How long does the typical American have to work to buy a gallon of gas?
Minutes of work needed to earn enough to buy a gallon of …
Note: Analysis is based on the national median hourly wage and average fuel price each month. Wage data for September and October 2026 was not yet available at the time of access, so those months use the August 2026 median wage ($26.00). Data for October 2025 is not available due to government shutdown.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the Current Population Survey (IPUMS).
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
How long does the typical American have to work to buy a gallon of gas?
Minutes of work needed to earn enough to buy a gallon of …
| Date | Regular-grade conventional gasoline | No. 2 diesel (ultra-low sulfur) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10 | 9.5 | 14.4 |
| 2026-09 | 9.7 | 14.5 |
| 2026-08 | 9.0 | 12.6 |
| 2026-07 | 8.6 | 11.2 |
| 2026-06 | 9.0 | 11.6 |
| 2026-05 | 9.8 | 12.7 |
| 2026-04 | 9.0 | 12.6 |
| 2026-03 | 8.0 | 11.3 |
| 2026-02 | 6.3 | 8.4 |
| 2026-01 | 6.2 | 8.1 |
| 2025-12 | 6.7 | 8.7 |
| 2025-11 | 6.8 | 8.8 |
| 2025-10 | ||
| 2025-09 | 7.2 | 8.9 |
| 2025-08 | 7.0 | 8.6 |
| 2025-07 | 7.0 | 8.7 |
| 2025-06 | 7.3 | 8.6 |
| 2025-05 | 7.3 | 8.4 |
| 2025-04 | 7.0 | 8.2 |
| 2025-03 | 6.9 | 8.4 |
| 2025-02 | 7.2 | 8.8 |
| 2025-01 | 7.0 | 8.6 |
| 2024-12 | 6.9 | 8.2 |
| 2024-11 | 7.0 | 8.4 |
| 2024-10 | 7.3 | 8.6 |
| 2024-09 | 7.5 | 8.5 |
| 2024-08 | 7.9 | 8.9 |
| 2024-07 | 8.1 | 9.1 |
| 2024-06 | 8.0 | 8.9 |
| 2024-05 | 8.6 | 9.6 |
| 2024-04 | 8.5 | 9.8 |
| 2024-03 | 8.1 | 9.8 |
| 2024-02 | 7.7 | 10.0 |
| 2024-01 | 7.3 | 9.6 |
| 2023-12 | 7.3 | 9.6 |
| 2023-11 | 7.9 | 10.6 |
| 2023-10 | 8.5 | 11.2 |
| 2023-09 | 9.2 | 11.4 |
| 2023-08 | 9.3 | 10.9 |
| 2023-07 | 8.7 | 9.7 |
| 2023-06 | 8.6 | 9.5 |
| 2023-05 | 8.8 | 10.0 |
| 2023-04 | 9.1 | 10.6 |
| 2023-03 | 8.5 | 10.8 |
| 2023-02 | 8.3 | 11.0 |
| 2023-01 | 8.3 | 11.7 |
| 2022-12 | 8.0 | 12.2 |
| 2022-11 | 9.2 | 13.6 |
| 2022-10 | 9.4 | 13.5 |
| 2022-09 | 9.3 | 13.0 |
| 2022-08 | 10.0 | 13.1 |
| 2022-07 | 11.8 | 14.6 |
| 2022-06 | 12.8 | 15.4 |
| 2022-05 | 11.6 | 15.2 |
| 2022-04 | 10.6 | 13.7 |
| 2022-03 | 11.1 | 13.9 |
| 2022-02 | 9.3 | 11.0 |
| 2022-01 | 8.8 | 10.3 |
| 2021-12 | 8.8 | 9.7 |
| 2021-11 | 9.1 | 10.3 |
| 2021-10 | 8.8 | 10.0 |
| 2021-09 | 8.5 | 9.4 |
| 2021-08 | 8.6 | 9.4 |
| 2021-07 | 8.7 | 9.5 |
| 2021-06 | 8.5 | 9.4 |
| 2021-05 | 8.2 | 9.2 |
| 2021-04 | 7.9 | 8.9 |
| 2021-03 | 7.6 | 8.8 |
| 2021-02 | 6.9 | 8.1 |
| 2021-01 | 6.6 | 7.9 |
| 2020-12 | 6.2 | 7.6 |
| 2020-11 | 5.9 | 7.1 |
| 2020-10 | 6.0 | 6.9 |
| 2020-09 | 6.1 | 7.1 |
| 2020-08 | 5.8 | 6.7 |
| 2020-07 | 5.9 | 6.9 |
| 2020-06 | 5.5 | 6.7 |
| 2020-05 | 4.9 | 6.7 |
| 2020-04 | 4.7 | 6.9 |
| 2020-03 | 6.4 | 8.2 |
| 2020-02 | 7.0 | 8.7 |
| 2020-01 | 7.4 | 9.1 |
| 2019-12 | 7.6 | 9.4 |
| 2019-11 | 7.4 | 9.2 |
| 2019-10 | 7.8 | 9.5 |
| 2019-09 | 7.7 | 9.3 |
| 2019-08 | 7.9 | 9.4 |
| 2019-07 | 8.0 | 9.3 |
| 2019-06 | 8.1 | 9.7 |
| 2019-05 | 8.6 | 9.9 |
| 2019-04 | 8.4 | 9.7 |
| 2019-03 | 7.7 | 9.7 |
| 2019-02 | 6.9 | 9.3 |
| 2019-01 | 6.7 | 9.3 |
| 2018-12 | 7.1 | 9.7 |
| 2018-11 | 8.1 | 10.4 |
| 2018-10 | 8.8 | 10.6 |
| 2018-09 | 8.7 | 10.3 |
| 2018-08 | 9.1 | 10.6 |
| 2018-07 | 8.7 | 10.2 |
| 2018-06 | 9.3 | 10.8 |
| 2018-05 | 9.2 | 10.6 |
| 2018-04 | 8.5 | 9.9 |
| 2018-03 | 8.1 | 9.7 |
| 2018-02 | 8.1 | 9.9 |
| 2018-01 | 8.0 | 9.8 |
| 2017-12 | 8.0 | 9.7 |
| 2017-11 | 8.2 | 9.7 |
| 2017-10 | 8.1 | 9.3 |
| 2017-09 | 8.4 | 9.2 |
| 2017-08 | 7.7 | 8.7 |
| 2017-07 | 7.4 | 8.3 |
| 2017-06 | 7.5 | 8.4 |
| 2017-05 | 7.7 | 8.5 |
| 2017-04 | 7.8 | 8.6 |
| 2017-03 | 7.5 | 8.5 |
| 2017-02 | 7.4 | 8.6 |
| 2017-01 | 7.7 | 8.7 |
| 2016-12 | 7.5 | 8.6 |
| 2016-11 | 7.3 | 8.4 |
| 2016-10 | 7.3 | 8.2 |
| 2016-09 | 7.3 | 8.1 |
| 2016-08 | 7.3 | 8.1 |
| 2016-07 | 7.4 | 8.3 |
| 2016-06 | 8.0 | 8.4 |
| 2016-05 | 7.6 | 8.1 |
| 2016-04 | 7.0 | 7.4 |
| 2016-03 | 6.6 | 7.2 |
| 2016-02 | 5.8 | 6.9 |
| 2016-01 | 6.4 | 7.4 |
| 2015-12 | 6.9 | 8.2 |
| 2015-11 | 7.2 | 8.6 |
| 2015-10 | 7.9 | 8.9 |
| 2015-09 | 8.0 | 8.8 |
| 2015-08 | 8.9 | 9.2 |
| 2015-07 | 9.4 | 9.8 |
| 2015-06 | 9.6 | 10.2 |
| 2015-05 | 9.1 | 10.2 |
| 2015-04 | 8.5 | 10.0 |
| 2015-03 | 8.4 | 10.3 |
| 2015-02 | 7.6 | 10.1 |
| 2015-01 | 7.2 | 10.6 |
| 2014-12 | 8.8 | 12.0 |
| 2014-11 | 10.2 | 13.0 |
| 2014-10 | 11.7 | 13.8 |
| 2014-09 | 11.9 | 13.5 |
| 2014-08 | 12.5 | 14.0 |
| 2014-07 | 12.9 | 14.1 |
| 2014-06 | 13.4 | 14.4 |
| 2014-05 | 13.5 | 14.8 |
| 2014-04 | 13.2 | 14.5 |
| 2014-03 | 12.4 | 14.3 |
| 2014-02 | 11.8 | 14.2 |
| 2014-01 | 11.7 | 14.0 |
| 2013-12 | 11.7 | 14.1 |
| 2013-11 | 11.4 | 13.7 |
| 2013-10 | 12.3 | 14.6 |
| 2013-09 | 12.7 | 14.4 |
| 2013-08 | 13.1 | 14.6 |
| 2013-07 | 13.2 | 14.5 |
| 2013-06 | 13.4 | 14.4 |
| 2013-05 | 13.2 | 14.3 |
| 2013-04 | 12.7 | 14.2 |
| 2013-03 | 13.2 | 14.7 |
| 2013-02 | 13.3 | 15.2 |
| 2013-01 | 12.2 | 14.7 |
| 2012-12 | 12.0 | 14.6 |
| 2012-11 | 12.7 | 15.0 |
| 2012-10 | 13.7 | 15.3 |
| 2012-09 | 14.2 | 15.4 |
| 2012-08 | 13.9 | 15.1 |
| 2012-07 | 13.1 | 14.4 |
| 2012-06 | 13.0 | 14.1 |
| 2012-05 | 13.7 | 14.9 |
| 2012-04 | 14.2 | 15.2 |
| 2012-03 | 14.0 | 15.3 |
| 2012-02 | 13.2 | 14.8 |
| 2012-01 | 12.5 | 14.4 |
| 2011-12 | 12.1 | 14.5 |
| 2011-11 | 12.5 | 14.9 |
| 2011-10 | 12.9 | 14.4 |
| 2011-09 | 13.2 | 14.2 |
| 2011-08 | 14.1 | 15.0 |
| 2011-07 | 14.0 | 15.1 |
| 2011-06 | 14.0 | 15.2 |
| 2011-05 | 14.4 | 15.2 |
| 2011-04 | 14.1 | 15.3 |
| 2011-03 | 13.4 | 14.9 |
| 2011-02 | 11.9 | 13.4 |
| 2011-01 | 11.6 | 12.8 |
| 2010-12 | 11.4 | 12.6 |
| 2010-11 | 10.6 | 11.8 |
| 2010-10 | 10.5 | 11.6 |
| 2010-09 | 10.3 | 11.3 |
| 2010-08 | 10.3 | 11.4 |
| 2010-07 | 10.6 | 11.5 |
| 2010-06 | 10.4 | 11.5 |
| 2010-05 | 10.9 | 11.9 |
| 2010-04 | 10.6 | 11.5 |
| 2010-03 | 10.3 | 10.9 |
| 2010-02 | 10.1 | 10.8 |
| 2010-01 | 10.0 | 10.7 |
| 2009-12 | 10.0 | 10.7 |
| 2009-11 | 9.8 | 10.5 |
| 2009-10 | 9.4 | 10.1 |
| 2009-09 | 9.7 | 10.2 |
| 2009-08 | 10.0 | 10.3 |
| 2009-07 | 9.6 | 9.8 |
| 2009-06 | 10.1 | 9.8 |
| 2009-05 | 8.7 | 8.7 |
| 2009-04 | 7.8 | 8.6 |
| 2009-03 | 7.5 | 8.1 |
| 2009-02 | 7.3 | 8.5 |
| 2009-01 | 6.9 | 9.0 |
| 2008-12 | 6.5 | 9.6 |
| 2008-11 | 8.2 | 11.3 |
| 2008-10 | 11.6 | 13.8 |
| 2008-09 | 14.8 | 16.1 |
| 2008-08 | 14.6 | 16.8 |
| 2008-07 | 16.0 | 18.8 |
| 2008-06 | 16.0 | 18.7 |
| 2008-05 | 14.6 | 17.4 |
| 2008-04 | 13.5 | 16.2 |
| 2008-03 | 12.7 | 15.4 |
| 2008-02 | 11.9 | 13.3 |
| 2008-01 | 12.1 | 13.3 |
| 2007-12 | 11.9 | 13.4 |
| 2007-11 | 12.3 | 13.6 |
| 2007-10 | 11.2 | 12.3 |
| 2007-09 | 11.3 | 11.8 |
| 2007-08 | 11.1 | 11.5 |
| 2007-07 | 11.8 | 11.5 |
| 2007-06 | 12.3 | 11.5 |
| 2007-05 | 12.8 | 11.6 |
| 2007-04 | 11.3 | 11.6 |
| 2007-03 | 10.0 | 10.7 |
| 2007-02 | 9.1 | 10.2 |
Note: Analysis is based on the national median hourly wage and average fuel price each month. Wage data for September and October 2026 was not yet available at the time of access, so those months use the August 2026 median wage ($26.00). Data for October 2025 is not available due to government shutdown.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the Current Population Survey (IPUMS).
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
