Americans Feel That Higher Salaries Aren't Catching Up With Inflation, Report Shows

A report found that median weekly wages more than doubled before inflation, rising from $482 at the end of 1999 to $1,040 at the end of 2025. (Credit: Getty Images)

Americans' wages have broadly kept up with inflation over the past quarter-century, but most feel that they are not enough when measured against recent price spikes, according to a new analysis.

The Pew Research Center found that median weekly wages more than doubled over the course of the century, rising from $482 at the end of 1999 to $1,040 at the end of 2025. After adjusting for inflation, the gain stood between 11% and 22%, depending on which inflation measure is used.