Prices and Wages by Decade: 2000-2009
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, 2000-2009
- Average annual wage by state, 2000-2009Also available as a downloadable Excel file from the 2012 Statistical Abstract of the U.S. (source). Details about the dataset are on the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.
- Median weekly earnings by race and sex - 2000, 2005 and 2009Source: Statistical Abstract of the U.S., 2011 edition, p. 421.
- Occupational Employment Statistics, 1997-currentShows average wages for over 800 occupations in Excel spreadsheet format.
- Earnings by state and metro area, 2011-2019The "Employment and earnings" series shows average employee earnings by industry. Source: U.S. BLS.
Wages by occupation and industry 2000-2009
- Rankings of full-time occupations by earnings - 2000, 2004, 2005, 2009These articles rank over 400 full-time occupations from the National Compensation Survey by earnings from high to low:
- 2000 - Table 1 (pp.47-55) shows mean hourly earnings (source).
- 2004 - Table 1 (pp.5-23) shows mean annual earnings (source).
- 2005 - Table 1 (pp.4-24) shows mean hourly earnings (source).
- 2009 - Gives the mean annual earnings of the 20 highest (table 1, p.2) and 20 lowest (table 2, pp.3-4) paid occupations (source).
- Wages by industry, 2009-2019Source: BLS Monthly labor review, June 2022
- Agriculture - Farm labor wages, 1930-presentThe USDA periodical Farm Labor has been in publication for nearly 90 years and lists wages in each issue. Use the "Filter by date" feature or access certain years, or access this title through the Hathi Trust digital library.
- Congressional salaries, 1789-presentLists salaries along with dates of enactment and statutory authority for each pay increase.
- Cooks - Hourly wages in many cities, 2009This article reports on the average hourly wages of cooks (both full- and part-time) in select metropolitan areas in July of 2009 (source).
- Health care workers - Hourly wages, 2008This article shows the mean hourly wages of healthcare workers by lever for 2008; see table 1 on pages 2-3 and table 2 on pages 5-6 (source).
- Janitors - Hourly wages, 2000This article reports on the earnings of janitors in 2000; tables 1 to 4 (pp.6-7) show mean hourly wages by geographic area, metropolitan vs. nonmetropolitan areas, selected localities, and level of work (source).
- Manufacturing - employee earnings, 1954-2007Shows breakouts by state and major cities. Select any year from 1954-2007. Look for tables describing EARNINGS expressed in "current dollars."
- Military pay charts (US), 1908-presentThis website does a good job of organizing a complex topic.
- Nonprofit wages by sector, 2007A trio of articles report on the 2007 earnings in the nonprofit sector: one looks at management, professional, and administrative support occupations; one at educational and research institutions; and one at healthcare, personal care, and social service occupations (source).
- Nurses - Wages in profit & nonprofit hospitals, 2003See table 1 on page 6 of this article for average hourly earnings of Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses in 2003 by profit and nonprofit private hospitals and in state and local government (source).
- Police officer salaries - 2000 to 2009The Municipal Yearbook shows police salaries by city. See sample page and contact us for a lookup for any particular city.
- Teacher pay by state, 2006-07Source: American Federation of Teachers' Survey and analysis of teacher salary trends, 2007.
- Technology-oriented occupations - 2004Shows median annual wages for workers in tech occupations in May 2004 (source).
Wages by location for selected occupations, 2000-2009
- Average annual pay by state and metro area, 2000-2001Source: Statistical abstract of the U.S.
- Hourly earnings ranked by states - 2008Tables in this article show 2008's average hourly earnings by industry ranked by state (source). Industries include construction, manufacturing, transportation and utilities, financial activities, professional and business services, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality.
- Manufacturing wages by state, 2009Ranks each state by manufacturing wage differential, showing the wages for all manufacturing employees as well as production workers. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Mar 2010
- New York City - Wages by borough, 2000 & 2002This article in the Monthly Labor Review (source) examines the effect of 9/11 on the New York economy by borough; tables show averages wages in 2000 and 2002 for:
- Manhattan - tables 1-5 on pp. 6-9
- Queens - tables 7-8 on p. 16
- Brooklyn - tables 10-11 on p. 20
- Staten Island - tables 16-17 on pp. 29-30
- Memphis, TN - Wages in transportation, 2007This article compares the 2007 average hourly earnings of workers in transportation-related occupations in Memphis and the United States (source).
Non-wage forms of income, 2000-2009
- Consumer Income ReportsThe Census Bureau's Current Population Reports P-60 series, "Consumer Income" presents data on families, individuals, and households. Click 'more...' below for a listing of 2000s reports:
Foreign wages, 2000-2009
- Minimum wage by country, 2007Source: 2013 World Development Report, pp. 368-369.
Prices in the United States, 2000-2009
- Average retail food prices in U.S. cities, 1980-2018Prices for meats, fruits, vegetables, bread, eggs, milk, etc. View data back to 1980 by clicking the green "Historical Data" icon in the rows, then use drop-down boxes near the top of the page to set start and end dates.
Look for these
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- Average price data from Consumer Price Index DatabasesTo get average prices of common food items purchased by consumers as well as gasoline, electricity per KwH, etc., click the link above, then “Average Price Data.” Select how you want to display your search options (One Screen recommended) and follow the instructions. Date coverage varies, but can go back as far 1947.
- Median gross rent by state, 1940-2000Gross 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.
- Renters' housing costs, 2000Data and discussion on the cost of rent and utilities, along with some demographic breakouts and historical context. Source: U.S. Census.
- Median home values by state, 1940-2000Median home values for states and for the U.S. as a whole. Source: U.S. Census of Housing, choose unadjusted figures.
- Property value by metropolitan statistical area, 2008-2009Census report provides data and discussion on home values. Source: American Community Survey Brief.
- Home value by state, 2007-2012Census publication provides data and discussion on home values and homeownership rates during this time period.
- Farm real estate values in Midwestern states, 1912-2019Includes both land and buildings. Compares to national averages. Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.
- New car average price, 1970-2020Link will open an Excel file. Source: Transportation energy data book edition 40 (2022), Table 11.13. See more downloadable data from this source.
- New car prices by make, model and body type, 2000-2010Manufacturer suggested retail prices (MSRP) for cars and trucks are available on the J.D. Power website. Choose a make, year, and body type. Select a car then enter any zip code. Click "Get Base Values."
- New car loans - Average amount financed, 1971-2011Downloadable data from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
GASOLINE and DIESEL FUEL
- Gasoline prices by state, 1983-2010Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration.
- Gasoline and diesel retail prices by year, 1978-2020Shows average annual prices including tax. Source: Transportation energy data book edition 40, Table 11.6.
- Gasoline prices in Missouri by city, 2005Data collected by a U.S. senator and reported in a congressional hearing titled Gasoline Prices.
- Cost to mail a letter or postcard, 1863-presentSource: the Historian of the U.S. Postal Service.
- Smartphone prices, 2009Shows the prices and service fees for 3G smartphones in 2009. Along with the iPhone, it shows the Samsung Omnia, T-Mobile, and the Blackberry Bold. Source: Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine.
In 2000, 34% of people aged 18-24 were enrolled in college (U.S. Census) and 25.6% of people aged 25 years or older completed 4 years (U.S. Census, Table A-2).
See tabs above for additional price categories
- Undergraduate college tuition, fees, room and board, 1963-2022Shows average undergraduate tuition/fees and room/board rates charged for full-time students, with breakouts for public, private, non-profit and for-profit institutions.
- Price of college textbooks, 1997 and 2004Students spent an average $898 on textbooks in the 2003-2004 school year. See Ripoff 101: How the Current Practices of the Textbook Industry Drives up the Cost of Textbooks, p. 4. This report was quoted in the 2004 congressional hearing Are College Textbooks Priced Fairly? In contrast, college students spent around $30 for textbooks in 1932 (source).
- LEGO building toys, 2001
- Shows the prices for various accessories and building sets including some of the first Harry Potter sets, Jurassic Park, a video camera, Star Wars, sets for younger children, sets for less than $10, and many others. The catalog also lists prices for computer games, train sets, and replacements for lost parts.
- Video game consoles, 2001
- This article from the popular tech magazine PC Mag shows the prices for the best-selling video game consoles of the early 2000s, the Sony PlayStation 2 for $299, Microsoft's Xbox for $299, and Nintendo's GameCube for $199.
- PC Mag's Holiday gift guide, 2004
- Advertises the top electronic gifts for the 2004 Holiday Season. Items include the Apple iPod for $249.99, the recently-released Nintendo DS for $149.99, a portable video player, laptops (search by brand name in margins), home media players, cell phones, and more across more than 150 pages. Source: PC Mag, December 14, 2004.
- Top DVD sales, 2005
- This chart from Billboard magazine shows the prices for the top-selling DVDs for this week in January 2005. Prices range from $15 for films and up to $50 for TV series. Popular films include Titanic, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Shrek 2, Spider-Man, and Troy. For other weeks and years, click "browse all issues" in the left sidebar.
- Disney World theme park admission prices, 2000-2010Shows detailed adult and child ticket and pass prices. Source: AllEars.net
- Concert ticket prices, 2005Billboard magazine listed shows the top-grossing concerts in the US for one week in 2005. Artists include acts like Celine Dion, Hilary Duff, and Dolly Parton. For other weeks and years, click "browse all issues" in the left sidebar. For example, this issue for June 2002 shows the ticket prices for Britney Spears, Eagles, and Liza Minnelli. This issue from April 2009 shows ticket prices for Coldplay, Cher, Fleetwood Mac, Billy Joel and Elton John, AC/DC, and Rascal Flatts.
Inflation and buying power, 2000s
- Consumer Price Index (CPI) Inflation CalculatorCalculates buying power of money at different points in history. For example, $1 earned in December 2003 had the same buying power as $1.50 in October 2021.
- Calculator: Present-day purchasing power of a historic dollar amountThe MeasuringWorth.com website provides online calculators, guides and tutorials to help researchers understand the current-day value of historic money in the United States, Australia, Spain and the United Kingdom.
What is the Consumer Price Index (CPI)?
"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: Bureau of Labor Statistics
What is inflation?
As measured with CPI, it is the percent change in the CPI 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
- CPI & inflation rate, 1800-2021Shows both average annual CPI and the yearly inflation rate in the US. The base year for CPI is 1967. Note that all CPI before 1913 is a rough estimate. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
- Consumer price index, 2000-2009Shows the average CPI for all items and urban consumers. The base year is 1982-1984. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
- Inflation rate, 2000-2009Shows the yearly inflation rate for all consumer prices in the US. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Quotable facts for the 2000-2009 decade
In the United States...
- Minimum wage was $5.15 per hour in the year 2000. Source: U.S. Dept of Labor
- The median money income for families in 2000 was $50,732. Source: Census Bureau
- The average earnings of year-round, full-time workers in 2009 was $62,445 for men and $44,857 for women. Source: US Census Bureau
- Homes had a median value of $119,600 in 2000. Source: US Census Bureau
- Education at 4-year, public universities cost an average $9199 for tuition, fees, room & board in 2001-02. Source: U.S. Dept of Education
- Child care cost an average $4,260 annually per family in 2001. Source: U.S. Congress
- Coffee cost an average $3.50 per pound in 2000. Source: U.S. BLS
- In 2000, consumers spent an average 32% of their income on housing, 19% on transportation and 13% on food. Source: U.S. BLS
- Gold was valued at $280 per fine ounce in 2000, compared to $1,940 in the year 2023. Source
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Marie Concannon, Government Information Librarian
Government Documents Department, Ellis Library
University of Missouri, Columbia
Email: concannonm@missouri.edu
Phone (573) 882-0748
