In the United States, the average annual salary for non-farm workers in the 1880s was around $450. This is equivalent to about $11,000 in today's dollars. However, it is important to note that there was a significant gap in wages between different occupations. For example, skilled workers such as carpenters and blacksmiths could earn up to $1,000 per year, while unskilled workers such as farm laborers and factory workers earned as little as $250 per year.