Agricultural Workers:
* Farm laborers: $10 to $20 per month plus room and board ($249 to $499 in 2023 dollars).
* Skilled farm workers (such as blacksmiths or carpenters): $25 to $30 per month plus room and board ($623 to $748 in 2023 dollars).
Industrial Workers:
* Unskilled factory workers: $1 to $2 per day ($24 to $49 in 2023 dollars).
* Skilled factory workers (such as machinists or weavers): $2 to $3 per day ($49 to $74 in 2023 dollars).
* Coal miners: $0.75 to $1.50 per day ($18 to $36 in 2023 dollars).
Construction Workers:
* Laborers: $1.50 to $2 per day ($36 to $49 in 2023 dollars).
* Skilled workers (such as carpenters or masons): $2.50 to $3 per day ($61 to $74 in 2023 dollars).
Domestic Workers:
* Live-in maids or servants: $1.50 to $3 per week plus room and board ($36 to $72 in 2023 dollars).
* Day laborers (who worked by the hour or day): $0.50 to $1 per day ($12 to $24 in 2023 dollars).
Professional Workers:
* Teachers (depending on location and experience): $25 to $50 per month ($623 to $1,246 in 2023 dollars).
* Lawyers: $50 to $100 per month ($1,246 to $2,492 in 2023 dollars).
* Doctors: $100 to $200 per month ($2,492 to $4,984 in 2023 dollars).
It's important to note that the cost of living was also lower during this time. However, wages were still insufficient for many workers to afford basic necessities like housing, food, and clothing. This led to widespread poverty, labor strikes, and social unrest.
These wage rates were also often influenced by factors such as gender and race. Women and African American workers typically earned significantly less than their male and white counterparts.
Over the course of the 19th century, there was gradual progress in terms of wages and working conditions, particularly in the later decades. However, significant disparities and economic challenges persisted until well into the 20th century.