Skip to Main Content

Prices and Wages by Decade: 1990-1999

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, 1990-1999

Earnings by race, sex and education, 1990-1999

EARNINGS by BOTH RACE AND SEX, 1990s

EARNINGS by SEX, 1990s

Wages by state for selected occupations, 1990-1999

Most reports under the tabs above are a mix of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics National Compensation Surveys and Occupational Compensation Surveys.  The corresponding national and regional reports are below.

 

 

  • Wages by occupation - Alaska, 1996
    Compares wages in Alaska to that on the mainland. Occupations include accountants, attorneys, engineers, scientists, computer programmers, computer systems analysts, personnel specialists, clerks, receptionists, maintenance workers, electricians, janitors, corrections officers, firefighters, police officers, and truck drivers. (source).
  • Alaska wages in July 1992, May 1993 and July 1995
  • Air transportation jobs - Alaska, June 1990, July 1994. 
  • Restaurants, fast food wages - Alaska, 1992

 

PAY BY CITY or METRO AREA IN CALIFORNIA:

PAY BY SELECTED OCCUPATIONS IN CALIFORNIA:

  • Fast food restaurant jobs - Pay in California
  • Colorado Springs, CO, Metropolitan Area - Occupational Compensation Survey
  • Colorado Springs, CO
    • Restaurant jobs, fast food - 1990
  • Denver, CO, Metropolitan Area - Occupational Compensation Survey: Pay and benefits
  • Denver, CO - Occupational Compensation Survey: Temporary Help Supply Services
  • Pueblo, CO - Occupational Compensation Survey: Pay and benefits

PAY BY CITY / METRO AREA IN FLORIDA:

PAY BY SELECTED OCCUPATIONS IN FLORIDA:

  • Fast food restaurant job pay in Florida:
    • Duval County, 1990
    • Orange County, 1990
    • Panama City, 1990
    • Santa Rose County, 1990
  • Honolulu, HI - National Compensation Survey
  • Honolulu, HI, Metropolitan Area - Occupational Compensation Survey: Pay only
  • Restaurant jobs, fast food - Hawaii, Honolulu,
  • Boise City, ID - Occupational Compensation Survey: Pay only -- Health Services
    Covers registered nurses, LPNs, nursing assistants, accounting clerks, switchboard operators/receptionists, maintenance workers and janitors.
  • Cincinatti-Hamilton, OH-KY-IN - National Compensation Survey
  • Clarksville-Hopkinsville, TN-KY - Occupational Compensation Survey: Pay and benefits
  • Louisville, KY-IN - National Compensation Survey
  • Louisville, KY-IN, Metropolitan Area - Occupational Compensation Survey: Pay and benefits
  • Louisville, KY-IN - Occupational Compensation Survey: Pay and benefits
  • Restaurant jobs, fast food - Kentucky
    • Christian County, 1991
    • Hardin County, 1991
  • Central Nebraska - Occupational Compensation Survey: Pay and benefits
  • Lincoln, NE - National Compensation Survey
  • Omaha, NE-IA - Occupational Compensation Survey: Pay and benefits
  • Reno, NV - National Compensation Survey
  • Crook County, OR - National Compensation Survey
  • Eugene-Springfield-Medford-Roseburg-Klamath Falls-Grants Pass, OR - Occupational Compensation Survey: Pay and benefits
  • Oregon - Occupational Compensation Survey: Pay only -- Forestry and logging
  • Portland, OR, Metropolitan Area- Occupational Compensation Survey: Pay only
  • Portland, OR - Occupational Compensation Survey: Temporary Help Supply Services
  • Wasco County, OR - National Compensation Survey
  • Yakima-Richland-Kennewick-Pasco-Walla Walla-Pendleton, WA-OR - Occupational Compensation Survey: Pay and benefits
  • Newport County, RI - Restaurant jobs, fast food
  • Providence, RI - Occupational Compensation Survey: Pay only

PAY BY CITY / METRO AREA IN TEXAS:

PAY BY SELECTED OCCUPATIONS IN TEXAS:

  • Fast food restaurant job pay:
  • Virgin Islands of the U.S. - Occupational Compensation Survey: Pay only
  • Restaurant jobs, fast food - Guam​​​​​​

Wages by occupation (A to Z), 1990-1999

The U.S. Department of Labor's annual Occupational Outlook Handbook is the best and most comprehensive source for occupational pay.  Select any year in the 1990s, then look up an occupation in the edition's table of contents.  Earnings are listed near the end of each chapter.  1990-1991, 1992-1993, 1994-1995, 1996-1997, 1998-1999.

  • Systems analyst, 1990
  • Government - Congressional salaries, 1789-present 
  • Hospital jobs, 1991
    • Shows pay for medical and administrative positions by city.  Includes RNs, LPNs, physical therapists, EKG technicians, pharmacists, nurse anesthetists as well as medical records technicians, accountants, auditors, engineers, directors of personnel, attorneys, buyers, secretaries, typists, file clerks and many more hospital jobs. A companion volume listing all job titles and job descriptions is also available online.  Source: Occupational Wage Survey, 1991.
  • Information technology jobs - hourly wages in 1994 (source)
  • Lawyers' and judges' earnings, 1990-1991
    • Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin on social science and legal occupations.
  • Managers, 1990
  • Manufacturing industry jobs, 1954-2007
    • Look for tables describing EARNINGS expressed in "current dollars." This source mostly covers jobs in manufacturing, industry and production. 
  • Meat packing jobs, 1990
    •  Includes earnings data for employees of the meat-packing and prepared meat products industries by selected characteristics and region.  Source: Industry wage survey, BLS Bulletin 2416.
  • Metalworking machinery manufacturing - Detroit, MI
    • From a Industry Wage Survey from the USDOL reporting data from February 1990.
  • Military pay charts, U.S., 1790s-present

Non-wage income, 1990-1999

Foreign wages by country, 1990-1999

Prices in the United States, 1990-1999

PRICES for FOOD and DRINK, 1990s

PRICES for MERCHANDISE, 1990s

PRICES for HOUSING and LAND, 1990s

ENERGY and FUEL PRICES, 1990s

HEALTH and MEDICINE PRICES, 1990s

COMMUNICATION PRICES, 1990s

PRICES for TRANSPORTATION, 1990s

For GASOLINE and DIESEL prices, click the "ENERGY & FUEL" tab above.

COST of a COLLEGE EDUCATION, 1990s

In 1990, 40.6% of people aged 18-21 were enrolled in college (U.S. Census) and 21.3% of people aged 25 years or older had completed 4 years (U.S. Census, Table A-2).

TOYS and ENTERTAINMENT, 1990s

  • Disney World theme park ticket prices, 1970-1999
    • Detailed admission prices for Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, MGM Studios theme park, etc. Source: AllEars.net
  • Comparative concert ticket prices, 1998-2009
    • This article compares concert ticket prices for top artists performing in 1998 and 2008 including Rod Stewart and Celine Dion. It remarks that the average ticket cost for 1998 was $47.96 compared to $151.34 in 2008. Source: Billboard Magazine, March 7, 2009.  
  • Nintendo "Game Boy," 1990
    • This article from the popular children's magazine Boys' Life details the release of one of the best-selling consoles of all time, the Nintendo Game Boy. For $90, consumers would receive the handheld device, earbuds, and the game Tetris. The article also mentions additional games could be purchased for an average of $20. Source: Boys' Life Magazine, January 1990, p. 30.
  • Nintendo "Game Boy Color," 1998 
    • This advertisement announces the new Game Boy Color with an MSRP of $79.95. Source: Nintendo Power Magazine, November 1998 p. 85.
  • Toys and games, 1997
  • LEGO building sets, 1996
  • Video game consoles, 1996
    • This article from the popular children's magazine Boys' Life shows the MSRP for multiple household consoles like the Sega Saturn, the Nintendo 64, and the Sony PlayStation. Source: Boys' Life Magazine, December 1996, p. 26. 
  • Disney toy and game catalog, 1997  
  • Billboard Magazine
    • Published weekly, this magazine tracks the most popular songs, albums, concert tours, and other entertainment for the week. Browse all issues 1980-2011 here to see specific artists or films, or Google Books also allows searching by date. For example, this issue from December 1995 shows the top songs and albums of the year in the United States and in other countries like Japan, Australia, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Please contact us if you need assistance finding specific information. 

Inflation and buying power, 1990s

"The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a representative basket of consumer goods and services" with respect to a given base year with value 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Inflation is the percent change in the CPI (Consumer Price Index) between two different years, showing the "annual percentage change in the cost to the average consumer of acquiring a basket of goods and services". Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

CPI Inflation formula: CPIx-1-CPIx ⁄CPIx*100

Consumer income and expenditures, 1990-1999

Quotable facts for the 1990s

In the United States...

  • Minimum wage was $3.80 per hour in 1990.  Source: U.S. Dept of Labor
  • The median money income in 1990 was $35,353 per family. Source: Census Bureau
  • Homes had a median value of $79,100 in 1990. Source: Census Bureau
  • Milk cost $1.42 per gallon in 1990. Source: USDA 
  • Coffee cost  $2.92/lb. in 1990. Source: U.S. BLS (use drop-down box to select year)
  • Education at 4-year, public universities cost an average $5,243 for tuition, room & board in 1990-91. Source: U.S. Dept of Education
  • TRANSPORTATION
    • New cars cost an average $14,483 in 1990. Source: U.S. BEA
    • The Ford Taurus was the top-selling car in 1990, priced at $14,722 new. Source: MMVA Motor Vehicle Facts & Figures '92
    • Gasoline cost $1 per gallon in 1990. Source: U.S. Energy Info Admin.
    • 17.3% of U.S. households in 1990 had 3 or more vehicles, compared to 2.5% in 1960. Source: U.S. Dept of Energy
  • HEALTH CARE PERSONAL EXPENDITURES
    • In 1990, health care costs averaged $2,398 per person.  Consumer out-of-pocket payments covered 22.6%. Source: NCHS
    • In 1996, the average expense per person with any medical expense was about $2,400. However, half of all people with medical expenses had expenses of less than $559 (the median value). Source: U.S. HHS.

Ask a Question

Marie Concannon, Government Information Librarian
Government Documents Department, Ellis Library
University of Missouri, Columbia
Email: concannonm@missouri.edu
Phone (573) 882-0748