> < 1% of the US is paid the federal minimum wage. Basically 0 once you discount income tax evasion and tipped employees. When I was a teenager, I worked as a

> < 1% of the US is paid the federal minimum wage. Basically 0 once you discount income tax evasion and tipped employees. When I was a teenager, I worked as a fast food cook and got paid $6.51/hr. The minimum wage where I was at the time: $6.50. This was probably so they could claim that they "paid above minimum wage" in their marketing to potential employees. Based on this experience hearing that "no one is paid the federal minimum wage" is not very convincing to me.