For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Friday, January 22, 2016                     USDL-16-0111

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 2015


Median weekly earnings of the nation's 109.9 million full-time wage and salary
workers were $825 in the fourth quarter of 2015 (not seasonally adjusted), the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This was 3.3 percent higher than a year
earlier, compared with a gain of 0.5 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 (CPS), 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.) Data shown in this news release are not seasonally adjusted
unless otherwise specified. Highlights from the fourth-quarter data are:

   --Median weekly earnings were $825 in the fourth quarter of 2015. Women who
     usually worked full time had median weekly earnings of $729, or 80.4 percent
     of the $907 median for men. (See table 2.)

   --The women's-to-men's earnings ratio varied by race and ethnicity. White
     women earned 80.0 percent as much as their male counterparts, compared with
     92.1 percent for black women, 80.1 percent for Asian women, and 83.9 percent
     for Hispanic women. (See table 2.)

   --Among the major race and ethnicity groups, median weekly earnings for black
     men working at full-time jobs were $674 per week, or 72.4 percent of the
     median for white men ($931). The difference was less among women, as black
     women's median earnings ($621) were 83.4 percent of those for white women
     ($745). Overall, median earnings of Hispanics ($624) and blacks ($643) who
     worked full time were lower than those of whites ($847) and Asians ($1,091).
     (See table 2.)

   --Usual weekly earnings of full-time workers varied by age. Among men, those
     age 55 to 64 had the highest median weekly earnings, at $1,119. Weekly
     earnings were highest for women age 35 to 64: weekly earnings were $837
     for women age 35 to 44, $797 for women age 45 to 54, and $775 for women
     age 55 to 64. Workers age 16 to 24 had the lowest median weekly earnings,
     at $502. (See table 3.)

   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
     management, professional, and related occupations had the highest
     median weekly earnings, $1,423 for men and $1,010 for women. Men and
     women employed in service occupations earned the least, $607 and $471,
     respectively. (See table 4.)

   --By educational attainment, full-time workers age 25 and over without
     a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $502, compared with
     $690 for high school graduates (no college) and $1,245 for those holding
     at least a bachelor's degree. Among college graduates with advanced 
     degrees (professional or master's degree and above), the highest earning
     10 percent of male workers made $3,878 or more per week, compared with
     $2,486 or more for their female counterparts. (See table 5.)

   --Seasonally adjusted median weekly earnings were $820 in the fourth quarter
     of 2015, little changed from the previous quarter ($811). (See table 1.)

Annual Averages for 2014 and 2015

In addition to the data for the fourth quarter, this news release includes 2014 and
2015 annual averages of median weekly earnings for major demographic and occupational
groups, and 2015 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
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 2011 were subject      |
  |to revision.                                                                      |
  |                                                                                  |
  |The Usual Weekly Earnings news release for the first quarter of 2016, scheduled   |
  |for release on April 19, 2016, 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 2011 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 $
2006
4th Quarter	106,847	60,140	46,707	681	748	607	337	370	300
2007
1st Quarter	107,176	60,105	47,070	687	752	610	336	368	298
2nd Quarter	106,827	60,351	46,476	693	765	610	335	370	295
3rd Quarter	107,156	60,216	46,940	698	774	621	336	372	298
4th Quarter	108,178	60,508	47,670	700	774	615	332	368	292
2008
1st Quarter	107,786	60,378	47,408	713	783	633	335	368	298
2nd Quarter	107,046	59,586	47,460	722	802	636	335	372	295
3rd Quarter	106,136	59,273	46,863	724	802	637	331	367	291
4th Quarter	105,617	58,511	47,106	727	806	647	340	377	302
2009
1st Quarter	101,683	56,302	45,381	732	815	645	345	384	304
2nd Quarter	99,996	55,233	44,763	737	818	652	345	383	305
3rd Quarter	99,050	54,481	44,569	742	820	664	345	381	309
4th Quarter	98,555	54,410	44,145	747	823	666	344	379	307
2010
1st Quarter	98,143	54,098	44,045	748	836	662	344	384	304
2nd Quarter	99,605	55,028	44,577	742	814	671	342	374	309
3rd Quarter	100,412	55,620	44,792	746	821	670	342	377	308
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	102,150	57,109	45,041	764	841	693	335	368	303
2nd Quarter	102,510	57,065	45,445	772	870	687	337	380	300
3rd Quarter	102,632	57,219	45,413	766	836	693	333	364	301
4th Quarter	103,727	57,770	45,957	772	868	691	333	375	298
2013
1st Quarter	103,886	57,896	45,989	768	860	699	331	370	301
2nd Quarter	103,947	57,909	46,037	777	866	706	335	373	304
3rd Quarter	104,515	58,128	46,387	779	855	706	334	366	302
4th Quarter	104,733	58,064	46,669	782	862	712	334	368	304
2014
1st Quarter	105,544	58,692	46,852	790	865	716	336	368	304
2nd Quarter	106,351	59,476	46,875	782	861	715	330	364	302
3rd Quarter	106,892	59,618	47,273	798	879	722	336	370	304
4th Quarter	107,336	60,025	47,310	794	876	723	335	369	305
2015
1st Quarter	108,377	60,386	47,991	801	887	723	341	377	308
2nd Quarter	108,597	60,409	48,188	804	891	726	339	376	306
3rd Quarter	109,459	61,073	48,386	811	898	728	341	377	306
4th Quarter	109,894	61,119	48,776	820	901	728	345	379	306
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 2014	4th 2015	In current dollars		In constant (1982-84) dollars
			4th 2014	4th 2015	4th 2014	4th 2015
SEX AND AGE
Total, 16 years and over	107,368	109,913	$799	$825	$338	$348
Men, 16 years and over	59,930	61,013	882	907	374	382
16 to 24 years	5,611	5,511	508	543	215	229
25 years and over	54,319	55,502	929	958	394	404
Women, 16 years and over	47,438	48,900	724	729	306	307
16 to 24 years	4,144	4,304	469	453	198	191
25 years and over	43,294	44,596	756	764	320	322
RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX
White	84,596	86,103	823	847	349	357
Men	48,355	48,944	907	931	384	393
Women	36,241	37,159	738	745	313	314
Black or African American	13,209	13,698	621	643	263	271
Men	6,300	6,486	667	674	282	284
Women	6,909	7,212	602	621	255	262
Asian	6,111	6,567	959	1,091	406	460
Men	3,314	3,628	1,067	1,178	452	496
Women	2,797	2,939	826	943	350	398
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity	17,870	18,272	600	624	254	263
Men	11,081	11,127	631	679	267	286
Women	6,789	7,145	544	570	230	240
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 2015 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	109,913	$825	61,013	$907	48,900	$729
16 to 24 years	9,815	502	5,511	543	4,304	453
16 to 19 years	1,079	410	601	431	479	389
20 to 24 years	8,736	513	4,910	569	3,825	464
25 years and over	100,098	872	55,502	958	44,596	764
25 to 54 years	77,377	859	43,162	926	34,216	764
25 to 34 years	26,693	743	15,025	790	11,668	695
35 to 44 years	25,064	914	14,209	994	10,855	837
45 to 54 years	25,620	920	13,928	1,038	11,693	797
55 years and over	22,721	930	12,340	1,092	10,380	768
55 to 64 years	18,525	943	10,004	1,119	8,521	775
65 years and over	4,196	870	2,336	991	1,859	710
White
16 years and over	86,103	847	48,944	931	37,159	745
16 to 24 years	7,639	508	4,375	550	3,264	457
25 years and over	78,464	892	44,569	986	33,895	782
25 to 54 years	59,956	876	34,286	950	25,670	780
55 years and over	18,507	962	10,283	1,144	8,225	789
Black or African American
16 years and over	13,698	643	6,486	674	7,212	621
16 to 24 years	1,382	462	725	500	657	427
25 years and over	12,317	672	5,762	709	6,555	647
25 to 54 years	9,862	663	4,673	703	5,189	641
55 years and over	2,455	702	1,089	726	1,366	680
Asian
16 years and over	6,567	1,091	3,628	1,178	2,939	943
16 to 24 years	353	610	184	612	168	602
25 years and over	6,214	1,121	3,444	1,240	2,770	960
25 to 54 years	4,921	1,124	2,735	1,247	2,186	966
55 years and over	1,293	1,101	709	1,200	584	930
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
16 years and over	18,272	624	11,127	679	7,145	570
16 to 24 years	2,094	473	1,260	506	834	423
25 years and over	16,178	661	9,867	705	6,311	596
25 to 54 years	13,857	666	8,485	701	5,372	604
55 years and over	2,321	641	1,381	730	940	552
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 2014	4th 2015	4th 2014	4th 2015
TOTAL
Management, professional, and related occupations	43,551	45,503	$1,152	$1,168
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	17,990	18,919	1,241	1,287
Professional and related occupations	25,562	26,584	1,099	1,129
Service occupations	15,066	14,909	508	520
Sales and office occupations	23,334	23,673	648	680
Sales and related occupations	9,451	9,749	678	724
Office and administrative support occupations	13,883	13,924	635	663
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	10,882	11,210	771	776
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	788	794	455	510
Construction and extraction occupations	5,827	5,855	786	775
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	4,266	4,561	814	823
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	14,536	14,618	654	669
Production occupations	7,560	7,552	655	675
Transportation and material moving occupations	6,976	7,065	651	662
Men
Management, professional, and related occupations	20,991	21,850	1,366	1,423
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	9,520	10,090	1,435	1,460
Professional and related occupations	11,471	11,760	1,320	1,393
Service occupations	7,550	7,561	588	607
Sales and office occupations	9,347	9,295	753	799
Sales and related occupations	5,451	5,449	804	864
Office and administrative support occupations	3,897	3,846	692	727
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	10,496	10,671	776	784
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	663	594	470	536
Construction and extraction occupations	5,703	5,706	786	777
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	4,129	4,371	815	823
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	11,546	11,636	700	715
Production occupations	5,549	5,553	718	735
Transportation and material moving occupations	5,997	6,083	680	698
Women
Management, professional, and related occupations	22,560	23,653	999	1,010
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	8,469	8,829	1,084	1,097
Professional and related occupations	14,091	14,824	967	970
Service occupations	7,516	7,348	470	471
Sales and office occupations	13,987	14,378	605	626
Sales and related occupations	4,001	4,300	523	567
Office and administrative support occupations	9,986	10,078	622	646
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	386	539	572	598
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	125	200	390	469
Construction and extraction occupations	124	149	790	729
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	137	191	797	823
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	2,989	2,982	516	502
Production occupations	2,011	2,000	511	523
Transportation and material moving occupations	978	982	534	468
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 2015 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	109,913	$392	$539	$825	$1,330	$1,994
Men	61,013	412	592	907	1,464	2,291
Women	48,900	373	496	729	1,144	1,750
White	86,103	399	560	847	1,358	2,072
Men	48,944	419	606	931	1,500	2,316
Women	37,159	380	508	745	1,154	1,756
Black or African American	13,698	353	459	643	976	1,483
Men	6,486	374	492	674	1,006	1,517
Women	7,212	336	428	621	956	1,462
Asian	6,567	431	661	1,091	1,752	2,483
Men	3,628	488	735	1,178	1,898	2,883
Women	2,939	401	600	943	1,539	2,096
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity	18,272	354	446	624	960	1,457
Men	11,127	375	480	679	1,016	1,559
Women	7,145	335	412	570	844	1,286
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Total, 25 years and over	100,098	408	579	872	1,390	2,088
Less than a high school diploma	6,906	316	390	502	690	1,005
High school graduates, no college(1)	25,726	380	492	690	986	1,411
Some college or associate degree	26,740	407	545	757	1,138	1,620
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	40,726	588	839	1,245	1,892	2,800
Bachelor's degree only	25,478	550	765	1,143	1,758	2,491
Advanced degree	15,248	679	969	1,445	2,138	3,202
Men, 25 years and over	55,502	433	621	958	1,533	2,351
Less than a high school diploma	4,724	342	415	548	786	1,125
High school graduates, no college(1)	15,722	400	536	776	1,109	1,562
Some college or associate degree	14,073	454	616	887	1,307	1,847
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	20,983	634	929	1,439	2,141	3,237
Bachelor's degree only	13,482	608	869	1,324	1,911	2,890
Advanced degree	7,501	730	1,129	1,732	2,520	3,878
Women, 25 years and over	44,596	388	520	764	1,176	1,806
Less than a high school diploma	2,182	293	344	418	543	667
High school graduates, no college(1)	10,005	351	432	589	803	1,132
Some college or associate degree	12,667	386	496	662	921	1,355
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	19,743	535	759	1,091	1,597	2,282
Bachelor's degree only	11,996	499	698	990	1,485	2,077
Advanced degree	7,747	643	899	1,225	1,772	2,486
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 2014	4th 2015	4th 2014	4th 2015
SEX AND AGE
Total, 16 years and over	24,799	24,478	$237	$246
Men, 16 years and over	8,538	8,342	234	241
16 to 24 years	3,614	3,617	179	190
25 years and over	4,924	4,725	284	290
Women, 16 years and over	16,260	16,135	239	249
16 to 24 years	4,780	4,744	172	190
25 years and over	11,480	11,391	274	283
RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX
White	19,815	19,281	242	249
Men	6,625	6,372	239	241
Women	13,189	12,909	244	254
Black or African American	2,856	3,092	214	230
Men	1,079	1,148	211	243
Women	1,778	1,945	217	224
Asian	1,327	1,265	246	266
Men	506	447	249	256
Women	821	819	245	273
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity	4,129	3,936	236	242
Men	1,669	1,464	256	248
Women	2,460	2,472	225	239
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
	2014	2015	In current dollars		In constant (1982-84) dollars
			2014	2015	2014	2015
SEX AND AGE
Total, 16 years and over	106,526	109,080	$791	$809	$334	$341
Men, 16 years and over	59,450	60,746	871	895	368	377
16 to 24 years	5,493	5,476	493	510	208	215
25 years and over	53,957	55,270	922	947	389	400
Women, 16 years and over	47,076	48,334	719	726	304	307
16 to 24 years	4,090	4,314	451	450	190	190
25 years and over	42,986	44,020	752	761	318	321
RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX
White	84,177	85,443	816	835	344	352
Men	48,058	48,746	897	920	379	388
Women	36,119	36,698	734	743	310	314
Black or African American	12,910	13,587	639	641	270	271
Men	6,129	6,445	680	680	287	287
Women	6,781	7,142	611	615	258	259
Asian	6,273	6,638	953	993	403	419
Men	3,488	3,684	1,080	1,129	456	476
Women	2,784	2,954	841	877	355	370
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity	17,475	18,311	594	604	251	255
Men	10,754	11,142	616	631	260	266
Women	6,721	7,168	548	566	231	239
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
	2014	2015	2014	2015
TOTAL
Management, professional, and related occupations	43,016	44,844	$1,137	$1,158
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	17,561	18,422	1,227	1,258
Professional and related occupations	25,455	26,423	1,078	1,112
Service occupations	15,019	15,279	505	509
Sales and office occupations	23,402	23,620	666	673
Sales and related occupations	9,626	9,725	705	716
Office and administrative support occupations	13,776	13,894	651	656
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	10,763	10,834	756	761
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	776	810	429	464
Construction and extraction occupations	5,756	5,722	756	749
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	4,231	4,301	821	839
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	14,326	14,504	642	656
Production occupations	7,481	7,551	646	663
Transportation and material moving occupations	6,845	6,953	637	646
Men
Management, professional, and related occupations	20,758	21,807	1,346	1,383
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	9,385	10,018	1,416	1,436
Professional and related occupations	11,373	11,789	1,286	1,343
Service occupations	7,622	7,629	583	585
Sales and office occupations	9,251	9,384	766	777
Sales and related occupations	5,411	5,423	841	880
Office and administrative support occupations	3,840	3,961	701	693
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	10,346	10,381	764	770
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	625	637	457	477
Construction and extraction occupations	5,635	5,586	757	751
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	4,085	4,159	824	842
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	11,474	11,546	689	704
Production occupations	5,546	5,548	711	729
Transportation and material moving occupations	5,927	5,998	664	679
Women
Management, professional, and related occupations	22,258	23,038	981	996
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	8,176	8,404	1,056	1,073
Professional and related occupations	14,082	14,634	948	963
Service occupations	7,398	7,650	461	463
Sales and office occupations	14,151	14,236	620	627
Sales and related occupations	4,215	4,303	570	578
Office and administrative support occupations	9,936	9,933	637	646
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	417	453	509	580
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	151	174	375	437
Construction and extraction occupations	121	137	691	704
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	146	143	725	761
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	2,852	2,958	504	512
Production occupations	1,935	2,003	502	519
Transportation and material moving occupations	918	955	510	494
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, 2015 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	99,291	$402	$572	$860	$1,358	$2,016
Less than a high school diploma	7,289	312	384	493	667	941
High school graduates, no college(1)	25,221	374	488	678	976	1,395
Some college or associate degree	26,801	400	537	762	1,130	1,592
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	39,979	588	828	1,230	1,878	2,711
Bachelor's degree only	25,043	554	761	1,137	1,730	2,471
Advanced degree	14,937	679	956	1,403	2,076	3,080
Men
Total, 25 years and over	55,270	423	610	947	1,502	2,293
Less than a high school diploma	5,035	336	404	520	726	1,022
High school graduates, no college(1)	15,316	397	528	759	1,089	1,532
Some college or associate degree	14,109	441	609	883	1,277	1,796
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	20,811	630	935	1,420	2,091	3,096
Bachelor's degree only	13,295	600	860	1,304	1,907	2,881
Advanced degree	7,516	740	1,104	1,637	2,408	3,833
Women
Total, 25 years and over	44,020	382	518	761	1,163	1,757
Less than a high school diploma	2,255	286	341	418	549	698
High school graduates, no college(1)	9,905	341	427	586	795	1,105
Some college or associate degree	12,692	377	491	664	931	1,334
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	19,169	550	752	1,064	1,554	2,208
Bachelor's degree only	11,748	511	698	975	1,446	2,009
Advanced degree	7,420	635	878	1,204	1,743	2,424
White, total
Total, 25 years and over	77,819	413	589	885	1,385	2,084
Less than a high school diploma	5,868	317	388	498	682	972
High school graduates, no college(1)	19,737	384	503	706	1,012	1,450
Some college or associate degree	21,010	414	567	792	1,164	1,654
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	31,204	603	844	1,245	1,888	2,792
Bachelor's degree only	19,682	576	775	1,154	1,757	2,516
Advanced degree	11,522	704	966	1,410	2,087	3,099
White men
Total, 25 years and over	44,372	440	630	974	1,533	2,316
Less than a high school diploma	4,213	339	408	524	738	1,041
High school graduates, no college(1)	12,224	409	560	792	1,137	1,579
Some college or associate degree	11,430	468	633	916	1,336	1,867
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	16,505	662	952	1,448	2,120	3,160
Bachelor's degree only	10,727	623	887	1,345	1,924	2,900
Advanced degree	5,778	757	1,123	1,661	2,480	3,858
White women
Total, 25 years and over	33,447	391	536	778	1,178	1,762
Less than a high school diploma	1,654	287	342	418	550	697
High school graduates, no college(1)	7,513	350	446	602	826	1,136
Some college or associate degree	9,580	387	503	680	960	1,364
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	14,700	572	760	1,070	1,553	2,227
Bachelor's degree only	8,956	521	708	981	1,450	2,074
Advanced degree	5,744	660	890	1,206	1,730	2,414
Black or African American, total
Total, 25 years and over	12,265	359	480	682	1,031	1,550
Less than a high school diploma	733	291	355	448	589	788
High school graduates, no college(1)	3,720	335	416	578	788	1,102
Some college or associate degree	4,006	356	465	642	909	1,289
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	3,806	502	682	1,010	1,527	2,107
Bachelor's degree only	2,446	492	641	948	1,426	1,904
Advanced degree	1,360	535	770	1,160	1,744	2,490
Black or African American men
Total, 25 years and over	5,798	380	502	722	1,110	1,587
Less than a high school diploma	408	308	381	492	642	816
High school graduates, no college(1)	2,055	362	466	614	877	1,201
Some college or associate degree	1,740	382	501	715	1,022	1,427
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	1,595	515	710	1,103	1,581	2,312
Bachelor's degree only	1,081	498	638	1,002	1,506	2,076
Advanced degree	514	591	870	1,304	1,903	2,902
Black or African American women
Total, 25 years and over	6,467	343	451	651	974	1,501
Less than a high school diploma	325	279	332	406	517	666
High school graduates, no college(1)	1,665	317	388	511	707	920
Some college or associate degree	2,266	336	433	601	829	1,160
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	2,211	493	668	961	1,454	1,972
Bachelor's degree only	1,365	487	642	914	1,350	1,886
Advanced degree	846	506	739	1,091	1,595	2,221
Asian, total
Total, 25 years and over	6,261	413	618	1,031	1,705	2,404
Less than a high school diploma	349	300	367	475	624	977
High school graduates, no college(1)	975	346	439	611	880	1,268
Some college or associate degree	924	394	527	750	1,128	1,605
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	4,013	587	886	1,351	1,923	2,883
Bachelor's degree only	2,255	526	767	1,170	1,768	2,312
Advanced degree	1,758	711	1,060	1,572	2,297	3,362
Asian men
Total, 25 years and over	3,477	444	686	1,157	1,884	2,743
Less than a high school diploma	182	309	383	495	697	1,232
High school graduates, no college(1)	542	360	480	654	974	1,438
Some college or associate degree	477	408	580	825	1,212	1,785
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	2,276	631	973	1,495	2,155	3,101
Bachelor's degree only	1,193	578	862	1,316	1,898	2,594
Advanced degree	1,082	765	1,159	1,745	2,408	3,796
Asian women
Total, 25 years and over	2,784	393	575	902	1,446	2,087
Less than a high school diploma	167	289	352	443	582	718
High school graduates, no college(1)	433	329	416	577	758	1,060
Some college or associate degree	447	385	501	681	988	1,467
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	1,737	533	777	1,162	1,758	2,323
Bachelor's degree only	1,062	495	712	1,070	1,559	2,081
Advanced degree	675	640	931	1,361	1,997	2,884
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, total
Total, 25 years and over	16,115	351	449	631	967	1,476
Less than a high school diploma	4,296	314	379	478	621	842
High school graduates, no college(1)	4,823	349	449	611	877	1,244
Some college or associate degree	3,802	385	506	700	1,006	1,419
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	3,195	496	709	1,044	1,563	2,319
Bachelor's degree only	2,184	480	659	969	1,481	2,182
Advanced degree	1,011	558	850	1,227	1,852	2,580
Hispanic or Latino men
Total, 25 years and over	9,812	369	477	674	1,018	1,548
Less than a high school diploma	3,072	334	395	502	672	905
High school graduates, no college(1)	3,047	377	488	678	957	1,361
Some college or associate degree	2,070	410	561	796	1,146	1,553
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	1,623	517	747	1,167	1,818	2,515
Bachelor's degree only	1,144	507	706	1,068	1,639	2,382
Advanced degree	478	568	946	1,424	2,106	3,442
Hispanic or Latino women
Total, 25 years and over	6,303	329	417	593	881	1,340
Less than a high school diploma	1,223	287	339	410	524	649
High school graduates, no college(1)	1,776	322	402	532	719	998
Some college or associate degree	1,732	359	473	618	839	1,151
Bachelor's degree and higher(2)	1,572	470	665	958	1,403	2,020
Bachelor's degree only	1,040	444	610	893	1,324	1,912
Advanced degree	532	544	801	1,106	1,542	2,183
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.