Idaho Wages Rank Low

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Working in Idaho doesn't pay much, compared to other states. That's according to the latest survey of employment and wages, released Friday by the state Department of Labor.

Idaho's average and median hourly wages slipped in national comparisons between spring 2011 and spring 2012. According to the survey, Idaho median wage of $14.58 hourly is just 87 percent of the median U.S. hourly wage. And it's part of a steady decline, too. Back in 2002, Idaho wages were about 95 percent of the national median.

Other states have boosted their minimum wages. But the Idaho Legislature has stuck with the federal minimum of $7.25. Idaho average wages are now 46th in the country, meaning workers in four states get less pay. The state's cost of living, by contrast, ranks 32nd.