Hourly wage needed to cover basic costs: $35.98
Hourly minimum wage: $18.07 ($20 for fast food workers)
2. Boston
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $34.02
Hourly minimum wage: $15
3. New York
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $33.58
Hourly minimum wage: $16
4. Seattle
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $31.93
Hourly minimum wage: $19.97 (for most workers)
5. San Diego
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $30.46
Hourly minimum wage: $16.85 ($20 for fast food workers)
6. Washington, DC
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $28.89
Hourly minimum wage: $17.50
7. Los Angeles
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $26.81
Hourly minimum wage: $16.90 ($20 for fast food workers)
8. Atlanta
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $26.63
Hourly minimum wage: $7.25
9. Denver
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $25.85
Hourly minimum wage: $18.29
10. Portland, Oregon
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $25.67
Hourly minimum wage: $15.45
11. Orlando
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $25.51
Hourly minimum wage: $12
12. Inland Empire, California
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $25.34
Hourly minimum wage: $16 ($20 for fast food workers)
13. Miami
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $24.97
Hourly minimum wage: $12
14. Phoenix
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $24.78
Hourly minimum wage: $14.35
15. Charlotte
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $24.48
Hourly minimum wage: $7.25
16. Tampa Bay
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $24.32
Hourly minimum wage: $12
17. Dallas
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $23.84
Hourly minimum wage: $7.25
18. Chicago
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $23.72
Hourly minimum wage: $15 (for most workers)
19. Philadelphia
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $23.39
Hourly minimum wage: $7.25
20. Baltimore
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $23.13
Hourly minimum wage: $15
21. Minneapolis-St. Paul
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $22.81
Hourly minimum wage: $15.57 (starting July 1)
22. Houston
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $21.56
Hourly minimum wage: $7.25
23. St. Louis
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $20.39
Hourly minimum wage: $12.30
24. San Antonio
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $20.29
Hourly minimum wage: $7.25
25. Detroit
Hourly wage to cover basic costs: $19.70
Hourly minimum wage: $10.33
Minimum wage is not, and never was, supposed to indicate a livable wage.
Instead - it was meant as a wage to introduce new workers to the workforce when they didn't have a lot of value to offer.
Now we have people who have wasted much of their life not creating value for their skills and people like you complain that they can't survive on minimum wage.
I've busted my butt for many, many years to earn what I do - nothing was given to me by my family or the government.
My sympathy meter reads "0".
In an effort to help people create marketable value in their skills I spend quite a bit of time doing free mentorship - but I find most people are too lazy to even do that - they want me to do their work for them.
I'm not surprised you responded to the post the way you did - given your other leanings...
My daughter makes 65.00 an hour in Brooklyn and it’s still not enough.