For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Friday, January 17, 2020					USDL-20-0049

Technical information:	(202) 691-6378  *  cpsinfo@bls.gov  *  www.bls.gov/cps
Media contact:		(202) 691-5902  *  PressOffice@bls.gov


			USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS
					FOURTH QUARTER 2019


Median weekly earnings of the nation's 118.3 million full-time wage and salary workers were
$936 in the fourth quarter of 2019 (not seasonally adjusted), the U.S. Bureau of Labor 
Statistics reported today. This was 4.0 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with
a gain of 2.0 percent in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the
same period.

Data on usual weekly earnings are collected as part of the Current Population Survey, a 
nationwide sample survey of households in which respondents are asked, among other things,
how much each wage and salary worker usually earns. (See the Technical Note in this news
release.) Data shown in this release are not seasonally adjusted unless otherwise specified.

Highlights from the fourth-quarter data:

   --Median weekly earnings of full-time workers were $936 in the fourth quarter of 2019.
     Women had median weekly earnings of $843, or 82.5 percent of the $1,022 median for men.
     (See table 2.)

   --The women's-to-men's earnings ratio varied by race and ethnicity. White women earned
     81.2 percent as much as their male counterparts, compared with 94.9 percent for Black 
     women, 75.5 percent for Asian women, and 85.9 percent for Hispanic women. (See table 2.)

   --Among the major race and ethnicity groups, median earnings of Blacks ($756) and 
     Hispanics ($712) working at full-time jobs were lower than those of Whites ($967) and 
     Asians ($1,166). By sex, median weekly earnings for Black men were $778, or 73.5 percent
     of the median for White men ($1,058). Median earnings for Hispanic men were $761, or 
     71.9 percent of the median for White men. The difference was less among women, as Black
     women's median earnings ($738) were 85.9 percent of those for White women ($859), and 
     earnings for Hispanic women were $654, or 76.1 percent of those for White women. Earnings of 
     Asian men ($1,335) and women ($1,008) were higher than those of their White counterparts.
     (See table 2.)

   --By age, median weekly earnings were highest for men ages 35 to 64: weekly earnings were
     $1,162 for men ages 35 to 44, $1,174 for men ages 45 to 54, and $1,188 for men ages 55 to
     64 in the fourth quarter of 2019. For women, usual weekly earnings also were highest for 
     those ages 35 to 64: weekly earnings were $923 for women ages 35 to 44, $909 for women 
     ages 45 to 54, and $922 for women ages 55 to 64. Men and women ages 16 to 24 had the 
     lowest median weekly earnings, $621 and $566, respectively. (See table 3.)

   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in management, 
     professional, and related occupations had the highest median weekly earnings--$1,517 for
     men and $1,165 for women. Men and women employed in service jobs earned the least, $671 
     and $546, respectively. (See table 4.)

   --By educational attainment, full-time workers age 25 and over without a high school 
     diploma had median weekly earnings of $596, compared with $747 for high school graduates
     (no college) and $1,382 for those holding at least a bachelor's degree. Among college 
     graduates with advance degrees (professional or master's degree and above), the highest
     earning 10 percent of male workers made $3,900 or more per week, compared with $2,896 or
     more for their female counterparts. (See table 5.)

   --Seasonally adjusted median weekly earnings were $933 in the fourth quarter of 2019, 
     little changed from the previous quarter ($924). (See table 1.)

Annual Averages for 2018 and 2019

In addition to the data for the fourth quarter, this news release includes 2018 and 2019
annual averages on median weekly earnings for major demographic and occupational groups, and
2019 annual average data for educational attainment groups. (See tables 7, 8, and 9.) Annual
average data on median usual weekly earnings for men and women by detailed occupational
categories will be posted online at www.bls.gov/cps/tables.htm#weekearn when they become
available.

   ________________________________________________________________________________________
  |                                                                                        |
  |             Revision of Seasonally Adjusted Usual Weekly Earnings Data                 |
  |                                                                                        |
  |Seasonally adjusted median usual weekly earnings data shown in table 1 of this news	   |
  |release have been revised using updated seasonal adjustment factors from the Current	   |
  |Population Survey, a procedure done at the end of each calendar year. The revisions	   |
  |directly affected the number of full-time wage and salary workers and current dollar	   |
  |estimates of median weekly earnings; estimates of constant (1982-84) dollar median	   |
  |weekly earnings were indirectly affected. Seasonally adjusted estimates back to the     |
  |first quarter of 2015 were subject to revision.                                         | 
  |                                                                                        |
  |The Usual Weekly Earnings news release for the first quarter of 2020, scheduled for     |
  |release on April 15, 2020, will incorporate revisions to the seasonally adjusted data   |
  |for the median weekly earnings in constant (1982-84) dollars. Seasonally adjusted       |
  |constant (1982-84) dollar estimates back to the first quarter of 2015 will be subject   |
  |to revision due to annual revisions to seasonally adjusted data for the Consumer Price  |
  |Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).                                                  |
  |________________________________________________________________________________________|

Technical Note


   The estimates in this release were obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS),
which provides basic information on the labor force, employment, and unemployment. The
survey is conducted monthly for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by the U.S. Census
Bureau using a scientifically selected national sample of about 60,000 eligible house-
holds, with coverage in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The earnings data
are collected from one-fourth of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to wage and
salary workers. All self-employed workers, both incorporated and unincorporated, are
excluded from CPS earnings estimates.

   Material in this news release is in the public domain and may be used without
permission. This information is available to sensory impaired individuals upon
request. Voice telephone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Definitions

   The principal definitions used in connection with the earnings data in this news
release are described briefly below.

   Usual weekly earnings. Data represent earnings before taxes and other deductions and
include any overtime pay, commissions, or tips usually received (at the main job in the
case of multiple jobholders). Prior to 1994, respondents were asked how much they
usually earned per week. Since January 1994, respondents have been asked to identify
the easiest way for them to report earnings (hourly, weekly, biweekly, twice monthly,
monthly, annually, or other) and how much they usually earn in the reported time period.

   Earnings reported on a basis other than weekly are converted to a weekly equivalent.
The term "usual" is determined by each respondent's own understanding of the term. If
the respondent asks for a definition of "usual," interviewers are instructed to define
the term as more than half the weeks worked during the past 4 or 5 months.

   Medians (and other quantiles) of weekly earnings. The median (or upper limit of the
second quartile) is the midpoint in a given earnings distribution, with half of workers
having earnings above the median and the other half having earnings below the median.
Ten percent of a given distribution have earnings below the upper limit of the first
decile (90 percent have higher earnings), 25 percent have earnings below the upper limit
of the first quartile (75 percent have higher earnings), 75 percent have earnings below
the upper limit of the third quartile (25 percent have higher earnings), and 90 percent
have earnings below the upper limit of the ninth decile (10 percent have higher earnings).

   The BLS procedure for estimating the median of an earnings distribution places each 
reported or calculated weekly earnings value into a $50-wide interval that is centered
around a multiple of $50. The median is calculated through the linear interpolation of 
the interval in which the median lies.

   Changes over time in the medians (and other quantile boundaries) for specific groups
may not necessarily be consistent with the movements estimated for the overall quantile
boundary. The most common reasons for this possible anomaly are as follows: (1) there
could be a change in the relative weights of the subgroups. For example, the median of
16- to 24-year-olds and the median earnings of those 25 years and over may rise, but if
the lower earning 16-to-24 age group accounts for a greatly increased share of the
total, the overall median could actually fall. (2) there could be a large change in the
shape of the distribution of reported earnings, particularly near a quantile boundary.
This change could be caused by survey observations that are clustered at rounded values,
such as $400 or $500. An estimate lying in a $50-wide centered interval containing such
a cluster or "spike" tends to change more slowly than one in other intervals.

   Constant dollars. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) is used
to convert current dollars to constant (1982-84) dollars.

   Wage and salary workers. These are workers who receive wages, salaries, commissions,
tips, payment in kind, or piece rates. The group includes employees in both the private
and public sectors but, for the purposes of the earnings series, it excludes all self-
employed persons, both those with incorporated businesses and those with unincorporated
businesses.

   Full-time workers. For the purpose of producing estimates of earnings, workers who
usually work 35 hours or more per week at their sole or principal job are defined as
working full time.

   Part-time workers. For the purpose of producing estimates of earnings, workers who
usually work fewer than 35 hours per week at their sole or principal job are defined as
working part time.

   Race. In the survey process, race is determined by the household respondent. In
accordance with the Office of Management and Budget guidelines, White, Black or African
American, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific 
Islander are terms used to describe a person's race. Estimates for the latter two race
groups and persons who selected more than one race are not included in this release due
to insufficient sample size.

   Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. This refers to people who identified themselves in the
survey process as being of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin. People whose ethnicity
is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.

Reliability

   Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. When a
sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample
estimates may differ from the true population values they represent. The component of
this difference that occurs because samples differ by chance is known as sampling error,
and its variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate. There is about a
90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ
by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the true population value because of sampling
error. BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence. 

   The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling error can occur for
many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the population, inability
to obtain information for all respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness of
respondents to provide correct information, and errors made in the collection or
processing of the data.

   Additional information about the reliability of data from the CPS is available on the
BLS website at www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability.

Seasonal adjustment

   Over the course of a year, the size of the nation's labor force and other measures
of labor market activity undergo regularly occurring fluctuations. These recurring
events include seasonal changes in weather, major holidays, and the opening and closing
of schools. The effect of such seasonal variations can be very large.

   Because seasonal events follow a more or less regular pattern each year, their
influence on the level of a series can be tempered by adjusting for regular seasonal
variation. These adjustments make nonseasonal developments easier to spot. The
seasonally adjusted figures provide a more useful tool with which to analyze changes
in quarter-to-quarter activity.

   At the end of each calendar year, the seasonally adjusted data are revised for the past
5 years when the seasonal adjustment factors are updated. More information on seasonal
adjustment is available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#sa.

Table 1. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by sex, quarterly averages, seasonally adjusted

Year and quarter	Number of workers (in thousands)			Median weekly earnings
	Total	Men	Women	In current dollars			In constant (1982-84) dollars
				Total $	Men $	Women $	Total $	Men $	Women $
2010
4th quarter	99,958	55,486	44,472	750	826	676	341	376	308
2011
1st quarter	99,670	55,337	44,333	750	821	679	338	370	306
2nd quarter	100,347	55,821	44,526	754	830	687	336	370	306
3rd quarter	100,495	56,046	44,449	760	836	681	336	370	301
4th quarter	101,337	56,687	44,650	760	838	686	335	369	302
2012
1st quarter	102,161	57,110	45,051	764	841	693	335	368	303
2nd quarter	102,525	57,079	45,447	772	870	687	337	380	300
3rd quarter	102,587	57,207	45,380	766	836	693	333	364	302
4th quarter	103,748	57,772	45,977	771	868	690	333	375	298
2013
1st quarter	103,928	57,884	46,044	768	860	699	331	370	301
2nd quarter	103,988	57,944	46,044	777	863	706	335	372	304
3rd quarter	104,400	58,082	46,318	779	855	705	334	367	302
4th quarter	104,764	58,095	46,669	782	865	712	334	369	304
2014
1st quarter	105,633	58,682	46,951	790	865	716	335	367	304
2nd quarter	106,342	59,486	46,855	781	860	715	330	363	302
3rd quarter	106,726	59,543	47,183	798	878	721	336	370	304
4th quarter	107,436	60,123	47,313	795	878	724	336	371	306
2015
1st quarter	108,448	60,346	48,102	802	886	725	341	377	308
2nd quarter	108,541	60,386	48,154	803	890	725	339	376	306
3rd quarter	109,315	61,004	48,311	809	896	727	340	377	306
4th quarter	110,060	61,292	48,768	821	904	729	345	380	307
2016
1st quarter	110,358	61,584	48,774	824	903	745	346	380	313
2nd quarter	110,928	61,771	49,157	827	914	744	345	382	311
3rd quarter	111,635	62,127	49,507	833	917	750	346	381	312
4th quarter	111,483	62,283	49,199	846	924	758	349	382	313
2017
1st quarter	111,875	62,386	49,488	858	940	760	352	386	312
2nd quarter	113,116	62,921	50,195	862	939	780	353	385	320
3rd quarter	113,720	63,225	50,495	864	943	771	352	385	314
4th quarter	114,403	63,425	50,979	853	943	770	345	381	311
2018
1st quarter	114,538	63,898	50,639	875	955	778	351	383	312
2nd quarter	115,474	64,107	51,367	880	964	780	351	385	311
3rd quarter	116,073	64,296	51,777	892	980	800	354	389	318
4th quarter	116,199	64,296	51,903	897	991	794	355	392	314
2019
1st quarter	117,250	64,906	52,345	899	994	802	355	392	317
2nd quarter	117,254	64,997	52,257	912	1,005	814	357	394	319
3rd quarter	117,286	64,776	52,510	924	1,010	829	360	394	323
4th quarter	118,556	65,365	53,191	933	1,019	843	362	395	327
NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly averages, not seasonally adjusted

Characteristic	Number of workers (in thousands)		Median weekly earnings
	4th 2018	4th 2019	In current dollars		In constant (1982-84) dollars
			4th 2018	4th 2019	4th 2018	4th 2019
SEX AND AGE
Total, 16 years and over	115,928	118,286	$900	$936	$357	$364
Men, 16 years and over	63,879	64,942	993	1,022	394	397
16 to 24 years	5,417	5,605	609	621	241	241
25 years and over	58,461	59,337	1,045	1,090	415	424
Women, 16 years and over	52,050	53,344	794	843	315	328
16 to 24 years	4,594	4,581	539	566	214	220
25 years and over	47,456	48,763	834	883	331	343
RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX
White	88,968	90,753	931	967	369	376
Men	50,212	50,996	1,024	1,058	406	411
Women	38,755	39,757	816	859	324	334
Black or African American	15,162	15,463	712	756	282	294
Men	7,295	7,391	773	778	307	302
Women	7,866	8,072	665	738	264	287
Asian	7,850	8,073	1,095	1,166	435	453
Men	4,167	4,377	1,256	1,335	498	519
Women	3,683	3,696	937	1,008	372	392
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity	20,461	21,494	684	712	272	277
Men	12,279	12,584	736	761	292	296
Women	8,182	8,910	610	654	242	254
NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

Table 3. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and sex, 4th quarter 2019 averages, not seasonally adjusted

Age, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity	Total		Men		Women
	Number of workers (in thousands)	Median weekly earnings	Number of workers (in thousands)	Median weekly earnings	Number of workers (in thousands)	Median weekly earnings
TOTAL
16 years and over	118,286	$936	64,942	$1,022	53,344	$843
16 to 24 years	10,186	600	5,605	621	4,581	566
16 to 19 years	1,310	494	790	513	520	451
20 to 24 years	8,875	616	4,815	651	4,060	585
25 years and over	108,100	984	59,337	1,090	48,763	883
25 to 54 years	82,685	973	45,503	1,066	37,181	881
25 to 34 years	30,054	876	16,533	917	13,520	815
35 to 44 years	27,218	1,047	15,258	1,162	11,959	923
45 to 54 years	25,413	1,039	13,712	1,174	11,701	909
55 years and over	25,416	1,030	13,833	1,168	11,582	892
55 to 64 years	20,320	1,053	10,996	1,188	9,323	922
65 years and over	5,096	942	2,837	1,099	2,259	822
White
16 years and over	90,753	967	50,996	1,058	39,757	859
16 to 24 years	7,779	604	4,362	623	3,417	578
25 years and over	82,974	1,011	46,634	1,127	36,340	898
25 to 54 years	62,404	996	35,016	1,097	27,388	896
55 years and over	20,570	1,075	11,618	1,220	8,952	908
Black or African American
16 years and over	15,463	756	7,391	778	8,072	738
16 to 24 years	1,496	551	719	598	777	511
25 years and over	13,967	794	6,672	809	7,295	773
25 to 54 years	11,115	792	5,406	815	5,709	765
55 years and over	2,852	811	1,266	780	1,587	843
Asian
16 years and over	8,073	1,166	4,377	1,335	3,696	1,008
16 to 24 years	387	726	218	706	169	737
25 years and over	7,686	1,207	4,158	1,374	3,527	1,072
25 to 54 years	6,211	1,251	3,446	1,419	2,765	1,125
55 years and over	1,475	1,053	713	1,213	762	912
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
16 years and over	21,494	712	12,584	761	8,910	654
16 to 24 years	2,500	566	1,431	596	1,069	522
25 years and over	18,994	739	11,153	796	7,841	681
25 to 54 years	15,963	745	9,355	800	6,608	685
55 years and over	3,031	712	1,798	768	1,233	635
NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

Table 4. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, quarterly averages, not seasonally adjusted

Occupation and sex	Number of workers (in thousands)		Median weekly earnings
	4th 2018	4th 2019	4th 2018	4th 2019
TOTAL
Management, professional, and related occupations	48,938	50,671	$1,269	$1,329
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	19,975	20,980	1,384	1,434
Professional and related occupations	28,963	29,690	1,202	1,246
Service occupations	15,936	16,226	574	601
Sales and office occupations	23,801	24,580	743	755
Sales and related occupations	9,934	10,242	826	827
Office and administrative support occupations	13,867	14,338	713	727
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	11,689	11,796	842	895
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	844	879	538	582
Construction and extraction occupations	6,525	6,570	814	890
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	4,320	4,348	957	975
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	15,565	15,013	723	737
Production occupations	7,730	7,281	744	762
Transportation and material moving occupations	7,835	7,732	699	716
Men
Management, professional, and related occupations	23,404	24,418	1,505	1,517
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	10,578	11,271	1,561	1,596
Professional and related occupations	12,826	13,147	1,459	1,464
Service occupations	7,559	7,814	675	671
Sales and office occupations	9,556	9,915	852	886
Sales and related occupations	5,487	5,637	969	987
Office and administrative support occupations	4,070	4,277	729	770
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	11,167	11,178	858	906
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	646	668	575	597
Construction and extraction occupations	6,341	6,320	815	894
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	4,180	4,190	964	982
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	12,192	11,617	782	785
Production occupations	5,681	5,327	804	821
Transportation and material moving occupations	6,511	6,289	748	750
Women
Management, professional, and related occupations	25,534	26,253	1,102	1,165
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	9,398	9,709	1,222	1,260
Professional and related occupations	16,137	16,544	1,038	1,128
Service occupations	8,377	8,412	512	546
Sales and office occupations	14,244	14,665	698	710
Sales and related occupations	4,447	4,605	668	682
Office and administrative support occupations	9,797	10,060	708	718
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	522	618	581	677
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	197	210	490	535
Construction and extraction occupations	184	250	762	769
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	140	158	692	871
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	3,372	3,397	584	606
Production occupations	2,049	1,954	594	615
Transportation and material moving occupations	1,323	1,443	569	592
NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

Table 5. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, 4th quarter 2019 averages, not seasonally adjusted

Characteristic	Number of workers (in thousands)	Upper limit of:
		First decile	First quartile	Second quartile (median)	Third quartile	Ninth decile
SEX, RACE, AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY
Total, 16 years and over	118,286	$467	$623	$936	$1,488	$2,280
Men	64,942	496	672	1,022	1,627	2,490
Women	53,344	424	585	843	1,306	1,921
White	90,753	480	639	967	1,513	2,294
Men	50,996	507	695	1,058	1,661	2,506
Women	39,757	438	594	859	1,333	1,921
Black or African American	15,463	397	547	756	1,139	1,792
Men	7,391	419	584	778	1,172	1,865
Women	8,072	380	515	738	1,080	1,734
Asian	8,073	501	726	1,166	1,903	2,875
Men	4,377	521	753	1,335	2,098	2,922
Women	3,696	487	685	1,008	1,642	2,323
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity	21,494	404	523	712	1,067	1,644
Men	12,584	428	571	761	1,143	1,786
Women	8,910	382	493	654	973	1,460
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Total, 25 years and over	108,100	487	654	984	1,543	2,313
Less than a high school diploma	6,601	373	456	596	782	1,098
High school graduates, no college(1)	27,328	427	561	747	1,100	1,563
Some college or associate degree	27,598	477	619	870	1,259	1,767
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	46,573	669	940	1,382	2,084	2,988
Bachelor's degree only	28,684	627	880	1,259	1,903	2,876
Advanced degree	17,889	767	1,086	1,571	2,313	3,406
Men, 25 years and over	59,337	520	709	1,090	1,727	2,539
Less than a high school diploma	4,394	393	508	643	872	1,251
High school graduates, no college(1)	16,804	481	615	849	1,253	1,748
Some college or associate degree	14,881	520	696	995	1,451	1,983
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	23,258	725	1,047	1,569	2,321	3,429
Bachelor's degree only	14,584	681	970	1,457	2,200	3,121
Advanced degree	8,674	856	1,216	1,783	2,685	3,900
Women, 25 years and over	48,763	449	605	883	1,363	2,003
Less than a high school diploma	2,207	333	398	499	626	757
High school graduates, no college(1)	10,524	389	496	636	848	1,202
Some college or associate degree	12,717	421	568	742	1,030	1,446
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	23,315	629	872	1,230	1,796	2,517
Bachelor's degree only	14,100	601	799	1,133	1,606	2,290
Advanced degree	9,215	731	1,000	1,398	2,020	2,896
Footnotes (1) Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. (2) Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.
NOTE: Ten percent of all full-time wage and salary workers earn less than the upper limit of the first decile; 25 percent earn less than the upper limit of the first quartile; 50 percent earn less than the upper limit of the second quartile, or median; 75 percent earn less than the upper limit of the third quartile; and 90 percent earn less than the upper limit of the ninth decile. Estimates for the above race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

Table 6. Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly averages, not seasonally adjusted

Characteristic	Number of workers (in thousands)		Median weekly earnings
	4th 2018	4th 2019	4th 2018	4th 2019
SEX AND AGE
Total, 16 years and over	24,763	24,194	$272	$284
Men, 16 years and over	8,642	8,483	265	283
16 to 24 years	3,683	3,702	195	224
25 years and over	4,959	4,781	335	344
Women, 16 years and over	16,121	15,711	275	284
16 to 24 years	4,671	4,810	200	208
25 years and over	11,450	10,901	315	331
RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX
White	19,269	18,675	275	284
Men	6,646	6,350	268	285
Women	12,623	12,325	279	284
Black or African American	3,065	2,901	264	282
Men	1,118	1,142	258	281
Women	1,947	1,758	267	282
Asian	1,351	1,506	283	285
Men	499	556	283	252
Women	853	950	284	297
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity	4,461	4,270	267	288
Men	1,538	1,625	292	296
Women	2,923	2,645	256	283
NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

Table 7. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, annual averages

Characteristic	Number of workers (in thousands)		Median weekly earnings
	2018	2019	In current dollars		In constant (1982-84) dollars
			2018	2019	2018	2019
SEX AND AGE
Total, 16 years and over	115,567	117,584	$886	$917	$353	$359
Men, 16 years and over	64,142	65,007	973	1,007	387	394
16 to 24 years	5,818	5,936	575	607	229	237
25 years and over	58,324	59,070	1,026	1,070	409	418
Women, 16 years and over	51,425	52,577	789	821	314	321
16 to 24 years	4,611	4,830	522	540	208	211
25 years and over	46,814	47,747	830	865	330	338
RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX
White	88,953	90,194	916	945	365	370
Men	50,570	51,110	1,002	1,036	399	405
Women	38,384	39,084	817	840	325	328
Black or African American	15,041	15,460	694	735	276	288
Men	7,282	7,378	735	769	293	301
Women	7,760	8,081	654	704	260	275
Asian	7,643	7,898	1,095	1,174	436	459
Men	4,169	4,334	1,241	1,336	494	523
Women	3,474	3,563	937	1,025	373	401
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity	20,297	21,227	680	706	271	276
Men	12,226	12,611	720	747	287	292
Women	8,071	8,616	617	642	246	251
NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

Table 8. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, annual averages

Occupation and sex	Number of workers (in thousands)		Median weekly earnings
	2018	2019	2018	2019
TOTAL
Management, professional, and related occupations	48,808	50,119	$1,246	$1,309
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	19,863	20,696	1,355	1,415
Professional and related occupations	28,945	29,423	1,176	1,237
Service occupations	16,288	16,558	569	592
Sales and office occupations	23,714	23,883	742	758
Sales and related occupations	10,077	9,929	798	830
Office and administrative support occupations	13,637	13,954	717	732
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	11,546	11,671	824	869
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	850	900	581	574
Construction and extraction occupations	6,414	6,467	808	866
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	4,282	4,304	934	939
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	15,210	15,353	707	727
Production occupations	7,668	7,741	723	745
Transportation and material moving occupations	7,542	7,612	689	711
Men
Management, professional, and related occupations	23,685	24,260	1,468	1,539
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	10,668	11,111	1,537	1,598
Professional and related occupations	13,017	13,149	1,425	1,493
Service occupations	7,948	7,898	641	659
Sales and office occupations	9,548	9,695	846	874
Sales and related occupations	5,621	5,525	949	982
Office and administrative support occupations	3,926	4,170	738	771
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	11,030	11,134	834	881
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	667	690	602	593
Construction and extraction occupations	6,223	6,280	809	873
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	4,140	4,164	936	943
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	11,932	12,020	762	780
Production occupations	5,627	5,668	793	814
Transportation and material moving occupations	6,305	6,352	724	747
Women
Management, professional, and related occupations	25,123	25,859	1,078	1,135
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	9,195	9,585	1,168	1,221
Professional and related occupations	15,929	16,274	1,024	1,085
Service occupations	8,340	8,660	511	537
Sales and office occupations	14,166	14,188	696	713
Sales and related occupations	4,455	4,404	651	677
Office and administrative support occupations	9,711	9,784	711	721
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	516	537	638	614
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	183	210	483	513
Construction and extraction occupations	191	187	785	711
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	142	140	823	850
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	3,279	3,334	561	593
Production occupations	2,041	2,073	575	596
Transportation and material moving occupations	1,237	1,260	538	586
NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

Table 9. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, 2019 annual averages

Characteristic	Number of workers (in thousands)	Upper limit of:
		First decile	First quartile	Second quartile (median)	Third quartile	Ninth decile
TOTAL
Total, 25 years and over	106,818	$482	$647	$969	$1,524	$2,308
Less than a high school diploma	7,011	368	463	592	772	1,078
High school graduates, no college(1)	26,756	423	553	746	1,084	1,536
Some college or associate degree	27,279	477	613	856	1,240	1,749
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	45,772	653	918	1,367	2,071	2,994
Bachelor's degree only	28,313	612	846	1,248	1,892	2,789
Advanced degree	17,460	766	1,066	1,567	2,316	3,468
Men
Total, 25 years and over	59,070	512	703	1,070	1,702	2,552
Less than a high school diploma	4,749	398	505	644	857	1,187
High school graduates, no college(1)	16,428	479	609	844	1,221	1,714
Some college or associate degree	14,648	520	698	991	1,424	1,924
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	23,246	701	1,025	1,573	2,355	3,475
Bachelor's degree only	14,731	656	946	1,442	2,179	3,113
Advanced degree	8,515	838	1,221	1,878	2,769	3,998
Women
Total, 25 years and over	47,747	441	597	865	1,334	1,936
Less than a high school diploma	2,262	318	395	494	615	768
High school graduates, no college(1)	10,328	384	493	633	853	1,176
Some college or associate degree	12,631	426	558	737	1,019	1,417
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	22,526	618	846	1,195	1,755	2,486
Bachelor's degree only	13,582	584	772	1,100	1,570	2,268
Advanced degree	8,944	734	972	1,365	1,931	2,884
White, total
Total, 25 years and over	81,952	493	671	995	1,551	2,323
Less than a high school diploma	5,582	379	478	604	785	1,104
High school graduates, no college(1)	20,591	441	575	778	1,138	1,588
Some college or associate degree	20,940	489	636	894	1,298	1,816
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	34,838	673	935	1,380	2,087	3,085
Bachelor's degree only	21,800	624	866	1,270	1,907	2,884
Advanced degree	13,037	778	1,074	1,568	2,319	3,594
White men
Total, 25 years and over	46,465	524	725	1,107	1,740	2,614
Less than a high school diploma	3,896	408	513	658	870	1,213
High school graduates, no college(1)	13,023	490	628	888	1,269	1,758
Some college or associate degree	11,580	544	732	1,030	1,472	2,011
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	17,966	724	1,054	1,612	2,406	3,622
Bachelor's degree only	11,572	686	979	1,489	2,256	3,230
Advanced degree	6,393	851	1,238	1,880	2,875	4,333
White women
Total, 25 years and over	35,487	455	608	883	1,347	1,964
Less than a high school diploma	1,686	325	400	497	618	762
High school graduates, no college(1)	7,568	393	502	653	883	1,231
Some college or associate degree	9,361	439	574	755	1,048	1,457
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	16,872	625	855	1,197	1,752	2,484
Bachelor's degree only	10,228	590	783	1,107	1,578	2,281
Advanced degree	6,644	743	979	1,359	1,921	2,875
Black or African American, total
Total, 25 years and over	13,947	411	561	769	1,157	1,751
Less than a high school diploma	743	314	397	536	677	963
High school graduates, no college(1)	4,145	381	491	635	864	1,225
Some college or associate degree	4,237	413	541	720	1,020	1,370
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	4,822	584	761	1,110	1,620	2,343
Bachelor's degree only	3,078	537	710	1,007	1,483	2,110
Advanced degree	1,744	656	895	1,284	1,905	2,773
Black or African American men
Total, 25 years and over	6,645	436	589	814	1,218	1,880
Less than a high school diploma	428	345	423	575	751	998
High school graduates, no college(1)	2,209	413	535	696	984	1,392
Some college or associate degree	1,960	446	590	791	1,139	1,558
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	2,049	580	765	1,144	1,746	2,522
Bachelor's degree only	1,415	541	719	1,056	1,569	2,297
Advanced degree	633	642	911	1,434	2,127	2,917
Black or African American women
Total, 25 years and over	7,302	394	529	735	1,109	1,637
Less than a high school diploma	315	284	369	478	616	811
High school graduates, no college(1)	1,936	357	446	586	759	1,009
Some college or associate degree	2,277	393	510	662	924	1,225
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	2,773	588	759	1,077	1,540	2,266
Bachelor's degree only	1,662	534	704	970	1,422	1,917
Advanced degree	1,111	663	891	1,231	1,815	2,597
Asian, total
Total, 25 years and over	7,454	509	741	1,232	1,923	2,898
Less than a high school diploma	359	343	419	538	728	1,087
High school graduates, no college(1)	1,019	404	515	683	943	1,347
Some college or associate degree	1,045	489	634	844	1,232	1,740
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	5,031	691	1,024	1,579	2,303	3,167
Bachelor's degree only	2,690	609	902	1,412	2,020	2,884
Advanced degree	2,341	844	1,214	1,882	2,680	3,675
Asian men
Total, 25 years and over	4,097	556	808	1,373	2,215	3,085
Less than a high school diploma	193	376	461	616	847	1,364
High school graduates, no college(1)	579	438	569	739	1,049	1,490
Some college or associate degree	566	503	678	935	1,335	1,852
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	2,760	756	1,157	1,823	2,518	3,481
Bachelor's degree only	1,403	651	1,008	1,556	2,290	3,127
Advanced degree	1,357	932	1,364	1,999	2,885	3,869
Asian women
Total, 25 years and over	3,357	485	675	1,082	1,749	2,441
Less than a high school diploma	166	304	399	487	597	779
High school graduates, no college(1)	440	379	488	607	821	1,129
Some college or associate degree	479	481	599	779	1,107	1,565
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	2,271	624	909	1,416	1,984	2,887
Bachelor's degree only	1,287	588	826	1,247	1,848	2,420
Advanced degree	984	762	1,107	1,615	2,281	3,314
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, total
Total, 25 years and over	18,653	413	537	734	1,115	1,707
Less than a high school diploma	4,210	375	466	583	734	987
High school graduates, no college(1)	5,932	409	520	693	969	1,398
Some college or associate degree	4,327	451	581	777	1,125	1,590
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	4,184	559	773	1,155	1,759	2,607
Bachelor's degree only	2,869	520	724	1,027	1,555	2,397
Advanced degree	1,314	664	962	1,412	2,057	2,970
Hispanic or Latino men
Total, 25 years and over	11,125	454	580	781	1,182	1,819
Less than a high school diploma	2,943	398	500	622	800	1,067
High school graduates, no college(1)	3,779	461	576	761	1,073	1,528
Some college or associate degree	2,339	493	624	882	1,270	1,793
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	2,064	588	832	1,290	1,960	2,919
Bachelor's degree only	1,454	579	777	1,187	1,844	2,883
Advanced degree	611	683	999	1,551	2,247	3,371
Hispanic or Latino women
Total, 25 years and over	7,529	386	498	675	992	1,516
Less than a high school diploma	1,267	322	397	493	600	730
High school graduates, no college(1)	2,153	378	480	593	777	1,069
Some college or associate degree	1,989	406	527	701	957	1,314
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	2,119	523	738	1,044	1,533	2,293
Bachelor's degree only	1,416	499	681	934	1,341	1,897
Advanced degree	704	657	949	1,353	1,903	2,839
Footnotes (1) Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. (2) Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.
NOTE: Ten percent of all full-time wage and salary workers earn less than the upper limit of the first decile; 25 percent earn less than the upper limit of the first quartile; 50 percent earn less than the upper limit of the second quartile, or median; 75 percent earn less than the upper limit of the third quartile; and 90 percent earn less than the upper limit of the ninth decile. Estimates for the above race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.