements throughout the pages of the Automobile Blue Books.
- Hotel rates, 1926
- Covers more than 1,200 cities. Tells cost of public transportation and railway fares as well. Use "search in this text" feature to navigate. Source: Real North American pocket guide book.
- Hotel rates, 1928
- You may download a pdf version of the 1928 Official Hotel Red Book and Directory. Or, contact us for a look-up.
REGIONAL OR LOCAL HOTEL DIRECTORIES
- San Diego hotel rates, 1925
- Hotel rates are shown in the advertisements in San Diego tourist.
- Vacation to Yellowstone National Park - Prices in 1920
- This booklet shows prices for hotels and amenities such as telephone, restaurant meals, haircuts, bath house, etc. Also shows rowboat and pack horse rental rates, cost for guided tours, and transportation fares.
- Movie admission in selected cities, 1927Lists ticket prices in NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland and eight more cities in NY, PA, OH and MA. Source: Cost of living in 12 industrial cities, p. 45.
- Funeral costs, ca. 1920Chapters titled The Cost of Dying and The Undertaker's Trade - Services and Prices in the 1921 book Funeral Management and Costs cover this topic extensively. This is not a government document.
- Average funeral cost by state and city, 1927This source shows the cost of funerals and burial in 18 states and in 10 major cities. Includes breakouts for adults and children, and breakouts for type of expense such as a hearse, embalming, cremation, religious services, flowers and more. Source: Funeral costs: what they average. Are they too high? Can they be reduced? published 1928.
Cost of living in the U.S., 1920s
- Family budgets, 1903-1956Results of 22 studies showing the % of family budget spent in various categories (rent, food, etc.) Source: How American buying habits change, U.S. Dept of Labor.
- Family budgets by income group, 1918-1930Shows dollar amount and % of total budget spent on various categories of goods and services, broken out by urban/rural families.
- Consumption expenditures per capita, 1901-1956Shows average annual expenditure for food, rent, clothing, and medical care per family member. Source: U.S. Dept of Labor How American buying habits change, pp. 226-227.
- Cost of living increase in U.S. large cities, 1913-1941Compares affordability of food and consumer goods from one year to the next and provides price indexes but not actual prices. Source: BLS Bulletin #699.
- Income needed for "minimum subsistence" in cities, 1929Covers New York City, New Jersey towns, Fall River MA, Cleveland, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco and Portland OR.
- Minimum income needed to live in Washington DC, 1920Study showed how much a family of five would need to live in Washington DC in 1920.
- Cost of living in Philadelphia, 1920Shows expenditures by category with prices per article and amounts needed annually for a family of five. Source: Cost of a workingmen's standard of living in Philadelphia, pp. 5-11.
- Cost of living among wage earners, Detroit, 1921Lists prices of typical food items, housing expenses, clothing, fuel, light and more. Published by the National Industrial Conference Board.
- Cost of living and expenditures - Lynchburg VA , 1928-1929Shows family expenditures by category. Source: Rural and urban living standards in Virginia, pub. by the University of VA, 1929.
- Ability to pay and standard of living among farmers, 1926Cost of living and family expenditures in Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas. Includes a table showing farmers' disposable net income.
- Farm family expenditures in selected states, 1922-1924Shows average dollar amount spent annually in categories such as food, clothing, maintenance of health, personal goods, furniture and more. Also shows average family size in each state. Covers the states of NH, VT, MA, CT, KY, SC, AL, MO, KS, IA and OH. Source: The farmer's standard of living :a socio-economic study of 2886 white farm families of selected localities in 11 states.
- Costs involved in running a farm, 1921Lists costs of running a farm, including costs of power, labor, insurance, interest on loans, etc. Taken from the 1921 U.S. Department of Agriculture Yearbook, starting on page 804.
- Average annual costs of keeping work horses, 1921This Farmers' Bulletin, Cost of Using Horses on Corn-Belt Farms, goes into great detail about the costs of keeping work horses, including a cost per day breakdown (see table on page 13).
- Farm taxes - 1929Table shows average tax by acre for each state in 1929. Tax covers both land and buildings. Expressed in dollars and also as a percentage of the property value. Source: 1934 Statistical Abstract of the United States.
- Virginia - Cost of living and expenditures, 1928-1929Shows expenditures among rural Virginia families for food, housing, clothing, automobiles, health insurance, recreation, personal items and more. Source: Rural and Urban Living Standards in Virginia, published 1929.
Quotable facts for the 1920s
In the United States...
- In 1928, half of all families had an income of $2000 or less. Source
- In 1927, "$30 per month was taken as the average minimum expenditure for rent in Boston for the [working class] family of four living on the American standard." Source
- Farm laborers in MO earned an ave. $41.90/month in 1921. Source: MO Dept of Ag.
- About 8-12% of people ages 18-21 attended college in the 20s. Source: U.S. Bur. of Ed.
- College tuition was free to in-state residents at MU in 1921-22. Source: U.S. Bur. of Ed.
- Milk cost an average 33¢ per half gallon in 1920. Source: U.S. BLS
- Coffee cost an average 47¢ per pound in 1920. Source: U.S. BLS
- Cars cost an ave. $2,537 in 1920. Source: Automotive Industries, Jan 15, 1920 p. 116.
- The 1920 Model-T Ford was priced at $440.
- Gasoline cost an average 21.7¢ per gallon in 1929. Source: USDA
- In 1925, motor vehicles were scrapped at an average age of 6.5 years. Source
- In 1926, about 4% of workers earned enough to file a federal income tax return.
- Cigarettes cost about 12.9¢ per pack in 1929.
- White families spent an average $103.71/year on medical care around 1928-1931. Source
Tools, calculators, and exchange rates
- Calculator: Present-day purchasing power of a historic dollar amountThe MeasuringWorth.com website provides online calculators, guides and tutorials to help researchers understand the current-day value of historic money in the United States, Australia, Spain and the United Kingdom.
- Currency converter, 1270–2017This calculator can be used to determine the historical purchasing power of currency in the United Kingdom from 1270 to 2017. Purchasing power is represented in its equivalence in horses, wheat, the yearly wages of a skilled tradesperson, and others.
- Consumer Price Index Inflation CalculatorCompare the buying power of wages earned at different points in history. For example, $1 earned in 2020 had the same buying power as 7¢ in 1928. One dollar earned in 1928 had the same buying power as abut $15 in the year 2020.
Foreign prices by country, 1920-1929
Prices in BRAZIL, 1920s
- Prices in Sao Paulo, 1925Shows the average retail prices of staple foodstuffs in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Wages are shown in Brazilian milreis. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Mar 1926
Prices in CANADA, 1920s
- Canada - Food and rents by province and city, 1923Shows prices of dozens of food and grocery items, soap, coal, wood by the cord, matches by the box and rent for a 6-room house, with and without modern conveniences. Source: Canada Department of Labor's Labour Gazette, vol. 23, pp. 1436-1441. Additional years are available.
- Canada - Prices of staple foods, fuel and rent in 1913, 1920-1927Source: Statistics Canada. More detailed 1927 statistics by province were also printed in Canada's Labour Gazette, Feb 1927 issue, pp. 224-229.
- Family budgets in Canada, 1921-1928Shows the amount spent by a typical Canadian family on food, laundry, fuel/lighting, and rent over time. Totals are shown in Canadian dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Apr 1929
Prices in CHINA, 1920s
- Prices in Shanghai, 1925Shows the average retail prices of food, clothing, and fuel prices in Shanghai. Prices are shown in either contemporary US dollars or Chinese coppers. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Jan 1926
Prices in CZECHOSLOVAKIA, 1920s
- Retail Prices in Czechoslovakia, 1914-1921Shows the retail price of various foodstuffs and other items in Prague following Czechoslovakian independence. Wages are shown in Czech krone. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Sept 1921
Prices in DENMARK, 1920s
- Retail prices - Denmark, 1922Shows the retail prices of foodstuffs and other necessities throughout different areas of Denmark such as Copenhagen. Wages are shown in Danish ore. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Mar 1923
Prices in GERMANY, 1920s
- Food prices by city - Germany, 1921Shows the retail prices of various foodstuffs in 10 large German cities. Prices are shown in German marks. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Feb 1922
Prices in GREAT BRITAIN, 1920s
- Clothing prices - Great Britain, 1914-1921Shows clothes prices paid by working class families in Great Britain. Wages are shown in shillings. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Sept 1921
- Gasoline retail prices - London, 1920-1929Source: U.S. Dept of Commerce report, p. 125.
- Vehicle and tractor prices - Great Britain, 1921Shows prices in English pounds for cars, commercial vehicles and tractors. Source: Automobiles of the world.
Prices in GREECE, 1920s
- Prices in Greece, 1920-1921Shows the cost of foodstuffs and other necessities in Greece. Prices are shown in contemporary US dollars. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Jan 1922
Prices in HUNGARY, 1920s
- Prices in Hungary, 1922Shows the cost of foodstuffs, clothing, and other necessities in Hungary. Prices are shown in Hungarian crowns. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Apr 1922
Prices in IRELAND, 1920s
- Ireland - Retail prices, 1914 and 1922Shows prices in shillings and pence for various foods, clothing, fuel for heating and cooking; soap, tobacco and cigarettes. Source: Report on the Cost of Living in Ireland, pages 7-9. Elsewhere in the same volume, find average rents and typical family budgets.
- Agricultural commodity prices - Northern Ireland, 1925-1926Includes oats, potatoes, cattle, sheep, pigs, butter, and eggs. Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Northern Ireland p. 2.
Prices in LATVIA, 1920s
- Food prices in Latvia, 1921Shows the cost of various foodstuffs in the Riga markets. Prices are shown in Latvian rubles. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Mar 1922
Prices in MANCHURIA, 1920s
- Prices in south Manchuria - 1922Shows the retail prices of food and commodities in various cities throughout south Manchuria. Prices are shown in Japanese yen. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Jan 1923
Prices in MEXICO, 1920s
- Cost of living - Mexico, 1910-1920Shows the average price of foodstuffs and other common goods in the federal district of Mexico. Wages are shown in Mexican pesos. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Jan 1921
- Retail prices - Mexico City, 1923-1926Shows the retail prices of foodstuffs and other staple goods in the Mexican capital. Prices are shown in Mexican pesos. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Mar 1927
Prices in NEW ZEALAND, 1920s
- New Zealand - Food and cigarette retail prices by city, 1921Each table is for a different New Zealand city. Scroll forward and back to see the various cities for which average food prices are available. This is a New Zealand government document.
- New Zealand - House rent by city, 1921Table shows average cost to rent houses by the number of rooms in each of 25 New Zealand cities and towns.
Prices in POLAND, 1920s
- Cost of living - Poland, 1920-1921Shows the daily cost of food, heat, and light for a working family of 4 following independence. Prices shown in marks. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Nov 1921
Prices in SPAIN, 1920s
- Cost of living - Spain, 1914-1924Shows the average retail prices of foodstuffs in Madrid and Barcelona. Prices are shown in Spanish pesetas. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Nov 1925
- Prices in Madrid, 1925Shows the average retail prices of staple foodstuffs in Madrid, Spain. Wages are shown in Spanish pesetas. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Apr 1926
Prices in SWITZERLAND, 1920s
- Earnings and prices - Switzerland, 1920-1921Shows the income of each member of a Zurich household and the amount that household spent on various necessities like food, clothing, rent, etc. Earnings and prices are shown in Swiss francs. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Oct 1921
- Food prices in Switzerland, 1920-1922Shows the average retail prices of various foodstuffs throughout Switzerland. Prices are shown in Swiss francs. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Apr 1922
Timeline -- Major economic events of the 1920s
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
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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
