Share Your Story: Have you ever lived on minimum wage?
A woman working full time for a full year at the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour will make only $14,500 a year — an amount which is below the federal poverty line for a family of three. For tipped workers, the federal minimum cash wage is only $2.13 an hour!
Increasing the minimum wage for all workers, including tipped workers, would give working families a boost and help close the wage gap — nearly two-thirds of minimum wage workers and tipped workers are women.
But we need your help. We want to hear about what it takes to live on minimum wage from women who've experienced it. Share your story below to help us show legislators how important raising the minimum wage would be for families!
Please note: The views expressed in the stories below are those of the authors themselves and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the National Women's Law Center. All statements of fact in these stories have been provided by the individual authors, and the National Women's Law Center cannot and does not vouch for their accuracy. The Center will compile the stories and may use them, in whole or in part, in our advocacy efforts.
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Your Stories
mary shelton
tucson, az, disabled
I have pretty much lived off minimum wage all my life. However now I am disabled and can no longer work and am having to live off of social security disability which is only 694.00 a month which is way harder to afford life than even minimum wage. This amount comes out to less than $8500.00 annually which is way below the poverty level. I really hope that we can make a difference for all those struggling to survive on such a small amount of income. It is very stressful and causes alot of health issues which is how I got here in the first place.
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Kat
Homer, AK, Social Entrpreneur
When I married, I agreed to sell my business in order to be free to travel with my husband. For the past 24 years I have entertained, aquired investors, done sales and marketing, and developed key strategic relationships, all without compensation. I feel that executive wives raising families should also be compensated for the life energy, resources, connections, and community contributing to their spouses success, whether male or female. This is an area that needs to be addressed to allow for greater freedom and bolder support for social entrpreneurial activities. If I had been compensated as a single woman for all that I have given freely to my communities and husbands businesses, I could have made much larger and deeper contributions to good causes in the American West. I began work at age 12 managing one of my parents businesses and know the value of hard work at an early age. What I do not know is having ownership of my own contributions. A legal change in proper compensation might be a bridge for the thousands of women who are depending on the good graces of their husbands to eventually do the right thing, whether or not they remain married. That job started paying me well below what my friends were making as waitresses at 25 cents an hour, 35 years ago. It's well past time when all of women's work is valued in real currency: dollars, make the most cents/sense.
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Nedia Diaz
Rochester, New York,
according to papers I am a social worker, however, my pay doesn't show that. I live on a paycheck to paycheck status. I am so a person with health issues that at times, I have to chose between buying food, not luxuries, but food and paying bills. According to the Department of Human Services I make too much for food stamps. I think this is wrong, the working poor should be the ones to get food stamps and other government help. How am I suppose to funtion on a regular basis if I can't buy groceries on a regular basis or pay for my bills or even that my medications to feel better and continue to work. The governor should take a good look into his priorities and help the working poor more.
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Leslie Weinberg
Stamford, Connecticut, currently unemployed
My first job was as a waitress, many years ago. I was paid $1.35 rather than the $1.85, because they thought people would give 50 cents in tips. They did not. On occasion currently I work as a Telemarketer. Here in Stamford, the Minimum wage is I believe $8 dollars an hour. To afford to live here, a living wage is $20. The cost of shelter and normal expenses in this area is quite high.
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Brandi Warren
, KY,
Before I went to college, I worked in the restaurant industry for almost 10 years. I made about 2 dollars an hour in 1996. Over 15 years have passed and the minimum wage is the same, as well as the tip percentage. What has the cost of living done in 15 years?
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