Ooops, missed the taxes part, but as far as I and my family was concerned, "pricking off" was "real work".

My first job with deductions was at the Dairy Queen. I can't remember what I was paid, but it was barely enough to live on, with nothing left over to pay for university tuition, which was supposed to be the whole purpose of the job in the first place.

First government job, was as an assistant technician in 1965, which netted me about $190.00 per month, which I think worked out to about a $1.30 an hour. We females were payed less than out male conterparts, because of the assertion that we did not, theoretically, have families to support and would only quit if we got married, therefore our work was of less value. Some things have changed....a little bit.