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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. (ET) Tuesday, October 19, 2021 			        USDL-21-1871

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
                               THIRD QUARTER 2021


Median weekly earnings of the nation's 115.3 million full-time wage and salary workers
were $1,001 in the third quarter of 2021 (not seasonally adjusted), the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics reported today. This was 0.7 percent higher than a year earlier,
compared with a gain of 5.3 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 news release are not seasonally adjusted unless
otherwise specified.

Highlights from the third-quarter data:

 --Median weekly earnings of full-time workers were $1,001 in the third quarter of 2021.
   Women had median weekly earnings of $916, or 83.3 percent of the $1,100 median for men.
   (See table 2.)

 --The women's-to-men's earnings ratio varied by race and ethnicity. White women earned
   81.9 percent as much as their male counterparts, compared with 96.3 percent for Black 
   women, 84.1 percent for Asian women, and 87.5 percent for Hispanic women. (See table 2.)

 --Among the major race and ethnicity groups, median weekly earnings of Blacks ($799) 
   and Hispanics ($779) working full-time jobs were lower than those of Whites ($1,024)
   and Asians ($1,309). By sex, median weekly earnings for Black men were $813, or 71.7
   percent of the median for White men ($1,134). Median earnings for Hispanic men were
   $826, or 72.8 percent of the median for White men. The difference was less among women,
   as Black women's median earnings were $783, or 84.3 percent of those for White women
   ($929), and earnings for Hispanic women were $723, or 77.8 percent of those for White
   women. Earnings of Asian men ($1,414) and women ($1,189) were higher than those of 
   their White counterparts. (See table 2.) 

 --By age, usual weekly earnings were highest for men ages 35 to 64: median weekly earnings
   were $1,255 for men ages 35 to 44, $1,307 for men ages 45 to 54, and $1,253 for men
   ages 55 to 64. Among women, usual weekly earnings were also highest for workers ages
   35 to 64: median weekly earnings were $1,002 for women ages 35 to 44, $1,033 for women
   ages 45 to 54, and $972 for women ages 55 to 64. Men and women ages 16 to 24 had the
   lowest median weekly earnings, $656 and $603, respectively. Men's and women's earnings
   were closer among younger workers than older workers; for example, women ages 16 to 
   24 earned 91.9 percent as much as men in the same age group, while the women's-to-men's
   earnings ratio was 78.4 percent for those age 55 and over. (See table 3.) 

 --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in management, 
   professional, and related occupations had the highest median weekly earnings--$1,616 
   for men and $1,255 for women. Men and women employed in service occupations earned
   the least, $716 and $590, respectively. (See table 4.)

 --By educational attainment, full-time workers age 25 and over without a high school
   diploma had median weekly earnings of $633, compared with $817 for high school graduates
   (no college) and $1,474 for those holding at least a bachelor's degree. Among college
   graduates with advanced degrees (master's, professional, and doctoral degrees), the
   highest earning 10 percent of male workers made $4,239 or more per week, compared 
   with $2,959 or more for their female counterparts. (See table 5.)

 --Seasonally adjusted median weekly earnings were $1,003 in the third quarter of 2021,
   little changed from the previous quarter. (See table 1.)


  _________________________________________________________________________________________
 |											   |
 |           Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on Usual Weekly Earnings Data          |
 |											   |
 | Usual weekly earnings data for the third quarter of 2021 continue to reflect the impact |
 | on the labor market of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Changes in weekly earnings  |
 | in recent quarters must be interpreted with caution. More information on labor market   |
 | developments in recent months is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-  |
 | pandemic-and-response-on-the-employment-situation-news-release.htm.			   |
 |_________________________________________________________________________________________|


  _________________________________________________________________________________________
 |											   |
 |               Revision of Seasonally Adjusted Usual Weekly Earnings Data                |
 |											   |
 | The Usual Weekly Earnings news release for the fourth quarter of 2021, scheduled for	   |
 | release in January 2022, will incorporate annual revisions to seasonally adjusted data  |
 | for the number of full-time wage and salary workers and median weekly earnings in	   |
 | current dollars. (See table 1.) Estimates for constant (1982-84) dollar median weekly   |
 | earnings also will be affected by revisions to the current dollar series. Seasonally	   |
 | adjusted estimates back to the first quarter of 2017 will be subject to revision.	   |
 |_________________________________________________________________________________________|




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
$

2012

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

110,323 61,559 48,764 823 904 744 346 380 313

2nd quarter

110,921 61,770 49,152 828 913 746 345 381 311

3rd quarter

111,789 62,239 49,550 834 918 748 347 381 311

4th quarter

111,357 62,182 49,175 845 924 759 349 381 313

2017

1st quarter

111,846 62,372 49,474 857 941 760 352 386 312

2nd quarter

113,121 62,938 50,184 863 938 783 354 384 321

3rd quarter

113,880 63,327 50,552 865 943 768 352 385 313

4th quarter

114,265 63,310 50,955 853 943 770 345 381 311

2018

1st quarter

114,502 63,888 50,615 874 956 778 351 384 312

2nd quarter

115,502 64,146 51,356 881 964 784 351 384 312

3rd quarter

116,223 64,379 51,844 892 979 796 354 389 316

4th quarter

116,059 64,178 51,881 897 990 795 355 392 314

2019

1st quarter

117,202 64,896 52,306 898 995 802 355 393 317

2nd quarter

117,299 65,054 52,244 914 1,005 818 358 393 320

3rd quarter

117,426 64,842 52,585 922 1,009 824 360 394 322

4th quarter

118,423 65,250 53,173 934 1,019 844 362 395 327

2020

1st quarter

116,986 64,352 52,634 949 1,057 853 367 409 330

2nd quarter

104,204 57,686 46,517 1,009 1,092 918 393 426 358

3rd quarter

108,754 59,909 48,846 996 1,110 900 384 428 347

4th quarter

111,617 61,710 49,908 983 1,069 896 377 410 343

2021

1st quarter

112,993 62,092 50,901 984 1,080 898 373 410 341

2nd quarter

113,274 62,151 51,123 995 1,099 905 370 409 337

3rd quarter

114,510 63,027 51,482 1,003 1,105 914 367 405 334

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
3rd
2020
3rd
2021
In current dollars In constant (1982-84) dollars
3rd
2020
3rd
2021
3rd
2020
3rd
2021

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over

109,652 115,332 $994 $1,001 $383 $366

Men, 16 years and over

60,699 63,746 1,104 1,100 425 402

16 to 24 years

5,516 6,011 631 656 243 240

25 years and over

55,183 57,735 1,164 1,162 448 425

Women, 16 years and over

48,954 51,586 902 916 347 335

16 to 24 years

4,201 4,845 583 603 225 220

25 years and over

44,753 46,741 942 960 362 351

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

White

84,482 88,561 1,008 1,024 388 374

Men

47,959 49,965 1,122 1,134 432 415

Women

36,523 38,596 910 929 350 340

Black or African American

13,868 14,789 813 799 313 292

Men

6,687 7,254 869 813 335 297

Women

7,181 7,535 768 783 296 286

Asian

7,355 7,860 1,392 1,309 536 478

Men

3,952 4,297 1,542 1,414 594 517

Women

3,403 3,562 1,224 1,189 471 435

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

19,086 21,207 785 779 302 285

Men

11,553 12,822 823 826 317 302

Women

7,533 8,385 722 723 278 264

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, 3rd quarter 2021 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

115,332 $1,001 63,746 $1,100 51,586 $916

16 to 24 years

10,856 625 6,011 656 4,845 603

16 to 19 years

1,889 519 1,119 546 770 500

20 to 24 years

8,967 650 4,892 674 4,075 620

25 years and over

104,476 1,068 57,735 1,162 46,741 960

25 to 54 years

79,833 1,059 44,163 1,149 35,670 962

25 to 34 years

28,918 935 16,111 968 12,807 893

35 to 44 years

26,654 1,149 14,920 1,255 11,734 1,002

45 to 54 years

24,260 1,169 13,132 1,307 11,129 1,033

55 years and over

24,643 1,110 13,572 1,216 11,071 953

55 to 64 years

19,481 1,141 10,597 1,253 8,884 972

65 years and over

5,162 982 2,974 1,067 2,188 884

White

16 years and over

88,561 1,024 49,965 1,134 38,596 929

16 to 24 years

8,352 629 4,694 661 3,658 601

25 years and over

80,209 1,100 45,271 1,199 34,938 972

25 to 54 years

60,214 1,084 34,017 1,176 26,197 977

55 years and over

19,995 1,146 11,254 1,261 8,741 958

Black or African American

16 years and over

14,789 799 7,254 813 7,535 783

16 to 24 years

1,432 591 753 586 679 593

25 years and over

13,357 843 6,501 871 6,856 823

25 to 54 years

10,553 834 5,204 874 5,349 810

55 years and over

2,804 871 1,297 862 1,507 879

Asian

16 years and over

7,860 1,309 4,297 1,414 3,562 1,189

16 to 24 years

475 740 259 784 216 681

25 years and over

7,385 1,385 4,038 1,503 3,346 1,244

25 to 54 years

6,039 1,414 3,296 1,541 2,743 1,263

55 years and over

1,345 1,148 742 1,251 604 1,010

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

16 years and over

21,207 779 12,822 826 8,385 723

16 to 24 years

2,713 600 1,620 616 1,094 569

25 years and over

18,494 828 11,202 885 7,292 758

25 to 54 years

15,306 828 9,283 882 6,023 760

55 years and over

3,188 827 1,919 900 1,269 750

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
3rd
2020
3rd
2021
3rd
2020
3rd
2021

TOTAL

Management, professional, and related occupations

49,893 51,452 $1,390 $1,430

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

20,371 21,977 1,518 1,521

Professional and related occupations

29,522 29,475 1,323 1,363

Service occupations

13,514 14,636 641 636

Sales and office occupations

20,897 21,797 825 828

Sales and related occupations

8,662 9,296 870 872

Office and administrative support occupations

12,235 12,501 807 813

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

10,660 11,903 902 917

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

694 937 583 651

Construction and extraction occupations

5,889 6,495 910 912

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

4,077 4,471 970 1,028

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

14,689 15,544 748 777

Production occupations

6,759 7,169 772 806

Transportation and material moving occupations

7,930 8,376 721 748

Men

Management, professional, and related occupations

24,078 24,417 1,598 1,616

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

11,070 11,238 1,667 1,658

Professional and related occupations

13,008 13,179 1,546 1,568

Service occupations

6,686 7,203 721 716

Sales and office occupations

8,216 8,685 983 967

Sales and related occupations

4,788 5,143 1,070 1,075

Office and administrative support occupations

3,428 3,542 935 897

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

10,186 11,297 914 933

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

544 768 600 669

Construction and extraction occupations

5,730 6,260 914 919

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

3,913 4,269 981 1,036

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

11,532 12,143 794 828

Production occupations

5,007 5,362 831 888

Transportation and material moving occupations

6,525 6,781 756 788

Women

Management, professional, and related occupations

25,815 27,035 1,198 1,255

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

9,300 10,739 1,345 1,375

Professional and related occupations

16,515 16,296 1,142 1,196

Service occupations

6,828 7,432 569 590

Sales and office occupations

12,681 13,112 761 767

Sales and related occupations

3,874 4,153 734 695

Office and administrative support occupations

8,807 8,960 770 790

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

473 606 664 681

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

150 169 524 616

Construction and extraction occupations

159 235 807 685

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

165 202 728 783

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

3,157 3,401 624 660

Production occupations

1,752 1,807 635 661

Transportation and material moving occupations

1,404 1,594 617 659

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data. Effective with January 2020 data, occupations reflect the introduction of the 2018 Census occupational classification system, derived from the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). No historical data have been revised. Data for 2020 are not strictly comparable with earlier years.


Table 5. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, 3rd quarter 2021 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

115,332 $510 $683 $1,001 $1,577 $2,412

Men

63,746 545 720 1,100 1,730 2,610

Women

51,586 484 634 916 1,451 2,166

White

88,561 519 696 1,024 1,608 2,418

Men

49,965 567 739 1,134 1,754 2,633

Women

38,596 488 645 929 1,454 2,128

Black or African American

14,789 462 600 799 1,258 1,900

Men

7,254 470 615 813 1,300 1,889

Women

7,535 455 588 783 1,242 1,910

Asian

7,860 581 787 1,309 2,144 3,100

Men

4,297 599 873 1,414 2,382 3,343

Women

3,562 545 721 1,189 1,917 2,826

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

21,207 460 593 779 1,188 1,820

Men

12,822 486 615 826 1,234 1,850

Women

8,385 423 551 723 1,123 1,758

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Total, 25 years and over

104,476 540 720 1,068 1,661 2,501

Less than a high school diploma

6,050 394 498 633 844 1,195

High school graduates, no college(1)

25,365 485 616 817 1,176 1,645

Some college or associate degree

25,936 530 686 942 1,371 1,894

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

47,125 715 972 1,474 2,187 3,124

Bachelor's degree only

28,855 660 919 1,358 1,998 2,909

Advanced degree

18,270 793 1,136 1,661 2,478 3,663

Men, 25 years and over

57,735 585 766 1,162 1,810 2,721

Less than a high school diploma

4,140 424 540 689 911 1,273

High school graduates, no college(1)

16,136 522 676 916 1,295 1,826

Some college or associate degree

13,913 596 757 1,074 1,501 2,094

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

23,546 756 1,124 1,652 2,477 3,568

Bachelor's degree only

14,860 721 1,001 1,521 2,260 3,119

Advanced degree

8,686 906 1,286 1,895 2,882 4,239

Women, 25 years and over

46,741 503 675 960 1,512 2,282

Less than a high school diploma

1,910 347 435 534 663 883

High school graduates, no college(1)

9,230 424 551 707 934 1,323

Some college or associate degree

12,023 486 618 816 1,163 1,633

Bachelor's degree and higher(2)

23,579 675 904 1,311 1,913 2,875

Bachelor's degree only

13,995 628 849 1,202 1,770 2,600

Advanced degree

9,584 758 1,005 1,495 2,124 2,959

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
3rd
2020
3rd
2021
3rd
2020
3rd
2021

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over

20,820 21,501 $315 $324

Men, 16 years and over

7,604 7,641 316 317

16 to 24 years

3,187 3,424 254 275

25 years and over

4,417 4,217 399 390

Women, 16 years and over

13,216 13,860 315 330

16 to 24 years

4,063 4,369 235 268

25 years and over

9,153 9,491 377 380

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

White

16,567 16,539 321 324

Men

6,041 5,908 317 317

Women

10,526 10,631 324 331

Black or African American

2,391 2,583 280 312

Men

851 808 304 295

Women

1,540 1,776 267 321

Asian

989 1,392 347 384

Men

401 535 345 405

Women

588 857 347 369

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

3,925 3,577 311 320

Men

1,624 1,291 317 322

Women

2,301 2,287 307 320

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.


Last Modified Date: October 19, 2021