| Job | Description | Pay |
| Actress | Per-film fee of Marilyn Monroe | $100,000 + % of profits |
| Bookkeeping Machine Operator | Typing experience; five-day week | $75/week to start |
| Housekeeper | Live in; take care 3 children; 28-45, room/board | $25-35/week |
| Private Secretary | Insurance and investment experience, IBM; 29 | $100/month |
| Salesman | Married man, 25-35, with high school education. Great opportunity for hard-working person. | $60/week + commission |
| Job Type | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 |
| Average of all industries | $3,180/yr | $3,452/yr | $3,660/yr | $3,852/yr | $3,953/yr |
| Building Trades | $3,377/yr | $3,774/yr | $4,086/yr | $4,354/yr | $4,484/yr |
| Farm Labor | $1,454/yr | $1,568/yr | $1,594/yr | $1,464/yr | $1,498/yr |
| Medical Workers | $2,067/yr | $2,143/yr | $2,262/yr | $2,365/yr | $2,417/yr |
| Schoolteachers | $2,794/yr | $2,998/yr | $3,169/yr | $3,314/yr | $3,510/yr |
| Government Workers | $2,758/yr | $2,758/yr | $2,950/yr | $3,140/yr | $3,281/yr |
| Job Type | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
| Average of all industries | $4,218/yr | $4,342/yr | $4,546/yr | $4,707/yr | $4,965/yr |
| Building Trades | $4,607/yr | $4,914/yr | $5,120/yr | $5,305/yr | $5,498/yr |
| Farm Labor | $1,498/yr | $1,578/yr | $1,657/yr | $1,690/yr | $1,742/yr |
| Medical Workers | $2,488/yr | $2,532/yr | $2,612/yr | $2,751/yr | $2,881/yr |
| Schoolteachers | $3,608/yr | $3,827/yr | $4,085/yr | $4,343/yr | $4,522/yr |
| Government Workers | $3,447/yr | $3,564/yr | $3,747/yr | $3,958/yr | $4,152/yr |
Note: Material adapted from "The Value of a Dollar, 1860-2004." Third Edition, Scott Derks, Grey House Publishing.
