Living Wage vs Minimum Wage

A living wage is a cost-of-living-based target, not a law; MIT's calculator puts a single US adult's living wage above 20 dollars in most metros.

Overview

Living wage movements calculate what income a household actually needs for housing, food, transport and healthcare at a basic standard, and the numbers almost always exceed statutory floors: the federal 7.25 versus a 20-plus metropolitan reality. The UK's Living Wage Foundation runs a voluntary employer accreditation paying a pound or more above the statutory rate. Critics' arguments mirror the minimum-wage job-loss debate, but as a benchmark the concept reframes the floor as a policy choice rather than a natural constant. Figures are approximate calculator outputs.