MIT’s Living Wage Calculator is a handy tool for estimating a baseline fair wage in your local area, but note that AJP’s definition of a living wage includes at least 10% of income for savings, which MIT’s calculation does not include. Add 10% to MIT’s figures to estimate the minimum living wage that will meet the AJP standards. Note that MIT’s calculator may be using data that is out of date, especially at times when cost of living has increased rapidly.
For a more accurate figure, and for purposes of Food Justice Certification, you will need to calculate a local living wage using AJP’s worksheet. Our worksheet lets you account for local conditions, the value of benefits and in-kind compensation (such as food or housing), and 10% savings.
Introduction from the MIT website:
What is the Living Wage Calculator?
Today, families and individuals working in low-wage jobs make too little income to meet minimum standards of living in their community. We developed the Living Wage Calculator to help individuals, communities, employers, and others estimate the local wage rate that a full-time worker requires to cover the costs of their family’s basic needs where they live. Explore the living wage in your county, metro area, or state for 12 different family types below.