Prices and Wages by Decade: 1930-1939
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, 1930-1939
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PRICES in FOREIGN COUNTRIES
WAGES -- GENERAL SOURCES (all occupations and worker types)
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Federal Minimum Wage chart, 1938-2009Chart from the U.S. Dept of Labor shows the first federal minimum wage law enacted in 1938 (25 cents), and all subsequent increases through 2009.
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Common laborers employed by cities - 1935Shows starting wage data broken out by states. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin No. 627.
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Common labor starting wage rates, 1931-1934Also breaks out the wage data by industry and geographic region.
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Common labor starting wage rates - 1935Scroll through this chapter to see numerous tables with averages and breakdowns by industry and by region.
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Wages, hours and earnings by occupation and sex, 1928-1934Hundreds of pages detailing the average wages, number of hours worked, and average earnings by occupation, broken out by gender and sometimes by location. Source: Handbook of Labor Statistics, 1936 edition.
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Wages, hours and earnings by occupation and sex, 1935-1940Hundreds of pages detailing the wages for a great number of occupations such as firemen, policemen, fishermen, enlisted military (Army and Navy), office workers, accountants, chiropractors, dentists, engineers, lawyers, librarians, nurses, physicians, school employees, factory workers and more. Source: Handbook of Labor Statistics, 1941 edition.
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Congressional salaries, 1789-presentHistorical chart shows salaries of members of the U.S. Congress, along with dates of enactment and statutory authority for each pay increase.
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Federal employee salaries by occupation - 1938Tables show average wages for 117 occupational groups employed in the federal government, including architects, librarians, entomologists, chemists, accountants, postmasters, cooks, supply clerks, kitchen workers, electricians and more. Tables span pages 83-85 in this source, the Jan 1941 issue of Monthly Labor Review.
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Farmers' earnings by state, 1934-1935Although farm owners don't earn wages, they did have earnings through sale of farm products. See average prices received by farmers for crops, by state and average prices paid for livestock in Chicago, Kansas City and Omaha. Source: USDA Crops and Markets.
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Wages and hours before and after World War ICompares pre- and post-WWI wages, union rates, farm wage rates, hours of work, and average weekly earnings by industry. Compares the years 1914-23 with 1939-44.
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Wage chronologies for selected major companiesLists of monitored changes in wage rates in selected U.S. companies such as General Motors and Chrysler Corp. Covers the late 1930s through the 1970s.
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Negro workers, weekly earnings in 1930 and 1936Source: The Urban Negro Worker in the United States, 1925-1936, published by the federal government as a WPA project.
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Wage and salary income by race, 1939-1960Compares median wages and salary income for white race and non-white races, with breakouts by sex. Provides data for the years 1939, 1947, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960. The preface states that "Negroes constitute more than 95% of the non-white residents of the U.S." Source: U.S. Dept of Labor report, The Economic Situation of Negroes in the United States.
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Teacher salaries by state and race, 1939-1940Table 7 shows average salary for instructional staff in elementary and secondary schools by race in the states of AL, AR, DE, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, YX, VA, WV.
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Teacher wages by race in AL, MD and NC - 1930sShows pay rates for white and "colored" teachers for the states of Alabama, Maryland and North Carolina.
Wages by Occupation / Industry, 1930-1939
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Agriculture - Farm workers' wages and income - 1909 to 1938Farm wage rates are broken out by year and geographic location. Wages for farm workers are compared to that of factory workers. Article starts on page 59 of the BLS Monthly Labor Review, July 1939 issue.
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Agriculture - Farm labor wages 1866-1935Average yearly wage, reported with and without board (meals). Taken from the 1936 Statistical Abstract of the United States.
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Agriculture - Farm Labor wages, 1930-1939The monthly USDA periodical Farm Labor showed farm labor wages with and without room and board, and broken out by geography.
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Air transportation workers - Wages, 1931Wages and earnings for pilots, co-pilots and ground personnel engaged in passenger service or mail delivery. Crop dusters, sight-seeing tour operators, mappers and surveyors, and office workers were not included in these figures. See data for 1933 here.
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Beauty shop wages and working conditionsSource: BLS Monthly Labor Review v. 41 no. 2 (Aug 1935)
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Building trades - Union wages - 1936-1961Choose a decade, then a publication, then click the "View" button.
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Building trades - Hourly wages by occupation, state and town, 1938Shows hourly wages paid to workers employed through the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA), a program to put the unemployed back to work. Shows wage detail for each construction occupation (carpenter, painter, electrician, etc.) by state and then by town. See sections for California, Texas and New York state for example.
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Chain store wages, 1931Table 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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Clerical workers' earnings, North Atlantic region, 1934-36Income and expenditures for white and Negro families. Click a publication, then the "View" button. Next, click the magnifying glass and search for the word "earnings" in the text.
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Construction - Wages and hours, mid 1930sThis U.S BLS source, “Trend of Employment” shows average wages and hours of work by industry, mainly for manufacturing industries and for construction jobs. Also shows average pay for PWA jobs.
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Cooks on passenger vessels based in Boston, 1929-1930This chart of union wages shows the significant differences in pay for chief cooks, second cooks and night cooks for first class ship passengers, compared to pay earned by cooks for second class passengers on the same vessel.
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Deep-sea ship transportation occupations, wage structure - 1935Wages for chief officers, first mates, second mates etc., radio operators, boatswains, carpenters, electricians, engineers, quartermasters, wheelsmen, petty officers, seamen, cadets, deck boys, engineers, firemen, chefs, cooks, butchers, bakers, scullions, waiters, countermen, salon stewards, deck stewards, cabin stewards, smoking room stewards, wine stewards, bellboys, deck patrol watchmen (security guards), stewardesses, messmen, messboys, porters, laundrymen, clerks, food service workers such as pantrymen and buffet attendants, musicians, orchestra leaders, pursers, ships’ surgeons. Separate tables by type of ship including passenger vessels, freighters, tankers, and all types of ships combined.
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Dentists' income, 1929-1948Nine-page article includes breakouts by state, by size of community, by source of income, and more.
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Doctors (physicians and dentists) income, 1939-1976Shows median net income of office-based, non-salaried physicians and dentists.
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Education - Instructional staff salaries by state and race, 1939-1940Table 7 shows average salary for instructional staff in elementary and secondary schools by race in the states of AL, AR, DE, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, YX, VA, WV.
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Education - Rural teacher salaries by state, 1925-1935Shows median salaries of teachers and principals by state. Tables run from pages 10-14.
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Education - Minimum wage for teachers by state and race, 1930sBy the late 1930s, twenty states had minimum wage laws for teachers. See greater detail for each state in the section Abstracts of minimum salary laws starting on page 23 .
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Education - Instructional staff salaries by state, 1929-1946Table 8 shows average salaries of instructional staff (principals, supervisors and teachers) for every state in every year from 1929-1946. Source: U.S. Biennial Survey of Education.
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Engineers' earnings, 1929-1934Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin No. 682
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Firemen - Salaries, late 1930s (link to library item)The Municipal Yearbook shows the salaries of firemen and fire chiefs for all U.S. cities over 30,000 in population. This work is still in active copyright and unavailable online. However, we would be happy to look up a salary for you if you contact us.
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Foundry and machine shop wages, 1931Trends of hours and earnings. Earnings by occupation. Overtime and bonuses.
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Gasoline filling stations and motor-vehicle repair garages - 1931Days, hours and earnings by occupation and city.
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Government workers, federal - Pay scales, 1930-1949Table shows the basic annual pay rates for federal employees of various services and grades (GS-1 through GS-18, P, SP, CAF and CPC). These are not salary averages.
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Household worker wages - Philadelphia, 1928Shows wages for domestic jobs typically occupied by males (chauffeurs, gardeners, butler, etc.) and females (housekeepers, children's nurse, chambermaids, etc.)
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Lawyers' income, 1929-1948Shows lawyers' incomes by regions and states, by size of community served, by the age of the lawyer and number of years in practice, by WWII veteran status, and more. Source: "Income of Lawyers, 1929-1948" in the August 1949 issue of Survey of Current Business.
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Medical personnel - Income of physicians, dentists and [other health workers], 1939-1976Median net income of office-based nonsalaried physicians, dentists and male professional workers in health professions. Covers 1939, 1947, 1951, 1955, 1963, 1965, 1967, and 1970-1976.
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Military pay charts (US), 1908-presentThis is not a government website but it does a good job of organizing a complex topic. For original government documents showing pay, contact us.
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Mining metals - Wages and hours, 1924 and 1931Bulletin of the United States BLS, no. 573.
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Mining bituminous coal - Wages, 1933Average days, hours and earnings. Has some comparison data.
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Newspaper industry - Editorial staff salaries, 1930-1934Tells average weekly salaries of newspaper reporters, photographers, artists, clerks, stenographers, newspaper executives, deskmen and errand boys. Source: 1936 U.S. BLS Handbook of Labor Statistics, p, 987-988.
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Physicians, non-salaried - Average income, 1929-1949Table shows average gross and net incomes for non-salaried physicians for each year from 1929-1949.
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Police salaries, late 1930s (link to library item)The Municipal Yearbook shows the salaries of police patrolmen and police chiefs for all U.S. cities over 30,000 in population. This work is still in active copyright and unavailable online. However, we would be happy to look up a salary for you if you contact us.
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Politicians - State governor salaries, 1935The Congressional Record reported annual salaries for governors of U.S. states and territories.
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Railway employees - Earnings and standard of living during the DepressionReport of an investigation which studied a sample of 1,000 railway workers who remained employed during the Great Depression. The report tells how these individuals' earnings went down, and what they did to make up for the loss (take in renters, etc.)
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Retail shop owner's salaries, 1939In 1939, Dun & Bradstreet conducted a survey of retail shops to obtain data on their costs of operation. The results included data on salaries drawn by shop owners, and were reprinted in U.S. Department of Commerce publications.
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River towboats, wages and hours -1937Data by occupation.
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Slaughtering and meat-packing industry - Wages and hours, 1931Includes tables that give the information by gender and occupation.
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Street-railway employees - Union wages, 1937 and 1938Wages by the hour, shown by job title and by city of employment.
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TeachersSEE "Education," above in this alphabetical list.
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Truckdrivers and Helpers - Union Wages and Hours, 1939Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics
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WPA worker wages in 1939See WPA worker pay briefly discussed on pages 549-550 of this issue. The wage depended on the worker's skill class and the geographic location where he or she worked.
Manufacturing Wages, 1930-1939
WAGES in MANUFACTURING, 1930s -- General sources
See tabs above for specific industries
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Manufacturing - Average weekly 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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Manufacturing jobs - Earnings and hoursPart of the U.S. BLS Employment and Payrolls series, this source provides average wages by industry, not occupation. The industries however are specific, such as radio and phonograph manufacture, jewelry making, ship building and carpet/rug weaving. Click on any of the following dated reports: 1932: November, December; 1933: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December; 1934: January, February.
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Manufacturing wages, 1929-1939Mainly covers cotton textiles, shoes and paper industries. Source: Investigation of Concentration of Economic Power, Monograph no. 5.
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Manufacturing - Average hours and wages, 1929-1936Source shows wage rates and average hours for workers in manufacturing on page 16. Wages for workers with specific kinds of manufacturers -- automobiles, cigars and cigarettes, telephone and telegraph, etc. -- appear on pages 17-24
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Construction - Wages and hours, mid 1930sThis U.S BLS source, “Trend of Employment” shows average wages and hours of work by industry, mainly for manufacturing industries and for construction jobs. Also shows average pay for PWA jobs.
WAGES in FOOD MANUFACTURING, 1930s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Bakery workers - Wages by city and state, 1931Average wages and hours of work by occupation and gender.
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Bread and cake baking wages, 1931Similar data as above but printed in a different government source. Lists wages and hours in the baking industry broken out by occupation, gender, and city.
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Bakeries - Union wages, hours and working conditions, 1939Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), No. 673
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Bread-baking industry - Wages, hours and working conditions, 1934Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin, No. 623
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Cane-sugar refining industry wages, 1930Average wages, hours and earnings by occupation and sex and by sex and district.
WAGES in CLOTHING MANUFACTURING, 1930s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Boot and shoe industry workers' wages, 1910 to 1930Hours and earnings by industry and occupation. Average hours and earnings by sex and state. Bulletin U.S. BLS, No. 551
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Hat manufacturing industries, earnings and hours - 1939Average hourly earnings. Variations by sex and skill, and type of plant.
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Shoe and allied industries - Wages and hours, 1939Average hourly earnings, variations by sex and skill.
WAGES in TEXTILE MANUFACTURING, 1930s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Rayon and synthetic yarn manufacturing, 1930Average wages and hours by occupation and districts. Overtime and bonuses.
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Rayon and synthetic yarn manufacturing, 1932Include tables that break down the information by gender, occupation, and give average hourly and weekly earnings for workers.
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Silk and rayon goods manufacture - Wages and hours, 1931Source: BLS Bulletin, No. 568
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Silk and rayon weavers wage rates - 1934Shows the rates of pay of weavers in silk and rayon mills in certain cities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
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Woolen and worsted goods manufacturing, 1910 to 1932Average earnings and hours worked for workers in woolen and worsted goods manufacturing in 15 states.
WAGES in LEATHER MANUFACTURING, 1930s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Leather industry wages, 1932Average days, hours and earnings by occupation; sex and state; and by kind of leather, sex and state.
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Leather Industries, earnings and hours - 1939Average hourly earnings, hours, comparisons.
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Leather glove industry, hours and earnings -1934Includes tables which give the percentage of people earning within wage ranges.
WAGES in DRUGS and TOILETRIES MANUFACTURING, 1930s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Drugs and toiletries manufacturing - Wages and hours, 1938Shows wages and hours of those employed in the manufacture of medicine as well as toothpaste, shampoo, hair tonic, powders, after shave lotion, mostly in factories located in Illinois, Iowa and New Jersey, plus thirteen additional states. Source: Wages and hours in drugs and medicines and in certain toilet preparations, U.S. Women's Bureau Bulletin #171.
WAGES in CIGARETTE MANUFACTURING, 1930s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Cigarette manufacturing - Wages and hours, 1930Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin No. 532
WAGES in PAPER BOX MANUFACTURING, 1930s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Paper box manufacturing - Wages and hours in 1933, 1934, and 1935Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin, No. 633
WAGES in FURNITURE MANUFACTURING, 1930s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Furniture manufacture - Wages and hours, 1910-1931Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin No. 571
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Furniture manufacturing industry - Wages and hours, 1937Average earning, differences by product and community.
WAGES in RADIO MANUFACTURING, 1930s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Radio manufacturing, hourly earnings - 1937Tables with the hourly earnings by skill type, gender, branch of industry, type of plant, and as a percentage of employees earning a range of hourly rates.
WAGES in AMMUNITION and EXPLOSIVES MANUFACTURING, 1930s
See tabs above for additional industries
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Ammunition industry - Average hourly earnings, 1937Details of workers' hourly and weekly earnings in the ammunition industry in October 1937. Hourly earnings are given by gender, occupation, and skill level.
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Explosives manufacture, earnings and hours - 1937Details the wages earned in the explosives industry (dynamite, TNT, etc.) in October 1937. Includes tables which give the hourly earnings in regards to skill type, occupation, and plant type ("Big Three" or other). Weekly earnings are given by skill level, and as a percentage of employees earning a range of weekly rates.
Women's wages - 1930-1939
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Women's wages, compared to men in same occupationsComparison of women's and men's wages by industry and occupation. Scroll forward in chapter to see all the industry categories plus discussion of each. Taken from "Women in the Economy of the United States of America: A Summary Report," Women's Bureau Bulletin, No. 155
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Monthly earnings of full time women workers in ClevelandBreakdowns by occupation and marital status.
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Monthly earnings of full time women workers in UtahBreakdown by occupation and marital status.
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Women's wages, hours and earnings by occupation, 1928-1934Shows occupations in alphabetical order, and wages/hours/earnings for males and females who worked in those occupations. Source: Handbook of Labor Statistics, 1936 edition.
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Women's wages by industry/occupation, 1935-1940Throughout this report, wages for males and females are compared, but it is first necessary to choose an industry and then occupation. Use the Table of Contents to find a chapter and use the "jump to" box to get to it quickly.
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Household workers' wages by sex - Philadelphia, 1928Shows wages with breakouts for type of household duty: chambermaid, waitress, cleaner, cook, housekeeper, laundress, children's nurse, seamstress, and more.
WOMEN'S WAGES by RACE
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Black women - Earnings by occupation, 1938Wages and earnings are listed and discussed throughout the report "The Negro Woman Worker," U.S. Women's Bureau Bulletin #165.
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Household workers' wages by race - Chicago, 1930Shows wages for domestic workers employed in private homes, with breakouts by race for cooks, kitchen helpers, housekeepers, chamber maids, parlor maids, governesses, child's nurses, laundresses, and those who did "heavy cleaning." Source: U.S. Women's Bureau Bulletin #106.
Wage reports for individual states - 1930s
Wages in MULTIPLE STATES, 1930s
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Building / Construction wages by state and town, 1938Shows prevailing wage rates for 24 different construction occupations in 1,415 localities across the United States. Data is arranged by state and then by locality. This document showed how much workers were paid in the federal WPA program.
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Union wages and hours by U.S. CITIES, 1929-1930Covers a wide variety of occupations, such as railroad sleeping car conductors, boat captains, music engravers and musicians, hatters, actors, barbers, turkish bath attendants, artists, office workers, store clerks, enbalmers and many more. See below for direct links to occupations:
- Bakers, pp. 78-87
- Building trades, pp. 88-142
- Asbestos workers
- Bricklayers
- Building laborers
- Carpenters
- Cement finishers
- Composition roofers
- Elevator constructors
- Engineers, portable and hoisting
- Glaziers
- Hod carriers
- Inside wiremen
- Lathers
- Marble setters
- Mosaic and terrazo workers
- Painters
- Plasterers
- Plumbers and gas fitters
- Sheet-metal workers
- Ship carpenters
- Slate and tile roofers
- Steam and sprinkler fitters
- Stone masons
- Structural-iron workers
- Tile layers
- Chauffeurs and teamsters and drivers, pp.142-164
- Granite and stone trades, pp. 165-168
- Laundry workers, pp. 169-170
- Linemen, pp. 171-172
- Longshoremen pp. 172-173
- Printing and publishing: books, pp. 174-205
- Printing and publishing: newspapers, pp. 205-236
- Metals and machine trades, pp. 238-245
- Transportation occupations, pp. 245-269
- Railway carmen
- Locomotive engineers
- Locomotive firemen
- Conductors and trainmen
- Railroad signalmen
- Railway, express, and steamship clerks
- Maintenance of way employees
- Railroad telegraphers
- Car porters, maids, etc.
- Sleeping and parlor car conductors
- Train dispatchers
- Motormen and conductors, street railways, and bus drivers
- Harbor boatmen
- Marine workers
- Fishing, pp. 269-271
- Coal mining, pp. 272-275
- Paper, printing and publishing trades, pp. 275-279
- Ladies' garment workers, pp. 279-280
- Men’s clothing production, pp. 281-284
- Miscellaneous clothing production, pp. 284-288
- Textile workers, pp. 288-289
- Food, drink and tobacco industry occupations, pp. 289-295
- Glass, clay and stone industry occupations, pp. 295-297
- Woodworkers, pp. 297-298
- Upholsterers, pp 298-299
- Amusements (entertainment industry), pp. 300-308
- Miscellaneous manufacturing, pp. 309- 310
- Miscellaneous trades, pp. 310-324
- Barbers
- Bill posters and circular distributors
- Building-service workers (janitors, window cleaners, elevator operators)
- Store clerks
- Office workers
- Commercial telegraphers
- Telephone workers
- Electrical workers
- Paving workers
Wages in ALABAMA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Alabama by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, p.1-2.
Wages in ARKANSAS, 1930s
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Construction wages in Arkansas by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 5-7.
Wages in ARIZONA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Arizona by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 3-4.
Wages in CALIFORNIA, 1930s
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Construction wages in California by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 8-14.
Wages in COLORADO, 1930s
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Construction wages in Colorado by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 15-16.
Wages in CONNETICUT, 1930s
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Construction wages in Conneticut by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 17-18.
Wages in the DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 1930s
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Motion-picture theater jobs wages in Washington DC, 1931When the movie industry transitioned away from silent films around 1928-1930, it had a big impact on wages, especially for musicians. This 1931 article from the U.S. BLS Monthly Labor Review shows average weekly wages for all movie theater jobs, including ushers, projectionists, musicians, electricians, poster artists, pages, doormen, cashiers, watchmen, cleaning personnel, and elevator boys. Wages are broken out by theaters for white and colored (Negro / African American) audiences.
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Construction wages in District of Columbia by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, p. 20.
Wages in DELAWARE, 1930s
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Construction wages in Delaware by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, p. 19.
Wages in FLORIDA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Florida by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 21-23.
Wages in GEORGIA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Georgia by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 24-25.
Wages in HAWAII, 1930s
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Hawaii wages - 1939Earnings for day and piece-rate workers. Earnings by type of work and race.
Wages in IOWA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Iowa by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 40-42.
Wages in IDAHO, 1930s
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Construction wages in Idaho by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 26-27.
Wages in ILLINOIS, 1930s
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Construction wages in Illinois by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 28-35.
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Household workers' wages by race - Chicago, 1930Shows wages for domestic workers employed in private homes, with breakouts by race for cooks, kitchen helpers, housekeepers, chamber maids, parlor maids, governesses, child's nurses, laundresses, and those who did "heavy cleaning." Source: U.S. Women's Bureau Bulletin #106.
Wages in INDIANA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Indiana by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 36-39.
Wages in KANSAS, 1930s
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Construction wages in Kansas by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 43-44.
Wages in KENTUCKY, 1930s
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Construction wages in Kentucky by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 45-46.
Wages in LOUISIANA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Louisiana by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 47-49.
Wages in MASSACHUSETTS, 1930s
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Massachusetts - Wages and hours, 1935Extensive tables run from page 1-74 in this state document, showing wages and hours for hundreds of detailed occupations, including building trades, food service, hospitality industries, brewing & bottling, printing, trucking, woodworking, manufacturing, theatrical employment, public utilities jobs, telephone operators, public transportation, barbers, engineers, radio telegraph operators, tobacco workers in cigar factories, and many more.
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Construction wages in Massachusetts by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 53-56.
Wages in MARYLAND, 1930s
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Construction wages in Maryland by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 51-52.
Wages in MAINE, 1930s
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Construction wages in Maine by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, p. 50.
Wages in MICHIGAN, 1930s
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Construction wages in Michigan by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 57-60.
Wages in MINNESOTA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Minnesota by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 61-63.
Wages in MISSOURI, 1930s
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Missouri work relief projects - Wage rates by county, 1934-1935Wages for common labor in the Work Relief Program were originally set at thirty cents an hour, but were later changed to better align with prevailing wage rates in the counties. This two-page table shows the rates by county, expressed in cents per hour. Source: Work Relief in Missouri, 1934-1935, a Missouri state publication.
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Missouri - Wages of Civilian Conservation Corps camp enrolleesThis 1939-40 Biennial Report of the Missouri State Social Security Commission gives monthly wages of boys enrolled in Civilian Conservation Corps camps.
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Construction wages in Missouri by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 67-69.
Wages in MISSISSIPPI, 1930s
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Construction wages in Mississippi by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 64-66.
Wages in MONTANA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Montana by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 70-72.
Wages in NORTH CAROLINA, 1930s
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North Carolina - Average earnings in the principal industries, 1938-1940North Carolina state government publication shows average hours and wages for employees in all the major industries, including furniture manufacture, tobacco factories, retail establishments, textile mills, and more.
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Construction Wages in North Carolina by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 89-92.
Wages in NORTH DAKOTA, 1930s
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Construction wages in North Dakota, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, p. 93.
Wages in NEBRASKA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Nebraska by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 73-74.
Wages in NEW HAMPSHIRE, 1930s
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Construction wages in New Hampshire by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, p. 76.
Wages in NEW JERSEY, 1930s
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Construction wages in New Jersey by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 77-80.
Wages in NEW MEXICO, 1930s
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Construction wages in New Mexico by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 81-82.
Wages in NEVADA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Nevada by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, p. 75.
Wages in NEW YORK, 1930s
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Actor's pay in New York, 1932See typical actor's pay listed in the book The Business of the Theatre
prepared on behalf of the New York Actors' Equity Association. Chorus workers made a minimum of $30 a week in New York City. -
Construction wages in New York by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 83-88.
Wages in OHIO, 1930s
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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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Construction wages in Ohio by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 94-98.
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Monthly earnings of full time women workers in ClevelandBreakdowns by occupation and marital status.
Wages in OKLAHOMA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Oklahoma by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 99-101.
Wages in OREGON, 1930s
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Construction wages in Oregon by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 102-105.
Wages in PENNSYLVANIA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Pennsylvania by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 106-110.
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Household workers' wages by sex - Philadelphia, 1928Shows wages with breakouts for type of household duty: chambermaid, waitress, cleaner, cook, housekeeper, laundress, children's nurse, seamstress, and more.
Wages in RHODE ISLAND, 1930s
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Construction wages in Rhode Island by county and town, 1928Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 111-112.
Wages in SOUTH CAROLINA, 1930s
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Construction wages in South Carolina by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 113-116.
Wages in TENNESSEE, 1930s
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Construction wages in Tennessee by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 117-118.
Wages in TEXAS, 1930s
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Texas - Average weekly wages, 1931-1932Shows average weekly wages and hours worked per week by men, women and boys in a variety of job settings, including barbershops, beauty parlors, laundries, hospitals, hotels and cafes, mercantile establishments, printing, manufacturing and more. Source: Texas state Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Construction wages in Texas by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 119-123.
Wages in UTAH, 1930s
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Construction wages in Utah by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 124-125.
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Monthly earnings of full time women workers in UtahBreakdown by occupation and marital status.
Wages in VIRGINIA, 1930s
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Construction wages in Virginia by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 127-130.
Wages in VERMONT, 1930s
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Agriculture - Farm labor wages in Vermont, 1780s-1937Table 26 shows wages for laborers with board for every year from 1780-1937; the explanation begins on page 43. Source: Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station.
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Construction wages in Vermont by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, p. 126.
Wages in WASHINGTON, 1930s
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Construction wages in Washington by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 131-134.
Wages in WISCONSIN, 1930s
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Construction wages in Wisconsin by county and towns, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 138-142.
Wages in WEST VIRGINIA, 1930s
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Construction wages in West Virginia, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 135-137.
Wages in WYOMING, 1930s
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Construction wages in Wyoming by county and town, 1938Shows wages for 15 skilled and 8 semi-skilled construction occupations as well as for unskilled construction labor. Source: Hourly wage rates for WPA and for private and other public construction, pp. 143-144.
Wages in Foreign Countries, 1930-1939
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Wages in 16 European countries by city and occupation, 1931Shows data in 71 cities across 16 European countries plus Canada and the U.S., for occupations in the building trades such as bricklayers, masons, carpenters, plumbers and general laborers. Also shows wages for furniture makers, mechanical engineers, printers and bookbinders, electricians, drivers of motor vehicles and carriages, railway workers and bakers. Wages are shown in American dollars, citing conversion rates for all other currencies.
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Wages and hours in Europe and Canada, 1938-1947Gives wages in Great Britain, France, and Austria beginning in 1938, and Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada beginning in 1939. To find actual wages and not just inflation (price indexes) look for tables that specifically mention units of money, such as schillings and pence for Great Britain, francs for France, Swedish kronor, or look for symbols like $ in the tables. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 934
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Wages in the Netherlands, Yugoslavia, and the Baltic countries, 1929-1932Wages in the countries of Estonia, Finland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands and Yugoslavia are discussed in a chapter on pages 1153-1208 in the U.S. Department of Labor's Monthly Labor Review, May 1932 issue.
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Wages in the Baltic countries, 1933-1937Lists and discusses wages in Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania. Breakouts by industry, including agricultural and industrial workers, loggers, transportation workers and more.
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Wages of seamen on American and European vessels, 1932Shows wages and hours by occupation those on boats under the flags of Great Britain, Denmark, Holland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden. Indicates wages for jobs such as mates, engineers, radio operators, cooks and more.
Wages in ARGENTINA, 1930s
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Wages and hours in Argentina, 1930sArticle includes many data tables and extends from page 456-470.
Wages in FRANCE, 1930s
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Average hourly wages in French cities, 1935-1938This is a table which examines the average hourly wages in francs in various industries like brewing, tailors, coopers, and watchmakers. It is organized by both sex of the worker and location.
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Wage rates and retail prices for French workers, 1938-47This is an article on wage trends and policies in France (1938-1947). It describes the wages for various industries like metal work, woodworking, and transportation. It also compares their wages by skill and sex to prices. The article includes lowest page jobs, allowances for children, and compares wages across French cities.
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Daily wages in French iron and steel industries, 1938This is a table which depicts the daily wages of French workers in the iron and steel industries. It is part of a larger article on French workers and is divided by class of laborer.
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Average hourly wage in the French textile industry, 1938This table is part of a larger article on French workers before the out break of WWII. This table describes the hourly wages of textile workers in different French districts and is divided by task and sex of the worker.
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French wages and wage supplements - 1938, 1946, 1947Tables show wages for military, industry, and commerce workers, and describes how their wages changed throughout the war.
Wages in GERMANY, 1930s
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Labor Conditions in Germany, 1930s-1945Tells wage averages by industry and sex. Includes a chart showing the trend of wages in Germany, 1929-1942. Published in the U.S. Dept of Labor's Monthly Labor Review, April 1945 issue, pages 498-524. (For additional context, see the Nov 1945 issue discussing price controls in Germany, 1936-1945).
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General survey of wages in Germany in 1931Each industry is handled separately in this extensive article from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Monthly Labor Review, June 1932 issue. The following list points to most (but not all) industries covered.
- Agricultural worker wages (hourly for full time work, by district, broken out by sex)
- Boot and shoe manufacturing wages
- Building trades wages (masons, carpenters, painters, roofers, etc.)
- Chemical industry wages (dyes, drugs, explosives, etc.)
- Chocolate factory wages
- Tobacco product manufacturing (cigars, cigarettes, snuff, etc.)
- Bakers and confectioners wages
- Flour milling wages
- Furriers' wages
- Glass factory wages
- Iron and steel worker wages
- Jewelers wages
- Lace making pay in the textile industry
- Lumber industry wages
- Metal working industry wages (machine construction, heating apparatus, shipbuilding, aircraft, railway rolling stock, scientific instruments, etc.)
- Mining coal and copper
- Musical instrument manufacturing
- Paper industry wages
- Printing trades and lithographic work wages
- Shipbuilding wages
- Spinners' and weavers' wages in the textile industry,.
- Woodworking and furniture making wages
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Wages established by collective agreements in Germany, 1931-1932Depicts the hourly wages of various German industries sorted by industrial or textile occupations and sorted by skill-level.
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Furniture making job hours wages in Germany, 1893-1932Shows wages in both German and American currencies.
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Machine-building industry wages in Germany, 1931Shows wage rates, hours and weekly earnings for males of various skill levels, and female workers.
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Building trades earnings in Germany, 1932Chart shows wages for masons, carpenters, helpers and underground workers.
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Wages rates in principle industries in Germany, 1933Shows the average hourly wages by sex, skill level, and city, for industries such as coal, paper, textiles, confectionery, railroad, and all industries, in general.
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Hours and earnings by industry in Germany, 1934-35Several tables provide hours worked and earnings of workers in industries such as brewing, musical-instrument manufacturing, woodworking, and baking. Charts feature breakouts by skill of worker.
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Average hourly and weekly gross earnings for German workers, 1935Describes the average wages earned per hour and week and is divided by industry and class of worker.
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Average hourly and weekly gross earnings of German workers, 1936Describes the average wages earned per hour and week and is divided by industry, including woodworking, metal, and textiles, and class of worker.
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Wages in Germany in 1938Extensive, 17-page article includes many charts and wage detail for all the major Germany industries, and covers some of the years leading up to 1938.
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Average wage rates in Germany by industry, 1938Table shows average hourly wage rates for male and female workers of various skill levels, by industry. This is part of an extensive article, "Labor Conditions in Germany," on pp. 498-524 of this source.
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Labor policy in Germany, 1939The German government issued a decree establishing a complete war economy on September 3, 1939 (Kriegsverpflichteten Wirtschaft). This involved lowering wages, increasing hours and preventing employees from quitting their jobs. Although this article does not tell the post-decree wage rates, we include it here because of the important context it provides. Source: U.S. BLS Monthly Labor Review, June 1940.
Wages in GREAT BRITAIN, 1930s
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Agricultural worker wages, hours and earnings in Great Britain, 1936Shows minimum wage rates and hours of agricultural workers in England and Wales in 1936, by sex and geographic district. Also shows the weekly earnings of Scottish shepherds, plowmen, cattlemen, farm hands and dairy workers are also listed, along with the value of the job perquisites (board and lodging).
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Wages in Great Britain, 1937Extensive article spanning pages 868-895 includes many tables showing wages by industry in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Wages in INDO-CHINA, 1930s
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Wages in French Indo-China, 1931-1937This article describes the daily wages paid to workers in French-occupied Indo-China, including breakouts for the cities of Hanoi and Saigon. Table shows wages by class, sex, and location of worker.
Wages in JAPAN, 1930s
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Wages in Japan, 1933-1934Shows average wages by industry, occupation and sex in Japan, with separate tables listing wages in Tokyo and the Kobe consular district and Taiwan (Formosa). Wages are expressed both in yen and in dollars.
Wages in MEXICO, 1930s
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Wages in Mexico, 1937-1938Extensive, 20-page article includes many data tables and detailed discussion of Mexican wages by industry.
Wages in PALESTINE, 1930s
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Union wages in Palestine, 1931Union wages reported in article titled "Economic and Social Conditions in Palestine" printed in the U.S. Department of Labor publication, Monthly Labor Review, March 1932.
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Wages in Palestine, 1936Tells wages in agriculture, manufacturing and construction jobs with breakouts by sex and Arab/Jewish. Includes wages for child labor in cigarette factories.
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Wages in Palestine, 1938Includes wage data for Jewish and Arab workers, with breakouts by sex in Sep 1937 and March 1938.
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Wages in Palestine, 1939Article includes tables showing wage breakouts for Jewish and Arabian laborers in Palestine, working in agricultural industry, manufacturing and construction. Article also includes tables showing union daily wage rates in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa.
Wages in the SOVIET UNION, 1930s
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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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Payments-in-kind earnings of peasants on Kolkhoz farms, 1935-1937This short article describes the Soviet Government process for redistribution of farm products to collective farm workers. It describes the average changes to earnings of grain per working day during the given time period.
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Fixed wages for agricultural workers, 1935This article lists specific fixed daily wages in combinations of rubles and grain in kilograms. Wages are divided by type of machine operated and amount of work completed.
Family income, 1930s
"It should be emphasized that income tax returns are frequently but erroneously used as an indication of the number of families at different income levels..... only about 4 million persons file returns whereas there are 30 million families in the United States." -- Daniel Starch, Ph.D., writing in 1930 (Source)
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Distribution of Family Income in the Unites States, 1935-1936Source reports income of families regardless of source (going beyond salaries and wages, this would include rental income, business income, etc.) Families could have more than one member in the labor force. Source: Consumer Incomes in the U.S.
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Income of the American Family, ca. 1930The author (former university professor Daniel Starch) presents a methodology and estimates the average American family income as of 1930.
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Median household income by race in southeast Missouri, 1935"In 1935, the median gross income for white [home] owners was $1,269; for white renters is was $854; for white share-croppers it fell to $415; and for white farm laborers the median was $264. When Negro households are considered, the median gross income is still lower, $251." This study covered the Missouri counties of Pemiscot, Dunklin and New Madrid only.
Prices in the United States, 1930-1939
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Food prices, 1923-1936The link above provides prices averaged across 51 U.S. cities on pages 77-94 in the source. Click "more..." for links to prices for specific foods by city.
Pep Flakes cost 12¢ in 1930. See prices of more name brands -
Food prices, 1937-1938Average retail prices for 63 foods in 51 large U.S. cities combined. Scroll forward in the source for price breakouts by city.
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Food prices - May 1939Average retail prices for 63 foods in 51 large U.S. cities combined.
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Food prices - November 1939Average retail prices of 63 foods in 51 large U.S. cities combined.
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Prices for name brand, packaged grocery items, 1930-1931Compares average retail prices for "warehoused" name brand grocery items at independent stores and chain stores in Detroit and Memphis.
- Memphis grocery prices in October 1930. Source: Chain Stores
- Detroit grocery prices in Jan-Feb 1931. Source: Chain Stores
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Average retail food prices reported annually from 1890-1970This one-page table shows the average retail prices for bread, milk, eggs, meats, fruits, vegetables, coffee, beans, sugar, margarine, etc. each year from 1890-1970. Data collection took place in about 30-60 U.S. cities. Jump to page 193 of this resource for an excellent explanation of the historical table and the methodology of data collection.
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Food prices paid by farmers, 1939Average prices paid for groceries by farmers in rural areas. The U.S. Dept of Agriculture recorded how much they paid for a pound of coffee, butter, rice, bacon or lard, as well as other foods, clothing, supplies and more.
Farmers paid these prices for groceries in 1939 -
Milk prices by city and state - May 1935Gives the price for home delivery and for sale at retail stores. Milk prices were reported monthly in the U.S. government publication Crops and Markets. Click on any issue and search for the phrase "fluid milk market" to get milk prices for other dates.
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Restaurant food and drink prices, 1930sSite has nearly 2,000 scanned restaurant menus from the 1930-1939 decade, mostly from the New York area. This is not a government resource but it can be useful for spot-checking prices for specific food and drinks at restaurants.
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Sears mail order catalog, 1936This link leads to the first page of the index to the 1936 Sears Catalog. Find the item desired in the index and enter the page number in the "Jump to" box in HathiTrust.
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Sears Christmas catalog, 1937This link leads to WishbookWeb.com, a site that features historic mail order catalogs in color. Find retail prices for clothing, jewelry, toys, household decor and furnishings, gift items and more.
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Investigation of concentration of economic power (U.S. Senate publication) - 1930sAppendix II (starting on page 242) shows ....
* Prices for ladies' foundation garments, girdles and brassieres
* Prices for ladies cheap dresses and medium quality dresses
* Prices for girls' cotton dresses, girls' socks, women's hose, women's coats
* Prices for men's work shirts
* Prices for washing machines, vacuum cleaners, radios, refrigerators -
Clothing prices paid by farmers, 1935-1939 averageSee average prices for men's wool suits, trousers, overalls, work shirts, socks, work shoes and rubber boots, as well as women's silk/rayon hose, percale house dresses, underwear and shoes. Prices for sheets and fabrics are also provided. Table also shows data for 1942, 1943 and 1944.
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Price of farm tools and implements, 1937Prices are listed in the Sears Complete Line of Modern Farm Operating Equipment catalog dated 1937. Not a government document.
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Median value of owned (non-farm) homes by state, 1930Indicates value of owned homes by state with further breakouts for domestic or foreign born owners, and by white or Negro/African-American owners. Source: 1930 Census.
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Median monthly rent by state and race, 1930Shows median monthly rent by state, with further breakouts for urban/rural rented homes, race of occupants, and by native and foreign-born whites. Source: 1930 Census.
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Cost to rent, and value of owner-occupied homes - early 1930sRents and home values are listed in the chapter "Housing Conditions in American Cities, 1934" on page 241 of the 1936 Handbook of Labor Statistics. There are special sections that discuss low-cost apartment rentals and tenements in New York City, and housing costs (including rentals) in Philadelphia.
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Weekly rent for low-rent housing in New York City, 1937Details on Harlem River Houses, a low-rent housing community, built by the Housing Division of the Public Works Administration and the New York Housing Authority in 1934-1936.
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Sears home plans with estimated costs to build, 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 estimated cost to build. For detail on labor costs, see the book Estimating Construction Costs by G. Underwood (1930).
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Average value of farm land and buildings per acre, 1930Average dollar value per acre for farm land (along with any buildings on the land), broken out by U.S. region. 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.
HOUSEHOLD UTILITIES - RATES, 1930s
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Electricity - Average monthly bill, 1930-1939One-page table shows the average amount billed for residential electricity service on October 1 or January 1 of each year for cities over 50,000 population. Source: Federal Power Commission.
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Electricity, average monthly bills for residential service, by city - 1936Gives the price per kilowatt hour and total net monthly bill for households having various electrical appliances in 1936.
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Electricity, changes in retail price -- 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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Changes in retail prices of [natural] gas, 1923-36In residences, natural gas was mainly for cooking and water heating. Source: BLS Bulletin, no. 628
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Coal for household use, 1931-1932Average retail price of coal by city for April and May of 1931 and 1932.
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Hospital room rates, 1930Tells the rates to stay in a hospital room but not other charges such as lab work, x-rays, surgery and other professional services. Source: BLS Handbook of Labor Statistics, 1931 edition.
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Drug store prices, 1930-1931Compares average retail prices for drug-store items at independent stores and chain stores in Detroit and Memphis. Includes drug items, toilet items and miscellaneous items.
- Detroit, MI prices in Feb 1931. Source: Chain Stores (Serial Set 9783).
- Memphis, TN prices in Oct-Nov 1930. Source: Chain Stores (Serial Set 9783).
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Cost of medical care in the 1930sPublished in 1937, The cost of adequate medical care is a thorough investigation into the costs of medical care in the 1930s. In includes the 1933-34 Fee table of the Chicago Medical Society, expected fee schedules and unit costs for services with breakdowns based on type of practitioner and disease category, and more.
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Physicians' services, 1935-1936The average cost of a house call was $2.39 as compared with $1.54 for a visit to a physician in their office. Source: Family expenditures for medical care, five regions, page 14.
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Health and beauty item retail prices, 1931Congressional hearing reports average prices of items typically sold in drug stores such as over-the counter pain relievers and remedies, shaving cream, face lotion, face powder, toothpaste, tooth brush, shampoo, eye drops, etc.
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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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Comparison of bus, railroad and airfares between selected U.S. cities, 1939Single table shows bus, railway or airplane fares for easy comparison. Source: "The National Traffic Pattern," a congressional report published in 1944.
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Comparison of air and rail passenger fares, 1932Air passenger fares averaged 6.2 cents per mile in 1932, according to the U.S. Dept of Commerce. Chart compares fares, transit time and distance for selected routes. Source: Brookings Institution report, The American Transportation Problem.
CAR PRICES
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Chevrolet car prices, 1930-1939See full page images and detailed descriptions of each model on pages 14-58 (source).
1938 car advertisement
from Collier's Magazine -
New car prices in the 1930s, according to NADAManufacturer suggested retail prices (MSRP) for 1930s cars and trucks are available through the NADA website. Choose a make, year, and body type. Select a car then enter any zip code. Click "Get Base Values" to see the original suggested retail price.
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Car prices 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).
1938 car advertisementGASOLINE PRICES
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Gasoline prices paid by farmers, 1910-1943Under 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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Gasoline - Retail price in Los Angeles CA, 1933Retail prices for gasoline in the Los Angeles area ranged from 12.5 cents to 16.5 cents per gallon in June 1933. Retail price data is also available for April 1933 and May 1933. Source: "California Refinery Market," a regular column in National Petroleum News.
TRAIN FARES
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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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Railway passenger ticket prices - 1930-1933Railroad passenger fares were generally calculated on a cents-per-mile basis. See full railroad passenger fare overview in the section titled "Carrier Price," in the U.S. document "Passenger Traffic Report" on pages 38-39. Also find average price per guest in dollars for compartments, upper berths, lower berths, bedrooms, drawing rooms, and private sections on reserved railway cars in the year 1933.
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Railway passenger fares, 1933-1940Fares shown in cents per mile. Further discussion and explanation begins on page 107 in this passenger traffic study by the Association of American Railroads.
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RR ticket prices between NYC and Chicago, 1910-1944Source: Association of American Railroads' Passenger traffic study, p. 395.
BUS FARES
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Intercity bus fares before 1935The Motor Carrier Act of 1935 imposed standards on intercity bus fares. This book (not a government document) explains the unpredictable nature of fares before Congress passed the law.
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Greyhound bus fares from Washington DC, 1931Newspaper advertisement shows advertised fares to cities in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
AIR FARES
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Airfare, 1930Chart shows U.S. commercial passenger air routes as well as the fare to travel between cities. Source: Air Travel News, January 1930 issue, pages 59-64. Not a government publication.
STEAMSHIP FARES
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Steamship fare from New York to Europe, ca. 1936Shows summer rates. Source: American Automobile Association. For more context on the differences between steamers and classes of travel, see the section Choice of Steamer in the book Planning a Trip Abroad (1931)
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Cost of attending college, 1933-1934Lists average college tuition, student fees, room and board for 1933 and 1934. Turn to specific pages to see breakouts:
-Table 1. Summary of Averages.
-Table 2. State-controlled universities and colleges. Pages 11-14
-Table 3. Municipal Colleges and Universities Page 15
-Table 4. Privately Controlled Colleges and Universities. Pages 15-18.
-Table 5. Denominationally Controlled Institutions. Pages 19-22
-Table 6. Independent Technological Institutions,Including all that are publicly controlled and/or accredited by the Association of American Universities. Page 23. -
College costs by institution, 1938Shows tuition, fees, room and board charged at individual colleges and universities. List arranged by state. Source: Working your way through college, pp. 144-163 (published 1941).
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Average college tuition and fees by major, 1939Shows estimated average tuition and other required fees for higher education in 1939 and 1947. Does not include living expenses (room and board). Source: President's Commission on Higher Education.
Cost of Living and Consumer Expenditures, 1930s
In addition to the links below, we highly recommend the book America's Capacity to Consume, published in 1934 by the Brookings Institution. It is unparalleled in its reporting of personal and household income as well as consumer expenditures in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
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Cost of clothing for moderate-income families, 1935-44Bulletin of the US.. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), No. 789
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Family expenditures for selected cities, 1935-36Provides an in-depth look at average family expenditures based on several factors.Includes city, family type, income, race, and in some cases, occupation type.
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Medical care expenditures, 1935-1936The report Family expenditures for medical care, five regions has nearly 300 pages of discussion and data tables, with breakouts by race, income level and more. This is a USDA Bureau of Home Economics publication.
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Food diets at four levels of nutritive content and cost, 1934Describes four types of diets in November 1934, with regards to their nutritional information and costs at 1931-1932 retail prices. It breaks down cost by food product, such as milk, eggs, and fruits, as well as by city, including New York and St. Louis. Costs of food items starts on page 13.
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Family expenditure in Chicago, 1935-36Family income by occupational group, sources, by family composition.
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Family income and expenditure in selected urban communities, 1935-36Covers the west central/Rocky Mountain region of the U.S.
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Standards of living in four southern Appalachian Mountain counties, 1938Part 10 of the Social Research Report,an overview of the average standard of living of families in four counties, two in North Carolina and two in Kentucky, in 1938. Provides average family expenditures on and values of commodities like housing, food, education, and automobiles.
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Wisconsin farm families - Income and expenditures, 1929-1930A sample of 900 rural families revealed that average annual income was $1103, while the average cost of living was $1454. Also shows the average value of necessary things that could be produced on the farm. Source: Farm Family Living in Wisconsin, published 1933.
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Expenditures of students at Ohio State University, 1933This report presents data from a study on the expenditures and buying activities of students at Ohio State University collected in the winter semester of 1933. It included room, food, laundry, beauty shop services, clothing, and more. The list of tables may also help locate pages of interest.
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Standard of living for minimum wage households, Detroit MI, 1929Ford Motor Company considered $7/day its "minimum wage" in 1929. This study shows the standard of living it provided for families of 4-5 people which were supported only by a husband earning that wage. Shows prices and annual expenditures for purchases in categories. Also details the quality of housing, typical home furnishings, etc. for these families. See pages 11-55 in the 1931 U.S. Dept of Labor Handbook of Labor Statistics.
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Standards of living in seven rural resettlement communities, 1938As a way to analyze the success of a handful of settlements established by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration for economically disadvantaged families in the 1930s, this report checked on family expenditures. Seven such communities were analyzed for this report. It is not meant to report on average prices so much as it is to show household expenditures of certain families.
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Money disbursements of wage earners and clerical workers, 1933-35Study covered 13 small cities, focusing on cost of living, expenditure patterns, expenditures for specific goods.
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Money disbursements of wage earners and clerical workers, 1934-36Study covered in 8 cities in the east north central region, focusing on income and disbursements. Shows expenditures on specified goods.
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Money disbursements of wage earners and clerical workers, 1934-36Covers five cities in the Pacific region, focusing on income and disbursements. Includes expenditures on specified goods.
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Money disbursements of wage earners and clerical workers, 1934-36: Summary VolumeExpenditures on food, housing, clothing, medical care, etc.
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Money disbursements of wage earners and clerical workers, 1934-36Covers five cities in the west north central-mountain region, focusing on income and disbursements. Includes expenditures on specified goods.
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Wartime prices, 1939-1941Tracks price changes between the invasion of Poland (August 1939) and the attack on Pearl Harbor in December, 1941. The focus is on wholesale and commodity price fluctuations and the reasons behind the changes, and tracks profit margins for sellers. It does not give actual retail prices.
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The farmer's share of the consumer's food dollar (1937)Includes annual consumption by family and prices on selected food items.
Prices in Foreign Countries, 1930-1939
Sources showing prices in MULTIPLE COUNTRIES, 1930s
Click the tabs above for single countries.
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Gasoline prices in foreign countries - 1936See gasoline prices by the gallon and motor oil by the quart in each of 65 countries. Source: American Automobile Association.
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World retail prices and taxes on gasoline, kerosene, and motor lubricating oilsReports prices in U.S. cents using exchange rates in effect at the time. Source: U.S. Department of the Interior.
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Hotel prices in Europe, ca. 1930Hotel prices are discussed on pages 83-88 of the book "Planning a Trip Abroad," published in 1931.
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Cost of "Food basket" in the U.S. and 20 other countries, 1932For each of 19 European countries plus the US and Canada, this source shows the average cost of a "food basket" containing a standardized selection of grocery items consumed in a typical household.
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Retail prices in 16 European countries, the U.S. and Canada, 1931Table compares the cost of a few dozen specific foods and household fuels (firewood, coal and electricity) across 18 countries. Amounts are expressed in American dollars with currency conversions cited for all foreign monies.
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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.
Prices in CENTRAL AMERICA and the CARIBBEAN, 1930s
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Motion picture admission prices in Central America and the Caribbean, 1931The U.S. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce reported movie ticket prices in Trade Information Bulletin #754 . See ticket prices for: British Honduras (Belize), Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvadore, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico.
Prices in FRANCE, 1930s
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Paris, France prices listed in tourist guidebook published 1932See book Password to Paris: Advice for the Thrifty, published in the U.S. in 1932. Not a government document.
Prices in the SOVIET UNION, 1930s
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Prices of food and consumer goods in the Soviet Union, 1936-1940This article and accompanying table list retail prices of select foodstuffs and clothing in state retail stores for the years of 1936, 1939, and 1940.
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Cost of living and fixed food prices in the Soviet Union, 1934-1935This article discusses the abolition of the ration card system and implementation of fixed food prices with the economic implications for each. Tables include fixed prices for bread, flour, meat and other foodstuffs. Also included are fixed monthly wages for workers in the textile industry.
Cost of Living in Foreign Countries, 1930-1939
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Estimated expenditures to maintain standard of living in European countries, 1930Describes the cost of living for middle-class families in France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands compared to the cost of living in England. It also lists the estimated cost of items like food, rent, education and taxes.
Buying power of historic wages expressed in today's dollars
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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 2016 had the same buying power as 4 cents in 1913. Conversely, a dollar earned in 1913 had the same buying power as $24.24 in the year 2016.
Quotable facts for the 1930-1939 decade
In the United States...
- In 1938, minimum wages was $0.25 per hour. Source: U.S. Department of Labor
- In 1930, bread cost an average of $0.09 per pound. Source: U.S. BLS
- In 1930, milk cost an average of $0.28 per ½ gallon. Source: U.S. BLS
- In 1930, eggs cost an average of $0.44 per dozen. Source: U.S. BLS
- In 1930, sugar cost an average of $0.061 per pound. Source: U.S. BLS
- In 1930, flour cost an average of $0.23 per 5lbs. Source: U.S. BLS
- In 1930, the cost of the popular car, the Ford Model A, was $435. Source: J.D. Power
- In 1939, the average cost of a gallon of gasoline was 18.6¢. Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
- In 1930, the average cost of a passenger train ticket per mile was $0.0272. Source: Section of Transportation Service
- In 1938, the median monthly salaries of public health staff nurses started at $122 per month. Source: U.S. BLS
- In 1930, public school teachers made a median salary between $2,077 for kindergarten teachers and $3,436 for department leaders at high schools. Source: U.S. BLS
- In 1932, the median income for engineers at various ages and professional degrees was $2, 574. Source: U.S. BLS
Timeline -- Major Economic Events 1930-1938
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
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" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" (with 1936-1938 supplement)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
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