Table 1. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly averages,
Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic origin, and sex, second
Table 3. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, quarterly averages, not
Table 4. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected
Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly
Technical information: (202) 606-6378 USDL 96-291
606-6373
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: 606-5902 Thursday, July 18, 1996
USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
SECOND QUARTER 1996
Median weekly earnings of the nation's 91.0 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $486 in the second quarter of 1996, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This figure was
2.3 percent higher than in the second quarter of 1995; the Consumer Price
Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose by 2.9 percent over the same
period.
Data on usual 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 explanatory note.) Highlights from the second-quarter data
are:
---Median weekly earnings for women who worked full time were $414, or
74.7 percent of the $554 for men. Among whites, women earned 73.5 percent
of what men earned. The female-male ratio was higher among blacks (85.9
percent) and Hispanics (89.4 percent). (See table 1.)
---Median weekly earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were
$411 per week, 71.1 percent of the median for white men ($578). The racial
differences were much less among women, as black women's median earnings
($353) were 83.1 percent of that of white women ($425). Median earnings of
Hispanics ($336) and blacks ($383) were considerably lower than those of
whites ($502). (See table 1.)
---The highest median weekly earnings for full-time workers were $701
for men in the 45- to 54-year-age group, with the median for 55- to 64-year-
old men next, at $649. Among women, the highest-earning age groups were 35-
to 44-year-olds ($469) and 45- to 54-year-olds ($468). (See table 2.)
---Among the major occupational groups, persons employed in managerial
and professional specialty occupations had the highest median weekly
earnings--$867 for men and $609 for women. Men and women in service and
farm jobs continued to earn the least. (See table 3.)
---Median weekly earnings for full-time workers age 25 and over with
less than a high school diploma were $317, compared with $443 for high
school graduates (no college) and $758 for college graduates. Among
college graduates with advanced degrees (master's degree and above), the
highest 10 percent of male workers earned more than $1,985; their female
counterparts earned more than $1,449. (See table 4.)
Explanatory Note
The estimates in this release were obtained from the Current
Population Survey (CPS), which provides the basic information on the labor
force, employment, and unemployment. The survey is conducted monthly for
the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the Bureau of the Census from a
scientifically selected national sample of about 50,000 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
wages and salaries. The data, therefore, exclude self-employment income.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-606-STAT; TDD phone:
202-606-5897; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-326-2577.
Reliability
In any sample survey, variations in the data can occur by chance
because a sample, rather than the whole of the population, is surveyed.
The standard error is a measure of such potential variation. The chances
are about 68 out of 100 that an estimate from the survey differs from a
figure that would be obtained from a complete census by less than one
standard error. The chances are about 90 out of 100 that such a difference
would be less than 1.6 standard errors. All statements of comparisons in
the text of this release are significant at 1.6 or more standard errors.
For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and
information on estimating standard errors, see the "Explanatory Notes and
Estimates of Error" section of the February 1994 and subsequent issues of
Employment and Earnings.
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, taxes, 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 equivalent. 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 which 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 estimating procedure places each reported or calculated weekly
earnings value into $50-wide intervals which 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 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, e.g., $250, $300, $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 self-employed persons whose 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) dollars.
Hispanic origin. Refers to persons who are of Mexican, Puerto Rican,
Cuban, Central or South American, or of other Hispanic origin or descent.
Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race; hence, they are included in
the numbers for the white and black populations.
Table 1. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly averages,
not seasonally adjusted
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| |
| Number of workers | Median weekly earnings
| (in thousands) |
_________________________________________________________________
| | | |
Characteristic | | | In current dollars | In constant (1982)
| | | | dollars
___________________________________________
| 1995 | 1996 | | | |
| | | II | II | II | II
| | | 1995 | 1996 | 1995 | 1996
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| | | | | |
SEX AND AGE | | | | | |
| | | | | |
Total, 16 years and over..................................| 89,505 | 90,956 | $475 | $486 | $301 | $300
| | | | | |
Men, 16 years and over.................................| 51,418 | 52,140 | 533 | 554 | 338 | 341
16 to 24 years.......................................| 6,335 | 6,079 | 298 | 302 | 189 | 186
25 years and over....................................| 45,083 | 46,061 | 587 | 599 | 372 | 369
| | | | | |
Women, 16 years and over...............................| 38,087 | 38,817 | 404 | 414 | 256 | 255
16 to 24 years.......................................| 4,590 | 4,337 | 270 | 273 | 171 | 168
25 years and over....................................| 33,496 | 34,480 | 427 | 439 | 271 | 271
| | | | | |
RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX | | | | | |
| | | | | |
White..................................................| 75,060 | 76,144 | 491 | 502 | 311 | 309
Men..................................................| 43,884 | 44,604 | 562 | 578 | 356 | 356
Women................................................| 31,175 | 31,540 | 412 | 425 | 261 | 262
| | | | | |
Black..................................................| 10,572 | 10,864 | 380 | 383 | 241 | 236
Men..................................................| 5,261 | 5,314 | 407 | 411 | 258 | 253
Women................................................| 5,310 | 5,550 | 354 | 353 | 224 | 218
| | | | | |
Hispanic origin........................................| 8,674 | 8,790 | 327 | 336 | 207 | 207
Men..................................................| 5,649 | 5,706 | 342 | 350 | 217 | 216
Women................................................| 3,025 | 3,084 | 307 | 313 | 195 | 193
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. Publication of data on
family relationship has been temporarily suspended due to editing and weighting problems associated with the redesigned
survey.
Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic origin, and sex, second
quarter 1996 averages, not seasonally adjusted
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| | |
| Total | Men | Women
_________________________________________________________________
| | | | | |
Age, race, and Hispanic origin | Number | | Number | | Number |
| of | Median | of | Median | of | Median
| workers | weekly | workers | weekly | workers | weekly
| (in | earnings | (in | earnings | (in | earnings
|thousands)| |thousands)| |thousands)|
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| | | | | |
TOTAL | | | | | |
| | | | | |
16 years and over.........................................| 90,956 | $486 | 52,140 | $554 | 38,817 | $414
16 to 24 years..........................................| 10,416 | 291 | 6,079 | 302 | 4,337 | 273
16 to 19 years........................................| 1,942 | 236 | 1,178 | 245 | 764 | 222
20 to 24 years........................................| 8,474 | 307 | 4,901 | 317 | 3,573 | 289
25 years and over.......................................| 80,541 | 518 | 46,061 | 599 | 34,480 | 439
25 to 54 years........................................| 71,617 | 518 | 40,853 | 595 | 30,764 | 445
25 to 34 years......................................| 25,724 | 459 | 14,970 | 498 | 10,754 | 410
35 to 44 years......................................| 26,646 | 555 | 15,281 | 624 | 11,365 | 469
45 to 54 years......................................| 19,247 | 595 | 10,602 | 701 | 8,645 | 468
55 years and over.....................................| 8,924 | 515 | 5,207 | 635 | 3,716 | 401
55 to 64 years......................................| 7,856 | 529 | 4,559 | 649 | 3,297 | 411
65 years and over...................................| 1,067 | 378 | 648 | 431 | 419 | 337
| | | | | |
White | | | | | |
| | | | | |
16 years and over.........................................| 76,144 | 502 | 44,604 | 578 | 31,540 | 425
16 to 24 years..........................................| 8,742 | 295 | 5,167 | 305 | 3,575 | 276
25 years and over.......................................| 67,402 | 541 | 39,437 | 616 | 27,965 | 455
25 to 54 years........................................| 59,670 | 542 | 34,846 | 612 | 24,825 | 461
55 years and over.....................................| 7,732 | 536 | 4,591 | 658 | 3,140 | 409
| | | | | |
Black | | | | | |
| | | | | |
16 years and over.........................................| 10,864 | 383 | 5,314 | 411 | 5,550 | 353
16 to 24 years..........................................| 1,235 | 269 | 657 | 284 | 578 | 254
25 years and over.......................................| 9,629 | 403 | 4,657 | 443 | 4,972 | 372
25 to 54 years........................................| 8,775 | 403 | 4,224 | 442 | 4,552 | 375
55 years and over.....................................| 854 | 399 | 433 | 449 | 420 | 336
| | | | | |
Hispanic origin | | | | | |
| | | | | |
16 years and over.........................................| 8,790 | 336 | 5,706 | 350 | 3,084 | 313
16 to 24 years..........................................| 1,461 | 255 | 972 | 262 | 490 | 244
25 years and over.......................................| 7,329 | 369 | 4,735 | 382 | 2,594 | 333
25 to 54 years........................................| 6,785 | 370 | 4,377 | 384 | 2,408 | 331
55 years and over.....................................| 544 | 359 | 358 | 367 | 186 | 344
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. Publication of data on
family relationship has been temporarily suspended due to editing and weighting problems associated with the redesigned
survey.
Table 3. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, quarterly averages, not
seasonally adjusted
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| |
| Number of workers | Median weekly earnings
| (in thousands) |
Occupation and sex |_______________________________________________________________
| | | |
| II | II | II | II
| 1995 | 1996 | 1995 | 1996
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| | | |
TOTAL | | | |
| | | |
Managerial and professional specialty....................| 26,225 | 27,282 | $708 | $718
Executive, administrative, and managerial..............| 12,756 | 13,335 | 686 | 705
Professional specialty.................................| 13,469 | 13,947 | 722 | 729
Technical, sales, and administrative support.............| 26,035 | 26,058 | 427 | 438
Technicians and related support........................| 3,264 | 3,233 | 576 | 566
Sales occupations......................................| 8,932 | 8,864 | 458 | 478
Administrative support, including clerical.............| 13,839 | 13,961 | 400 | 404
Service occupations......................................| 9,790 | 10,085 | 296 | 303
Private household......................................| 310 | 303 | 176 | 224
Protective service.....................................| 1,948 | 1,850 | 544 | 524
Service, except private household and protective.......| 7,532 | 7,932 | 274 | 285
Precision production, craft, and repair..................| 10,924 | 10,832 | 509 | 527
Mechanics and repairers................................| 3,849 | 3,697 | 529 | 554
Construction trades....................................| 3,549 | 3,717 | 490 | 498
Other precision production, craft, and repair..........| 3,527 | 3,417 | 507 | 543
Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................| 14,984 | 14,984 | 376 | 392
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........| 7,156 | 7,089 | 367 | 380
Transportation and material moving occupations.........| 4,072 | 4,163 | 459 | 487
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....| 3,756 | 3,732 | 314 | 333
Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................| 1,547 | 1,716 | 285 | 286
| | | |
Men | | | |
| | | |
Managerial and professional specialty....................| 13,634 | 14,015 | 841 | 867
Executive, administrative, and managerial..............| 7,119 | 7,240 | 837 | 865
Professional specialty.................................| 6,514 | 6,775 | 844 | 870
Technical, sales, and administrative support.............| 10,030 | 10,004 | 564 | 575
Technicians and related support........................| 1,794 | 1,620 | 643 | 649
Sales occupations......................................| 5,137 | 5,099 | 588 | 591
Administrative support, including clerical.............| 3,099 | 3,284 | 485 | 488
Service occupations......................................| 4,844 | 5,096 | 353 | 358
Private household......................................| 10 | 12 | (1) | (1)
Protective service.....................................| 1,718 | 1,594 | $569 | $540
Service, except private household and protective.......| 3,116 | 3,490 | 295 | 308
Precision production, craft, and repair..................| 9,983 | 9,970 | 519 | 545
Mechanics and repairers................................| 3,703 | 3,556 | 526 | 562
Construction trades....................................| 3,480 | 3,635 | 494 | 500
Other precision production, craft, and repair..........| 2,801 | 2,779 | 559 | 585
Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................| 11,576 | 11,538 | 406 | 427
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........| 4,624 | 4,511 | 418 | 444
Transportation and material moving occupations.........| 3,813 | 3,901 | 464 | 495
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....| 3,139 | 3,126 | 320 | 352
Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................| 1,351 | 1,517 | 292 | 293
| | | |
Women | | | |
| | | |
Managerial and professional specialty....................| 12,591 | 13,267 | 604 | 609
Executive, administrative, and managerial..............| 5,636 | 6,095 | 577 | 584
Professional specialty.................................| 6,955 | 7,172 | 623 | 634
Technical, sales, and administrative support.............| 16,006 | 16,054 | 384 | 391
Technicians and related support........................| 1,470 | 1,612 | 492 | 495
Sales occupations......................................| 3,795 | 3,765 | 322 | 336
Administrative support, including clerical.............| 10,740 | 10,677 | 386 | 392
Service occupations......................................| 4,945 | 4,989 | 260 | 270
Private household......................................| 300 | 290 | 174 | 221
Protective service.....................................| 230 | 257 | 431 | 429
Service, except private household and protective.......| 4,416 | 4,442 | 261 | 269
Precision production, craft, and repair..................| 941 | 861 | 369 | 373
Mechanics and repairers................................| 146 | 141 | 588 | 431
Construction trades....................................| 69 | 82 | (1) | (1)
Other precision production, craft, and repair..........| 726 | 638 | $347 | $365
Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................| 3,408 | 3,447 | 296 | 301
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........| 2,532 | 2,579 | 294 | 301
Transportation and material moving occupations.........| 259 | 261 | 378 | 372
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....| 617 | 607 | 286 | 282
Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................| 196 | 199 | 251 | 224
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1 Data not shown where base is less than 100,000.
Table 4. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected
characteristics, second quarter 1996 averages, not seasonally adjusted
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| |
| Number | Upper limit of
of ______________________________________________________
Characteristic | workers | | | | |
| (in | First | First | Second | Third | Ninth
|thousands)| decile | quartile | quartile | quartile | decile
| | | | (median) | |
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| | | | | |
SEX, RACE, AND HISPANIC ORIGIN | | | | | |
| | | | | |
Total, 16 years and over..................................| 90,956 | $231 | $316 | $486 | $732 | $1,057
Men.....................................................| 52,140 | 252 | 354 | 554 | 820 | 1,183
Women...................................................| 38,817 | 212 | 288 | 414 | 610 | 861
| | | | | |
White...................................................| 76,144 | 238 | 328 | 502 | 756 | 1,104
Men...................................................| 44,604 | 261 | 370 | 578 | 850 | 1,227
Women.................................................| 31,540 | 217 | 295 | 425 | 625 | 884
| | | | | |
Black...................................................| 10,864 | 201 | 270 | 383 | 568 | 764
Men...................................................| 5,314 | 209 | 286 | 411 | 614 | 814
Women.................................................| 5,550 | 196 | 256 | 353 | 507 | 704
| | | | | |
Hispanic................................................| 8,790 | 188 | 246 | 336 | 502 | 744
Men...................................................| 5,706 | 195 | 257 | 350 | 523 | 788
Women.................................................| 3,084 | 176 | 228 | 313 | 470 | 676
| | | | | |
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT | | | | | |
| | | | | |
Total, 25 years and over................................| 80,541 | 249 | 346 | 518 | 767 | 1,117
Less than a high school diploma.......................| 8,328 | 186 | 239 | 317 | 451 | 643
High school graduates, no college.....................| 26,508 | 235 | 311 | 443 | 627 | 829
Some college or associate degree......................| 21,984 | 271 | 367 | 516 | 721 | 952
College graduates, total..............................| 23,720 | 367 | 519 | 758 | 1,108 | 1,531
Bachelor's degree only..............................| 15,705 | 336 | 479 | 688 | 983 | 1,358
Advanced degree.....................................| 8,016 | 460 | 648 | 921 | 1,298 | 1,784
| | | | | |
Men, 25 years and over................................| 46,061 | 280 | 396 | 599 | 870 | 1,240
Less than a high school diploma.....................| 5,694 | 199 | 263 | 355 | 506 | 704
High school graduates, no college...................| 14,854 | 277 | 375 | 520 | 718 | 937
Some college or associate degree....................| 11,967 | 297 | 418 | 598 | 806 | 1,076
College graduates, total............................| 13,546 | 402 | 604 | 882 | 1,249 | 1,756
Bachelor's degree only............................| 8,738 | 378 | 559 | 795 | 1,140 | 1,555
Advanced degree...................................| 4,808 | 501 | 726 | 1,045 | 1,456 | 1,985
| | | | | |
Women, 25 years and over..............................| 34,480 | 226 | 304 | 439 | 638 | 891
Less than a high school diploma.....................| 2,634 | 164 | 206 | 269 | 340 | 457
High school graduates, no college...................| 11,654 | 208 | 274 | 362 | 493 | 657
Some college or associate degree....................| 10,017 | 247 | 324 | 448 | 606 | 789
College graduates, total............................| 10,175 | 331 | 460 | 639 | 895 | 1,170
Bachelor's degree only............................| 6,967 | 304 | 417 | 588 | 811 | 1,076
Advanced degree...................................| 3,208 | 432 | 581 | 783 | 1,047 | 1,449
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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. Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data
for the 'other races' group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.
Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly
averages, not seasonally adjusted
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| |
| Number of workers | Median weekly earnings
| (in thousands) |
Age, race, and Hispanic origin |________________________________________________________________
| | | |
| II | II | II | II
| 1995 | 1996 | 1995 | 1996
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| | | |
SEX AND AGE | | | |
| | | |
Total, 16 years and over..................................| 20,047 | 20,770 | $141 | $142
| | | |
Men, 16 years and over.................................| 6,193 | 6,383 | 129 | 129
16 to 24 years.......................................| 3,281 | 3,361 | 111 | 108
25 years and over....................................| 2,912 | 3,023 | 164 | 168
| | | |
Women, 16 years and over...............................| 13,854 | 14,387 | 146 | 148
16 to 24 years.......................................| 4,107 | 4,390 | 106 | 111
25 years and over....................................| 9,746 | 9,996 | 168 | 171
| | | |
RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX | | | |
| | | |
White..................................................| 17,267 | 17,926 | 141 | 144
Men..................................................| 5,167 | 5,356 | 128 | 131
Women................................................| 12,100 | 12,570 | 147 | 149
| | | |
Black..................................................| 1,997 | 2,025 | 134 | 131
Men..................................................| 750 | 704 | 132 | 125
Women................................................| 1,247 | 1,321 | 135 | 134
| | | |
Hispanic origin........................................| 1,672 | 1,758 | 141 | 140
Men..................................................| 614 | 664 | 145 | 143
Women................................................| 1,058 | 1,094 | 139 | 138
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other
races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. Publication of
data on family relationship has been temporarily suspended due to editing and weighting problems associated with the
redesigned survey.
Contact: (cpsinfo@bls.gov) Division of Labor Force Statistics-BLS
Last modified: August 06, 1996
URL: http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/wkyeng_2q96.htm
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