Foreign-born workers with a bachelor's degree and higher earned more than native born in 2018

In 2018, median weekly earnings of foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers were $758, compared with $910 for native-born workers. Since 2005, the earliest year for which data are available, median weekly earnings for foreign-born workers increased by 48.3 percent. This compares with an increase of 34.4 percent for native-born workers.

Median weekly earnings for foreign-born workers with a bachelor's degree and higher ($1,362) were higher in 2018 than those for native-born workers ($1,309). However, native-born workers with less than a bachelor's degree earned more than foreign-born workers.

In 2018, foreign-born White and Asian workers had higher median weekly earnings than native-born White and Asian workers. In contrast, native-born workers of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity had higher median weekly earnings ($741) than foreign-born Hispanic or Latino workers ($621). Median weekly earnings for foreign- and native-born Black workers were essentially the same.

Median weekly earnings for foreign-born men increased by 55.8 percent from 2005 to 2018. This compares with an increase of 32.5 percent for native-born men. In contrast, over that period, the percentage increases for foreign-born women (39.2 percent) and native-born women (35.9 percent) were similar.

From 2005 to 2018, median weekly earnings for foreign-born workers ages 25 to 34 increased 51.9 percent, compared with 29.4 percent for native-born workers. Over that period, median weekly earnings for native-born workers age 65 and over increased 69.0 percent. This compares with an increase of 48.4 percent for foreign-born workers.

These data are from the Current Population Survey. For more information, see "Foreign-Born Workers: Labor Force Characteristics — 2018." The foreign born are U.S. residents born outside the country or one of its outlying areas to parents who were not U.S. citizens. The foreign born include legally admitted immigrants, refugees, temporary residents such as students and temporary workers, and undocumented immigrants. Data do not separately identify the numbers of people in these categories. Data for people who are White, Black, or Asian do not include those of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.