Originally Posted by abolt300
That's bad math and a complete lack of analytical ability to even post that BS Gomer. The average calculate hourly wage rate in 1990 was $17.87. The average calculated hourly wage rate in 2026 is $37.38. We were paying basic construction labor $7-$10/hr in 1990. Nobody will even look at a taking a construction job today for less than $25/hr. Starting CPA's straight out of college were in the $26K-$30K range in 1990. Today that same starting rate is $60K - $65K. Electrical engineers were starting out in the $28K - $32K range in 1990. Today it is $68K - $75K. Federal minimum wage was $3.80/hr in 1990. Even that has doubled. Every example shows that wages have at the very least doubled, yet that BS you posted shows that household income has only increased by 12% over a 35 yr period. If you think rationally, that is a logically impossible number if you are comparing apples to apples. You've got to look at the math behind those numbers and how they are calculated. How many households are now completely living on welfare and being recorded as household, yet they have $0 household income since nobody in the household has a job? In 1990 there were 25 million people on some sort of govt assistance/welfare. Today that same number is 106 million on some sort of govt assistance/welfare. How many people working good jobs in the 90's have retired and now only have social security for their household income? Workforce participation is way down as a result of the increase in welfare programs and benefits. In general, the US population has become lazy as hell and nobody wants to work a real job. Everyone wants to work from home or on-line and nobody want to work in the trades. How much of today's income is now being made "under the table" and not ever reported (everybody has a side gig)?

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It's funny that you accuse me of "bad math and a complete lack of analytical ability" when you are completely disregarding 2 things:

1. The numbers I posted above were adjusted for inflation....increased 12% after adjusting 1990 figures into 2025 dollars. That's why I specifically said, FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES, "converted to $2025". By YOUR example of starting CPA's making $26k in 1990....today, that would be the equivalent to $65,700. That would indicate that income in that particular field has actually dropped.

2. The examples you're using are specific industries. The figures I posted are national averages. The numbers are out there. They'll vary a little depending on the source, but most sources will be relatively close.

Last edited by GomerPyle; 04/29/26 02:37 PM.
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