Country Overview

Wages and Prices in United States

The United States serves as the fixed price-index benchmark of 100 while also providing a 2025 wage reference, making both roles explicit throughout the comparison views.

All Countries Compare with Australia Compare with Austria Compare with Belgium Compare with Canada

Wage history

How Wages Have Changed in United States

Explore United States’s PPP-adjusted annual wage history using a reported range rather than a filled-in series.

PPP-adjusted annual wage (USD)2000–2025 · touch or hover points for the selected range

Price levels

Price Levels in United States

Compare everyday price levels using the United States benchmark of 100.

Overall

100.00Near U.S.at U.S. level

Food

100.00Near U.S.at U.S. level

Clothing

100.00Near U.S.at U.S. level

Housing

100.00Near U.S.at U.S. level

Health

100.00Near U.S.at U.S. level

Transport

100.00Near U.S.at U.S. level

Recreation

100.00Near U.S.at U.S. level

Restaurants

100.00Near U.S.at U.S. level

How to Read This View

Use 100 as the reference

The United States is fixed at 100 for every category. A value of 100 means that United States’s price level is about 0.0% below the U.S. benchmark, while a value of 100 means it is approximately 0% lower.

Compare categories, not household bills

Each row represents a separate spending category. The values show relative price levels rather than the actual amount a household spends. A higher food index does not necessarily mean that total living costs are higher by the same amount.

Check the selected year

The year buttons update all displayed categories together. Missing observations are shown as unavailable and are never replaced with values from another year.

Relative context

United States in Context

See how United States’s wage and selected price level compare with the OECD median and the United States.

Average Annual Wage

United States$86,977

OECD Median$60,690

United States$86,977

Selected Price Level

United States100.00

OECD Median67.25

United States100

Read the placement

United States’s 2025 PPP-adjusted annual wage is 43.3% above the OECD median. Its 2024 Overall price index of 100 is 0.0% below the U.S. benchmark, meaning that both measures sit on the same side of their references in this dataset. Wage and price observations refer to separately labelled years and should not be read as a household affordability score.

Country note

Understanding Wages and Prices in United States

United States is shown with its current common-year wage and a separate price-year label. The chart exposes the selected historical span without interpolation, while the page avoids converting a measured change into a causal story.

Category detail for United States is led by Food at 100.00, ahead of Clothing (100.00) and Housing (100.00), while the overall index remains below the United States reference. The category spread is shown as reported, without adjusting any value toward the aggregate.