Talking about money is weird. We're told it’s rude to ask, yet everyone is secretly Googling the same thing at 2 a.m. while looking at their bank account. You want to know if you're doing "okay," or if that job offer you just got is actually a lowball in disguise.
Honestly, the answer to what is a good pay per hour isn't a single number you can just print on a bumper sticker. It’s a moving target. In 2026, the goalposts have shifted again. Inflation, while cooling in some sectors, has permanently baked higher prices into our groceries and rent.
The $37 Baseline
If you want the "official" view, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) just released data for December 2025 showing that the average hourly earnings for all private nonfarm employees hit $37.02.
Does that mean $37 is "good"? Not necessarily. It’s just the middle of the pack. If you're earning $37 an hour, you're basically the human equivalent of a Toyota Camry—reliable, standard, and right in the center of the road.
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But "good" usually means you aren't just surviving; you're actually getting ahead. For most people in a moderate-cost area, "good" starts to kick in when you clear that average. We’re talking $45 to $55 an hour. That’s the range where you stop sweating when the "Check Engine" light comes on.
The Geography Tax
You can’t talk about pay without talking about where you park your car at night.
A $25 hourly wage in some parts of Mississippi or Arkansas might actually feel like a "good" wage. You can likely find a decent rental and maybe even save a few bucks. But take that same $25 an hour to Seattle or New York City, and you're essentially living in poverty.
In fact, as of January 1, 2026, the minimum wage in Tukwila, Washington, climbed to a staggering $21.65 per hour. When the legal minimum is over twenty bucks, a "good" wage in that zip code needs to be double that.
According to data from SmartAsset and MIT’s Living Wage Calculator, a single adult in a high-cost city now often needs to clear $100,000 annually to live "comfortably." Broken down to an hourly rate (assuming 2,080 hours worked a year), that is roughly **$48.00 per hour**.
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Industry Reality Check
What you do matters just as much as where you do it. The "good pay" bar changes by sector:
- Leisure and Hospitality: The average here is around $23.28. If you're making $30 an hour in a hotel or restaurant, you’re doing great for that industry.
- Construction: With averages hitting over $40.37, a "good" rate is closer to $50 or $60 for skilled trades.
- Information and Finance: These sectors are the heavy hitters. Utilities and info-tech jobs are averaging over $54 per hour. In these worlds, if you aren't hitting $70+, you might feel like you're falling behind your peers.
The "Comfortable" Math
There’s a difference between a "living wage" and a "good wage." A living wage covers the basics: bread, milk, a roof, and some clothes.
A good wage covers the "30% rule." This is the old-school (but still relevant) idea that your housing should cost no more than 30% of your gross income. If you're looking at a $2,000-a-month apartment, you need to be making about $80,000 a year. That breaks down to roughly **$38.50 per hour**.
If you have kids? Double it. Or at least add $15 to $20 to your hourly requirement. Childcare in 2026 isn't getting any cheaper, and the "family" version of a good wage is now comfortably into the six-figure territory in almost every state.
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Is $25 the New $15?
Remember the "Fight for $15"? It feels like a lifetime ago.
By the end of 2026, 79 jurisdictions in the U.S. will have reached or exceeded a $15 minimum wage. Many, like California and New York, are pushing past $17.
Basically, $25 an hour has become the new baseline for a "decent" entry-level job. It’s no longer the mark of a "good" career-level salary; it’s more like the floor for staying above the struggle line.
How to Evaluate Your Own Pay
When you're trying to figure out what is a good pay per hour for your specific life, look at these three things:
- The Local Median: Look up the median household income for your specific city, not your state. If you are above that as a single earner, you're in the "good" zone.
- The Benefits Buffer: Is your employer covering 100% of your health insurance? Do they have a 6% 401k match? A $35/hour job with amazing benefits is often "better" than a $42/hour job where you're paying $600 a month for a high-deductible health plan.
- The "Future" Test: Can you save 15% of your paycheck? If you're paid $30 an hour but everything goes to bills, it’s not a good wage for you, even if it looks okay on paper.
Actionable Next Steps
If you've realized your pay isn't where it needs to be, don't just sit there. The 2026 labor market is still showing a 3.8% year-over-year wage growth, particularly in retail and financial services.
Start by checking the BLS "Occupational Outlook Handbook" for your specific role to see the 75th percentile pay. That’s your target. If you're below the 50th percentile (the median), it's time to update your resume or schedule a performance review.
Gather three "real-world" job postings for your role in your city that list higher pay. Use these as leverage. In this economy, the biggest raises usually come from moving across the street to a competitor, not waiting for a 3% cost-of-living adjustment from your current boss.