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
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WAGES -- GENERAL SOURCES (all occupations and worker types)
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Union wages by occupation and city, 1920-1921Click "more..." for direct links to each occupation.
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Union wages by occupation and city, 1929-1930Click "more..." for direct links to wages in each occupation.
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Common labor - Average starting wage by industry, 1926-1934Shows data for male laborers in each of 13 industries, as well as an overall average across industries. Source: Handbook of Labor Statistics (1936), p. 916.
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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.
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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.
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Comparative wage rates in the United States and foreign countries, 1927Foreign wage rates are arranged 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.
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Executive salaries in private businesses, 1924This source lists actual salaries paid to administrators in various lines of business. Source: Study of salaries paid to key executives..., 1924.
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Wages for selected professional occupations in 1928This source compares salaries for university professors to that of similarly-trained individuals working in private industry or for the government. It shows pay and earnings of engineers, Army and Navy officers, federal employees working in scientific bureaus, life insurance industry executives, public utility administrators, judges and more. This is a non-government source that cites government data.
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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.
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Ohio - Average annual wages and salaries by occupation, 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.
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Wages by Occupation in 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.
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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.
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Negro wages by sex in urban areas, 1925Table 25 shows a distribution of earnings categories, by region (see map). Source: The Urban Negro Worker in the United States, 1925-1936, pp. 110-112.
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Negro women's earnings by occupation, 1920-1925See further charts and discussion showing breakouts by state on pp. 39-48. Source: Negro Women in Industry in 15 States, U.S. Women's Bureau (1929).
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Teacher salaries by race in North Carolina, 1922Shows salary scales for white teachers and Colored teachers.
Wages by occupation and industry, 1920s - A to Z
A
1920s farmer- 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 workers - Wages
- Farm wages by state, 1927-1929
- Farm workers' wages and income, 1909-1938
- Farm wage rates are broken out 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
- From Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), p. 167.
B
- 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 donor earnings, 1929
- Before laws restricted blood sales, hospitals were known to pay donors $35-50 for one quart. See "Blood donation" listed in Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), p. 392.
- Building/construction trades
- Union wages in construction trades, 1913-1930
- Shows wages and hours for union bricklayers, building laborers, carpenters, cement finishers, inside granite cutters, hod carriers, inside wiremen, painters, plasterers, plumbers, sheet-metal workers, stonecutters and structural iron workers. Arranged by occupation and then by city and year. See also "C" tab above for carpenters, cement workers, etc.
- Union wages in construction trades, 1913-1930
C
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
D
- 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.
E
- Education
- 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.
- 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).
- Teachers and principals' salaries by city, 1921-1922
- Education job salaries by state
- Illinois teachers salaries in high schools, 1920-1921
- Lengthy article reports how much educators earned in Illinois' high schools in 1920-1921.
- 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.
- Illinois teachers salaries in high schools, 1920-1921
- 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.
F
- 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.
G
- 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.
- State employee pay, 1925-1928
I-L
- Iron and steel industry wages and hours, 1907-193
- Journalist wages, 1929
- From Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), p. 307.
- Judge's pay in federal courts - 1926
- Shows annual compensation for judges on the U.S. Supreme Court, circuit courts and district courts. Also tells pay for court clerks and marshals. Note - this source tells what each individual person was paid, not the overall averages. Source: Official register of the United States (1926) p. 131.
- 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.
- Lumber industry job wages and hours, 1921-1932
M
- Manufacturing wages -- SEE box further below.
- 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. For primary source government documents showing pay, contact us.
- 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
- 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.
- Musician 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.
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- 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
- 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.
P
- 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 officers and personnel - Salaries, 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.
- Police departments - Salaries, 1927
- Shows salaries for seven occupations in police departments of 25 American cities. Source: U.S. Congressional Serial Set vol. 8836.
R
- Radio announcer salary, 1929
- Broadcasting jobs described in Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), p. 275
- Railroad employee wages
- 1920-1921
- Shows wage rates for engineers, conductors, passenger baggage men, coal passers, firemen, switch tenders, hostlers, signalmen, station agents, telegraphers, machinists, car cleaners, 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.
- Pennsylvania Railroad Wage Data, 1927
- Extensive, 219-page report published in the Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin no. 514.
- 1920-1921
- 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).
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- 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.
- 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
T
- Teacher salaries, 1929
- Teacher salaries from nursery school up to high school, college professors and more in Manual of Occupations by R. Platt (source), pp. 298-301.
- Telegraph and cable industry - wages and salaries, 1922
- Shows salaries for officers, managers, clerks, operators, etc. Source: National Wealth and Income.
- Telephone industry - average compensation per employee, 1922
- Shows salaries for officers, managers, clerks, operators, etc. Source: National Wealth and Income, p. 300.
- Theatrical occupations in 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 state carpenters, stage 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.
V
- 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.
Manufacturing Wages, 1920-1929
WAGES in MANUFACTURING, 1920s -- General sources
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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.
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Factory employee average annual wages - 1921, 1923Table shows average annual wage per factory employee, by major manufacturing groups, in 1914, 1919, 1921, and 1923. See table 164 on page 264 for average annual wage per factory employee by principal regions.
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Industrial home work - EarningsIndustrial home work was the practice of allowing workers to do work at home. It was most common in clothing manufacture but was also prevalent in the making of tobacco products and the manufacture of other small items. Usually women and sometimes children did the work.
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Manufacturing industry - Average monthly earnings, 1918-1920Shows breakouts by type of manufacturing operation: automobile manufacture, cigar making, boots/shoe making, men's clothing, iron/steel, hosiery/underwear manufacture, etc. 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
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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.
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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
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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
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Boot, shoe, hosiery and underwear manufacturing wages, 1907-1920Link navigates to a record containing multiple years worth of this publication. To view an issue of interest, select it from the list and click View.
WAGES in TEXTILE MANUFACTURING, 1920s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Cotton-goods manufacturing - Wages, 1922Tables are broken down by occupation, sex, and state. It also summarizes the years from 1907-1922.
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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.
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Woolen and worsted goods manufacturing, 1907-1922Shows average hours and earnings. See earnings by state starting on page 16.
WAGES in FURNITURE MANUFACTURING, 1920s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Furniture manufacturing industry - Wages and hours, 1910-1931Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin No. 571
WAGES in PAPER and PULP MANUFACTURING, 1920s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Paper and pulp industry job wages, 1923These figures are shown by occupation, sex, and region. .
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Paper box-board industry job wages and hours, 1926Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 407
WAGES in POTTERY MANUFACTURING, 1920s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Pottery industry job wages and hours, 1925Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 412
Women's Wages, 1920-1929
WOMEN'S WAGES in MULTIPLE STATES, 1920s
See tabs above for individual states.
See list of the most common occupations for women in 1910 and 1920 (source: Census Bureau).
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Women's wages in 13 states - 1920sDates for most tables range from 1920-1925. States that are included: Rhode Island, New Jersey, Ohio, Delaware, Oklahoma, Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, South Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi. Published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Bulletin #85.
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Women's median wages by state and industry - 1910s-1920sThis Women's Bureau report, The Development of Minimum Wage Laws in the United States, shows changes in wages around the time that minimum wage laws for women were being passed. For simplicity, look for tables giving median values. "First quartile" and "third quartiles" are statistical terms explained on page 334. Click more... to see states included.
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Library assistants' earnings by city, 1923This article reprinted from a January 1923 edition of Library Journal tells how much library assistants were earning and also shows typical budgets for unmarried, working women.
WAGES of BLACK WOMEN, 1920s
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Negro womens' earnings by state, 1920-1925Shows median weekly earnings for the states of GA, KY, SC, AL, AR, MO, NJ, OH, MS, TN. The chapter on earnings extends from pages 39-48 and includes much analysis and discussion.
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Negro women's earnings by occupation, 1920-1925See further charts and discussion showing breakouts by state on pp. 39-48. Source: Negro Women in Industry in 15 States, U.S. Women's Bureau (1929).
WOMEN'S WAGES in ALABAMA, 1920s
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Women's wages in AlabamaReport published in 1924.
WOMEN'S WAGES in ARKANSAS, 1920s
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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
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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
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Women's wages in the candy industry in St. Louis and Chicago, 1920-1921Women's Bureau Bulletin #25.
WOMEN'S WAGES in KANSAS, 1920s
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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
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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
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Women's wages in MissouriReport published in 1924.
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Women's wages in the candy industry in St. Louis and Chicago, 1920-1921Women's Bureau Bulletin #25.
WOMEN'S WAGES in OHIO, 1920s
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Women's wages in OhioReport published in 1925 mainly covers wages in manufacturing industries.
WOMEN'S WAGES in NEW JERSEY, 1920s
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Women's wages in New JerseyReport published in 1924.
WOMEN'S WAGES in PENNSYLVANIA, 1920s
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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
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Women's wages in South CarolinaReport published in 1923.
WOMEN'S WAGES in TENNESSEE, 1920s
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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.
Significant Legislation concerning Wages, 1920s
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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.
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Minimum wage laws of the U.S., construction and operation, 1921Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 285
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Laws relating to payment of wages, 1926Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 408
Wages in Foreign Countries, 1920-1929
Wages in MULTIPLE COUNTRIES, 1920s
Click the tabs above for single countries.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Comparative Wage Rates in the United States 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.
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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.
Wages in ARGENTINA, 1920s
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Wages by occupation in Buenos Aires, 1926Source: Monthly Labor Review, Dec 1927 (Vol 25 #6), pp. 137-138.
WAGES in AUSTRALIA, 1920s
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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. 82-82.
WAGES in AUSTRIA, 1920s
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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 CANADA, 1920s
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Wages by occupation in Canadian cities, 1920Source: Monthly Labor Review, May 1921, pp. 78-79.
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Wages by occupation in Canadian cities, 1921Source: Monthly Labor Review, Nov 1921, p. 100-101.
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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 in CHILE, 1920s
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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.
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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
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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.
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Barbers' earnings - China, 1924This short article about wages in Nanchang, China reports barbers' earnings in US dollars. Source: Monthly Labor Review, Jan 1925, p. 61.
WAGES in FRANCE, 1920s
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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.
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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.
Wages in GERMANY, 1920s
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"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...."
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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.
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Trends of German wages, 1929-1942Shows average wages alongside a cost of living index for Germany between 1929-1942.
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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 GREAT BRITAIN, 1920s
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Wages and hours in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1924Article includes tables showing average weekly earnings by industry and sex and average hourly earnings.
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Wages by industry in Great Britain, 1914-1921Source: Monthly Labor Review Aug 1922, pp. 93-96.
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Wages in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1924-1928Shows the average weekly earnings by industry and occupation. Source: Monthly Labor Review, March 1930, pp.140-141
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Wages in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1924-1932Extensive article from the Monthly Labor Review, April 1933, pp. 871-907.
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Wages in Great Britain, 1926Source: Monthly Labor Review, Jan 1927, pp. 148-155.
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Agricultural trades - Minimum wage in Great Britain, 1920Source: Monthly Labor Review, March 1921, p. 105.
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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, March 1921, pp. 104-105.
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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.
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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: Judges & Officers, Section 23 in Book 1, General Jurisdiction of the County Court in Yearly County Court Practice, 1923.
Wages in the SOVIET UNION, 1920s
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Earnings for industrial and construction workers in Soviet Union, 1926-1927These two tables show average daily wages in various industries and building occupations. Rates are shown in both rubles and US currency.
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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.
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Wages in Russia, 1923This Congressional speech reports the salaries paid school teachers throughout Russia in 1922 and the actual monthly earning of employees for January to March, 1922. The speaker also estimates that the average wage for labor would seldom exceed 12 rubles per month in late 1923. Source: Serial Set 8246.
Family/Household Income, 1920-1929
NOTE: If you are looking 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.
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Farm family incomes in Wake County, North Carolina - 1926Took into account additional sources of income for farm families, such as income derived from animals or investments. Source: Bulletin #269 of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, "Farm Family Living Among White Owner and Tenant Operators in Wake County," pages 24-28.
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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. We will be happy to help you find any source listed in this bibliography; simply contact us.
Prices in the United States, 1920-1929
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Food prices - U.S. average retail prices, 1920-1928Shows prices by month along with yearly averages. Tables span across two pages in a book, and row labels will only show on even-numbered pages.
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Retail prices of food,1923-36Shows the retail prices for specific foods averaged across 51 U.S. cities. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 635.
Grocery store in Minnesota, 1922 -
Retail prices of food in the United States, 1923-24Tells the retail prices of food, such as sirloin, eggs, oranges, and butter in cents as well as percent changes in cost for 1923-24.
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Grocery prices in Washington DC, August 1929Source shows long list of typical items available in food stores, along with brand names and package sizes. Compares average retail selling prices for each item in independent stores and in chain stores. Source: Chain Stores (Serial Set #9742)
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Prices for name brand, packaged grocery items In Cincinnati, OH, 1929Compares average retail prices for "warehoused" name brand grocery items at independent stores and chain stores in Cincinnati, OH. Source: Chain Stores (Serial Set 9783)
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Grocery prices in Los Angeles, December 1921This is a monthly price list for Ralph's Grocery Company, which sold only in the Los Angeles area. Includes many brand names.
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Food prices paid by farmers, 1910-1943Prices 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. Covers the years 1910-1914 (5 year average), 1919,1929, 1939 and 1943.
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Prices of articles bought by farmers, 1909-1924Table 679 of this 1923 USDA Yearbook tells how much U.S. farmers paid for farm tools, implements and supplies, 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 page 1152.
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Montgomery Ward catalog, 1920Click "More..." for direct links to sections or use the catalog's own index.
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Sears Roebuck mail order catalog, 1922Use the catalog's own index to find particular items. This nearly 1,000-page mail order catalog lists clothing, home furnishings and appliances, musical instruments, hardware, tools and much more, along with prices. Shipping rates are included as well.
Young men's suits, $13-$22 in Sears catalog, 1922 -
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.
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Sears Roebuck mail order catalog, Fall 1923Index starts on page 618.
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Clothing in mail order catalogs with prices, 1920-21
- Summer 1920
B. Altman & Co. mail order catalog for women's garments. - Fall/Winter 1920-21
Newcomb, Endicott and Co. Magazine of Fashion for women's and children's clothes.
- Summer 1920
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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
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Christmas gift catalog, 1923From the Newcomb-Endicott store, Detroit, Michigan.
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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 1920-1922.
Our library holds later print editions, so please contact us if you are interested in later dates. -
Book prices by title, 1928Retail book prices are provided in The United States Catalog: Books in Print.
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Radio price catalog, 1925Montgomery Ward catalog shows prices of radios and radio supplies on 60+ pages.
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Average value of mortgaged homes - 1920Shows average value of mortgaged homes, average debt remaining on the mortgages and average interest paid on mortgages annually, for 68 cities of 100,000 or more population. Source: Mortgages on Homes, U.S. Census Bureau.
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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.
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Rent in 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.
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Rents in working class neighborhoods in Cincinnati, 1920Source: The cost of living among wage-earners, Cincinnati OH, pp. 5-6.
HOME PLANS with ESTIMATED COSTS
Important note: Some of these home plan catalogs estimate only the cost of materials based on prices in a particular market (such as Chicago). The ones that do include labor costs generally add disclaimers based on fluctuating rates. The front matter of each catalog usually includes some explanation.
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Cost of materials to build a Sears home, 1908-1939The 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 cost of materials. Shows estimated labor cost in some instances, but this would vary depending on the location.
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Cost of materials to build a Sears home, ca. 1920Full catalog of Sears "Honor Bilt" homes lists costs of materials to build any of dozens of homes. Does NOT include labor costs to build these structures.
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Home plans and costs to build in California, 1920Bungalowcraft catalog shows home drawings and floor plans. Estimated costs to build in California are given on the last page of the booklet.
COST of CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS and LABOR
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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.
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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.
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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.
FARMS and LAND PRICES
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Price of farm land by county in selected states, 1912-1924Tables 6-13 show farm land prices by county in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Idaho, Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina and Texas.
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New England farms and land - Average value by county, 1920-1930Shows average value per acre for all real estate with buildings, and the value of land alone, by county, for six states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. Source: 1930 Census of Agriculture.
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Farm real estate values in Missouri, Illinois and Iowa, 1912-2019Shows average value per acre (statewide) for farm real estate including both land and buildings. Table shows price per acre for each year from 1912 to 2019. Compares the figures to the average for all other states.
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Land in Missouri - Cost to rent or buy by county, 1922Shows 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.
HOUSEHOLD UTILITIES
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Household heating fuel costs and expenditures by city, 1927Shows 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.
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Electricity - Average monthly bill, 1924-1950One-page table shows average charges for residential electricity each year from 1924-1934, for cities over 50,000 in population. Source: Federal Power Commission.
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Household electricity costs and expenditures by city, 1927Shows 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.
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Changes in retail prices of electricity, 1923-38Indicates prices per kilowatt-hour by areas and cities. 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
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Telephone service rates, 1920-1922Issues 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.
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Hospitalization, maternity care, etc. - Costs 1927-1930Hospital stays were $6 or $7 per day circa 1930. Physician fees for maternity patients are reported for a rural county in Indiana and also for Berkeley, California (scroll to pages 423-426 in the publication.) Source: Handbook of Labor Statistics, 1931 edition.
Cost to have a baby in Berkeley CA, 1927-1930 -
Hospitalization costs, 1913 and 1926Tells average length of stay and average cost per day based on whether the patient was in a ward or a private room.
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Medical service fees in Ohio, 1920This booklet published by the Industrial Commission of Ohio in 1920 shows fee 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.
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Physicians fees in Chicago, 1920This minimum fee table of the Rogers Park Physicians' Club in Chicago was published in the February 1920 issue of The Illinois medical journal; it includes visits and consultations, laboratory examinations, insurance papers, and obstetrics.
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Physicians fees in Iowa, 1921The Montgomery County Medical Society's fee bill as reported in the January, 1921 issue of the Journal of the Iowa State Medical Society; it includes calls and office visits, obstetrical cases, and anesthetic fee, p. 26.
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Hospitalization service rates, 1928Much detail is provided in the book Hospital service for patients of moderate means; a study of certain American hospitals spans pages 28-41. Published in Washington, D.C. by the Committee on the cost of medical care in 1930. This is not a government document.
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Hospitalization service rates (two-page summary)Source: Handbook of Labor Statistics, 1931 edition : Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 541
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Cost of major surgery - Ohio, 1920Regarding major surgery that turns out unsuccessfully, one doctor is quoted saying: "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). This is not a government report.
MEDICINE PRICES
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Drugs and health products - Prices, 1920The 1920 Montgomery Ward mail order catalog showed the price of over-the-counter medicines and wheel chairs.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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Cost to mail a letter or postcard, 1863-presentSource: the Historian of the U.S. Postal Service.
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City transit fares in NY, PA, OH and MA - 1927Shows public transportation fares in 12 cities including NYC, Boston and Philadelphia. Chart on p. 48 shows average weekly expenditure on transportation to work. Source: The cost of living in twelve industrial cities, p. 44.
AUTOMOBILE PRICES, 1920s
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Car prices, 1920-1924See annual editions of the Handbook of Automobiles for 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923 and 1924 for prices, specifications and pictures of passenger cars on the market at the time - including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Fiat, Oldsmobile, Studebaker and more. See also this photo guide to the body types: roadster, coupe, cabriolet, limousine, touring car (phaeton), sedan and bus.
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Car prices, 1920Shows list prices of 1920 automobiles, organized by make and model. Source: Automobile Trade Journal, Oct 1, 1920 issue, pp. 296-299.
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Car prices, 1921Shows list prices by make and model. Source: Automobile Trade Journal, July 1921 issue, pp. 96-100.
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Car prices, 1929Retail prices for cars, listed alphabetically. Source: Motor Record magazine, January 1929 issue, pp. 116-117.
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Car prices as shown in "Pictorial History of the Automobile"Arranged by make and model of car. Provides good representation for the cost of a new car from 1900 through the 1920s. Less for the 1930s and after. Source: A Pictorial History of the Automobile, as seen in Motor magazine, published 1953 (not a government publication or a primary source).
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Automobile parts prices - 1920
GASOLINE PRICES
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Average service station price of gasoline, 1922-1931Average price across 50 American cities, excluding tax. Source: congressional petroleum investigation, 1934.
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Gasoline prices paid by farmers, 1929Under the heading "Supplies" in the table on page 21, this source shows the average gasoline price per gallon for 1910-1914 (five year average), 1919, 1929, 1939, and 1943.
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Retail gasoline price and gas taxes, 1919-1938Shows monthly price and tax data for a group of 50 U.S. cities. See chart on p. 284 of source.
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Gasoline - Retail prices in Minneapolis and St. Paul, 1926-1929Article discusses a gasoline price war in the twin cities in the late 1920s. Retail prices might normally have been 20-23 cents per gallon, but had slipped down to 14 cents at times. Source: National Petroleum News June 12, 1929, p. 93.
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Gasoline - Tank wagon price in nine U.S. cities, 1922-1923Shows tank wagon prices in MI, IL, IN, IA, MO, KS, MN and WI. Additional detail is available for Milwaukee. Note that a markup of a few cents would be charged if gasoline was purchased at a filling station. Source: Congressional hearing: High cost of gasoline and other petroleum products, 1923. A corroborating newspaper article dated in 1923 indicates that those who could buy at least 50 gallons could purchase at the wholesale price, generally 3 cents less than retail.
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Gasoline storage tank for home use, 1920Price of a gasoline storage tank for the home, as shown in the 1920 Montgomery Ward catalog.
HORSE DRAWN TRANSPORTATION
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Horse-drawn carriages, buggies and accessories, 1920The 1920 Montgomery Ward catalog shows prices of buggies, road carts and other horse-drawn carriages, as well as harness, and saddles.
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Horse and mule prices by state, 1919-1920Chart shows average price per head for each state. Source: USDA Yearbook, 1919 edition, p. 654.
TRAIN FARE and EXPENSES
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Passenger train fare in the U.S., 1871-1933Average railroad passenger fare (ticket price) expressed in cents per mile.
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Railroad passenger ticket prices, 19235-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.
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RR ticket prices between NYC and Chicago, 1910-1944Source: Association of American Railroads' Passenger traffic study, p. 395.
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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.
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Railroad dining car menu prices, 1920sClick "more..." for direct links to selected railroad dining car menus.
STEAMSHIP and AIRFARE
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Steamship fares to ChinaSee fares from Seattle and San Francisco to various cities in Asia listed in "Commercial Travelers' Guide to the Far East" published in 1926 by the U.S. Department of Commerce, p. 69-71.
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Steamship fares to Latin America - 1920The "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.
VACATIONS and TOURISM
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Hotel rates, 1920Shows hotel rates, arranged by state and town. Source: Official Hotel Red Book and Directory
Contact us for hotel rates as of 1928 -
Hotel rates in the U.S. and Canada, 1923Lists the minimum rate charged by each hotel. Source: Travel book and hotel directory. A similar but more truncated list appears on pages 3-113 of the Hotel Book compiled by Howard Johnson.
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Hotel rates, 1920-1924Hotel rates can often be found within the advertisements throughout the pages of the Automobile Blue Books.
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Hotel rates, 1928We have access to the 1928 Official Hotel Red Book and Directory. Contact us for a look-up.
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Vacation to Yellowstone National Park - Prices in 1920This booklet shows prices for hotels and amenities such as a shave and haircut, bath house rates, telephone rates, restaurant meals, etc. Also shows rowboat and pack horse rental rates, cost for guided tours, price of postcards, and transportation fares.
PRICES for EDUCATION, 1920s
See tabs above for additional price categories
In the 1920s decade, 8% to 12% of people aged 18-21 enrolled in college. Source: U.S. Bureau of Education.
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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.
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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.
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Howard University School of Medicine - Tuition and 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.
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Average college expenses and tuition by institution, 1928States "the average student probably spends about $700 per year for a college education." This U.S. Bureau of Education Bulletin estimates the minimum expenses for one year's college attendance and residence, not including clothes, amusements, or travel. This source also lists tuition, fees, room and board by institution for 1928. Source: Self-help for college students (1929).
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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.
Cost of Living Analysis, 1920s
In addition to the links below, we recommend the book America's Capacity to Consume, published in 1934 by the Brookings Institution. It presents detailed analysis of personal and household income as well as consumer expenditures in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
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Changes in cost of living in large cities of the United States, 1913-1941This document compares the affordability of food and consumer goods from one year to the next and provides price indexes but not actual prices. Source: BLS Bulletin #699.
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Minimum quantity budget necessary to maintain a worker's family of five in health and decency, 1920A study to determine how much a family of five would need to live comfortably in 1920. Includes the numbers on the approximate annual wage the family would need to live this lifestyle.
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Cost of living among wage earners, Detroit, Michigan, 1921Lists prices of typical food items, housing expenses, clothing, fuel, light and sundries, including typical expenditure on recreation. Puts all of this into context with the cost of living for single men and for families with children. Published by the National Industrial Conference Board, a group of industry associations.
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Virginia - Cost of living and expenditures, 1928-1929Compares expenditures among urban and 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.
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Medical care, average expenditures per family and individual, 1929Although services are not priced out, the chart does tell the average amounts families were spending on medical care per year, broken out by family income.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
Buying power of historic wages expressed in today's dollars
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Online 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.
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Consumer Price Index Inflation CalculatorThis calculator allows you to compare the buying power of wages earned at different points in history. For example, a dollar earned in 2020 had the same buying power as 7¢ in 1928. Conversely, a dollar earned in 1928 had the same buying power as abut $15 in the year 2020.
Prices in Foreign Countries, 1920-1929
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England - Car, truck and tractor prices, 1921500-page book Automobiles of the world: an encyclopedia of the car shows chassis prices for buyers in England.
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Ireland - Retail prices, 1914 and 1922Shows prices in shillings and pence for various food items; articles of clothing for men, women, boys and girls; 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.
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Canada - Prices of staple foods, fuel and rent in 1913, 1920-1927Expressed in dollars. Source: Statistics Canada. These statistics were also printed in the publication Prices and Price Indexes, Vol. 1, pp. 108-109.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Prices of hosiery in Latin America, 1928-1930This 1931 Trade Information Bulletin from the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Latin American Markets for American Hosiery, contains retail prices of hosiery in a number of Latin American counties for the years 1928-1930, including British Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Colombia, British Guiana, Peru , Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil.
Quotable facts for the 1920-1929 decade
In the United States...
- In 1920, bread cost an average of $0.11 per pound. Source: U.S. BLS
- In 1920, milk cost an average of $0.33 per ½ gallon. Source: U.S. BLS
- In 1920, eggs cost an average of $0.68 per dozen. Source: U.S. BLS
- In 1920, sugar cost an average of $0.055 per pound. Source: U.S. BLS
- In 1920, flour cost an average of $0.40 per 5lbs. Source: U.S. BLS
- In 1920, the starting cost of the popular car, the Model-T Ford, was $440. Source: Automobile Trade Journal
- In 1929, the average cost of a gallon of gasoline was 21.7¢. Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
- In 1920, carpenters earned an average of $0.95 per hour in Washington, D.C. Source: U.S. BLS
- In 1928, engineers at Yale could expect to make up to $20,500. Source: Incomes and Living Costs of a University Faculty.
- In 1920, the average cost of a passenger train ticket per mile was $0.0275. Source: Section of Transportation Service
- In 1921, elementary teachers in mid-Missouri made a minimum of $765 annually. Source: Bureau of Education
- In 1922, the cost of a police pistol was $19.50, a badge was $0.50, and handcuffs were $3.35. Source: Sears, Roebuck and Company Spring 1922 Catalog
- In 1924, the average annual salary of a police officer in Kansas City, MO was $2,400. Source: U.S. Department of Labor
- In 1927, nurses earned an average of $1,720 and $2,079 at public and private hospitals, respectively. Source: Committee on the Grading of Nursing Schools.
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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Government Documents Department
106B Ellis Library (1st Floor East)
University of Missouri, Columbia
Phone (573) 882-0748
