I recently stumbled on this awesome 1960s salary guide from The University of Missouri outlining several professions and the amount of money they made. It’s a surprisingly decent living wage for the time!
For context, the minimum wage in the US in1960 was $1. Today that equates to $10.65 in buying power.
1.
In 1961, an art designer made between $9,000–$13,000. That would be $94,906.66–$137,087.39 today.
2.
In 1967, a waiter/bartender made an average of $1.37 an hour. That would be $12.93 today.
3.
In 1966, an airline pilot made about $6,000 a year. That would be $58,389.07 today.
4.
In 1961, a dentist made $16,000 a year on average. That would be $168,722.94 today.
5.
In 1966, the average annual salary for a teacher was $6,935. That would be $67,488.
6.
In 1962, the average wage of a grocery store worker was $1.73 an hour. That would be $18.06 today.
7.
In 1967, the average annual salary for a police patrolman was $5,300. That would be $50,032.79 today.
8.
In 1966, the average hourly salary for a zookeeper was between $2.40 and $3.15. In today’s money, that’s $23.36 to $30.65.
9.
The median annual income for a physician in 1965 was $28,960. That’s $289,876.73 in today’s money.
10.
The average salary of a librarian was $7,185 in 1961, which is $75,767.15 today.
11.
In 1962, the average salary of a retail worker was $55.68 per week ($2,784 per year), which is $29,066 in today’s money.
12.
The average hourly rate for a mechanic in 1964 was $3.50, which is $35.60 an hour in today’s money.
13.
The annual salary for an attorney in 1961 was $10,724, which is $113,087 in today’s money.
14.
In 1968, the annual salary for a union carpenter was $4.83 per hour, which is $43.76 an hour in today’s money.
15.
The average hourly wage for chefs in 1968 was $2.50–$3.80, which is $22.65–$34.43 in today’s money.
16.
Finally, in 1967, the average weekly wage of a barber was between $110 and $150. In today’s money, that’s $1,038- $1,416 a week.
Has a family member ever told you how much money they used to make back in the day? Tell us in the comments below!
