As Massachusetts continues to debate the pros and cons of raising the minimum wage and tying it to the Consumer Price Index, so too is the federal government. In the same was the Commonwealth may raise it’s lowest hourly rate for employees from $8 per hour to $11 per hour, Uncle Sam may up the nationwide rate from $7.25 per hour to $10.10 over the same period.

The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) recently released two graphics, showing the benefits of upping minimum wage while trying to eliminate common misconceptions about those to earn it.

According to EPI data, should lawmakers opt to raise minimum wage to the suggested $10.10 over three years, it will be just enough to help pull families of three above the poverty level which currently stands just south of $19,000 annually. $10.10 would up that annual rate to almost $20k per year. The current minimum wage isn’t even enough to help bring a family of two out of the red. See for yourself below.