data from the bureau of labor statistics in 2013 about 1 5 million u s workers age 16 and over earned exactly the prevailing federal minimum wage of $ 7 25 per hour another 1 8 million had wages below the federal minimum together these workers make up 4 percent of all hourly paid workershe states with the lowest percentages of hourly paid workers earning at or below the federal minimum wage were oregon california and washington all under 2 % source u s bureau of labor statistics characteristics of minimum wage workers 2013