100 questions about working in the United States
Short answers with the official source.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
1. What is the federal minimum wage?
$7.25 an hour (US Department of Labor); the higher state rate applies where there is one.
2. What is the median salary in the US?
$50,980 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
3. How many people work in the US?
BLS counts 155,495,730 wage-and-salary jobs.
4. Which states have no income tax on wages?
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.
5. How many states are right-to-work?
26, per our compiled list.
6. Is overtime paid?
Non-exempt employees get at least 1.5 times their pay for hours over 40 a week.
7. Is paid vacation required?
Not by federal law.
8. Can employers fire without cause?
In most states, yes (at-will), with legal exceptions.
9. What is FMLA?
Up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for eligible employees.
10. What is the Social Security tax?
6.2% of wages up to $184,500 in 2026, plus 1.45% Medicare.
11. What is the standard deduction in 2026?
$16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly.
12. What are the 2026 federal brackets?
10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37% (IRS).
13. Can foreigners work in the US?
With an approved status such as a work visa or green card.
14. What is an H-1B?
A work visa for specialty occupations, employer-sponsored, with an annual cap.
15. What is OPT?
Work permission for F-1 students in a field related to their degree.
16. What is the minimum wage in California?
$16.90 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
17. Does California tax wages?
Graduated, top rate 13.30%.
18. What is the minimum wage in Texas?
$7.25 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
19. Does Texas tax wages?
No state tax on wages.
20. What is the minimum wage in Florida?
$15.00 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
21. Does Florida tax wages?
No state tax on wages.
22. What is the minimum wage in New York?
$16.00 (17.00 in NYC, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester) (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
23. Does New York tax wages?
Graduated, top rate 10.90%.
24. What is the minimum wage in Pennsylvania?
$7.25 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
25. Does Pennsylvania tax wages?
Flat 3.07%.
26. What is the minimum wage in Illinois?
$15.00 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
27. Does Illinois tax wages?
Flat 4.95%.
28. What is the minimum wage in Ohio?
$11.00 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
29. Does Ohio tax wages?
Flat 2.75%.
30. What is the minimum wage in Georgia?
$5.15 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
31. Does Georgia tax wages?
Flat 5.19%.
32. What is the minimum wage in North Carolina?
$7.25 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
33. Does North Carolina tax wages?
Flat 3.99%.
34. What is the minimum wage in Michigan?
$13.73 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
35. Does Michigan tax wages?
Flat 4.25%.
36. What is the minimum wage in New Jersey?
$15.92 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
37. Does New Jersey tax wages?
Graduated, top rate 10.75%.
38. What is the minimum wage in Virginia?
$12.77 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
39. Does Virginia tax wages?
Graduated, top rate 5.75%.
40. What is the minimum wage in Washington?
$17.13 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
41. Does Washington tax wages?
No state tax on wages.
42. What is the minimum wage in Arizona?
$15.15 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
43. Does Arizona tax wages?
Flat 2.50%.
44. What is the minimum wage in Tennessee?
no state law, so federal $7.25 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
45. Does Tennessee tax wages?
No state tax on wages.
46. What is the minimum wage in Massachusetts?
$15.00 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
47. Does Massachusetts tax wages?
Graduated, top rate 9.00%.
48. What is the minimum wage in Indiana?
$7.25 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
49. Does Indiana tax wages?
Flat 2.95%.
50. What is the minimum wage in Maryland?
$15.00 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
51. Does Maryland tax wages?
Graduated, top rate 6.50%.
52. What is the minimum wage in Missouri?
$15.00 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
53. Does Missouri tax wages?
Graduated, top rate 4.70%.
54. What is the minimum wage in Wisconsin?
$7.25 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
55. Does Wisconsin tax wages?
Graduated, top rate 7.65%.
56. What is the minimum wage in Colorado?
$15.16 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
57. Does Colorado tax wages?
Flat 4.40%.
58. What is the minimum wage in Minnesota?
$11.41 (federal $7.25 applies if higher).
59. Does Minnesota tax wages?
Graduated, top rate 9.85%.
60. What does a fast food and counter workers earn?
A median of $31,200 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
61. What does a home health and personal care aides earn?
A median of $35,800 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
62. What does a cashiers earn?
A median of $32,880 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
63. What does a retail salespersons earn?
A median of $35,410 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
64. What does a stockers and order fillers earn?
A median of $37,330 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
65. What does a waiters and waitresses earn?
A median of $35,230 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
66. What does a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand earn?
A median of $40,240 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
67. What does a janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners earn?
A median of $36,840 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
68. What does a customer service representatives earn?
A median of $44,770 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
69. What does a general and operations managers earn?
A median of $105,770 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
70. What does a office clerks, general earn?
A median of $45,010 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
71. What does a cooks, restaurant earn?
A median of $37,390 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
72. What does a heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn?
A median of $58,640 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
73. What does a nursing assistants earn?
A median of $42,260 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
74. What does a registered nurses earn?
A median of $97,550 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
75. What does a teaching assistants, except postsecondary earn?
A median of $36,780 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
76. What does a maids and housekeeping cleaners earn?
A median of $35,510 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
77. What does a first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers earn?
A median of $44,080 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
78. What does a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive earn?
A median of $47,540 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
79. What does a security guards earn?
A median of $38,020 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
80. What does a childcare workers earn?
A median of $34,980 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
81. What does a landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn?
A median of $39,150 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
82. What does a maintenance and repair workers, general earn?
A median of $49,590 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
83. What does a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks earn?
A median of $50,670 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
84. What does a miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators earn?
A median of $44,650 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
85. What does a food preparation workers earn?
A median of $35,320 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
86. What does a first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers earn?
A median of $69,500 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
87. What does a bartenders earn?
A median of $34,340 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
88. What does a construction laborers earn?
A median of $47,120 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
89. What does a sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel earn?
A median of $69,990 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
90. What does a accountants and auditors earn?
A median of $83,680 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
91. What does a first-line supervisors of retail sales workers earn?
A median of $48,520 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
92. What does a medical assistants earn?
A median of $45,690 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
93. What does a light truck drivers earn?
A median of $44,860 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
94. What does a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop earn?
A median of $31,200 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
95. What does a receptionists and information clerks earn?
A median of $38,010 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
96. What does a managers, all other earn?
A median of $141,900 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
97. What does a amusement and recreation attendants earn?
A median of $32,150 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
98. What does a sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products earn?
A median of $72,080 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
99. What does a business operations specialists, all other earn?
A median of $83,050 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
100. What does a software developers earn?
A median of $135,980 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Sources
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