Idaho’s average hourly wage is fast approaching $25 an hour

BOISE (Idaho Capital Sun) — Idaho’s average wage for all occupations reached $24.69 per hour last year, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That hourly average is 7% higher than it was in 2021, the Idaho Department of Labor said in a release announcing the new data.

The median wage rose about 4% from 2021, to $19.26 per hour in 2022, according to the data. Half of Idahoans were paid less than the median; half were paid more.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics each year releases job and pay data for each state and many metro areas, based on the results of employment and wage surveys. The Idaho Department of Labor compiles and release additional data for six labor market regions, the department said in a news release Tuesday.

The average wage increased by $1.90 an hour in the Coeur d’Alene metro area between 2021 and 2022, the largest dollar jump in the state. Workers in the Treasure Valley region made an average of $25.29 an hour.

The Idaho state minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, the same as the federal minimum wage. The minimum wage for a tipped employee is $3.35 per hour.

The wage survey “is conducted by and for Idahoans,” the Idaho Department of Labor said in the news release. “Businesses provide estimates of employment and wages across the state, allowing employers to make competitive decisions about what wages to pay, and job seekers and youth to make wise career choices.”