Working on a holiday in america, i get 18.25. In australia i get 55.87 (38.27 usd).
Im a student doing a year program in the usa, originally im from australia. I know ill get the old 'if you dont like it then leave' which i am in 3 months, im not complaning per se, just food for thought.
Yes theres the conversion rate, but in my experience costs are about the same, i was paying 753 usd (1100 aud) for rent near sydney, i pay 1200 usd (1752 aud) near seattle now for the same thing. Recently the prices for fresh food in australia have gone up, inflation, covid and other factors, but before that it was pretty much similar.
I worked as a cashier at a fast food chain as a casual, which is like part time but no promised hours (ie 20hrs one week, 35 the next, basically like american part time). Minimum wage for a casual adult is 27.96 per hour at my company, pretty much the same for others. For weekends its 33.54, holidays 55.87. That was the pay rate for 1.5 years ago, likely more now. Oh, and i dont pay tax until i earn more than 18,200 a year.
I know even 18.25 is pretty good in america, but in seattle specially it's pretty much the minimum, every job ive seen is at least that.
I just find it pretty amazing america prides itself on being the best country in the world, land of opportunities etc, but it doesnt even have holiday or weekend penalty rates. As I was working 9 hours on labour day for normal wage, i couldnt help but think how I would of earned 500 for the same work in australia.
Not tryina to rub it in, i know you all know american wages suck and australias far far far away from a utopia, but just giving a example that higher wages CAN work, society doesnt immediately crumble. Businesses still function. And that you should strive to get the pay you deserve for your work because it can happen.