Foreign-born workers made 83.1 percent of the earnings of their native-born counterparts in 2016

May 24, 2017

In 2016, there were 27.0 million foreign-born persons in the U.S. labor force, comprising 16.9 percent of the total.

In 2016, the median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers ($715) were 83.1 percent of the earnings of their native-born counterparts ($860). Among men, median weekly earnings for the foreign born ($751) were 79.0 percent of the earnings of the native born ($951). Median earnings for foreign-born women ($655) were 86.0 percent of the earnings of their native-born counterparts ($762). Differences in earnings reflect varying educational attainment, occupation, industry, and geographic location of foreign-born and native-born workers, among other factors.

Among the major race and ethnicity groups, Hispanic foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers earned 83.5 percent as much as their native-born counterparts in 2016. Among Black workers, earnings of the foreign born and the native born were relatively close. For White and Asian workers, earnings for the foreign born were slightly higher than for the native born.

In 2016, foreign-born workers were more likely than native-born workers to be employed in service occupations (23.5 percent versus 16.5 percent); in production, transportation, and material moving occupations (14.8 percent versus 11.1 percent); and in natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations (13.6 percent versus 8.3 percent). Native-born workers were more likely than foreign-born workers to be employed in management, professional, and related occupations (40.7 percent versus 32.2 percent) and in sales and office occupations (23.4 percent versus 15.9 percent).

These data are from the Current Population Survey. For more information, see "Foreign-Born Workers: Labor Force Characteristics — 2016" (HTML) (PDF). The foreign born are U.S. residents born outside the country or one of its outlying areas to parents who were not U.S. citizens. The foreign born include legally admitted immigrants, refugees, temporary residents such as students and temporary workers, and undocumented immigrants.