Sign In Get Started
Prepositions before nouns

Which prepositions go with “wage”?

Wage is most often used with for, as in wages for workers. Other prepositions appear in specific contexts or larger phrases.

Quick answer

Common combinations with “wage”

Use wages for workers or payment. In wage is uncommon as a fixed combination but appears in phrases such as increase in wages. Wage of is used in larger noun phrases like the wage of a factory worker. On wage and to wage are usually unrelated to the noun wage itself.

The company raised wages for drivers.
There was an increase in wageslast year.
They discussed the wage of an entry-level employee.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
wage for + job/person

Showing payment connected to work

Use for to connect wages with the worker or role.

The union demanded higher wages for nurses.
They set a fair wage for seasonal workers.
2
increase in wages

Talking about change in pay

Use in after nouns such as increase, drop, or difference.

Employees received an increase in wages.
The report noted a decline in wages.
3
wage of + worker

Identifying a specific amount of pay

Use of to identify whose wage is being discussed.

The average wage of a teacherhas risen.
They studied the wage of factory employees.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
wage for
They negotiated a higher wage for interns.
Standard for connecting pay with workers or roles.
in wages
There was a sharp rise in wages.
Natural after nouns describing change.
wage of
The wage of a skilled worker varies by region.
Used for ownership or identification.
on wage
Workers on low wages often need support.
On usually belongs to a larger phrase such as on low wages, not a fixed combination with wage alone.
to wage
The government decided to wage a campaign.
Here wage is a verb, not the noun meaning salary.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Confusing the noun and verb forms

Wage as a verb means conduct or carry out.

✕ They agreed to wage for cleaners. ✓ They agreed on wages for cleaners.

Using “on wage” alone

English usually uses wages in this expression or adds a modifier.

✕ Many people live on wage. ✓ Many people live on low wages.

Using “for” after increase

After increase, English normally uses in.

✕ There was an increase for wages. ✓ There was an increase in wages.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The union asked for better wages ___ drivers.
2. There has been a rise ___ wages this year.
3. The average wage ___ a technician has increased.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is “wage for” correct?

Yes. It is common when referring to pay for a worker or role.

Can I say “increase for wages”?

Usually no. English normally uses increase in wages.

Why does “to wage” look different?

To wage uses wage as a verb meaning conduct, as in wage war.

of, about, against, to or for racism? of, about, for, in or on friendship? of, about, for, on or to thing? of, about, for, to or with sex? of, about, on, to or for moon? "of access" or "with access"? "of accommodation" or "for accommodation"? "of accuracy" or "for accuracy"? "of action" or "in action"? "of actor", "with actor" or "by actor"? "of address" or "to address"? "of administration" or "in administration"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account