Living Wage Calculator

What is the Living Wage Calculator?

Many individuals and families working in lower-wage jobs earn less than the amount needed to meet basic living expenses in their communities. The Living Wage Calculator is a helpful tool that estimates the hourly wage a full-time worker needs to earn to cover essential costs such as housing, food, transportation, healthcare, and childcare in a specific location. You can explore living wage estimates by county, metropolitan area, or state and compare data across 12 different family types.

This tool can support your career planning, salary research, and informed decision-making as you evaluate job offers and career pathways.