MIT tool suggest $11.38 per hour as ‘living wage’ for a single adult in the San Antonio area

President Joe Biden’s proposed plan to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2025 would cover some San Antonians, but not all, according to a current wages calculator by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

MIT’s Living Wage calculator, which is updated annually, shows the gap between the costs of living modestly alongside the minimum and poverty wage rates in the U.S. The tool allows rates to be explored by location, family composition and employment status. Living wage estimates differ from minimum wages in that that expenses associated with food, housing and necessities like childcare are also considered.

Currently, the minimum wage in Texas, the lowest legal amount employers can pay, is $7.25 across the board, regardless of family size.

MIT suggests the living wage for single adults without dependents in the San Antonio-New Braunfels area should be $11.38 per hour.

However, being the sole provider for one child means an adult should bring home $23.91, according to the model. A single parent with three kids, would need to hit $34.06 per hour to be considered a livable wage, according to the model. Living wages for a household with one working adult range from $19.13 to $29.18, depending on family size.

In its 2020 update, MIT said the living wage model does not account for luxuries enjoyed by Americans like eating out or entertainment, nor does it allocate for unpaid vacations or holidays.

“The living wage is the minimum income standard that, if met, draws a very fine line between the financial independence of the working poor and the need to seek out public assistance or suffer consistent and severe housing and food insecurity,” the update said. “In light of this fact, the living wage is perhaps better defined as a minimum subsistence wage for persons living in the United States.”

The federal minimum wage has not changed since 2009. Biden’s push to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 as part of his $1.9 trillion stimulus plan is being debated by Congression but is expected to be opposed by Republicans lawmakers.

Madalyn Mendoza covers news and puro pop culture for MySA.com | [email protected] | @maddyskye