Living wage calculator from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Here you can view by state/county what kind of wage it takes to meet basic living expenses across the entire country. There are estimates for most living situations, such as: single person living alone, single parent with 1 or more children, two adults with no kids, etc, etc.
Use this to determine what you NEED to be making at a minimum just to to live based on your situation. Also please use it to slap down anyone who says that wages are too high already.
ed: This site does seem to be maintained and updated regularly, though I can't say precisely how often, but I have been using it for over 10 years.