With inflation outpacing wages more and more workers are trying to keep up with the necessities. As a result, there has been more conversations nationally about providing living wages. But what does it mean to have a living wage and what is the living wage for Fond du Lac County?

A living wage is the pay rate that would allow a worker or household to afford its basic needs, such as housing, food, health care, and transportation. Additionally, a living wage considers additional expenses as well as cost of living differences across the country. A commonly accepted living wage calculator was developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

According to the MIT’s 2023 Living Wage Calculator, each working adult in Fond du Lac County must earn more than twice the minimum wage of $7.25/hour to be able to afford basic needs. This is not unique to our county but seen in every county across the state. The living wage for single and childless residents is $15.64/hour. For those with children, the pay rate needed for the basics is significantly higher. The living wage in a two-adult household with two children is $23.77/hour per adult worker, which is three times the minimum wage.

The below table presents employment and earnings data for selected occupations that employ large numbers of workers in Fond du Lac County. Though the most current data from Wisconomy is from 2022, it demonstrates most of the common occupations within the county do not offer a living wage.

Source: Wisconomy, 2022 Occupational Employment and Wages, Fond du Lac County