$3.35 an hour in 1989 bagging groceries at grocery store. Had been working for two years prior to that getting paid under the table at a flea market.

1967 in high school working at my uncle's Mobil station. $1.25 an hour. T1968 I worked at a Standard station near my house, $1.50 and got to do oil changes and minor work. The next year I was elevated to $1.65 an hour and got to do some real work, first job was to desludge a 289 Ford that was full of muck.

I quit and went to a department store for a month, hated it and tried to get back at the Standard but my job had been filled. But the owner had me run errands for him, he was divorced and was about thirty miles from his ex and kids. If they needed to go to the doctor I got to transport them, took his support checks to his ex, picked up his ex's sister who didn't drive from the east side of Detroit and bring her to the city I presently live in. all the time driving the boss's E; Caminos, first a 66 327 4 speed, next one a 69 SS 396 4 speed. Rough life.

1970 started in car dealerships, first job was $1.50 an hour. In 1972 I started making $3.00 an hour, felt like a millionaire. That year I got my car painted, rebuilt my blown up motorcycle that sat for over a year and bought my first real tool box, a ten drawer Craftsman, still have it too!

1971-1972: Bagging groceries @ $1.60/hr. (I think that was minimum wage) and dairy farm worker @ $1.25/ hr. (agricultural minimum wage).....

1986, $2.90 an hour (min wage was $3.35 if I recall but 2.90 was a training wage). KFC cook, left after a month and started at KMart for $3.50

1964. $74 per month, before taxes and deductions. Plus a free boat ride to Germany.

1967 Kroger grocery bagger $1.65 hour, I think but it may have been $1.45.

$2.50 an hour in 1976.

1989=1990- Publix supermarket as a bagboy for $4.25 an hour.

Working a sporting goods store in summer of '95.

I believe I made whatever minimum wage was at that time. $5.15?

My first tax paying job was my junior year in 1982. I was enrolled in VoTech Autobody Repair course. A man from the local Chrysler/Dodge dealership came looking to hire someone who was very good at spraying paint. My teacher sent me. I think I was paid $5.35 (I know it was 5 something) an hour to prep and paint white Dodge trucks "highway" orange for delivery to the Chautauqua County Highway Department.

My Senior year I only had one class, then I went to work. The job lasted until the last truck was delivered. They said they wanted to keep me on, but there just wasn't enough work to justify it considering they already had a fulltime body man. Not long after graduation I enlisted in the U.S. Navy.

1981. Full-time, temporary corrections officer in Vermont. $3.96/hour. I had a part-time job prior to that but can’t recall the wage.

1970. Stop & Shop grocery store in CT. Produce clerk and on demand bagger

I made the princely sum of $1.90/hour because I had to join the Retail Clerks International Association. That was better than my friends were making elsewhere. Even at that low a level, though, opened my eyes about unions and have never belonged to one since.

First W3 job, 1983. 3.35/hr at Burger King.
Lasted about 3 weeks.
Went to work at a relatives garage after that.

1994, $4.25 an hour working for my school district. The school district hired a number of students to work part time during the school year and full time during the summer working as janitors helping to clean the schools. We worked right alongside the full time janitors. It was actually an excellent experience and I learned a few interesting things like how to strip and refinish floors, how to use a floor buffer, etc. It also taught me the value of a hard days work, and I am definitely grateful for the experience.

produce clerk, Winn Dixie Stores inc,

made $2.90 hr, that was better than minimum due to working in produce,


Aug 1980

left the company as a Store Manager, May 2004

I made $4.25 and hour in 1995 as a dishwasher at a pizza place. We got to take home the leftover pizzas that didnt sell which is a huge plus for a hungry high school kid.

I actually worked 3 jobs washing dishes and busing tables as I was only given a few hours at each restaurant. All paid $4.25 an hour and as a bus boy I would earn about $20 in tips per shift as a bonus.

Got my first job right as I turned 14 years old in 2007, working at a brand new Chick-Fil-A at the mall a few blocks from my house. Made $6.25 an hour (minimum wage then was $6.20 so I appreciated the nickel.)

Labor laws for people under 16 in Iowa said I couldn’t work more than 18 hours a week, couldn’t work more than 8 hours a day, and couldn’t work past 7PM. I worked three days a week 4PM-7PM and then Saturdays from 11AM-7PM.

Those $175 paychecks made me feel like a millionaire.

I *think* it was 1986 making $3.15/hour bagging groceries and stocking shelves. Before that it was all cash mowing lawns and working in tobacco fields.

Edit: Nope, looks like minimum then was $3.35.

I still have that job today. May of 1984 and I started at minimum wage. 3.11 per hour.

About 2.50 or so an hour sacking at a Kroger’s in ‘79. Tip money increased that quite a bit.