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Economic News Release
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Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers News Release

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.


Last Modified Date: January 17, 2020