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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) Wednesday, January 21, 2015                     USDL-15-0071

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 2014


Median weekly earnings of the nation's 107.4 million full-time wage and salary workers
were $799 in the fourth quarter of 2014 (not seasonally adjusted), the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics reported today. This was 1.7 percent higher than a year earlier,
compared with a gain of 1.2 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 news release are not seasonally adjusted unless otherwise specified.
Highlights from the fourth-quarter data are:

   --Median weekly earnings were $799 in the fourth quarter of 2014. Women who usually
     worked full time had median weekly earnings of $724, or 82.1 percent of the $882
     median for men. (See table 2.)

   --The women's-to-men's earnings ratio varied by race and ethnicity. White women
     earned 81.4 percent as much as their male counterparts, compared with black
     (90.3 percent), Asian (77.4 percent), and Hispanic women (86.2 percent). (See
     table 2.)

   --Among the major race and ethnicity groups, median weekly earnings for black men
     working at full-time jobs were $667 per week, or 73.5 percent of the median for
     white men ($907). The difference was less among women, as black women's median
     earnings ($602) were 81.6 percent of those for white women ($738). Overall,
     median earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($600) were lower than those
     of blacks ($621), whites ($823), and Asians ($959). (See table 2.)

   --Usual weekly earnings of full-time workers varied by age. For men, those age
     45 to 54 and age 55 to 64 had the highest median weekly earnings ($1,012 and
     $1,029, respectively). Weekly earnings were highest for women age 35 to 64:
     weekly earnings were $784 for women age 35 to 44, $774 for women age 45 to 54,
     and $790 for women age 55 to 64. Workers age 16 to 24 had the lowest median
     weekly earnings, at $493. (See table 3.)

   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in management,
     professional, and related occupations had the highest median weekly earnings--
     $1,366 for men and $999 for women. Men and women employed in service jobs
     earned the least, $588 and $470, respectively. (See table 4.)

   --By educational attainment, full-time workers age 25 and over without a high
     school diploma had median weekly earnings of $491, compared with $664 for
     high school graduates (no college) and $1,224 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 $3,508 or more per week, compared with $2,394 or more for their female
     counterparts. (See table 5.)

   --Seasonally adjusted median weekly earnings were $796 in the fourth quarter of
     2014, essentially unchanged from the previous quarter ($797). (See table 1.)

Annual Averages for 2013 and 2014

In addition to the data for the fourth quarter, this news release includes 2013
and 2014 annual averages of median weekly earnings for major demographic and
occupational groups, and 2014 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 2010    |
   |were subject to revision.                                                    |
   |                                                                             |
   |The Usual Weekly Earnings news release for the first quarter of 2015,        |
   |scheduled for release on April 21, 2015, 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 2010 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
$

2005

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 46,863 724 802 637 331 367 291

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 44,045 748 836 662 344 385 304

2nd Quarter

99,605 55,028 44,577 742 814 671 342 374 309

3rd Quarter

100,412 55,620 44,792 746 821 670 342 377 307

4th Quarter

99,958 55,486 44,472 750 826 676 341 376 308

2011

1st Quarter

99,682 55,337 44,345 750 821 679 338 370 306

2nd Quarter

100,352 55,822 44,530 754 830 687 336 369 306

3rd Quarter

100,488 56,060 44,428 759 836 681 336 370 301

4th Quarter

101,315 56,667 44,648 761 838 686 335 369 302

2012

1st Quarter

102,184 57,118 45,066 764 841 693 335 369 304

2nd Quarter

102,504 57,057 45,448 772 870 687 337 380 300

3rd Quarter

102,630 57,245 45,385 765 836 693 333 364 301

4th Quarter

103,685 57,735 45,950 772 868 691 334 375 299

2013

1st Quarter

103,950 57,919 46,031 768 860 699 331 371 301

2nd Quarter

103,929 57,891 46,038 777 865 706 335 373 304

3rd Quarter

104,512 58,162 46,350 777 856 706 333 366 302

4th Quarter

104,673 58,019 46,654 783 862 712 334 368 304

2014

1st Quarter

105,639 58,728 46,911 790 866 716 336 368 304

2nd Quarter

106,320 59,445 46,875 782 861 715 330 363 302

3rd Quarter

106,889 59,661 47,228 797 880 722 335 370 304

4th Quarter

107,264 59,975 47,289 796 875 723 336 369 305

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
2013
4th
2014
In current dollars In constant (1982-84) dollars
4th
2013
4th
2014
4th
2013
4th
2014

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over

104,791 107,368 $786 $799 $337 $338

Men, 16 years and over

57,995 59,930 869 882 373 374

16 to 24 years

5,064 5,611 492 508 211 215

25 years and over

52,931 54,319 915 929 392 394

Women, 16 years and over

46,796 47,438 713 724 306 306

16 to 24 years

4,058 4,144 449 469 192 198

25 years and over

42,738 43,294 746 756 320 320

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

White

82,953 84,596 813 823 348 349

Men

46,927 48,355 896 907 384 384

Women

36,026 36,241 728 738 312 313

Black or African American

12,402 13,209 632 621 271 263

Men

5,846 6,300 646 667 277 282

Women

6,556 6,909 621 602 266 255

Asian

6,206 6,111 916 959 393 406

Men

3,419 3,314 1,019 1,067 437 452

Women

2,788 2,797 792 826 340 350

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

16,949 17,870 576 600 247 254

Men

10,407 11,081 594 631 255 267

Women

6,542 6,789 531 544 228 230

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 2014 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

107,368 $799 59,930 $882 47,438 $724

16 to 24 years

9,755 493 5,611 508 4,144 469

16 to 19 years

1,150 387 718 406 432 358

20 to 24 years

8,605 505 4,893 520 3,712 483

25 years and over

97,613 847 54,319 929 43,294 756

25 to 54 years

75,993 827 42,537 905 33,456 749

25 to 34 years

26,188 743 14,825 780 11,364 685

35 to 44 years

24,559 882 14,051 961 10,508 784

45 to 54 years

25,245 903 13,662 1,012 11,583 774

55 years and over

21,620 915 11,782 1,019 9,839 784

55 to 64 years

17,882 922 9,730 1,029 8,153 790

65 years and over

3,738 869 2,052 974 1,686 753

White

16 years and over

84,596 823 48,355 907 36,241 738

16 to 24 years

7,599 499 4,447 519 3,153 465

25 years and over

76,997 876 43,908 960 33,089 773

25 to 54 years

59,201 855 33,966 925 25,235 768

55 years and over

17,796 943 9,943 1,058 7,853 792

Black or African American

16 years and over

13,209 621 6,300 667 6,909 602

16 to 24 years

1,347 448 724 427 622 475

25 years and over

11,862 662 5,576 716 6,286 620

25 to 54 years

9,547 634 4,528 696 5,019 608

55 years and over

2,315 769 1,047 833 1,268 739

Asian

16 years and over

6,111 959 3,314 1,067 2,797 826

16 to 24 years

344 582 162 691 182 522

25 years and over

5,767 992 3,152 1,096 2,615 875

25 to 54 years

4,694 1,015 2,591 1,140 2,103 894

55 years and over

1,072 894 560 935 512 786

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

16 years and over

17,870 600 11,081 631 6,789 544

16 to 24 years

2,254 433 1,415 475 839 393

25 years and over

15,617 627 9,666 663 5,951 583

25 to 54 years

13,451 627 8,361 659 5,090 588

55 years and over

2,166 623 1,305 697 861 541

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
2013
4th
2014
4th
2013
4th
2014

TOTAL

Management, professional, and related occupations

42,429 43,551 $1,145 $1,152

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

17,144 17,990 1,202 1,241

Professional and related occupations

25,284 25,562 1,108 1,099

Service occupations

14,969 15,066 489 508

Sales and office occupations

23,035 23,334 666 648

Sales and related occupations

9,401 9,451 713 678

Office and administrative support occupations

13,634 13,883 644 635

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

10,193 10,882 745 771

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

690 788 445 455

Construction and extraction occupations

5,193 5,827 762 786

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

4,311 4,266 790 814

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

14,164 14,536 619 654

Production occupations

7,535 7,560 617 655

Transportation and material moving occupations

6,629 6,976 621 651

Men

Management, professional, and related occupations

20,451 20,991 1,367 1,366

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

9,259 9,520 1,391 1,435

Professional and related occupations

11,192 11,471 1,354 1,320

Service occupations

7,476 7,550 546 588

Sales and office occupations

9,162 9,347 766 753

Sales and related occupations

5,413 5,451 833 804

Office and administrative support occupations

3,750 3,897 691 692

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

9,718 10,496 757 776

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

539 663 466 470

Construction and extraction occupations

5,101 5,703 765 786

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

4,079 4,129 796 815

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

11,186 11,546 676 700

Production occupations

5,514 5,549 700 718

Transportation and material moving occupations

5,672 5,997 647 680

Women

Management, professional, and related occupations

21,977 22,560 992 999

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

7,885 8,469 1,054 1,084

Professional and related occupations

14,092 14,091 963 967

Service occupations

7,493 7,516 452 470

Sales and office occupations

13,873 13,987 621 605

Sales and related occupations

3,988 4,001 585 523

Office and administrative support occupations

9,885 9,986 633 622

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

475 386 591 572

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

151 125 372 390

Construction and extraction occupations

92 124 620 790

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

232 137 667 797

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

2,978 2,989 498 516

Production occupations

2,021 2,011 494 511

Transportation and material moving occupations

957 978 510 534

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 2014 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

107,368 $378 $519 $799 $1,260 $1,907

Men

59,930 396 574 882 1,399 2,144

Women

47,438 356 488 724 1,118 1,642

White

84,596 384 540 823 1,292 1,923

Men

48,355 406 591 907 1,433 2,214

Women

36,241 359 497 738 1,136 1,654

Black or African American

13,209 337 437 621 984 1,493

Men

6,300 335 439 667 1,043 1,577

Women

6,909 339 435 602 927 1,406

Asian

6,111 405 598 959 1,559 2,304

Men

3,314 440 655 1,067 1,738 2,507

Women

2,797 380 541 826 1,403 1,933

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

17,870 328 410 600 888 1,400

Men

11,081 343 431 631 935 1,487

Women

6,789 302 384 544 794 1,259

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Total, 25 years and over

97,613 394 561 847 1,327 1,971

Less than a high school diploma

6,866 301 372 491 673 917

High school graduates, no college(1)

25,930 362 481 664 952 1,343

Some college or associate degree

26,680 395 531 771 1,133 1,574

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

38,137 582 827 1,224 1,844 2,619

Bachelor's degree only

24,207 530 756 1,131 1,667 2,379

Advanced degree

13,930 697 966 1,401 2,047 2,943

Men, 25 years and over

54,319 417 608 929 1,460 2,257

Less than a high school diploma

4,907 319 391 518 735 992

High school graduates, no college(1)

15,525 394 529 756 1,071 1,488

Some college or associate degree

14,190 431 609 885 1,264 1,762

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

19,697 621 927 1,407 2,077 2,923

Bachelor's degree only

12,756 587 855 1,272 1,898 2,690

Advanced degree

6,941 752 1,101 1,655 2,400 3,508

Women, 25 years and over

43,294 372 507 756 1,154 1,724

Less than a high school diploma

1,959 281 331 412 530 670

High school graduates, no college(1)

10,405 333 418 568 768 1,042

Some college or associate degree

12,491 369 485 669 937 1,341

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

18,440 529 752 1,065 1,536 2,115

Bachelor's degree only

11,451 494 694 974 1,407 1,920

Advanced degree

6,989 648 881 1,225 1,712 2,394

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
2013
4th
2014
4th
2013
4th
2014

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over

24,726 24,799 $234 $237

Men, 16 years and over

8,847 8,538 223 234

16 to 24 years

3,746 3,614 182 179

25 years and over

5,102 4,924 270 284

Women, 16 years and over

15,879 16,260 240 239

16 to 24 years

4,735 4,780 177 172

25 years and over

11,144 11,480 271 274

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

White

19,893 19,815 236 242

Men

7,006 6,625 229 239

Women

12,887 13,189 240 244

Black or African American

2,932 2,856 223 214

Men

1,162 1,079 207 211

Women

1,770 1,778 237 217

Asian

1,124 1,327 247 246

Men

421 506 227 249

Women

703 821 256 245

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

3,992 4,129 229 236

Men

1,586 1,669 237 256

Women

2,406 2,460 225 225

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 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
2013 2014 In current dollars In constant (1982-84) dollars
2013 2014 2013 2014

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over

104,262 106,526 $776 $791 $333 $334

Men, 16 years and over

57,994 59,450 860 871 369 368

16 to 24 years

5,207 5,493 479 493 206 208

25 years and over

52,787 53,957 912 922 391 389

Women, 16 years and over

46,268 47,076 706 719 303 304

16 to 24 years

4,041 4,090 423 451 182 190

25 years and over

42,228 42,986 740 752 318 318

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

White

82,672 84,177 802 816 344 344

Men

47,053 48,058 884 897 380 379

Women

35,619 36,119 722 734 310 310

Black or African American

12,439 12,910 629 639 270 270

Men

5,851 6,129 664 680 285 287

Women

6,588 6,781 606 611 260 258

Asian

6,073 6,273 942 953 404 403

Men

3,376 3,488 1,059 1,080 455 456

Women

2,698 2,784 819 841 352 355

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

16,859 17,475 578 594 248 251

Men

10,325 10,754 594 616 255 260

Women

6,534 6,721 541 548 232 231

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
2013 2014 2013 2014

TOTAL

Management, professional, and related occupations

41,820 43,016 $1,132 $1,137

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

17,137 17,561 1,208 1,227

Professional and related occupations

24,683 25,455 1,071 1,078

Service occupations

15,052 15,019 493 505

Sales and office occupations

23,120 23,402 659 666

Sales and related occupations

9,376 9,626 708 705

Office and administrative support occupations

13,744 13,776 638 651

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

10,341 10,763 747 756

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

720 776 448 429

Construction and extraction occupations

5,353 5,756 732 756

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

4,268 4,231 821 821

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

13,930 14,326 621 642

Production occupations

7,307 7,481 623 646

Transportation and material moving occupations

6,623 6,845 619 637

Men

Management, professional, and related occupations

20,290 20,758 1,349 1,346

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

9,200 9,385 1,412 1,416

Professional and related occupations

11,089 11,373 1,295 1,286

Service occupations

7,597 7,622 555 583

Sales and office occupations

9,112 9,251 756 766

Sales and related occupations

5,371 5,411 835 841

Office and administrative support occupations

3,741 3,840 673 701

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

9,906 10,346 757 764

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

576 625 472 457

Construction and extraction occupations

5,242 5,635 736 757

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

4,089 4,085 824 824

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

11,090 11,474 674 689

Production occupations

5,382 5,546 697 711

Transportation and material moving occupations

5,707 5,927 645 664

Women

Management, professional, and related occupations

21,530 22,258 973 981

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

7,937 8,176 1,049 1,056

Professional and related occupations

13,594 14,082 944 948

Service occupations

7,456 7,398 452 461

Sales and office occupations

14,008 14,151 615 620

Sales and related occupations

4,005 4,215 566 570

Office and administrative support occupations

10,003 9,936 628 637

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

434 417 578 509

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

144 151 368 375

Construction and extraction occupations

112 121 654 691

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

179 146 710 725

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

2,840 2,852 498 504

Production occupations

1,925 1,935 498 502

Transportation and material moving occupations

916 918 497 510

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, 2014 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

96,943 $396 $561 $839 $1,312 $1,921

Less than a high school diploma

6,927 301 374 488 657 887

High school graduates, no college(1)

25,529 367 482 668 960 1,355

Some college or associate degree

26,408 398 532 761 1,111 1,560

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

38,080 580 810 1,193 1,807 2,619

Bachelor's degree only

24,094 529 744 1,101 1,647 2,368

Advanced degree

13,985 688 953 1,386 2,009 2,974

Men

Total, 25 years and over

53,957 418 604 922 1,455 2,187

Less than a high school diploma

4,819 323 396 517 715 959

High school graduates, no college(1)

15,437 394 529 751 1,071 1,496

Some college or associate degree

13,946 435 606 872 1,258 1,758

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

19,756 614 912 1,385 2,022 2,924

Bachelor's degree only

12,641 581 830 1,249 1,883 2,686

Advanced degree

7,115 762 1,103 1,630 2,381 3,558

Women

Total, 25 years and over

42,986 376 509 752 1,144 1,672

Less than a high school diploma

2,107 279 328 409 523 666

High school graduates, no college(1)

10,093 334 420 578 782 1,074

Some college or associate degree

12,462 375 486 661 935 1,287

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

18,324 532 743 1,049 1,524 2,114

Bachelor's degree only

11,453 496 686 965 1,408 1,931

Advanced degree

6,871 633 856 1,185 1,672 2,336

White, total

Total, 25 years and over

76,550 404 580 864 1,344 1,983

Less than a high school diploma

5,572 305 379 493 673 906

High school graduates, no college(1)

20,234 376 496 696 992 1,400

Some college or associate degree

20,766 409 559 791 1,148 1,616

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

29,978 590 829 1,219 1,844 2,691

Bachelor's degree only

19,175 550 760 1,132 1,694 2,409

Advanced degree

10,803 705 964 1,390 2,017 3,052

White men

Total, 25 years and over

43,614 430 619 950 1,486 2,235

Less than a high school diploma

3,990 331 402 522 723 977

High school graduates, no college(1)

12,538 403 555 777 1,109 1,536

Some college or associate degree

11,280 461 631 909 1,308 1,823

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

15,805 628 937 1,416 2,087 3,011

Bachelor's degree only

10,316 594 857 1,287 1,902 2,724

Advanced degree

5,489 777 1,121 1,642 2,410 3,721

White women

Total, 25 years and over

32,936 381 521 767 1,158 1,696

Less than a high school diploma

1,581 278 326 406 524 670

High school graduates, no college(1)

7,696 340 429 591 799 1,106

Some college or associate degree

9,485 381 497 678 957 1,330

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

14,173 548 751 1,059 1,523 2,113

Bachelor's degree only

8,859 506 696 975 1,416 1,978

Advanced degree

5,314 645 864 1,188 1,656 2,316

Black or African American, total

Total, 25 years and over

11,740 353 474 674 1,008 1,518

Less than a high school diploma

759 286 340 440 594 790

High school graduates, no college(1)

3,595 329 417 579 793 1,113

Some college or associate degree

3,872 357 463 637 921 1,272

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

3,513 491 686 970 1,463 2,025

Bachelor's degree only

2,259 463 631 895 1,312 1,862

Advanced degree

1,254 578 783 1,149 1,652 2,308

Black or African American men

Total, 25 years and over

5,532 364 494 719 1,074 1,582

Less than a high school diploma

447 288 349 476 646 869

High school graduates, no college(1)

1,915 353 454 630 880 1,239

Some college or associate degree

1,714 377 496 705 1,020 1,451

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

1,457 498 712 1,027 1,575 2,252

Bachelor's degree only

981 481 666 929 1,392 1,906

Advanced degree

475 602 876 1,331 1,883 2,600

Black or African American women

Total, 25 years and over

6,207 347 453 633 962 1,442

Less than a high school diploma

312 284 332 413 514 653

High school graduates, no college(1)

1,680 313 394 509 697 975

Some college or associate degree

2,159 351 438 600 832 1,141

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

2,056 486 666 942 1,394 1,896

Bachelor's degree only

1,277 450 615 870 1,248 1,774

Advanced degree

779 567 747 1,059 1,551 2,079

Asian, total

Total, 25 years and over

5,911 409 612 991 1,598 2,347

Less than a high school diploma

302 275 353 477 594 769

High school graduates, no college(1)

942 345 435 604 831 1,162

Some college or associate degree

929 392 522 748 1,101 1,460

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

3,738 583 864 1,328 1,910 2,798

Bachelor's degree only

2,073 497 744 1,149 1,667 2,309

Advanced degree

1,664 736 1,038 1,562 2,285 3,101

Asian men

Total, 25 years and over

3,284 436 675 1,128 1,831 2,672

Less than a high school diploma

160 273 361 493 620 791

High school graduates, no college(1)

518 381 476 664 946 1,251

Some college or associate degree

507 412 567 775 1,138 1,526

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

2,099 624 959 1,472 2,106 3,017

Bachelor's degree only

1,056 537 806 1,256 1,886 2,618

Advanced degree

1,043 833 1,163 1,752 2,401 3,474

Asian women

Total, 25 years and over

2,626 387 562 877 1,397 1,984

Less than a high school diploma

142 276 343 450 546 673

High school graduates, no college(1)

424 315 403 543 746 1,004

Some college or associate degree

422 368 504 706 1,008 1,378

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

1,639 512 761 1,140 1,664 2,319

Bachelor's degree only

1,017 478 704 1,037 1,521 1,994

Advanced degree

621 638 911 1,342 1,920 2,738

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, total

Total, 25 years and over

15,341 338 426 619 928 1,441

Less than a high school diploma

4,027 300 366 466 617 800

High school graduates, no college(1)

4,695 340 422 595 827 1,161

Some college or associate degree

3,579 377 492 689 981 1,436

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

3,040 488 692 1,007 1,555 2,265

Bachelor's degree only

2,160 463 634 937 1,439 1,992

Advanced degree

879 622 860 1,235 1,886 2,896

Hispanic or Latino men

Total, 25 years and over

9,427 356 457 652 979 1,525

Less than a high school diploma

2,944 320 388 497 667 856

High school graduates, no college(1)

2,983 362 464 637 893 1,238

Some college or associate degree

1,945 403 542 780 1,124 1,571

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

1,555 510 740 1,161 1,765 2,604

Bachelor's degree only

1,126 491 676 1,045 1,590 2,278

Advanced degree

429 666 982 1,507 2,291 3,637

Hispanic or Latino women

Total, 25 years and over

5,914 317 402 581 860 1,279

Less than a high school diploma

1,083 277 321 390 497 629

High school graduates, no college(1)

1,713 315 390 517 716 968

Some college or associate degree

1,633 347 443 604 841 1,161

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

1,484 475 656 907 1,351 1,883

Bachelor's degree only

1,034 436 607 852 1,227 1,733

Advanced degree

451 587 791 1,049 1,548 2,051

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 21, 2015