These blogs share the personal opinions of Pastor Jack Marslender on a variety of topics. They are not necessarily the opinion of the church as a whole.  In Baptist life, a pastor does not have the authority to speak for the entire church.

This blog is an updated version of a blog I originally published in 2021.

The Bible doesn’t directly say anything about the minimum wage. It is a modern political and economic issue.

But the Bible does teach us to be fair to those who work for us. For example, Deuteronomy 23:4 says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” The teaching is clear. And if there were any doubt, the New Testament interpretation of the verse makes it obvious—a worker is worthy of his hire and should be paid fairly.

There are many other verses calling on employers to pay fair wages. Deuteronomy 24:14-15 says, “¹Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin.” Malachi 3:5 says, “’So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers, and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Luke 10:7 says, “the worker deserves his wages.”

Even a casual reader of the Bible would agree that we are called by God to be fair to those who work for us. But the real challenge is in defining “fair” in any given generation in terms of dollars and cents. How much should a worker be paid in 2026?

Any attempt—including mine—is likely to be controversial. But I’ll do my best to be logical, mathematical, and Biblical. I’ll start by comparing today’s minimum wage to when I started working.

In 1972, at the age of 14, I worked at my first job earning the federal minimum wage of $1.60 per hour. (I know. You don’t have to tell me. I’m old.) I unloaded trucks, swept floors, stocked shelves, loaded bags of concrete and did whatever else was necessary at my dad’s hardware store. (When my father hired me, he made sure I understood that I was expected to work twice as hard as everyone else so no one would complain that he “gave” me the job.) I worked hard for that $1.60 per hour, and since I was living at home with my parents, I thought it was more than appropriate. 

It became harder to live on when I went to college (in 1976 the minimum wage was $2.35 per hour), especially since I paid my own college expenses, but since I still lived at home, it was manageable.  It was much more difficult when I got married and had to pay for our own expenses, especially since both Dawn and I were paying for college.  (In 1978, the minimum wage was $2.65 per hour, but by then I was earning more than minimum wage.)  We only made it because both of us were going to school and working and I took on a second job as a part-time youth director.

Things have changed.  Today, the Arizona minimum wage is $14.70 per hour, and I hear grumbling (depending on who I talk to) about whether today’s minimum wage earners are overpaid or underpaid.

Are today’s workers overpaid or underpaid at $14.70? Let’s do some simple mathematical comparisons between 1972 and 2025. Here’s the math:

• In 1972, I only had to work 200 hours of minimum wage work to set aside enough money for a full year’s tuition at a state school like UA or ASU. In 2025, I would need to work 895 hours at minimum wage to pay for that same year of tuition.
• In 1972, I had to work a total of 16,750 hours to buy a median-priced home. Today, I would need to work 28,245 hours to buy a median priced home.
• Rents have also risen astronomically. In 1972, a minimum wage worker had to work 68 hours per month to rent a median priced one-bedroom apartment. Today, it takes about 90 hours of minimum wage work to rent the same type of apartment. (Though, to be honest, most rentals are larger than they were in 1972.)
• In 1972, workers obviously didn’t need to pay for computers, cell phones, or the internet for obvious reasons—these things did not exist. In today’s world, it’s almost impossible to get a job, keep a job, or get an education without them.

Clearly, education, housing, and basic needs are important for minimum wage earners, especially if they want to improve their income, learn a skill, and get a career. Today’s minimum wage (even in Arizona which is higher than many states) isn’t keeping up with life in 1972 in these areas.

Other things haven’t changed as much as we think.

• In 1972, I would have had to work 1350 hours to buy an inexpensive new car such as a Ford Pinto.  Today, I would have to work about the same to buy an inexpensive new car such as a Nissan Versa.  
• In 1972, one hour’s work would buy 4.5 gallons of gas. Today, one hour of work will buy about 4 gallons of gas.
• Fast food hasn’t changed much. In 1972, working an hour would buy 2 big macs ($.65 each) and a small order of fries. Though costs have risen, working an hour in 2025 will buy two Big Macs ($6.39) and a small order of French fries. (NOTE: A Big Mac isn’t my favorite, but it hasn’t changed much in 50 years, so it makes a good comparison!)

For transportation and food, today’s minimum wage hasn’t changed significantly in 48 years. But for housing and education, the minimum wage has lost incredible ground.

There are other factors that need to be addressed beyond the minimum wage if we want to be fair to workers in America:

• The rising price of college and technical schools (and the easy availability of federal money in the forms of tough-to-repay loans) has led to a rapid rise in the cost of getting an education or learning a trade. Governments would be wiser to invest in low-cost education solutions that don’t put people in deep debt if they truly want to help citizens. Businesses could help if they would offer their own training instead of demanding degrees and certifications.
• The rapid rise in medical costs and health insurance (not addressed in my math examples above) put many low-income workers and families into a constant high-risk category of financial trouble. In most cases, a young worker (even with insurance) can lose everything they have worked for if they end up even briefly in the hospital. Unfortunately, and often unfairly, people lose jobs and must start over at a minimum wage job due to circumstances beyond their control.
• The rapid rise in the cost of childcare is another factor that makes it harder for a young family to get ahead. Combine the cost of childcare with the reality that many employers don’t give enough time off for family emergencies, doctor’s appointments, and school meetings or events means that some workers (usually it’s the mothers) are unable to get a job that pays them enough to make it worthwhile. 
• Some of the factors that lead to financial trouble, of course, are self-induced. We need to do better in schools and churches to teach basic financial literacy like living on a budget and saving for emergencies and big-ticket items. As a pastor who frequently helps people in financial trouble, I am deeply aware that some people have never learned how to plan, budget, save, ay taxes (without expensive help), or even cook their own inexpensive meals.
• Employers tell me that “soft skills” and “people skills” are often lacking in their hires. The lack of these skills—showing up on time, getting along with others, having a good attitude, showing good communication skills, and being willing to learn new skills—keep some people in the lower end of the job market. Parents, teachers, churches, and even employers need to be willing to teach these skills. (It’s easier to just “complain” as many employers do that “you can’t find good help today” than it is to clearly communicate and then teach the necessary skills. In the long run, though, I believe that teaching new hires is far more productive than a constant turnover.)

Let’s be honest. It’s tough—especially for young adults—to make it today. The economy works great for me. At my age, I have paid off my house and cars and find it much easier to pay bills, be generous, and save.

But, still, among those my age, I have met more than my share of “angry old men” who want to complain about “youngsters today.” Let’s at least admit that younger people have a fair point. It’s much harder today to make it than it was when I was their age. For some, it’s close to impossible.

I will return to my original question, “What does the Bible teach about a fair minimum wage?” I can’t answer that question with specific dollars and cents. I can say, though, that I do not believe we are treating our young and low-income workers fairly. Our current minimum wage is not good enough. We—meaning the government or employers—need to do better.

We could start with these things:

• Those who hire (or have an influence on wages) should do the math to make sure that an entry-level employee can live decently in their community on the wage they are paid. It is unfair—and therefore unbiblical—to pay a wage that isn’t enough to make it in today’s world.
• Hard-working employees should be moved out of minimum wage levels quickly.
• Those in management should find ways to train and develop employees without relying on expensive government schooling and certifications.
• Those in management should work hard to make sure that they are fair in ways in addition to fair hourly pay. Attention should be given to reasonable expectations, adequate and even generous time-off, insurance, retirement benefits, working conditions, safety, and more.
• Christian consumers should be willing to make their purchases at companies who pay a decent living wage. Yes, it will cost us a bit more, but it makes a difference. I don’t want to personally profit on the backs of underpaid workers.

Anytime I write on a somewhat controversial topic, I get some complaints, and some are well-deserved. But let me answer a few questions before you quit reading:

• Am I a writing as a progressive or a conservative? I work hard to be neither progressive nor conservative. I want to be Biblical, and a fair wage is Biblical.
• Do I believe in social justice? Justice is a Biblical topic, so yes, I believe in both personal and social justice.
• Am I writing to seek an increase in my own wage? No. My church has been more than fair in paying me and giving me reasonable expectations, a good working environment, good benefits, and good time off. I am thankful for a church that has treated me well.
• Am I being overtly political? No. Paying a fair wage is Biblical—and that makes it an important topic for pastors, Bible teachers, and Christians. We need to learn to talk about these issues without the anger that comes with politics. I do not ever endorse a party or candidate, but I do seek candidates who believe in a living wage for all people and who have a plan to make it happen.

As Christians we have an obligation to treat employees and workers with fairness. Jesus’ golden rule, “Treat others the way you want to be treated” doesn’t just apply to personal, family, and church relationships. It applies to the way we do business, pay our workers, and treat our employees.

A worker should be paid fairly.

That’s a Biblical truth.