Prices and Wages by Decade: 1970-1979

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, 1970-1979

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WAGES - GENERAL SOURCES (all occupations and worker types)

Average annual wages and salaries across all industries - 1960-1974
For those who want the simplest possible figure, this shows the average for all industries combined. Scroll forward in the book to find average weekly earnings and other breakouts. Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1976 edition.
Minimum wage set by federal law, 1938-2009
The first federal minimum wage law was enacted in 1938. Get downloadable data from FRED.
Minimum wage set by state laws, 1968-2016
Shows the minimum wage rates set by state laws, as well as the federal minimum wage rate. Source: U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division.
Hundreds of occupations - Expected earnings, 1970s
The 1978-1979 Occupational Outlook Handbook discusses each occupation in a short chapter. Many of these include a section titled "Earnings and Working Conditions." Use the Table of Contents to find a page number, then enter it in the "Jump to" box.
State government employees - Salary by state and occupation, 1970s
This resource provides state by state salary comparisons for a large number of occupations typically found in state government. Includes accountants, auditors, buyer, purchasing agents, computer programmers, corrections officers, civil engineers, conservation officers, economists, environmental quality specialists, hospital administrators, laboratory technologists, physicians, nurses, psychiatrists, librarians, personnel specialists, social workers, statisticians, and more. Additional volumes covering 1971-1972 are available. See this example of a table for librarian salaries in 1975.
Employment and Earnings, 1954-2007
Select any year from 1954-2007; tables of contents will appear for each issue. Look for tables describing EARNINGS expressed in "current dollars." Mostly covers jobs in manufacturing, industry and production. Note that earnings data for states and major cities are also available in these reports.
Wage Chronologies
Lists of monitored changes in wage rates for selected large U.S. companies including General Motors, Chrysler Corp., Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Berkshire Hathaway, Swift, Armour, United States Steel Corporation, Carolina Coach Co., Western Greyhound Bus Lines, International Harvester Company, International Shoe Co., Bethlehem Atlantic shipyards, Sinclair Oil Companies, Pacific Coast Shipbuilding, Massachusetts Shoe Manufacturing, Ford Motor Company, International Paper Co., Aluminum Company of America, Rockwell International, Boeing, and more. Covers the late 1930s through the 1970s.
Wages and salaries by industry, 1976-1979
Locate data for an individual industry in the table, or see the average across all domestic industries or all private industries. Some industries breakouts include legal services, government employees, motion picture industry, health services, banking, hotel industry, educational services, real estate, social services and more.
Earnings in the South, 1973-1978
This article discusses the relatively low average earnings in the South, with tables showing hourly earnings in 1973 and 1973 on pages 28, 30, and 31 (source).
College and high school graduate wages and earnings - 1979
This article investigates the economic value of a college education. Table 2 (p.20) shows mean annual earnings of college graduates by cohort in 1979 and 1989, table 3 (p.21) compares annual earnings and hourly wages of college versus high school graduates those same years. Please note: data given in 1990 dollars (source).
Workers paid by the hour - Hourly earnings, 1979-1984
This article reports the median hourly earnings of workers paid hourly rates by sex and race for the years 1979 to 1984, see table on page 23 (source).
Profiles of occupational pay: a chartbook
The purpose of this book is to correct common misunderstandings and it quotes pay rates for some jobs to illustrate its points. For example it explains that all workers in one occupation (such as janitors) did not necessarily earn similar pay. It varied a great deal depending on the industry, the location, and how much responsibility the employee had in the position. Benefits also played a part in the total compensation package.

PERSONAL and FAMILY INCOME

Consumer Income Reports, 1944-2018
IMPORTANT: wages can be only one part of overall income. Wages alone do not necessarily equate to a person's total income. If income works for your purposes, you can find income tables in the Census Bureau's Current Population Reports P-60 series, "Consumer Income."
This series, which presents data on families, individuals, and households at various income levels, includes a number of annual sub-series as well as individual and advanced data reports.
★ Click "more..." for direct links to 1970s reports.

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- Advance data reports
  - Poverty Increases by 1.2 Million in 1970
  - Median Family Income Up in 1970
- Household Incomes in:
  - 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
- Income of Families and Persons in:
  - 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
- Characteristics of the Low-Income Population:
  - 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
- Supplementary Report on the Low-Income Population: 1966 to 1972
- Income and Educational Attainment of Men in the United States, 1956 to 1972
- Money Income and Poverty Status of Families and Persons (Advance Reports):
  - 1974, 1975 and 1974 Revisions, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
- Household Money Income in 1975, by Housing Tenure and Residence
- Money Income and Poverty Status in 1975 of Families and Persons in the
- Lifetime Earnings Estimates for Men and Women in the United States: 1979
Family income, 1968-1987
This pair of articles examine the income and earning of dual-earning families for 1968-1978 and 1974-1987, the later with breakdowns by age of children and race of family. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review.
Weekly earnings of families, 1979-1980
Weekly earnings of families by number of earners are shown on page 11 of this report on unemployment in 1980 (source).

Earnings by race and sex, 1970-1979

EARNINGS by both RACE AND SEX, 1970s

The links below lead to earnings data for race and sex combinations (for example, white women, black men, etc.

Wages and salaries by race and sex - 1970
This table of mean incomes by race and gender is from an article on inequality in wages and salaries for 1960-1980. This source also shows overall mean incomes by census region and industry sector. Source: U.S. Monthly Labor Review, April 1989.
Earnings by race and sex -1978
This table from an article on earnings inequality shows mean earnings for white, black, and Hispanic workers by sex for the years 1978 and 1988 (source).
Earnings by race and sex, 1979
Shows median and mean for each race/sex combination. Further breaks out earnings data by the number of weeks worked in 1979. Source: 1980 Census.
Black college graduates - Earnings, 1979
This article investigates the earnings of college-educated black men and women in 1979 and 1989. Table 6 on page 19 shows median weekly earnings of black workers by age, sex, and educational attainment (source).
Employees in city government - 1976
This article discusses the employment of women and minorities by large city government from 1976 to 1983, table 5 on page 23 shows median salaries by sex and race (source).

EARNINGS by RACE, 1970s

Inupiat wages at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska - 1977
This article on Native Americans in the work force describes the North Slope Borough, an Inupiat government, of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska and wages it paid adult workers, see page 49 (source).
Black men - Earnings, 1979
This article investigates the earnings gap between black and white men from 1979 to 1989. Table 2 on page 70 shows average annual earnings by industry (source).

EARNINGS by SEX, 1970s

Women's and men's annual earnings, 1951-1991
Compare women's and men's median earnings over thirty years in one simple table. Year-round, full time workers only. Note: "current dollars" are unadjusted figures. "Real dollars" are computed figures showing adjustment for inflation. Source: 1993 Handbook on women workers.
Median earnings by sex and occupation, 1970-1976
Tables 35-39 compare median earnings of women and men. Source: U.S. Dept of Labor Working Women: a Databook.
Women's income and earnings, 1970-1974
The 1975 Handbook on Women Workers includes an entire chapter (p.123-179) with statistics and analysis on women's income and earnings for the early 1970s:
- Women’s income compared with men’s (p.125-132)
- Income reports for women by experience, age, education, occupation, union membership, and race (p.132-137)
- Earnings by occupation (p.144-173) including clerical workers, school teachers, nurses, allied nursing personnel, scientists, engineers, technical workers, Federal employees, Armed Services personnel, manufacturing (textile mills, apparel, and furniture), banking, life insurance, communications, cleaning services, grocery stores
- Benefits received (p.174-179)
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Or use the table of contents and then jump to a page.
Military wives - Earnings, 1975
This article on the employment situation for military wives discusses family incomes and earnings of wives in both military and civilian families, see tables on page 63 (source).
Annual earnings of women in select occupations, 1975
This article discusses earnings differences by sex and contains a table showing median annual earnings of women in select occupations for 1975 (p.51) (source).

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Occupations include
- kindergarten and prekindergarten teachers
- secretaries
- waiters/waitresses
- bookkeepers
- cashiers
- hairdressers and cosmetologists
- nursing aides, orderlies, attendants
- stenographers
- elementary school teachers
- food service workers
- clerical workers
- sales clerks and retail trade
- payroll and timekeeping clerks
- counter clerks
- statistical clerks
- housekeepers
- packers and wrappers
- therapists
- knitters, loopers, toppers
- building interior cleaners
- office managers
- social workers
- assemblers
- checkers, examiners, inspectors, manufacturing
- secondary school teachers
- computer operators
- painters and sculptors
- real estate agents and brokers
- personnel and labor relations workers
- bartenders
- insurance adjusters, examiners, investigators
- sales managers and retail department heads
- accountants
- machine operatives
- postal clerks
- school administrators
- production controllers
- farm laborers
- bank officers and financial managers
- computer programmers
- janitors and sextons
- insurance agents, brokers, underwriters
- managers and administrators
- medical and osteopathic physicians
- freight and material handlers
- blue-collar work supervisors
- farmers
Self-employed women - Earnings, 1975
This table shows the median earnings (annual, weekly, and hourly) for self-employed versus wage-and-salary women and men in 1990 and 1975 (source).
Part time vs. full time wages of women, May 1977
This profile of part-time women workers compares the hourly earnings of part-timers to full-time workers, see page 10 (source).
Earnings of women workers by industry, 1978
This table from an article on earnings inequality shows mean earnings of full-time women workers by industry for the years 1978 and 1987. Scroll back one page for men's (source).
Family incomes - Working vs. nonworking mothers, 1979
This article on working mothers discusses family incomes in 1979 on pages 51-52
(source).
Mean and median annual earnings of women - 1979
This article discusses the distribution of wages by gender in the 1980s. See table 1 (p.6) for the mean and median annual earnings of women and men in 1979 and 1989; see table 2 (p.8) for mean annual earnings for men and women by educational attainment for the same years. Please note: data is in 1992 dollars (source).

Wages by metro area for selected occupations, 1970-1979

Click on a state tab above to see cities and metro areas. These are U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys that show pay for occupations such as secretary, stenographer, typist, messenger, file clerk, bookkeeper, payroll clerk, keypunch operator, computer systems analyst, computer programmer, registered nurse, carpenter, electrician, painter, machinist, mechanic, pipefitter, toot and die maker, janitor, porter, cleaner, and laborer and more.

Alabama

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Birmingham, Alabama, Metropolitan Area
- March 1970 (Bulletin 1660-57)
- March 1971 (Bulletin 1685-63)
- March 1972 (Bulletin 1725-58)
- March 1973 (Bulletin 1775-65)
- March 1976 (Bulletin 1900-11)
- March 1977 (Bulletin 1950-8)
- March 1978 (Bulletin 2025-15)
Huntsville, Alabama, Metropolitan Area
- February 1972 (Bulletin 1725-50)
- February 1974 (Bulletin 1795-13)
- February 1976 (Bulletin 1900-17)
- February 1977 (Bulletin 1950-4)
- February 1978 (Bulletin 2025-4)
- February 1979 (Bulletin 2050-3)

Arizona

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Phoenix, Arizona, Metropolitan Area
- March 1970 (Bulletin 1660-70)
- June 1971 (Bulletin 1685-86)
- June 1972 (Bulletin 1725-94)
- June 1973 (Bulletin 1775-96)
Tucson, Arizona
- May 1976

Arkansas

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Little Rock-North Little Rock, Arkansas, Metropolitan Area
- July 1970 (Bulletin 1685-1)
- July 1971 (Bulletin 1725-4)
- July 1972 (Bulletin 1775-2)
Memphis, Tennessee-Arkansas, Metropolitan Area
- November 1970 (Bulletin 1685-30)
- November 1971 (Bulletin 1725-40)
- November 1972 (Bulletin 1775-30)
- November 1973 (Bulletin 1795-11)
Memphis, Tennessee-Arkansas-Mississippi, Metropolitan Area
- November 1975 (Bulletin 1850-85)
- November 1976 (Bulletin 1900-75)
- November 1977 (Bulletin 1950-63)
- November 1978 (Bulletin 2025-62)
- November 1979 (Bulletin 2050-56)

California

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

California Labor Market Bulletin - Statistical Supplements
Shows earnings and hours of labor by industry and by city or metro area.

1972 -- monthly issues bound in one volume
1976 -- monthly issues bound in one volume

State employee salaries in California, 1970s
See 1972-73, 1974-75, 1975-76, and 1976-77. Arranged by the state agency or institution, this source includes just about every conceivable job title for people employed by state government. Here you will find the salaries of chemists, veterinarians, librarians, attorneys, college professors, janitors, laundry workers and everything in between. Recommended: use the "search in this text" box to quickly find job titles.

Colorado

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Denver, Colorado, Metropolitan Area
- December 1970 (Bulletin 1685-41)
- December 1971 (Bulletin 1725-44)
- December 1972 (Bulletin 1775-35)
- December 1973 (Bulletin 1775-35, supp)
Denver-Boulder, Colorado, Metropolitan Area
- December 1974 (Bulletin 1850-15)
- December 1975 (Bulletin 1850-82)
- December 1976 (Bulletin 1900-73)
- December 1977 (Bulletin 1950-74)
- December 1978 (Bulletin 2025-68)
- December 1979 (Bulletin 2050-71)

Connecticut

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Hartford, Connecticut, Metropolitan Area
- March 1975 (Bulletin 1850-28)
- March 1976 (Bulletin 1900-14)
- March 1977 (Bulletin 1950-9)
- March 1978 (Bulletin 2025-14)
- March 1979 (Bulletin 2050-12)
New Haven, Connecticut, Metropolitan Area
- January 1970 (Bulletin 1660-40)
- January 1971 (Bulletin 1685-35)
- January 1972 (Bulletin 1725-41)
- January 1973 (Bulletin 1775-46)
Stamford, Connecticut, Metropolitan Area
- May 1976 (Bulletin 1900-40)
Waterbury, Connecticut, Metropolitan Area
- March 1970 (Bulletin 1660-54)
- March 1971 (Bulletin 1685-55)
- March 1972 (Bulletin 1725-53)
- March 1974 (Bulletin 1775-58, supp)

District of Columbia

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Virginia, Metropolitan Area
- April 1971 (Bulletin 1685-56)
- March 1972 (Bulletin 1725-93)
- March 1973 (Bulletin 1775-75)
- March 1975 (Bulletin 1850-31)
- March 1976 (Bulletin 1900-12)
- March 1977 (Bulletin 1950-11)
- March 1978 (Bulletin 2025-12)
- March 1979 (Bulletin 2050-4)

Delaware

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Area Wage Surveys
- Lower Eastern Shore, Maryland - Virginia - Delaware, August 1975
Employment and Earnings
- Average weekly earnings of manufacturing production workers in Wilmington, DE, reported annually
  - May 1970
  - May 1972
  - May 1974
  - May 1975
  - May 1976
  - May 1978
  - May 1979

Delaware State Planning Office, Social and Economic Analysis Section:

Quality of life in Delaware: an overview (1975), tables 17 and 18

Florida

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Daytona Beach, Florida, Metropolitan Area
- August 1974 (Bulletin 1850-1)
- August 1975 (Bulletin 1850-47)
- August 1976 (Bulletin 1900-45)
- August 1977 (Bulletin 1950-43)
- August 1978 (Bulletin 2025-48)
- August 1979 (Bulletin 2050-41)
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Florida, Metropolitan Area
- April 1972 (Bulletin 1725-74)
- April 1973 (Bulletin 1775-64)
- April 1975 (Bulletin 1850-26)
- April 1976 (Bulletin 1900-20)
Gainesville, Florida, Metropolitan Area
- September 1975 (Bulletin 1850-57)
- September 1976 (Bulletin 1900-54)
- September 1977 (Bulletin 1950-46)
- September 1978 (Bulletin 2025-45)
Jacksonville, Florida, Metropolitan Area
- December 1970 (Bulletin 1685-37)
- December 1971 (Bulletin 1725-39)
- December 1972 (Bulletin 1775-31)
- December 1973 (Bulletin 1795-8)
- December 1975 (Bulletin 1850-81)
- December 1976 (Bulletin 1900-80)
- December 1977 (Bulletin 1950-67)
- December 1978 (Bulletin 2025-67)
- December 1979 (Bulletin 2050-68)
Melbourne-Titusville-Cocoa, Florida, Metropolitan Area
- August 1973 (Bulletin 1795-2)
- August 1974 (Bulletin 1850-5)
- August 1975 (Bulletin 1850-54)
Miami, Florida, Metropolitan Area
- November 1970 (Bulletin 1685-29)
- November 1971 (Bulletin 1725-28)
- November 1972 (Bulletin 1775-29)
- October 1975 (Bulletin 1850-76)
- October 1976 (Bulletin 1900-66)
- October 1977 (Bulletin 1950-57)
- October 1978 (Bulletin 2025-60)
- October 1979 (Bulletin 2050-55)
Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida, Metropolitan Area
- November 1970 (Bulletin 1685-17)
- November 1971 (Bulletin 1725-31)
- August 1972 (Bulletin 1775-9)

Georgia

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Atlanta, Georgia, Metropolitan Area
- May 1970 (Bulletin 1660-76)
- May 1971 (Bulletin 1685-69)
- May 1972 (Bulletin 1725-77)
- May 1973 (Bulletin 1775-79)
- May 1975 (Bulletin 1850-25)
- May 1976 (Bulletin 1900-30)
- May 1977 (Bulletin 1950-17)
- May 1978 (Bulletin 2025-28)
- May 1979 (Bulletin 2050-20)
Chattanooga, Tennessee-Georgia, Metropolitan Area
- September 1970 (Bulletin 1685-10)
- September 1971 (Bulletin 1725-14)
- September 1972 (Bulletin 1775-14)
- September 1975 (Bulletin 1850-67)
- September 1976 (Bulletin 1900-57)
- September 1977 (Bulletin 1950-44)
- September 1978 (Bulletin 2025-51)
- September 1979 (Bulletin 2050-39)
Savannah, Georgia, Metropolitan Area
- May 1970 (Bulletin 1660-80)
- May 1971 (Bulletin 1685-72)
- May 1972 (Bulletin 1725-73)
- May 1973 (Bulletin 1775-77)

Idaho

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Boise City, Idaho, Metropolitan Area
- November 1970 (Bulletin 1685-21)
- November 1971 (Bulletin 1725-27)
- November 1972 (Bulletin 1775-32)

Illinois

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Chicago, Illinois, Metropolitan Area
- June 1970 (Bulletin 1660-90)
- June 1971 (Bulletin 1685-90)
- June 1972 (Bulletin 1725-92)
- May 1973 (Bulletin 1775-88)
- May 1974 (Bulletin 1795-27)
- May 1975 (Bulletin 1850-33)
- May 1976 (Bulletin 1900-32)
- May 1977 (Bulletin 1950-41)
- May 1978 (Bulletin 2025-32)
- May 1979 (Bulletin 2050-21)
Davenport-Rock Island-Moline, Iowa-Illinois, Metropolitan Area
- February 1971 (Bulletin 1685-51)
- February 1972 (Bulletin 1725-55)
- February 1973 (Bulletin 1775-57)
- February 1974 (Bulletin 1795-14)
- February 1976 (Bulletin 1900-25)
- May 1977 (Bulletin 1950-26)
- February 1978 (Bulletin 2025-6)
- February 1979 (Bulletin 2050-10)
Rockford, Illinois, Metropolitan Area
- May 1970 (Bulletin 1660-75)
- May 1971 (Bulletin 1685-79)
- June 1972 (Bulletin 1725-84)
- June 1973 (Bulletin 1775-80)
St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois, Metropolitan Area
- March 1970 (Bulletin 1660-66)
- March 1971 (Bulletin 1685-65)
- March 1972 (Bulletin 1725-61)
- March 1973 (Bulletin 1775-69)
- March 1976 (Bulletin 1900-19)
- March 1977 (Bulletin 1950-10)
- March 1978 (Bulletin 2025-13)
- March 1979 (Bulletin 2050-13)

Indiana

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Cincinnati, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana, Metropolitan Area
- February 1970 (Bulletin 1660-49)
- February 1971 (Bulletin 1685-53)
- February 1972 (Bulletin 1725-56)
- February 1973 (Bulletin 1775-53)
- February 1974 (Bulletin 1795-16)
- March 1976 (Bulletin 1900-7)
- July 1977 (Bulletin 1950-45)
- July 1978 (Bulletin 2025-39)
- July 1979 (Bulletin 2050-28)
Gary-Hammond-East Chicago, Indiana, Metropolitan Area
- October 1979 (Bulletin 2050-60)
Indianapolis, Indiana, Metropolitan Area
- October 1970 (Bulletin 1685-31)
- October 1971 (Bulletin 1725-23)
- October 1972 (Bulletin 1775-27)
- October 1975 (Bulletin 1850-66)
- October 1976 (Bulletin 1900-58)
- October 1977 (Bulletin 1950-56)
- October 1978 (Bulletin 2025-57)
- October 1979 (Bulletin 2050-54)
Louisville, Kentucky-Indiana, Metropolitan Area
- November 1971 (Bulletin 1725-29)
- November 1972 (Bulletin 1775-37)
- November 1974 (Bulletin 1850-12)
- November 1975 (Bulletin 1850-79)
- November 1976 (Bulletin 1900-69)
- November 1977 (Bulletin 1950-66)
- November 1978 (Bulletin 2025-69)
- November 1979 (Bulletin 2050-65)
South Bend, Indiana, Metropolitan Area
- March 1970 (Bulletin 1660-62)
- March 1971 (Bulletin 1685-61)
- March 1972 (Bulletin 1725-60)
- March 1973 (Bulletin 1775-54)
- March 1974 (Bulletin 1795-18)
- March 1976 (Bulletin 1900-5)
- August 1977 (Bulletin 1950-51)
- August 1978 (Bulletin 2025-44)
- August 1979 (Bulletin 2050-44)

Iowa

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Davenport-Rock Island-Moline, Iowa-Illinois, Metropolitan Area
- February 1971 (Bulletin 1685-51)
- February 1972 (Bulletin 1725-55)
- February 1973 (Bulletin 1775-57)
- February 1974 (Bulletin 1795-14)
- February 1976 (Bulletin 1900-25)
- May 1977 (Bulletin 1950-26)
- February 1978 (Bulletin 2025-6)
- February 1979 (Bulletin 2050-10)
Des Moines, Iowa, Metropolitan Area
- May 1970 (Bulletin 1660-73)
- May 1971 (Bulletin 1685-70)
- May 1972 (Bulletin 1725-86)
- May 1973 (Bulletin 1775-72)
Omaha, Nebraska-Iowa, Metropolitan Area
- September 1970 (Bulletin 1685-14)
- September 1971 (Bulletin 1725-13)
- September 1972 (Bulletin 1775-16)
- October 1974 (Bulletin 1850-10)
- October 1975 (Bulletin 1850-56)
- October 1976 (Bulletin 1900-61)
- October 1977 (Bulletin 1950-55)
- October 1978 (Bulletin 2025-56)
- October 1979 (Bulletin 2050-51)
Waterloo, Iowa, Metropolitan Area
- January 1970 (Bulletin 1660-45)
- November 1970 (Bulletin 1685-32)
- November 1971 (Bulletin 1725-20)
- November 1972 (Bulletin 1775-26)
- November 1973 (Bulletin 1795-5)

Kansas

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas, Metropolitan Area
- September 1970 (Bulletin 1685-16)
- September 1971 (Bulletin 1725-18)
- September 1972 (Bulletin 1775-17)
- September 1973 (Bulletin 1795-4)
- September 1975 (Bulletin 1850-55)
- September 1976 (Bulletin 1900-60)
- September 1977 (Bulletin 1950-54)
- September 1978 (Bulletin 2025-53)
- September 1979 (Bulletin 2050-58)
Wichita, Kansas, Metropolitan Area
- April 1970 (Bulletin 1660-69)
- April 1971 (Bulletin 1685-64)
- April 1972 (Bulletin 1725-82)
- April 1973 (Bulletin 1775-70)
- April 1974 (Bulletin 1795-20)
- April 1976 (Bulletin 1900-21)
- April 1977 (Bulletin 1950-16)
- April 1978 (Bulletin 2025-16)
- April 1979 (Bulletin 2050-18)

Wichita Municipal Government Wage Survey

1973 edition shows mean and median monthly earnings for a wide variety of occupations, such as police, fire fighters, computer programmers, refuse collectors, librarians, accountants, engineers, social workers and more.

Kentucky

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Cincinnati, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana, Metropolitan Area
- February 1970 (Bulletin 1660-49)
- February 1971 (Bulletin 1685-53)
- February 1972 (Bulletin 1725-56)
- February 1973 (Bulletin 1775-53)
- February 1974 (Bulletin 1795-16)
- March 1976 (Bulletin 1900-7)
- July 1977 (Bulletin 1950-45)
- July 1978 (Bulletin 2025-39)
- July 1979 (Bulletin 2050-28)
Lexington, Kentucky Area, Metropolitan Area
- November 1972 (Bulletin 1775-22)
Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky, Metropolitan Area
- November 1975 (Bulletin 1850-84)
Louisville, Kentucky, Metropolitan Area
- November 1970 (Bulletin 1685-27)
Louisville, Kentucky-Indiana, Metropolitan Area
- November 1971 (Bulletin 1725-29)
- November 1972 (Bulletin 1775-37)
- November 1974 (Bulletin 1850-12)
- November 1975 (Bulletin 1850-79)
- November 1976 (Bulletin 1900-69)
- November 1977 (Bulletin 1950-66)
- November 1978 (Bulletin 2025-69)
- November 1979 (Bulletin 2050-65)

Louisiana

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

New Orleans, Louisiana, Metropolitan Area
- January 1970 (Bulletin 1660-42)
- January 1971 (Bulletin 1685-36)
- January 1972 (Bulletin 1725-35)
- January 1973 (Bulletin 1775-47)
- January 1974 (Bulletin 1795-15)
- January 1976 (Bulletin 1900-2)
- January 1977 (Bulletin 1950-5)
- January 1978 (Bulletin 2025-5)
- January 1979 (Bulletin 2050-2)
- October 1979 (Bulletin 2050-53)

Maine

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Portland, Maine, Metropolitan Area
- November 1970 (Bulletin 1685-19)
- November 1971 (Bulletin 1725-22)
- November 1972 (Bulletin 1775-21)
- November 1973 (Bulletin 1795-6)
- November 1975 (Bulletin 1850-72)
- December 1976 (Bulletin 1900-72)
- December 1977 (Bulletin 1950-69)
- December 1978 (Bulletin 2025-70)
- December 1979 (Bulletin 2050-63)

Maryland

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Baltimore, Maryland, Metropolitan Area
- August 1970 (Bulletin 1685-18)
- August 1971 (Bulletin 1725-16)
- August 1972 (Bulletin 1775-20)
- August 1975 (Bulletin 1850-62)
- August 1976 (Bulletin 1900-52)
- August 1977 (Bulletin 1950-39)
- August 1978 (Bulletin 2025-50)
- August 1979 (Bulletin 2050-42)
Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Virginia, Metropolitan Area
- April 1971 (Bulletin 1685-56)
- March 1972 (Bulletin 1725-93)
- March 1973 (Bulletin 1775-75)
- March 1975 (Bulletin 1850-31)
- March 1976 (Bulletin 1900-12)
- March 1977 (Bulletin 1950-11)
- March 1978 (Bulletin 2025-12)
- March 1979 (Bulletin 2050-4)
Lower Eastern Shore, Maryland - Virginia - Delaware
- August 1975

Massachusetts

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Boston, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Area
- August 1970 (Bulletin 1685-11)
- August 1971 (Bulletin 1725-11)
- August 1972 (Bulletin 1775-13)
- August 1975 (Bulletin 1850-58)
- August 1976 (Bulletin 1900-53)
- August 1977 (Bulletin 1950-50)
- August 1978 (Bulletin 2025-43)
- August 1979 (Bulletin 2050-50)
Lawrence-Haverhill, Massachusetts-New Hampshire, Metropolitan Area
- June 1970 (Bulletin 1660-82)
- June 1971 (Bulletin 1685-83)
- June 1972 (Bulletin 1725-81)
- June 1973 (Bulletin 1775-93)
Providence-Pawtucket-Warwick, Rhode Island-Massachusetts, Metropolitan Area
- May 1970 (Bulletin 1660-72)
- May 1971 (Bulletin 1685-80)
- May 1972 (Bulletin 1725-70)
- May 1973 (Bulletin 1775-84)
- May 1974 (Bulletin 1795-24)
- June 1975 (Bulletin 1850-27)
- June 1976 (Bulletin 1900-31)
- June 1977 (Bulletin 1950-22)
- June 1978 (Bulletin 2025-27)
- June 1979 (Bulletin 2050-38)
Worcester, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Area
- May 1970 (Bulletin 1660-78)
- May 1971 (Bulletin 1685-73)
- May 1972 (Bulletin 1725-71)
- May 1973 (Bulletin 1775-76)
- May 1975 (Bulletin 1850-24)
- April 1976 (Bulletin 1900-16)
- April 1977 (Bulletin 1950-15)
- April 1978 (Bulletin 2025-19)
- April 1979 (Bulletin 2050-23)

Michigan

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Detroit, Michigan, Metropolitan Area
- February 1970 (Bulletin 1660-58)
- February 1971 (Bulletin 1685-77)
- February 1972 (Bulletin 1725-68)
- March 1973 (Bulletin 1775-89)
- March 1975 (Bulletin 1850-62)
- March 1976 (Bulletin 1900-15)
- March 1977 (Bulletin 1950-13)
- March 1978 (Bulletin 2025-11)
- March 1979 (Bulletin 2050-7)
- NOTE: additional salary data is available from a Municipal Government Wage Survey for Detroit, Michigan. Contact us for help locating a particular job salary in this volume.
Muskegon-Muskegon Heights, Michigan, Metropolitan Area
- June 1970 (Bulletin 1660-85)
- June 1971 (Bulletin 1685-82)
- June 1972 (Bulletin 1725-85)
- June 1973 (Bulletin 1775-91)
Saginaw, Michigan, Metropolitan Area
- November 1974 (Bulletin 1850-16)
- November 1975 (Bulletin 1850-71)
- November 1976 (Bulletin 1900-74)
- November 1977 (Bulletin 1950-59)
- November 1978 (Bulletin 2025-64)
- November 1979 (Bulletin 2050-52)
Toledo, Ohio-Michigan, Metropolitan Area
- February 1970 (Bulletin 1660-56)
- April 1971 (Bulletin 1685-74)
- April 1972 (Bulletin 1725-78)
- April 1973 (Bulletin 1775-63)
- May 1975 (Bulletin 1850-34)
- May 1976 (Bulletin 1900-24)
- May 1977 (Bulletin 1950-18)
- May 1978 (Bulletin 2025-24)
- May 1979 (Bulletin 2050-16)

Minnesota

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, Metropolitan Area
- January 1970 (Bulletin 1660-46)
- January 1971 (Bulletin 1685-44)
- January 1972 (Bulletin 1725-45)
- January 1973 (Bulletin 1775-49)
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota-Wisconsin, Metropolitan Area
- January 1975 (Bulletin 1850-20)
- January 1976 (Bulletin 1900-3)
- January 1977 (Bulletin 1950-3)
- January 1978 (Bulletin 2025-2)
- January 1979 (Bulletin 2050-1)

Mississippi

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Jackson, Mississippi, Metropolitan Area
- January 1970 (Bulletin 1660-39)
- January 1971 (Bulletin 1685-39)
- January 1973 (Bulletin 1775-44)
- January 1974 (Bulletin 1795-12)
- February 1976 (Bulletin 1900-8)
- January 1977 (Bulletin 1950-2)
  - January 1977 Corrections [Errata]
- January 1978 (Bulletin 2025-1)
- January 1979 (Bulletin 2050-9)
  - January 1979 Corrections [Errata]
Memphis, Tennessee-Arkansas-Mississippi, Metropolitan Area
- November 1975 (Bulletin 1850-85)
- November 1976 (Bulletin 1900-75)
- November 1977 (Bulletin 1950-63)
- November 1978 (Bulletin 2025-62)
- November 1979 (Bulletin 2050-56)

Missouri

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas, Metropolitan Area
- September 1970 (Bulletin 1685-16)
- September 1971 (Bulletin 1725-18)
- September 1972 (Bulletin 1775-17)
- September 1973 (Bulletin 1795-4)
- September 1975 (Bulletin 1850-55)
- September 1976 (Bulletin 1900-60)
- September 1977 (Bulletin 1950-54)
- September 1978 (Bulletin 2025-53)
- September 1979 (Bulletin 2050-58)
St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois, Metropolitan Area
- March 1970 (Bulletin 1660-66)
- March 1971 (Bulletin 1685-65)
- March 1972 (Bulletin 1725-61)
- March 1973 (Bulletin 1775-69)
- March 1976 (Bulletin 1900-19)
- March 1977 (Bulletin 1950-10)
- March 1978 (Bulletin 2025-13)
- March 1979 (Bulletin 2050-13)

Montana

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Billings, Montana, Metropolitan Area
- July 1974 (Bulletin 1850-6)
- July 1975 (Bulletin 1850-46)
- July 1976 (Bulletin 1900-39)
- July 1977 (Bulletin 1950-40)
- July 1978 (Bulletin 2025-38)
- July 1979 (Bulletin 2050-43)

Nebraska

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Omaha, Nebraska-Iowa, Metropolitan Area
- September 1970 (Bulletin 1685-14)
- September 1971 (Bulletin 1725-13)
- September 1972 (Bulletin 1775-16)
- October 1974 (Bulletin 1850-10)
- October 1975 (Bulletin 1850-56)
- October 1976 (Bulletin 1900-61)
- October 1977 (Bulletin 1950-55)
- October 1978 (Bulletin 2025-56)
- October 1979 (Bulletin 2050-51)

New Hampshire

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Lawrence-Haverhill, Massachusetts-New Hampshire, Metropolitan Area
- June 1970 (Bulletin 1660-82)
- June 1971 (Bulletin 1685-83)
- June 1972 (Bulletin 1725-81)
- June 1973 (Bulletin 1775-93)
Manchester, New Hampshire, Metropolitan Area
- July 1970 (Bulletin 1685-2)
- July 1971 (Bulletin 1725-2)
- July 1972 (Bulletin 1775-8)

New Jersey

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pennsylvania-New Jersey Metropolitan Area
- May 1970 (Bulletin 1660-83)
- May 1971 (Bulletin 1685-75)
- May 1972 (Bulletin 1725-87)
- May 1973 (Bulletin 1775-90)
New York, New York-New Jersey, Metropolitan Area
- May 1975 (Bulletin 1850-45)
- May 1976 (Bulletin 1900-48)
- May 1977 (Bulletin 1950-31)
- May 1978 (Bulletin 2025-35)
- May 1979 (Bulletin 2050-30)
Newark and Jersey City, New Jersey, Metropolitan Area
- January 1970 (Bulletin 1660-47)
- January 1971 (Bulletin 1685-47)
- January 1972 (Bulletin 1725-52)
- January 1973 (Bulletin 1775-50)
Newark, New Jersey, Metropolitan Area
- January 1975 (Bulletin 1850-18)
- January 1976 (Bulletin 1900-10)
- January 1977 (Bulletin 1950-7)
- January 1978 (Bulletin 2025-7)
- January 1979 (Bulletin 2050-5)
Paterson-Clifton-Passaic, New Jersey, Metropolitan Area
- June 1970 (Bulletin 1660-87)
- June 1971 (Bulletin 1685-84)
- June 1972 (Bulletin 1725-88)
- June 1975 (Bulletin 1850-38)
- June 1976 (Bulletin 1900-38)
- June 1977 (Bulletin 1950-34)
- June 1978 (Bulletin 2025-36)
- June 1979 (Bulletin 2050-26)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-New Jersey, Metropolitan Area
- November 1970 (Bulletin 1685-34)
- November 1971 (Bulletin 1725-62)
- November 1972 (Bulletin 1775-45)
- November 1973 (Bulletin 1795-19)
- November 1975 (Bulletin 1850-65)
- November 1976 (Bulletin 1900-64)
- November 1977 (Bulletin 1950-62)
- November 1978 (Bulletin 2025-54)
- November 1979 (Bulletin 2050-57)
Trenton, New Jersey, Metropolitan Area
- September 1970 (Bulletin 1685-15)
  - Sept. 1970 Corrections [Errata]
- September 1971 (Bulletin 1725-12)
- September 1972 (Bulletin 1775-12)
- September 1975 (Bulletin 1850-60)
- September 1976 (Bulletin 1900-56)
- September 1977 (Bulletin 1950-47)
- September 1978 (Bulletin 2025-55)
- September 1979 (Bulletin 2050-40)

New Mexico

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, Metropolitan Area
- March 1970 (Bulletin 1660-55)
- March 1971 (Bulletin 1685-58)
- March 1972 (Bulletin 1725-59)
- March 1973 (Bulletin 1775-52)

New York

These bulletins are part of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys unless otherwise noted.

North Carolina

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Charlotte, North Carolina, Metropolitan Area
- March 1970 (Bulletin 1660-61)
- January 1971 (Bulletin 1685-48)
- January 1972 (Bulletin 1725-48)
- January 1973 (Bulletin 1775-39)
Durham, North Carolina, Metropolitan Area
- April 1973 (Bulletin 1775-61)
- December 1973 (Bulletin 1795-9)
Greensboro—Winston-Salem—High Point, North Carolina, Metropolitan Area
- August 1974 (Bulletin 1850-2)
- August 1975 (Bulletin 1850-49)
- August 1976 (Bulletin 1900-47)
- August 1977 (Bulletin 1950-42)
- August 1978 (Bulletin 2025-46)
- August 1979 (Bulletin 2050-49)
Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Portsmouth, Virginia-North Carolina, Metropolitan Area
- May 1975 (Bulletin 1850-29)
- May 1977 (Bulletin 1950-20)
- May 1978 (Bulletin 2025-20)
- May 1979 (Bulletin 2050-22)
Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Portsmouth and Newport News-Hampton, Virginia-North Carolina, Metropolitan Area
- January 1973 (Bulletin 1775-51)
- May 1975 (Bulletin 1850-30)
- May 1976 (Bulletin 1900-33)
- May 1977 (Bulletin 1950-21)
- May 1978 (Bulletin 2025-21)
Raleigh, North Carolina, Metropolitan Area
- August 1970 (Bulletin 1685-12)
- August 1971 (Bulletin 1725-5)
- August 1972 (Bulletin 1775-7)
- December 1973 (Bulletin 1795-7)
Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, Metropolitan Area
- February 1976 (Bulletin 1900-18)

Ohio

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Oklahoma

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Metropolitan Area
- July 1970 (Bulletin 1685-5)
- July 1971 (Bulletin 1725-8)
- July 1972 (Bulletin 1775-6)
- August 1974 (Bulletin 1850-7)
- August 1975 (Bulletin 1850-51)
- August 1976 (Bulletin 1900-42)
- August 1977 (Bulletin 1950-49)
- August 1978 (Bulletin 2025-40)
- August 1979 (Bulletin 2050-37)

Oregon

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Portland, Oregon-Washington, Metropolitan Area
- May 1970 (Bulletin 1660-77)
- May 1971 (Bulletin 1685-85)
- May 1972 (Bulletin 1725-89)
- May 1973 (Bulletin 1775-87)
- May 1974 (Bulletin 1795-26)
- May 1975 (Bulletin 1850-40)
- May 1976 (Bulletin 1900-51)
- May 1977 (Bulletin 1950-32)
- May 1978 (Bulletin 2025-25)
- May 1979 (Bulletin 2050-27)

Pennsylvania

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pennsylvania-New Jersey, Metropolitan Area
- May 1970 (Bulletin 1660-83)
- May 1971 (Bulletin 1685-75)
- May 1972 (Bulletin 1725-87)
- May 1973 (Bulletin 1775-90)
Binghamton, New York-Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Area
- July 1975 (Bulletin 1850-50)
- July 1976 (Bulletin 1900-49)
Northeast Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Area
- August 1974 (Bulletin 1850-8)
- August 1975 (Bulletin 1850-52)
- August 1976 (Bulletin 1900-43)
- August 1977 (Bulletin 1950-38)
- August 1978 (Bulletin 2025-47)
- August 1979 (Bulletin 2050-32)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-New Jersey, Metropolitan Area
- November 1970 (Bulletin 1685-34)
- November 1971 (Bulletin 1725-62)
- November 1972 (Bulletin 1775-45)
- November 1973 (Bulletin 1795-19)
- November 1975 (Bulletin 1850-65)
- November 1976 (Bulletin 1900-64)
- November 1977 (Bulletin 1950-62)
- November 1978 (Bulletin 2025-54)
- November 1979 (Bulletin 2050-57)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Area
- January 1970 (Bulletin 1660-60)
- January 1971 (Bulletin 1685-49)
- January 1972 (Bulletin 1725-46)
- January 1973 (Bulletin 1775-67)
- January 1976 (Bulletin 1900-1)
- January 1977 (Bulletin 1950-1)
- January 1978 (Bulletin 2025-3)
- January 1979 (Bulletin 2050-11)
Scranton, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Area
- July 1970 (Bulletin 1685-3)
- July 1971 (Bulletin 1725-1)
- July 1972 (Bulletin 1775-10)
York, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Area
- February 1970 (Bulletin 1660-63)
- February 1971 (Bulletin 1685-50)
- February 1972 (Bulletin 1725-54)
- February 1973 (Bulletin 1775-59)
- February 1975 (Bulletin 1850-32)
- February 1976 (Bulletin 1900-4)
- February 1977 (Bulletin 1950-6)
- February 1978 (Bulletin 2025-8)
- February 1979 (Bulletin 2050-6)

Rhode Island

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Providence-Pawtucket-Warwick, Rhode Island-Massachusetts, Metropolitan Area
- May 1970 (Bulletin 1660-72)
- May 1971 (Bulletin 1685-80)
- May 1972 (Bulletin 1725-70)
- May 1973 (Bulletin 1775-84)
- May 1974 (Bulletin 1795-24)
- June 1975 (Bulletin 1850-27)
- June 1976 (Bulletin 1900-31)
- June 1977 (Bulletin 1950-22)
- June 1978 (Bulletin 2025-27)
- June 1979 (Bulletin 2050-38)

South Carolina

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Greenville, South Carolina, Metropolitan Area
- May 1970 (Bulletin 1660-79)
- May 1971 (Bulletin 1685-78)
- May 1972 (Bulletin 1725-66)
- May 1973 (Bulletin 1775-86)
Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, Metropolitan Area
- June 1975 (Bulletin 1850-42)
- June 1976 (Bulletin 1900-36)
- June 1977 (Bulletin 1950-33)
- June 1978 (Bulletin 2025-30)
- June 1979 (Bulletin 2050-29)

South Dakota

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Metropolitan Area
- December 1970 (Bulletin 1685-38)
- December 1971 (Bulletin 1725-30)
- December 1972 (Bulletin 1775-43)

Tennessee

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Chattanooga, Tennessee-Georgia, Metropolitan Area
- September 1970 (Bulletin 1685-10)
- September 1971 (Bulletin 1725-14)
- September 1972 (Bulletin 1775-14)
- September 1975 (Bulletin 1850-67)
- September 1976 (Bulletin 1900-57)
- September 1977 (Bulletin 1950-44)
- September 1978 (Bulletin 2025-51)
- September 1979 (Bulletin 2050-39)
Memphis, Tennessee-Arkansas, Metropolitan Area
- November 1970 (Bulletin 1685-30)
- November 1971 (Bulletin 1725-40)
- November 1972 (Bulletin 1775-30)
- November 1973 (Bulletin 1795-11)
Memphis, Tennessee-Arkansas-Mississippi, Metropolitan Area
- November 1975 (Bulletin 1850-85)
- November 1976 (Bulletin 1900-75)
- November 1977 (Bulletin 1950-63)
- November 1978 (Bulletin 2025-62)
- November 1979 (Bulletin 2050-56)

Texas

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Austin, Texas, Metropolitan Area
- December 1972 (Bulletin 1775-42)
- December 1975 (Bulletin 1850-83)
Beaumont-Port Arthur-Orange, Texas, Metropolitan Area
- May 1970 (Bulletin 1660-84)
- May 1971 (Bulletin 1685-68)
- May 1972 (Bulletin 1725-69)
- May 1973 (Bulletin 1775-82)
Corpus Christi, Texas, Metropolitan Area
- July 1974 (Bulletin 1850-3)
- July 1975 (Bulletin 1850-37)
- July 1976 (Bulletin 1900-41)
- July 1977 (Bulletin 1950-35)
- July 1978 (Bulletin 2025-29)
- July 1979 (Bulletin 2050-33)
Dallas, Texas, Metropolitan Area
- October 1970 (Bulletin 1685-22)
- October 1971 (Bulletin 1725-26)
- October 1972 (Bulletin 1775-25)
Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, Metropolitan Area
- October 1975 (Bulletin 1850-59)
- October 1976 (Bulletin 1900-63)
- October 1977 (Bulletin 1950-65)
- October 1978 (Bulletin 2025-52)
- December 1979 (Bulletin 2050-66)
Fort Worth, Texas, Metropolitan Area
- October 1970 (Bulletin 1685-25)
- October 1971 (Bulletin 1725-21)
- October 1972 (Bulletin 1775-24)
Houston, Texas, Metropolitan Area
- April 1970 (Bulletin 1660-67)
- April 1971 (Bulletin 1685-67)
- April 1972 (Bulletin 1725-79)
- April 1974 (Bulletin 1795-22)
- April 1976 (Bulletin 1900-26)
- August 1977 (Bulletin 1950-48)
- April 1978 (Bulletin 2025-23)
- April 1979 (Bulletin 2050-15)
Lubbock, Texas, Metropolitan Area
- March 1970 (Bulletin 1660-50)
- March 1971 (Bulletin 1685-60)
- March 1972 (Bulletin 1725-57)
- March 1973 (Bulletin 1775-55)
Midland and Odessa, Texas, Metropolitan Area
- January 1970 (Bulletin 1660-44)
- January 1971 (Bulletin 1685-40)
- January 1972 (Bulletin 1725-37)
- January 1973 (Bulletin 1775-41)
  - January 1973 Corrections [Errata]
San Antonio, Texas, Metropolitan Area
- May 1970 (Bulletin 1660-71)
- May 1971 (Bulletin 1685-81)
- May 1972 (Bulletin 1725-67)
- May 1973 (Bulletin 1775-78)
- May 1974 (Bulletin 1795-21)
- May 1975 (Bulletin 1850-23)
- May 1976 (Bulletin 1900-23)
- May 1977 (Bulletin 1950-24)
- May 1978 (Bulletin 2025-17)
- May 1979 (Bulletin 2050-17)

Utah

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Salt Lake City, Utah, Metropolitan Area
- November 1970 (Bulletin 1685-26)
- November 1971 (Bulletin 1725-24)
- November 1972 (Bulletin 1775-33)
Salt Lake City-Ogden, Utah, Metropolitan Area
- November 1975 (Bulletin 1850-74)
- November 1976 (Bulletin 1900-65)
- November 1977 (Bulletin 1950-68)
- November 1978 (Bulletin 2025-72)
- November 1979 (Bulletin 2050-62)

Vermont

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Burlington, Vermont, Metropolitan Area
- March 1970 (Bulletin 1660-53)
- March 1971 (Bulletin 1685-59)
- December 1971 (Bulletin 1725-25)
- December 1972 (Bulletin 1775-28)

Virginia

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Norfolk-Portsmouth and Newport News-Hampton, Virginia, Metropolitan Area
- January 1970 (Bulletin 1660-59)
- January 1971 (Bulletin 1685-46)
- January 1972 (Bulletin 1725-42)
Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Portsmouth, Virginia-North Carolina, Metropolitan Area
- May 1975 (Bulletin 1850-29)
- May 1977 (Bulletin 1950-20)
- May 1978 (Bulletin 2025-20)
- May 1979 (Bulletin 2050-22)
Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Portsmouth and Newport News-Hampton, Virginia-North Carolina, Metropolitan Area
- January 1973 (Bulletin 1775-51)
- May 1975 (Bulletin 1850-30)
- May 1976 (Bulletin 1900-33)
- May 1977 (Bulletin 1950-21)
- May 1978 (Bulletin 2025-21)
Richmond, Virginia, Metropolitan Area
- March 1970 (Bulletin 1660-65)
- March 1971 (Bulletin 1685-62)
- March 1972 (Bulletin 1725-72)
- March 1973 (Bulletin 1775-68)
- March 1974 (Bulletin 1795-25)
- June 1975 (Bulletin 1850-41)
- June 1976 (Bulletin 1900-34)
- June 1977 (Bulletin 1950-23)
- June 1978 (Bulletin 2025-26)
- June 1979 (Bulletin 2050-24)
Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Virginia, Metropolitan Area
- April 1971 (Bulletin 1685-56)
- March 1972 (Bulletin 1725-93)
- March 1973 (Bulletin 1775-75)
- March 1975 (Bulletin 1850-31)
- March 1976 (Bulletin 1900-12)
- March 1977 (Bulletin 1950-11)
- March 1978 (Bulletin 2025-12)
- March 1979 (Bulletin 2050-4)
Lower Eastern Shore, Maryland - Virginia - Delaware
- August 1975

Washington

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Portland, Oregon-Washington, Metropolitan Area
- May 1970 (Bulletin 1660-77)
- May 1971 (Bulletin 1685-85)
- May 1972 (Bulletin 1725-89)
- May 1973 (Bulletin 1775-87)
- May 1974 (Bulletin 1795-26)
- May 1975 (Bulletin 1850-40)
- May 1976 (Bulletin 1900-51)
- May 1977 (Bulletin 1950-32)
- May 1978 (Bulletin 2025-25)
- May 1979 (Bulletin 2050-27)
Seattle-Everett, Washington, Metropolitan Area
- January 1970 (Bulletin 1660-52)
- January 1972 (Bulletin 1725-47)
- January 1973 (Bulletin 1775-56)
- January 1974 (Bulletin 1795-17)
- January 1976 (Bulletin 1900-6)
- January 1977 (Bulletin 1950-12)
- December 1977 (Bulletin 1950-75)
- December 1978 (Bulletin 2025-74)
- December 1979 (Bulletin 2050-67)
Spokane, Washington, Metropolitan Area
- June 1970 (Bulletin 1660-86)
- June 1971 (Bulletin 1685-88)
- June 1972 (Bulletin 1725-91)

West Virginia

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Charleston, West Virginia, Metropolitan Area
- April 1970 (Bulletin 1660-68)
- March 1971 (Bulletin 1685-57)
- March 1972 (Bulletin 1725-63)
- March 1973 (Bulletin 1775-74)

In addition to the above, there is also a Hospital Wage Survey for Selected Occupations covering West Virginia only. It was published in 1973.

Wisconsin

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Area Wage Surveys:

Green Bay, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Area
- July 1970 (Bulletin 1685-4)
- July 1971 (Bulletin 1725-3)
- July 1972 (Bulletin 1775-1)
- July 1975 (Bulletin 1850-44)
- July 1976 (Bulletin 1900-37)
- July 1977 (Bulletin 1950-36)
- July 1978 (Bulletin 2025-41)
- July 1979 (Bulletin 2050-31)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Area
- May 1970 (Bulletin 1660-74)
- May 1971 (Bulletin 1685-76)
- May 1972 (Bulletin 1725-83)
- May 1973 (Bulletin 1775-83)
- April 1975 (Bulletin 1850-61)
- April 1976 (Bulletin 1900-22)
- April 1977 (Bulletin 1950-14)
- April 1978 (Bulletin 2025-18)
- April 1979 (Bulletin 2050-8)
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota-Wisconsin, Metropolitan Area
- January 1975 (Bulletin 1850-20)
- January 1976 (Bulletin 1900-3)
- January 1977 (Bulletin 1950-3)
- January 1978 (Bulletin 2025-2)
- January 1979 (Bulletin 2050-1)

Wages for occupations and industries, A-Z -- 1970-1979

Airline wages in 1970 and 1975
- Tells salary and wages for pilots, copilots, flight engineers, flight attendants, aircraft inspectors and mechanics, maintenance crew occupations, dispatchers, airline customer service attendants, office clerical workers, and electronic data processing occupations. Source: BLS Industry Wage Surveys
Appliance repair shop wages - 1972, 1975, and 1978
- Tells wages of those who repaired televisions, radios and electrical appliances. Source: BLS Industry Wage Surveys
Auto dealer repair shop wages - 1973
- Tells wages, incentive pay and earnings for employees of automobile dealership repair shops, including automotive mechanics, car painters, body repairmen, lubrication men, parts men, service salesmen and more. Source: BLS Industry Wage Surveys
Banking and life insurance job wages
- 1971 [Life insurance jobs] - provides earnings data for secretaries, clerks, claims approvers, underwriters, and computer programmers working in this industry.
- 1973 [Banking jobs] - wages paid to bank tellers, bookkeepers, secretaries, clerks, computer programmers, etc.
- 1976 [Both banking and life insurance jobs]
Baseball players' salaries
- This article investigates the history of major league baseball players' salaries; table 1 (page 5) shows average and median annual salaries for 1970-1996, table 2 (page 6) shows the average salaries for the highest and lowest playing teams for select years 1980-1995, and table 4 (page 7) shows minimum baseball salaries for 1967-1997 (source).
Building trades - union wages by occupation and by city
1970 -1971, 1971-1972, 1973-1974, 1975, 1976, 1977
- Includes asbestos workers, bricklayers, carpenters, electricians, painters, plasterers, plumbers, roofers, sheet metal workers, stonemasons, tile layers, and many more building occupations. Source: BLS Union wages and hours: Building trades.
Bus driver wages by city
1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978-1979
Source: BLS Union wages and hours: Local-transit operating employees.

Source: Industry Wage Surveys in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin series.

Cleaning services wages (contract) - 1971, 1974, 1977
- Those employed in this industry typically worked at night sweeping floors, emptying wastebaskets and dusting furniture, sometimes mopping, waxing floors or washing windows. Be sure to look at hours as well, because many people with these jobs worked less than 20 hours per week (see summary for more overview.) Breakouts for 33 metro areas. Data broken out by sex.
Communications industry wages -
1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
- Tells average hourly wages for employees working at telephone companies and for Western Union. Wage data by occupation such as accountants, clerical staff, salespeople, telephone operators, construction/installers, repairmen, and more.
Congressional salaries
- 1789-1982
Construction wages (contract) by metro area - 1972 and 1973
- Shows average wages for carpenters, bricklayers, bulldozer operators, back-hoe operators, truck drivers, cement masons, electricians, pipe fitters, plumbers, roofers, sheet metal workers, etc. Breaks out wages by residential or commercial construction.
Dairy industry wages - 1973
- The dairy industry employed route drivers (AKA "milkmen"), stationary engineers, mechanics to maintain company trucks, garage attendants, sanitization workers and more. Ten years before this report came out, almost all milk was delivered in glass bottles directly to homes. The introduction of paper cartons brought about changes in the industry that are reflected in this report.
Department store job wages - 1973
- Shows wages for sales clerks by department (housewares, men's clothing, floor coverings, shoes, sporting goods, etc.) for full-time and part-time workers by city.
Doctors, medical - Income, 1971
- Shows median net income for all medical doctors and for particular specialties: surgeons, obstetricians/gynecologists, internists, general practitioners and pediatricians. Source: U.S. Dept of HEW, Medical care expenditures, prices, and costs: background book.

Education, higher - Salaries
- Report from the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics shows salaries of professors, instructors, lecturers, academic deans, and others for 1971-1973.
- The Illnois Data Book for Higher Education shows average salaries for professors, lecturers, instructors and other faculty for 1974. Find data for additional years in other editions of this source.
Electric and gas utilities job wages - 1972 and 1978
- Wages for workers in plants that generated electricity by burning fossil fuel, or in nuclear power plants, hydroelectric power plants, etc. and workers at utilities that distributed natural gas. Source: BLS Industry Wage Survey.
Farm labor wages - 1930-present
- The USDA periodical Farm Labor has been in publication for nearly 90 years. Wages are listed in each issue. Use the "Filter by date" feature to help navigate.
Flour and grain mill products industry wages - 1972
- Occupations in the flour and grain mill industry included millwrights, mechanics, oilers, packers, bolters, forklift operators and more. Other parts of this report tell about job benefits, etc. Source: BLS Industry Wage Survey.
Foundries, iron and steel job wages - 1973 and 1979
Foundries, nonferrous metals job wages 1970 and 1975

Government employee salaries and wages at the city level - 1970s
This source lists pay for firefighters, police, sanitation workers, building inspectors, surveyors, carpenters, painters, plumbers, groundskeepers, computer technicians, typists, librarians, library clerks and assistants, etc. in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Phoenix, San Francisco, St. Paul, Wichita, and more. Additional cities (such as St. Louis) are available in the library's print collection. Source: Municipal Government Wage Survey.
Government employee compensation at the state level - 1972
Grain mill product industry wages - 1977
Grocery stores - Union wages and hours by city - 1971, 1973, 1975
- Wage rates for cashiers, bakers, dairy workers, baggers, meat men, produce stockers, porters, and more. 68 cities included. Source: BLS Industry Wage Survey.
Hotel and motel job wages - 1973 and 1978
- Shows wages for food service workers, bartenders, waiters and waitresses, porters, elevator operators, room clerks, hotel maids, cooks, dishwashers, pantry workers, security guards, and maintenance crew mechanics. Hourly wage averages are broken out for 24 major American cities. Source: BLS Industry Wage Survey.

Source: Industry Wage Surveys in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin series.

Iron and steel foundry job wages - 1972, 1973 and 1979
Iron and steel job wages - 1972 and 1978-1979
Leather tanning and finishing job wages - 1973
Librarian salaries at research institutions - 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79.
Source: Association of Research Libraries salary survey.
Local-transit employees - Hours and wages by city -
1970-1971, 1971-1972, 1972-1973, 1973-1974, 1975-1976, 1978-1979
- Gives wage data for city bus drivers, trolley car operators, subway and elevated train personnel, including conductors, platform men, etc.

Source: Industry Wage Surveys in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin series.

Manufacturing job wages- see box below for manufacturing wages by industry.
Meat products industry job wages - 1974 and 1979
- Reports average wages in meatpacking and slaughtering plants, mainly hogs and cattle.
Metal industry (fabricated structural) job wages - 1974 and 1979
Mining industry job wages - 1972 and 1977
Military pay charts (U.S.) - 1790s-present
This is not a government website but it does a good job of organizing a complex topic. For original government documents showing pay, contact us.
Millwork job wages - 1979
Oil and gas extraction job wages - 1977

Medical and health industries

Physicians, dentists and other health workers' median incomes - 1970-1976
Physicians fees (includes median earnings by specialty) - 1970s
Nursing homes and related facilities job wages - 1973 and 1976
Salaries of dental personnel in state health departments - 1978
Health services industry - All wage and salary workers, 1970-1978 (source)
Hospital job wages - 1972 and 1975-1976
- Shows average hourly wages for nurse supervisors, head nurses and general duty nurses, LPNs (licensed practical nurses), nursing aides, ward clerks, radiologic (x-ray) technicians, surgical technicians, kitchen helpers, switchboard operators, maids and porters. Gives average wage for each of these occupations in 21 major cities, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York, Philadelphia, Portland OR, St. Lois, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC.
Hospital and nursing home job wages - 1978
- Shows average hourly wage for nurse supervisors, head nurses and general duty nurses, LPNs, nursing aides, ward clerks, laboratory technicians, medical technologists, physical therapists, radiologic technicians, respiratory therapists, surgical technicians, food service helpers and cleaning crews. Data is reported for 22 major cities in the United States.
VA Hospital personnel salaries and wages - 1974
Source: "Salaries of physicians in the V.A. hospital system : hearings before the Subcommittee on Hospitals of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs" covers more personnel than physicians. For example, see...
- LPNs (Licensed Practical Nurses) and nursing assistants' wages by city on pages 316-320

Source: Industry Wage Surveys in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin series.

Oil and gas extraction job wages - 1977
Petroleum refining job wages - 1971 and 1976
Petroleum (crude) and natural gas production job wages - 1972
- Shows wages for gasmen, derrickmen, oil field welders, roustabouts, drillers, pumpers, and more.
Philanthropic sector earnings - 1972 (source)
Plastics industry job wages - 1974 and 1979
Printing trades - Union wages and hours - 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977
Private nonagricultural employment - Annual earnings - 1970, 1971-1972, 1973-1975
- This multi-volume source tells worker earnings in what seems every industry except agriculture. It provides data for jobs not found elsewhere on this page, such as jobs in religious organizations, deep sea transportation, mail order houses, gasoline service stations, shoe stores, savings and loan associations, photography studios, hair salons and barber shops, motion picture theaters, museums and zoos, charitable organizations and more. Reports nationwide figures by race and sex of employee.
Private nonfarm economy - Employee compensation - 1970, 1972, 1974
Pulp, paper, and paperboard mill job wages - 1972 and 1977

Source: Industry Wage Surveys in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin series.

Restaurant and hotel wages and tips - 1970
- Wages for bartenders, waiters and waitresses, bus boys and bus girls, bellmen, and chambermaids.
Shipbuilding and repairing wages - 1976
Textile dyeing and finishing job wages - 1970 and 1976
Truckdrivers and helpers - Union wages and hours - 1970s

Manufacturing Wages, 1970-1979

WAGES in MANUFACTURING, 1970s

Unless otherwise noted, the following are Industry Wage Surveys from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Bulletin series.

Box manufacturing - 1970 and 1976
- Tells wages of those who worked in factories making boxes
Furniture manufacture, (wooden household) wages - 1971, 1974, 1979
- Wages in upholstered vs. wooden compared, 1979 (source)
Glass and glassware manufacturing job wages 1970, 1975
Machinery manufacturing job wages- 1970-1971, 1973, 1974-1975, 1978
Motor vehicles and parts manufacturing wages - 1973 and 1974
Paints and varnish manufacturing job wages - 1970 and 1976
Semiconductor manufacturing wages - 1977
Structural clay products industry job wages - 1975
Synthetic fiber industry job wages - 1970 and 1976
Textile manufacturing job wages - 1971 and 1975

Chemical (industrial) manufacturing job wages - 1971 and 1976
Drug manufacturing - 1978
- Occupations in this industry include production workers and professionals such as biologists, chemists, engineers, and science technicians.
Fertilizer industry job wages by state - 1971
- Occupations in the fertilizer industry included baggers, truckers, forklift operators, mixers, weighers, watchmen, etc. This report tells the average wages for each of these occupations by state.

Clothing, apparel and footwear manufacturing wages

Footwear manufacturing wages - 1971 and 1975
Hosiery manufacturing wages - 1970, 1973, 1976
Men’s and boys’ trouser manufacturing wages - 1971, 1974
Men’s and boys’ shirts and nightwear manufacturing wages - 1971, 1974
Men’s and boys’ suits and coats manufacturing wages - 1970, 1973, 1976, 1979
Men's shirts and trousers manufacturing wages - 1978
Women’s and misses’ coats and suits manufacturing wages - 1970
Women’s and misses’ dress manufacturing wages - 1971, 1974, 1977
Work clothing manufacturing industry - Wages and demographic characteristics - 1972

Candy making and confectionery industry job wages - 1970 and 1975

Tells wages for factory jobs (candymakers) and other workers such as machinist, mechanic, janitor, watchman, etc.

Cigar manufacturing job wages - 1972
Cigarette manufacturing job wages - 1971 and 1976

Additional sources for earnings data

Directory of Occupational Wage Surveys, 1950-1975
This book is an index only; it tells what publications exist. Use it to look up an occupation or a STATE/CITY then the occupation. It will give a bibliographic reference to follow up on. Contact us if you wish to get access to something you see in this index.

Wages in Foreign Countries, 1970-1979

Great Britain - Average earnings, 1972-1974
Shows wage data for manufacturing industries and for all industries by full or part time worker, and by sex. There is also further data for full time male workers. Find data for other years in Annual Abstract of Statistics, a UK government publication.
Purchasing power of workers' pay in the Soviet Union, 1970
This article includes tables that show actual worker earnings and as well as the approximate work time required to pay for typical items. Compares to prices and wages in the United States.
Japan - Earnings of college-educated men, 1955-1980
This article discusses the earnings of college educated men in Japan following the lifetime employment pattern; table 2 on page 33 shows monthly real wages by industry for select years 1955-1980 (source).

Prices in the United States, 1970-1979

PRICES for FOOD and ALCOHOL, 1970s

See tabs above for additional price categories

Average retail prices of selected foods, 1965-1978
Chart shows average retail prices expressed in cents per pound unless otherwise noted. Includes prices of various fruits and vegetables, corn flakes, canned peas, frozen broccoli, chicken soup, jars of baby food, eggs, margarine, jars of grape jelly and more.
Retail food prices by city, 1963-1978
Government agent collects data for the Consumer Price Index in 1971

For those wanting detailed food prices by place, this source provides breakouts for 20 American cities.
Food price averages for each year from 1890-1970
One-page table shows 80 years of average retail prices for bread, milk, eggs and other common food items. See page 193 of this source for detail on how the data was collected.
Price of beer, whiskey and wine in 56 cities, 1971
Source shows the retail price of a six pack of 3.2 percent beer, a fifth gallon of blended whiskey, bourbon, dessert wine and domestic red table wine. Specifications on each type of alcoholic drink are provided. Scroll forward in the source to see prices by city.

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Figures are shown with and without local sales tax, and are broken out for these areas: Atlanta, Austin TX, Bakersfield CA, Baltimore, Baton Rouge LA, Boston, Buffalo, Cedar Rapids IA, Champaign-Urbana IL, Chicago-Northwestern Indiana, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Dayton OH, Denver, Detroit, Durham NC, Green Bay WI, Hartford CT, Honolulu, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City MO, Lancaster PA, Los Angeles-Long Beach, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul MN, Nashville, New York-Northeastern New Jersey, Orlando FL, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland ME, St. Louis, San Diego, San Francisco-Oakland, Seattle, Washington DC, Wichita KS.
Restaurant food and drink prices, 1970s
Site has over 300 scanned restaurant menus from the 1970-1979 decade. This is not a government resource but it can be useful for spot-checking prices for specific food or beverages at restaurants.

PRICES for CLOTHING, 1970s

See tabs above for additional price categories

The source Average Retail Prices of Selected Commodities and Services, Fall 1971 provides prices for various articles of clothing in each of the 56 American urban areas that constituted the Consumer Price Index "city sample," and included nationwide averages. Direct links to the latter are below.

Men's clothing retail prices, 1971
Average prices for suits and slacks of varying quality, shirts, trousers, underwear, pajamas, socks, sweaters, all-weather coats, sports shirts and more. Specifications on each clothing type is included.

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Figures are shown with and without local sales tax, and are broken out for these areas: Atlanta, Austin TX, Bakersfield CA, Baltimore, Baton Rouge LA, Boston, Buffalo, Cedar Rapids IA, Champaign-Urbana IL, Chicago-Northwestern Indiana, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Dayton OH, Denver, Detroit, Durham NC, Green Bay WI, Hartford CT, Honolulu, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City MO, Lancaster PA, Los Angeles-Long Beach, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul MN, Nashville, New York-Northeastern New Jersey, Orlando FL, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland ME, St. Louis, San Diego, San Francisco-Oakland, Seattle, Washington DC, Wichita KS.
Women's clothing retail prices, 1971
Average prices for blouses, slips, panties, nightgowns, pajamas, girdles, brassieres, pantyhose, gloves, hats, coats, carcoats, sweaters and slacks. Specifications on each clothing type are provided.
Boys' clothing retail prices, 1971
Average retail prices for boys' slacks, undershorts, sweaters, dungarees, sport shirts, all-purpose coats, socks and sport coats. Specifications on clothing types are provided.
Girls' clothing retail prices, 1971
Average prices for girls' dresses of varying quality, blouses, slips, panties, coats, knee socks, skirts, sweaters, skirts and robes. Specifications on each clothing type are provided.
Footwear retail prices, 1971
Average prices for men's dress rubbers, street shoes and work shoes; women's dress shoes, play shoes and house slippers, children's shoes, boys' sneakers, girls' boots and dress shoes. Also tells the price of shoe repair. Specifications for each shoe type are provided. Shows average price of shoe repair as well.
Clothing prices in mail order catalogs at Christmas, 1970s
This link leads to WishbookWeb.com, a site that displays complete, historic mail order catalogs in color and offers keyword searching in the full text. Find retail prices for clothing and other merchandise selected for inclusion in Christmas catalogs. Retailers include Sears, JCPenney, Eaton's, Spiegel and Wards.

PRICES for COMMON HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, 1970s

See tabs above for additional price categories

Household goods prices in 56 cities and U.S. average, 1971
Average prices for a refrigerator, range, vacuum cleaner, washing machine and dryer, toaster, iron. Also shows price of bed sheets, pillows, blankets, curtains, towels, furniture, dinnerware, light bulbs, paper napkins, toilet paper, household cleaners such as floor wax, scouring pads, laundry soap, liquid bleach, etc. Source also shows the average price for a television, radio, phonograph record player and phonograph records.
Prices for personal care items, 1971
Cost for soap, toothpaste, shampoo, shaving cream, feminine products and tissue.
Household items in mail order catalogs at Christmas, 1970s
This link leads to WishbookWeb.com, a site that displays complete, historic mail order catalogs in color and offers keyword searching in the full text. Find retail prices for household items and other merchandise selected for inclusion in Christmas catalogs. Retailers include Sears, JCPenney, Eaton's, Spiegel and Wards.

HOUSING and UTILITY COSTS, 1970s

See tabs above for additional price categories

Median gross rent by state, 1940-2000
Gross rent is defined as "the monthly amount of rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, water and sewer) and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). This source shows data by state and for the U.S. as a whole. Source: U.S. Census of Housing, choose unadjusted figures. Table displays best in Chrome.
Median home values by state, 1940-2000
Median home values for states and for the U.S. as a whole. Source: U.S. Census of Housing, choose unadjusted figures. The table displays best in Chrome.
New home sale prices by characteristic - 1970s-1990s
The U.S. Census Bureau's Characteristics of New Housing series tells average and median sale prices of new homes by number of bedrooms, square feet, and also by region of the country. First choose a report by date, then use the "Search in this Text" feature for the phrase "SALES PRICE," or just "price." Here is an example of a table from 1979 showing average sales price and median sales price of houses according to the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, fireplaces, etc.
Farm real estate values in Missouri, Illinois and Iowa, 1912-2019
Shows 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.
Home maintenance costs in 56 cities and U.S. average, 1971
Average cost to reshingle a roof in 1971. Average cost for exterior house paint by the gallon, and cost to paint a room. Scroll forward in the source to see the city breakouts.

HOUSEHOLD UTILITY RATES, 1970s

Electric bills, residential 1959-1988
Shows dollar amount of typical electric bills for residential as well as commercial and industrial customers.
Telephone rates in Arizona, 1977
A statement made by the president of the Arizona Telephone Co. includes this table showing their monthly rates for residential and business telephone service.

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Source: Congressional hearing Domestic telecommunications common carrier policies, Part 2 (1977).

HEALTH PRICES, 1970s

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Prices for prescription drugs (retail and wholesale), 1971-1972
A congressional hearing listed consumer prices for a variety of prescription drugs and antibiotics, including tetracycline, ampicillin, chlorpheniramine, polycillin, and chlortrimeton. In addition, a representative of the AARP submitted retail price data on name brand drugs such as Librium, Seconal, Premarin and Orosone, along with their generic equivalents.

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Wholesale prices are listed in the same volume for hundreds more drugs, for example in Appendix 6 and Appendix 12, and in Table IV and page 205. Wholesale drug prices for foreign countries are listed on page 141 and page 204.
Average physicians' fees for selected surgical procedures, 1976
Indicates the range of physician fees for mastectomy, tonsillectomy, appendectomy, hernia, vasectomy, hysterectomy, obstetrical services and more. Note that the physician fee may have have been just one part of the total medical bill.
Cost to see a doctor in 56 cities, 1971
The average U.S. price to visit a general practitioner or internist was $7.98 for an office visit, $13.30 for a house call and $9.24 for patients in hospitals. This source also tells the prices for dental services (fillings, extractions and cleaning) and for eyeglasses (exam, prescription, and eyeglasses). Scroll forward in this source to see doctor visit prices broken out by city. Specifications on how such visits were defined are included.
Cost to treat selected medical conditions, 1964 and 1971
Table shows average cost to receive maternity care, get treated for appendicitis, breast cancer, heart attack (myocardial infarction), pneumonia, and duodenal ulcer. Also shows the average cost for a child to be treated for a forearm fracture or an ear infection (otitis media). Also shows average length of hospital stay for relevant conditions.
Hospitalization, cost per day - 1970 to 1976
For the cost per day to stay in a hospital, see column labeled "current dollars," as that refers to the dollar cost at the time. Compares the cost of a hospital stay from 1950 to 1976. See page 31 for a chart showing how much of this cost was paid by insurance.
Hospitals - Average cost per patient day by state, 1972-1977
Tables compare the average cost per patient day and per case for 1972-1975 in New York, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. See page 1701 for average costs per patient stay and patient day in Vermont and the U.S. for each month from May 1976 to Feb 1977. Source: Hospital cost containment act of 1977.
Medical service fees for a North Carolina practice, 1977
Source: Skyrocketing health care costs, a 1978 congressional investigation.

PRICES for TRANSPORTATION, 1970s

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New car prices in the 1970s according to NADA
The MSRP of this Chevrolet Monte Carlo was $3,123 in 1970.
Manufacturer suggested retail prices (MSRP) for 1970s 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.
Car prices (new), 1976-1980, adjusted for inflation
Expresses prices in constant 1975 dollars; use the CPI inflation calculator to translate back into current dollars. Shows prices in car categories (luxury, compact, subcompact, etc.) Includes list of example car models in each class. Note that excise taxes increased the purchase price for "gas guzzler" cars in the 1970s. This document also tells the typical miles per gallon for different classes of new cars. Source: "Study of automobile market dynamics," part 1, prepared for the U.S. Department of Transportation.
New car loans - Average amount financed, 1971-2011
Indicates how much people were paying on average for their new cars. Downloadable data from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
Car repair prices, 1971
Cost for a tune up, battery, new tire, lube, front end suspension, etc.

GASOLINE PRICES, 1970s

Gasoline prices, 1949-2011
"Nominal price" was the price paid by the customer at the time of the transaction. This table shows the nominal price of leaded regular gasoline from 1949-1990 and unleaded regular gas from 1976-2011. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Gasoline prices
Gasoline prices for 1973-1974 and 1976-1979. Source: U.S. EPA.
Gas Mileage Guides
Click on a guide for 1976, 1977 or 1979.
Shows average annual fuel cost estimates. 1977 guide also lists the miles per gallon (MPG) for each make and model of car as well as groups of cars including subcompact, compact, mid-size cars, large cars, two seaters, station wagons of various sizes, pickup trucks, vans and special purpose vehicles. Source: EPA.

BUS FARE, 1970s

Bus fares, intercity - 1970
Tells how much a one-way bus ticket might have cost from New York, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles or Montreal to any of 30 other major American cities. For fares between other cities, see this explanation on how bus companies calculated fares.

AIR FARE and RAILWAY TICKET PRICES, 1970s

Air travel - Average fare per passenger mile on domestic flights, 1972-1981
With breakouts for first class and coach, expressed in cents. Source: U.S. General Accounting Office.
Air and rail ticket prices from New York, 1969-1981
Shows fares between New York City and Boston and Washington DC. Source: U.S. Dept of Transportation staff papers, Table 5.

HOTEL RATES, 1970s

Hotel and Motel rates, 1970
Source: Hotel and Motel Red Book. Arranged by state, this source shows room rates.

COST of a COLLEGE EDUCATION, 1970s

See tabs above for additional price categories

Undergraduate college tuition, fees, room and board, 1963-2019
Shows average undergraduate tuition/fees and room/board rates charged for full-time students, with breakouts for public, private, non-profit and for-profit institutions.
Average college costs, 1971-1972
Simple chart shows nationwide average for tuition, fees, room and board (all combined) to attend college in 1971-1972.
Higher education: basic student charges, 1972-1973
Chart shows average cost of college tuition plus required fees for in-state and out-of-state students, as well as average charges for room and board. Figures broken out by state. On the next page in the same volume, find breakout figures for graduate school tuition. On pages 30-72 in the volume, find tuition, fees, room and board broken out by in-state/out-of-state, undergraduate and graduate, for each individual college and university, listed alphabetically under states.
Higher education: basic student charges, 1974-1975
Volume tells tuition, required fees, room and board for in-state and out-of-state students, breaking out by graduate students and undergraduates. Reports national average and rates charged at individual institutions. Scroll forward in the volume to browse all available tables.
Higher education - basic student charges, 1978-1979
Lists tuition, fees, room and board for each institution of higher education in the United States. Breaks out tuition by graduate and undergraduate rates.
Illinois colleges, cost to attend -- 1974-1975
Lists costs for tuition, fees, room & board for each public and private college and university. Source: Data Book on Illinois Higher Education. More years are available.

MISCELLANEOUS PRICES, 1970s

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Haircut price in 56 cities, 1971
Shows the average price of a men's, women's or boys' haircut. Also shows the price of a women's permanent wave or women's shampoo and set. These terms are defined on p. 113. Scroll forward in the source to see city breakouts.
Movie ticket price in 56 cities, 1971
Average admission prices for adults seeing shows at night, and for children under 12 seeing weekend matinees. Balcony prices not shown. Further detail is provided on p. 114. Scroll forward in the source to see city breakouts.
Cost to make a pay phone call, 1974

To make your call, please insert 10 cents.
According to this article from 1974, the initial charge for a coin telephone call was 10 cents in New York City, while it was 5 cents in New Orleans. Source: Congressional hearing Domestic telecommunications common carrier policies, Part 2 (1977).

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A TIME photo from the week of Jan. 1, 1973 corroborates.
Cost to mail a letter or postcard, 1863-present
Source: the Historian of the U.S. Postal Service.
Price for a cigar and pipe tobacco, 1971
Average price in each of 56 cities and the U.S. average.
Automatic laundry prices, 1970
This travel guide tells tourists typical prices to use coin operated machines at laundromats, including automatic and hand laundry, dry cleaning, and pressing.
Price of gold per ounce, 1968-1998
Annual data for 1968-1998 plus narrative information on historical gold prices back to the 1700s. Tells the eras in which "a man could buy a fine suit of clothes" with one ounce of gold. Source: U.S. Geological Survey publication, Metal prices in the United States through 1998

Consumer expenditures / Analysis, 1970-1979

Cost to raise a foster child in 1970
See estimated costs for supporting a foster child in the year 1970, with breakouts for expenditures on food, clothing, medical care, educational expenses, transportation, etc. Further breakouts show data by the age of the foster child. Published by the US Dept of Health, Education and Welfare, 1976.
Expenditures of urban and rural consumers, 1972-73
This article compares total annual expenditures of rural and urban consumers; table 2 on page 43 shows expenditure percentages by item (source).

Prices in Foreign Countries, 1970-1979

Travelers' expenses in foreign ports, late 1970s
The U.S. Navy published a series of travel guidebooks for naval personnel who would be visiting ports as tourists. These guidebooks tell prices for transportation, hotel stays, meals at restaurants, etc. These booklets also tell the monetary rates of exchange. Note that prices can appear anywhere in these texts so you may need to use the tables of contents to find chapters and page numbers.
- France -- Cote d'Azure (French Riviera) in 1977
- Italy -- Bari, Brindisi, Taranto in 1979
- Norway in 1978
- Spain
  - Barcelona in 1977
  - Malaga in 1977
  - Palma in 1977
Prices and purchasing power of workers' pay in Soviet Union, 1970
This article and included tables show prices for various consumer items, including food and more durable goods such as automobiles, as well as the approximate work time required to pay for these items. Selected monthly wages and comparisons with U.S. prices are also listed.

Buying power of historic wages expressed in today's dollars

Online calculator: Present-day purchasing power of a historic dollar amount
The 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.
Consumer Price Index Inflation Calculator
This 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 1970-1979 decade

In the United States...

In 1970, minimum wage was $1.60 per hour. Source: U.S. Department of Labor
In 1970, bread cost an average of $0.24 per pound. Source: U.S. BLS
In 1970, milk cost an average of $0.66 per ½ gallon. Source: U.S. BLS
In 1970, eggs cost an average of $0.61 per dozen. Source: U.S. BLS
In 1970, sugar cost an average of $0.648 per 5lbs. Source: U.S. BLS
In 1970, flour cost an average of 58.9¢ per 5lbs. Source: U.S. BLS
In 1970, the cost of the popular Ford Galaxie was $3,208. Source: J.D. Power
In 1970, the average cost of a gallon of gasoline was $0.35. Source: Energy Information Administration
In 1970, the median cost of a home in the US was $17,000. Source: US Census Bureau
In 1970, journeymen carpenters earned an average of $7.02 per hour. Source: U.S. BLS
In 1970, teachers earned an average annual income of $8,626. Source: National Center for Education Statistics
In 1971, public health nurses had an average starting salary of $7,540. Source: U.S. Civil Service Commission
In 1972, engineers made an average annual starting salary of $9,775, but engineers with more experience could make up to $27,653. Source: U.S. Civil Service
In 1970, the average cost of a plane ticket per mile was $0.0643. Source: U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board
In 1972, the average cost of a plane ticket per mile was $6.30. Source: U.S. General Accounting Office

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