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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 18, 2013            USDL-13-0060

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 2012


Median weekly earnings of the nation's 103.8 million full-time wage and 
salary workers were $775 in the fourth quarter of 2012 (not seasonally 
adjusted), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This was 
1.4 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 1.9 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.) Data shown in
this release are not seasonally adjusted unless otherwise specified.
Highlights from the fourth-quarter data are:

   --Seasonally adjusted median weekly earnings were $772 in the fourth
     quarter of 2012, little changed from the previous quarter ($765).
     (See table 1.)

   --On a not seasonally adjusted basis, median weekly earnings were
     $775 in the fourth quarter of 2012. Women who usually worked full
     time had median weekly earnings of $692, or 79.1 percent of the
     $875 median for men. (See table 2.)

   --The female-to-male earnings ratio varied by race and ethnicity.
     White women earned 79.6 percent as much as their male counterparts,
     compared with black (87.4 percent), Hispanic (86.6 percent), and
     Asian women (71.6 percent). (See table 2.)

   --Among the major race and ethnicity groups, median weekly earnings
     for black men working at full-time jobs were $680 per week, or 
     76.0 percent of the median for white men ($895). The difference 
     was less among women, as black women's median earnings ($594) were
     83.4 percent of those for white women ($712). Overall, median 
     earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($571) were lower than
     those of blacks ($615), whites ($802), and Asians ($910). 
     (See table 2.)

   --Usual weekly earnings of full-time workers varied by age and were
     highest for persons age 35 to 64. Weekly earnings were $985 for men
     age 35 to 44, little different from the medians for men age 45 to 54
     ($997) and men age 55 to 64 ($1,035). Among women, those age 35 to 
     44 had median weekly earnings of $742, about the same as the weekly
     earnings for women age 45 to 54 ($747) and women age 55 to 64 ($759).
     Workers age 16 to 24 had the lowest median weekly earnings, at $459.
     (See table 3.)

   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
     management, professional, and related occupations had the highest
     median weekly earnings--$1,340 for men and $953 for women. Men and
     women employed in service jobs earned the least, $550 and $420,
     respectively. (See table 4.)

   --By educational attainment, full-time workers age 25 and over without
     a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $478, compared
     with $647 for high school graduates (no college) and $1,168 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 $3,474 or more per
     week, compared with $2,343 or more for their female counterparts.
     (See table 5.)

Annual Averages for 2011 and 2012

In addition to the data for the fourth quarter, this release includes 2011 
and 2012 annual averages of median weekly earnings for major demographic and 
occupational groups, and 2012 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 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 2008 were subject to revision.              |
   |                                                                  |
   | The Usual Weekly Earnings news release for the first quarter of  |
   | 2013, scheduled for release on April 18, 2013, 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 |
   | 2008 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 households, with coverage in all 50 states
and the District of Columbia. The earnings data are collected from one-quarter
of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to wage and salary workers (both
incorporated and unincorporated self-employed are excluded). The data, there-
fore, exclude self-employment income.

   Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay
Service: (800) 877-8339.

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 exact difference, or sampling error, varies depending on
the particular sample selected, and this variability is measured by the stan-
dard 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 errors can
occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the popu-
lation, inability to obtain information for all respondents in the sample,
inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct information on a
timely basis, mistakes made by respondents, and errors made in the collection
or processing of the data.

   A full discussion of the reliability of data from the Current Population
Survey and information on estimating standard errors is available on the BLS
website www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability.

Definitions

   The principal definitions used in connection with the earnings series 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, 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 equi-
valent. The term "usual" is as perceived by the respondent. 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 amount that divides a given earnings distribution into
two equal groups, one having earnings above the median and the other 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 estimation procedure places each reported or calculated weekly earnings value
into $50-wide intervals that are centered around multiples of $50. The actual value
is estimated through the linear interpolation of the interval in which the quantile
boundary lies.

   Over-the-year changes 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: (1) There
could be a change in the relative weights of the subgroups. For example, the medians
of both 16- to 24-year-olds and those 25 years and over may rise; but if the lower-
earning 16- to 24-year-olds 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
could be caused by survey observations that are clustered at rounded values, such as
$250, $300, or $400. 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.

   Wage and salary workers. 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, excludes all self-
employed persons, regardless of whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

   Full-time workers. Workers who usually work 35 hours or more per week at their
sole or principal job.

   Part-time workers. Workers who usually work fewer than 35 hours per week at their
sole or principal job.

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

   Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Refers to persons who identified themselves in the
enumeration process as being of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin. Persons whose 
ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.

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 season-
ally 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 sea-
sonal 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
$

2003

4th Quarter

100,628 56,607 44,021 623 702 560 337 379 302

2004

1st Quarter

100,905 56,848 44,057 629 705 562 337 378 301

2nd Quarter

101,135 56,914 44,221 642 715 576 341 380 306

3rd Quarter

101,148 56,931 44,217 635 712 574 335 376 303

4th Quarter

101,658 57,289 44,369 646 720 577 337 376 302

2005

1st Quarter

102,091 57,710 44,381 647 723 580 336 376 302

2nd Quarter

103,201 58,099 45,101 647 714 584 334 369 301

3rd Quarter

104,310 58,843 45,467 651 723 588 331 368 299

4th Quarter

104,605 58,967 45,638 658 730 588 332 368 296

2006

1st Quarter

104,708 58,960 45,748 662 737 594 332 370 298

2nd Quarter

105,798 59,831 45,966 663 732 597 329 364 296

3rd Quarter

107,041 60,060 46,981 678 755 603 334 372 297

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 46,863 724 802 637 331 366 291

4th Quarter

105,617 58,511 47,106 727 806 647 340 377 302

2009

1st Quarter

101,680 56,299 45,381 732 815 645 344 384 304

2nd Quarter

99,990 55,233 44,757 736 818 652 345 383 306

3rd Quarter

99,049 54,481 44,567 742 820 664 345 381 308

4th Quarter

98,569 54,412 44,156 747 823 666 344 379 307

2010

1st Quarter

98,149 54,102 44,048 748 836 662 344 385 304

2nd Quarter

99,598 55,038 44,559 742 813 671 342 374 309

3rd Quarter

100,410 55,618 44,792 746 822 670 342 377 307

4th Quarter

99,960 55,469 44,491 750 826 676 342 376 308

2011

1st Quarter

99,690 55,338 44,353 750 821 679 338 370 306

2nd Quarter

100,343 55,848 44,495 754 828 688 336 369 307

3rd Quarter

100,487 56,053 44,434 759 837 681 335 370 301

4th Quarter

101,316 56,643 44,674 761 838 686 335 369 302

2012

1st Quarter

102,194 57,113 45,081 764 842 693 335 369 303

2nd Quarter

102,491 57,102 45,389 772 867 688 337 379 301

3rd Quarter

102,637 57,236 45,401 765 838 693 332 364 301

4th Quarter

103,681 57,701 45,980 772 868 690 334 376 298

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
2011
4th
2012
In current dollars In constant (1982-84) dollars
4th
2011
4th
2012
4th
2011
4th
2012

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over

101,458 103,819 $764 $775 $338 $336

Men, 16 years and over

56,678 57,735 843 875 373 380

16 to 24 years

4,943 5,094 466 480 206 208

25 years and over

51,735 52,641 893 926 395 402

Women, 16 years and over

44,779 46,084 688 692 304 300

16 to 24 years

3,787 3,916 420 422 186 183

25 years and over

40,993 42,168 724 725 320 315

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

White

82,124 82,536 786 802 348 348

Men

46,881 46,876 871 895 385 388

Women

35,242 35,660 709 712 314 309

Black or African American

11,718 12,445 621 615 275 267

Men

5,533 5,841 660 680 292 295

Women

6,185 6,604 601 594 266 258

Asian

5,271 5,857 880 910 389 395

Men

2,929 3,385 960 1,051 425 456

Women

2,341 2,472 771 752 341 326

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

15,222 16,217 537 571 238 248

Men

9,542 9,868 562 599 248 260

Women

5,680 6,349 508 519 225 225

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 2012 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

103,819 $775 57,735 $875 46,084 $692

16 to 24 years

9,010 459 5,094 480 3,916 422

16 to 19 years

864 363 485 393 379 329

20 to 24 years

8,146 476 4,609 490 3,537 444

25 years and over

94,809 823 52,641 926 42,168 725

25 to 54 years

74,428 807 41,573 902 32,855 717

25 to 34 years

24,874 713 14,234 747 10,640 668

35 to 44 years

24,247 873 13,657 985 10,591 742

45 to 54 years

25,307 877 13,682 997 11,625 747

55 years and over

20,381 887 11,068 1,016 9,313 746

55 to 64 years

17,067 911 9,178 1,035 7,889 759

65 years and over

3,314 770 1,890 909 1,424 668

White

16 years and over

82,536 802 46,876 895 35,660 712

16 to 24 years

7,158 470 4,096 485 3,062 433

25 years and over

75,379 851 42,780 947 32,598 744

25 to 54 years

58,470 830 33,405 916 25,065 736

55 years and over

16,909 930 9,376 1,073 7,533 768

Black or African American

16 years and over

12,445 615 5,841 680 6,604 594

16 to 24 years

1,088 371 555 372 533 371

25 years and over

11,357 644 5,286 713 6,071 608

25 to 54 years

9,208 637 4,293 703 4,915 605

55 years and over

2,148 694 992 753 1,156 624

Asian

16 years and over

5,857 910 3,385 1,051 2,472 752

16 to 24 years

399 510 240 547 160 475

25 years and over

5,458 945 3,145 1,091 2,312 772

25 to 54 years

4,509 983 2,648 1,135 1,861 805

55 years and over

949 707 498 880 451 571

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

16 years and over

16,217 571 9,868 599 6,349 519

16 to 24 years

1,927 426 1,184 439 743 412

25 years and over

14,290 600 8,684 633 5,606 544

25 to 54 years

12,556 594 7,653 622 4,903 546

55 years and over

1,735 642 1,032 690 703 523

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
2011
4th
2012
4th
2011
4th
2012

TOTAL

Management, professional, and related occupations

40,227 41,759 $1,098 $1,124

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

16,261 17,137 1,162 1,178

Professional and related occupations

23,966 24,622 1,036 1,067

Service occupations

14,675 14,643 496 476

Sales and office occupations

22,917 23,358 639 665

Sales and related occupations

9,357 9,699 674 694

Office and administrative support occupations

13,559 13,659 624 654

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

10,004 10,120 747 748

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

724 749 416 461

Construction and extraction occupations

5,027 5,238 725 747

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

4,253 4,133 823 806

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

13,636 13,939 608 620

Production occupations

7,316 7,656 596 619

Transportation and material moving occupations

6,320 6,283 621 620

Men

Management, professional, and related occupations

19,585 20,436 1,274 1,340

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

8,920 9,267 1,369 1,366

Professional and related occupations

10,665 11,168 1,226 1,309

Service occupations

7,633 7,086 578 550

Sales and office occupations

8,976 9,338 740 801

Sales and related occupations

5,317 5,672 802 838

Office and administrative support occupations

3,660 3,665 663 749

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

9,611 9,713 755 756

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

592 554 416 487

Construction and extraction occupations

4,917 5,133 726 749

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

4,103 4,025 830 805

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

10,873 11,162 654 676

Production occupations

5,420 5,686 664 692

Transportation and material moving occupations

5,453 5,476 644 655

Women

Management, professional, and related occupations

20,642 21,323 946 953

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

7,341 7,869 993 986

Professional and related occupations

13,301 13,454 925 931

Service occupations

7,042 7,556 440 420

Sales and office occupations

13,940 14,021 605 609

Sales and related occupations

4,040 4,026 554 505

Office and administrative support occupations

9,900 9,994 618 633

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

392 408 548 557

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

132 195 422 369

Construction and extraction occupations

110 105 671 670

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

150 108 697 865

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

2,763 2,777 474 487

Production occupations

1,896 1,971 464 497

Transportation and material moving occupations

867 806 502 444

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 2012 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

103,819 $362 $505 $775 $1,227 $1,887

Men

57,735 389 552 875 1,373 2,103

Women

46,084 334 466 692 1,036 1,552

White

82,536 373 518 802 1,255 1,908

Men

46,876 399 575 895 1,416 2,127

Women

35,660 342 480 712 1,061 1,573

Black or African American

12,445 314 423 615 967 1,440

Men

5,841 336 437 680 1,038 1,541

Women

6,604 298 411 594 872 1,363

Asian

5,857 376 545 910 1,424 2,142

Men

3,385 411 611 1,051 1,620 2,421

Women

2,472 344 484 752 1,169 1,734

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

16,217 316 400 571 870 1,331

Men

9,868 331 416 599 913 1,445

Women

6,349 300 373 519 786 1,163

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Total, 25 years and over

94,809 383 536 823 1,272 1,913

Less than a high school diploma

6,910 292 358 478 664 901

High school graduates, no college(1)

25,228 350 457 647 938 1,324

Some college or associate degree

26,251 385 525 752 1,090 1,511

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

36,419 557 801 1,168 1,774 2,580

Bachelor's degree only

23,064 515 738 1,071 1,611 2,310

Advanced degree

13,355 660 937 1,379 2,022 2,916

Men, 25 years and over

52,641 412 597 926 1,438 2,192

Less than a high school diploma

4,750 325 394 518 712 981

High school graduates, no college(1)

15,176 387 508 738 1,047 1,455

Some college or associate degree

13,477 435 608 874 1,239 1,725

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

19,238 614 936 1,387 2,038 2,956

Bachelor's degree only

12,210 574 867 1,267 1,885 2,805

Advanced degree

7,028 730 1,119 1,617 2,408 3,474

Women, 25 years and over

42,168 349 489 725 1,075 1,592

Less than a high school diploma

2,160 256 308 381 506 676

High school graduates, no college(1)

10,052 313 402 539 758 1,020

Some college or associate degree

12,775 349 479 655 914 1,274

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

17,181 513 716 991 1,469 2,014

Bachelor's degree only

10,854 485 646 922 1,316 1,858

Advanced degree

6,328 629 847 1,155 1,673 2,343

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
2011
4th
2012
4th
2011
4th
2012

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over

24,652 24,604 $233 $235

Men, 16 years and over

8,744 8,573 226 225

16 to 24 years

3,757 3,698 176 173

25 years and over

4,987 4,874 271 273

Women, 16 years and over

15,909 16,031 237 241

16 to 24 years

4,460 4,616 168 168

25 years and over

11,448 11,415 271 281

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

White

20,272 19,884 233 236

Men

7,070 6,871 223 224

Women

13,203 13,013 239 243

Black or African American

2,795 2,760 226 225

Men

1,086 1,023 232 231

Women

1,709 1,737 222 221

Asian

899 1,116 262 263

Men

334 366 258 232

Women

565 750 266 281

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

3,720 3,953 223 234

Men

1,660 1,589 227 231

Women

2,061 2,365 218 236

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
2011 2012 In current dollars In constant (1982-84) dollars
2011 2012 2011 2012

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over

100,457 102,749 $756 $768 $336 $335

Men, 16 years and over

55,971 57,286 832 854 370 372

16 to 24 years

4,951 5,164 455 468 202 204

25 years and over

51,020 52,122 886 910 394 396

Women, 16 years and over

44,486 45,462 684 691 304 301

16 to 24 years

3,772 3,866 421 416 187 181

25 years and over

40,714 41,597 718 727 319 317

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

White

81,336 81,779 775 792 344 345

Men

46,360 46,672 856 879 381 383

Women

34,976 35,108 703 710 313 309

Black or African American

11,604 12,230 615 621 274 271

Men

5,414 5,756 653 665 290 289

Women

6,191 6,474 595 599 264 261

Asian

5,197 5,790 866 920 385 401

Men

2,912 3,231 970 1,055 431 459

Women

2,284 2,560 751 770 334 335

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

15,147 16,302 549 568 244 247

Men

9,448 9,887 571 592 254 258

Women

5,700 6,414 518 521 230 227

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
2011 2012 2011 2012

TOTAL

Management, professional, and related occupations

39,791 40,984 $1,082 $1,108

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

16,061 16,991 1,160 1,171

Professional and related occupations

23,730 23,993 1,029 1,053

Service occupations

14,378 14,839 486 485

Sales and office occupations

22,989 23,115 638 655

Sales and related occupations

9,294 9,433 670 689

Office and administrative support occupations

13,695 13,683 623 643

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

9,965 9,968 732 740

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

775 777 430 435

Construction and extraction occupations

5,031 5,102 717 740

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

4,159 4,088 806 808

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

13,333 13,842 609 624

Production occupations

7,058 7,427 605 627

Transportation and material moving occupations

6,275 6,415 614 621

Men

Management, professional, and related occupations

19,267 19,926 1,269 1,328

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

8,676 9,121 1,370 1,387

Professional and related occupations

10,592 10,804 1,211 1,267

Service occupations

7,387 7,511 551 543

Sales and office occupations

9,012 9,202 738 768

Sales and related occupations

5,225 5,428 804 838

Office and administrative support occupations

3,787 3,774 668 700

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

9,574 9,579 740 749

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

625 611 445 457

Construction and extraction occupations

4,937 5,004 718 741

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

4,013 3,963 807 809

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

10,730 11,069 651 675

Production occupations

5,241 5,497 667 695

Transportation and material moving occupations

5,489 5,572 634 650

Women

Management, professional, and related occupations

20,524 21,059 941 951

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

7,386 7,869 977 993

Professional and related occupations

13,139 13,189 919 928

Service occupations

6,991 7,328 433 435

Sales and office occupations

13,977 13,914 602 610

Sales and related occupations

4,069 4,005 549 521

Office and administrative support occupations

9,908 9,909 615 629

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

391 389 515 550

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

150 166 371 377

Construction and extraction occupations

95 98 612 723

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

146 125 751 757

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

2,603 2,773 485 493

Production occupations

1,817 1,930 483 496

Transportation and material moving occupations

786 843 490 487

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, 2012 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

93,719 $382 $538 $815 $1,261 $1,901

Less than a high school diploma

7,010 288 351 471 643 898

High school graduates, no college(1)

25,239 349 465 652 937 1,305

Some college or associate degree

25,826 389 526 749 1,085 1,512

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

35,644 562 791 1,165 1,767 2,555

Bachelor's degree only

22,715 514 733 1,066 1,595 2,304

Advanced degree

12,929 662 936 1,373 2,008 2,918

Men

Total, 25 years and over

52,122 407 592 910 1,420 2,113

Less than a high school diploma

4,773 305 383 508 704 985

High school graduates, no college(1)

15,087 383 512 735 1,044 1,443

Some college or associate degree

13,517 426 598 857 1,228 1,699

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

18,745 611 910 1,371 2,000 2,920

Bachelor's degree only

12,018 575 834 1,246 1,875 2,691

Advanced degree

6,727 746 1,098 1,622 2,390 3,449

Women

Total, 25 years and over

41,597 354 494 727 1,085 1,597

Less than a high school diploma

2,236 262 311 386 510 669

High school graduates, no college(1)

10,152 317 408 561 765 1,031

Some college or associate degree

12,310 360 484 659 922 1,263

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

16,899 514 720 1,001 1,457 2,023

Bachelor's degree only

10,697 485 655 931 1,335 1,880

Advanced degree

6,202 621 843 1,157 1,688 2,306

White, total

Total, 25 years and over

74,643 391 563 842 1,293 1,917

Less than a high school diploma

5,760 292 356 482 659 914

High school graduates, no college(1)

20,021 362 484 680 970 1,349

Some college or associate degree

20,440 398 553 774 1,131 1,556

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

28,423 577 810 1,178 1,824 2,671

Bachelor's degree only

18,266 526 748 1,094 1,641 2,353

Advanced degree

10,157 670 944 1,390 2,052 3,015

White men

Total, 25 years and over

42,518 416 608 932 1,448 2,179

Less than a high school diploma

4,058 309 386 515 711 994

High school graduates, no college(1)

12,257 394 534 760 1,083 1,481

Some college or associate degree

10,991 450 620 894 1,264 1,753

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

15,213 624 926 1,399 2,059 3,019

Bachelor's degree only

9,897 591 858 1,269 1,889 2,769

Advanced degree

5,316 752 1,104 1,650 2,478 3,784

White women

Total, 25 years and over

32,124 362 506 743 1,113 1,630

Less than a high school diploma

1,702 267 313 389 515 673

High school graduates, no college(1)

7,763 326 419 581 786 1,064

Some college or associate degree

9,449 367 495 678 947 1,291

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

13,210 520 729 1,012 1,468 2,063

Bachelor's degree only

8,369 490 666 939 1,345 1,893

Advanced degree

4,841 629 854 1,164 1,702 2,310

Black or African American, total

Total, 25 years and over

11,079 342 460 657 981 1,450

Less than a high school diploma

681 258 319 408 548 735

High school graduates, no college(1)

3,553 313 405 548 774 1,076

Some college or associate degree

3,654 359 468 626 885 1,227

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

3,191 492 682 972 1,407 1,922

Bachelor's degree only

2,098 474 633 892 1,294 1,750

Advanced degree

1,092 581 819 1,149 1,655 2,324

Black or African American men

Total, 25 years and over

5,182 360 484 702 1,054 1,548

Less than a high school diploma

365 271 340 446 600 873

High school graduates, no college(1)

1,887 338 435 604 871 1,188

Some college or associate degree

1,637 379 496 694 969 1,359

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

1,292 493 720 1,086 1,562 2,193

Bachelor's degree only

874 471 665 975 1,409 1,888

Advanced degree

419 593 975 1,333 1,893 2,832

Black or African American women

Total, 25 years and over

5,897 329 440 621 919 1,369

Less than a high school diploma

316 247 306 377 474 622

High school graduates, no college(1)

1,666 296 381 499 673 926

Some college or associate degree

2,017 344 443 595 812 1,095

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

1,898 492 660 913 1,318 1,832

Bachelor's degree only

1,224 476 616 846 1,202 1,631

Advanced degree

674 576 773 997 1,505 2,041

Asian, total

Total, 25 years and over

5,442 387 582 954 1,534 2,278

Less than a high school diploma

322 282 339 446 584 858

High school graduates, no college(1)

888 318 401 589 857 1,153

Some college or associate degree

899 380 499 715 1,054 1,414

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

3,333 537 828 1,290 1,889 2,623

Bachelor's degree only

1,870 479 718 1,128 1,623 2,312

Advanced degree

1,463 688 992 1,525 2,107 2,889

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, total

Total, 25 years and over

14,285 317 408 597 901 1,363

Less than a high school diploma

4,023 288 341 437 599 795

High school graduates, no college(1)

4,397 322 408 582 810 1,137

Some college or associate degree

3,277 359 489 680 983 1,390

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

2,587 450 653 967 1,453 2,098

Bachelor's degree only

1,783 420 609 906 1,341 1,882

Advanced degree

804 537 810 1,166 1,757 2,624

Hispanic or Latino men

Total, 25 years and over

8,643 332 424 619 945 1,444

Less than a high school diploma

2,859 299 368 486 647 874

High school graduates, no college(1)

2,751 346 437 624 889 1,236

Some college or associate degree

1,740 389 523 758 1,117 1,523

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

1,292 474 698 1,103 1,654 2,475

Bachelor's degree only

897 445 643 1,002 1,527 2,186

Advanced degree

395 543 860 1,287 1,992 3,006

Hispanic or Latino women

Total, 25 years and over

5,642 301 383 554 821 1,238

Less than a high school diploma

1,164 274 307 369 482 616

High school graduates, no college(1)

1,646 298 377 501 692 939

Some college or associate degree

1,537 336 442 611 848 1,195

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

1,295 426 628 902 1,268 1,760

Bachelor's degree only

886 406 587 818 1,151 1,573

Advanced degree

409 525 755 1,093 1,539 2,099

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 18, 2013