Low-wage workers in the US earn just a fraction of the average salary for all full-time workers. If you make the federal minimum wage of $7.25, that's just 34% of what the average American employee makes, according to data from the OECD.
Other developed countries have a much higher wage for the lowest earners relative to full-time worker pay. In France, for instance, minimum-wage workers make 62% of what average full-time workers make. In the UK, low-wage workers make 54% of the average full-time pay.
When taking buying power into account, however, the US does have a slightly better wage compared to countries with higher costs of living, such as Australia and France.
Many states have higher minimum wages than the average. Earlier this year, 21 states increased minimum wages, some to as high as $15. Some economists say increasing the minimum wage to $15 across the board would reduce jobs, yet also bring more Americans out of poverty.