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## Measures of Central Tendency for Wage Data

Office of the Chief Actuary 

      For more detailed information on the average wage data for any year,       including a distribution by wage level, select a      year and click "Go." 
2022      2021      2020      2019      2018      2017      2016      2015      2014      2013      2012      2011      2010      2009      2008      2007      2006      2005      2004      2003      2002      2001      2000      1999      1998      1997      1996      1995      1994      1993      1992      1991      
AWI data

AWI growth

As indicated in the explanation of the determination of the national      average wage index (AWI), the latest annual change      in the "raw" average wages is applied to the last AWI to obtain the next      one. Such raw average wages are the average amounts of net      compensation (as distinct from total employee compensation) listed in the       table below.

      An average is just one measure of central tendency for any set of data.  Another       measure is a median.  For our wage data, the median wage (or net compensation) is      the wage "in the middle."  That is, half of the workers earned below this level.      The table below shows that the median wage is substantially less than the average      wage.  The reason for the difference is that the distribution of workers       by wage level is highly skewed.
**Average and Median Amounts of Net Compensation**Average net compensationMedian net compensationaRatio of median to average Change ChangeYear   Amount   Annual   Cumulative   Amount   Annual   Cumulative1991$20,923.84NANA$15,075.94NANA72.051%199222,001.925.152%5.152%15,610.403.545%3.545%70.950%199322,191.140.860%6.057%15,690.770.515%4.078%70.707%199422,786.732.684%8.903%16,118.022.723%6.912%70.734%199523,700.114.008%13.268%16,650.163.302%10.442%70.254%199624,859.174.891%18.808%17,403.454.524%15.439%70.008%199726,309.735.835%25.740%18,277.435.022%21.236%69.470%199827,686.755.234%32.322%19,157.404.815%27.073%69.193%199929,229.695.573%39.696%20,102.354.933%33.341%68.774%200030,846.095.530%47.421%20,957.184.252%39.011%67.941%200131,581.972.386%50.938%21,767.293.866%44.384%68.923%200231,898.701.003%52.451%22,152.841.771%46.942%69.447%200332,678.482.445%56.178%22,576.711.913%49.753%69.087%200434,197.634.649%63.439%23,355.833.451%54.921%68.297%200535,448.933.659%69.419%23,962.202.596%58.943%67.596%200637,078.274.596%77.206%24,891.593.879%65.108%67.133%200738,760.954.538%85.248%25,737.203.397%70.717%66.400%200839,652.612.300%89.509%26,514.383.020%75.872%66.867%200939,054.62-1.508%86.651%26,261.29-0.955%74.193%67.242%2010b39,959.302.316%90.975%26,363.550.389%74.872%65.976%201141,211.363.133%96.959%26,965.432.283%78.864%65.432%201242,498.213.123%103.109%27,519.102.053%82.537%64.754%201343,041.391.278%105.705%28,031.021.860%85.932%65.126%201444,569.203.550%113.007%28,851.212.926%91.373%64.734%201546,119.783.479%120.417%29,930.133.740%98.529%64.897%201646,640.941.130%122.908%30,533.312.015%102.530%65.465%201748,251.573.453%130.606%31,561.493.367%109.350%65.410%201850,000.443.624%138.964%32,838.054.045%117.818%65.676%2019b51,916.273.832%148.120%34,248.454.295%127.173%65.969%202053,383.182.826%155.131%34,612.041.062%129.585%64.837%202158,129.998.892%177.817%37,586.038.592%149.311%64.659%202261,220.075.316%192.585%40,847.188.676%170.943%66.722%
a Median net compensation is estimated.

b Percentage change in average net compensation is different from the       percentage change in the AWI. This is due to changes in the definition of net compensation.       Such years and changes are listed below:       - 2010: Improved data edits are used.       - 2019: Contributions to additional types of deferred compensation plans are included. 

Average and median net compensation are shown in the graph     below.  Also shown is the ratio of median to average amounts.
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