Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212 

Technical information: (202) 691-6378 USDL 08-1460 

News United States 

Department 

of Labor 

 http://www.bls.gov/cps/ 

 For release: 10:00 A.M. (EDT) 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Friday, October 17, 2008 

USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS: 

THIRD QUARTER 2008 

Median weekly earnings of the nation’s 107.2 million full-time wage and salary workers were $720 

in the third quarter of 2008, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported 

today. This was 3.6 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 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.) Highlights from the third-quarter data are: 

• Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $631 per week, or 79.3 percent of 

the $796 median for men. The female-to-male earnings ratios were higher among Hispanics 

(88.0 percent) and blacks (82.0 percent) than among whites (79.5 percent) or Asians (75.3 

percent). (See table 1.) 

• Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $646 per week, 79.2 percent of 

the median for white men ($816). The difference was less among women, as black women’s 

median earnings ($530) were 81.7 percent of those for their white counterparts ($649). Overall, 

median earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($529) were lower than those of blacks 

($589), whites ($739), and Asians ($854). (See table 1.) 

• Among men, those age 45 to 54 had the highest median weekly earnings ($964). Women age 45 

to 54 had median earnings of $716, essentially the same as those age 55 to 64 ($715). (See 

table 2.) 

• Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in managerial, professional, 

and related occupations had the highest median weekly earnings--$1,234 for men and $916 for 

women. Persons employed in service jobs earned the least. (See table 3.) 

• Full-time workers age 25 and over without a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of 

$471, compared with $618 for high school graduates (no college) and $1,131 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 $3,192 or 

more per week, compared with $2,287 or more for their female counterparts. (See table 4.) 
Technical 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 U.S.Census Bureau

from a scientifically selected national sample of about 60,000 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 selfemployment income.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired

individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; TDD message

referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339.

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 exact difference, or

sampling error, varies depending on the particular sample selected, and

this 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.

For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and

information on estimating standard errors, see the Household Data

section of the “Explanatory Notes and Estimates of Error” at http://

www.bls.gov/cps/eetech_methods.pdf.

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, 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, such as $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 all self-employed persons, regardless

of whether or not their 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 or Latino ethnicity. Refers to persons who identified

themselves in the enumeration process as being Spanish, Hispanic, or

Latino. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino

may be of any race.
Table 1. 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

III

2007

III

2008

In current dollars In constant (1982) dollars

III

2007

III

2008

III

2007

III

2008

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over ..................................................................................... 108,272 107,194 $695 $720 $322 $317

Men, 16 years and over .................................................................................. 61,150 60,170 767 796 356 350

16 to 24 years ............................................................................................. 7,042 6,439 430 446 199 196

25 years and over ....................................................................................... 54,108 53,731 831 857 385 377

Women, 16 years and over ............................................................................ 47,122 47,025 616 631 285 278

16 to 24 years ............................................................................................. 5,160 4,886 398 406 184 179

25 years and over ....................................................................................... 41,963 42,139 654 666 303 293

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

White .............................................................................................................. 87,258 86,600 713 739 331 325

Men ............................................................................................................. 50,520 49,727 784 816 363 359

Women ....................................................................................................... 36,738 36,873 630 649 292 286

Black or African American .............................................................................. 13,229 12,878 578 589 268 259

Men ............................................................................................................. 6,320 6,085 618 646 286 284

Women ....................................................................................................... 6,909 6,793 534 530 247 233

Asian ............................................................................................................... 5,250 5,266 842 854 390 376

Men ............................................................................................................. 2,939 3,004 947 960 439 422

Women ....................................................................................................... 2,311 2,261 738 723 342 318

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ............................................................................. 16,525 16,095 502 529 233 233

Men ............................................................................................................. 10,533 10,197 518 566 240 249

Women ....................................................................................................... 5,993 5,898 469 498 217 219

 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 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and

sex, third quarter 2008 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 ......................................................................................... 107,194 $720 60,170 $796 47,025 $631

16 to 24 years ........................................................................................... 11,325 425 6,439 446 4,886 406

16 to 19 years ....................................................................................... 1,883 332 1,087 347 797 315

20 to 24 years ....................................................................................... 9,442 458 5,353 475 4,089 428

25 years and over ..................................................................................... 95,869 763 53,731 857 42,139 666

25 to 54 years ....................................................................................... 78,664 757 44,276 845 34,388 661

25 to 34 years ................................................................................... 25,690 656 14,763 699 10,926 614

35 to 44 years ................................................................................... 26,297 802 15,103 901 11,194 669

45 to 54 years ................................................................................... 26,678 842 14,410 964 12,267 716

55 years and over ................................................................................. 17,205 798 9,455 916 7,751 692

55 to 64 years ................................................................................... 14,661 826 7,964 937 6,696 715

65 years and over ............................................................................. 2,545 654 1,490 751 1,054 566

White

16 years and over ......................................................................................... 86,600 739 49,727 816 36,873 649

16 to 24 years ........................................................................................... 9,172 430 5,329 448 3,843 408

25 years and over ..................................................................................... 77,428 786 44,398 879 33,030 687

25 to 54 years ....................................................................................... 62,875 776 36,250 866 26,624 678

55 years and over ................................................................................. 14,553 831 8,148 939 6,405 720

Black or African American

16 years and over ......................................................................................... 12,878 589 6,085 646 6,793 530

16 to 24 years ........................................................................................... 1,415 396 709 410 705 376

25 years and over ..................................................................................... 11,463 615 5,376 683 6,087 564

25 to 54 years ....................................................................................... 9,798 619 4,629 687 5,169 575

55 years and over ................................................................................. 1,665 590 747 655 918 524

Asian

16 years and over ......................................................................................... 5,266 854 3,004 960 2,261 723

16 to 24 years ........................................................................................... 378 587 206 595 173 575

25 years and over ..................................................................................... 4,887 894 2,799 989 2,089 744

25 to 54 years ....................................................................................... 4,155 917 2,380 1,008 1,775 768

55 years and over ................................................................................. 732 749 419 865 313 661

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

16 years and over ......................................................................................... 16,095 529 10,197 566 5,898 498

16 to 24 years ........................................................................................... 2,074 398 1,271 406 803 376

25 years and over ..................................................................................... 14,022 569 8,926 595 5,095 515

25 to 54 years ....................................................................................... 12,504 568 7,966 596 4,538 513

55 years and over ................................................................................. 1,518 577 960 592 557 525

 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 occupation and sex, quarterly averages, not

seasonally adjusted

Occupation and sex

Number of workers

(in thousands) Median weekly earnings

III

2007

III

2008

III

2007

III

2008

TOTAL

Management, professional, and related occupations ................................................... 38,843 40,192 $1,011 $1,041

Management, business, and financial operations occupations ................................ 15,848 16,448 1,114 1,135

Professional and related occupations ....................................................................... 22,995 23,744 958 1,000

Service occupations ..................................................................................................... 15,296 15,475 445 470

Sales and office occupations ........................................................................................ 25,844 24,795 602 610

Sales and related occupations ................................................................................. 10,473 9,728 640 657

Office and administrative support occupations ......................................................... 15,371 15,067 587 597

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations .................................. 12,678 11,683 659 701

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations ............................................................... 825 822 372 476

Construction and extraction occupations .................................................................. 7,304 6,536 631 689

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ................................................... 4,549 4,325 745 779

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations ...................................... 15,611 15,049 584 590

Production occupations ............................................................................................ 8,399 7,991 585 592

Transportation and material moving occupations ..................................................... 7,212 7,058 584 589

Men

Management, professional, and related occupations ................................................... 19,325 19,938 1,205 1,234

Management, business, and financial operations occupations ................................ 8,448 8,797 1,328 1,335

Professional and related occupations ....................................................................... 10,877 11,141 1,151 1,167

Service occupations ..................................................................................................... 7,612 7,637 503 545

Sales and office occupations ........................................................................................ 9,769 9,396 710 728

Sales and related occupations ................................................................................. 5,767 5,432 784 787

Office and administrative support occupations ......................................................... 4,002 3,965 624 657

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations .................................. 12,187 11,265 663 704

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations ............................................................... 663 688 379 480

Construction and extraction occupations .................................................................. 7,126 6,387 633 688

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ................................................... 4,398 4,190 744 781

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations ...................................... 12,257 11,933 622 637

Production occupations ............................................................................................ 6,013 5,797 643 650

Transportation and material moving occupations ..................................................... 6,245 6,136 608 620

Women

Management, professional, and related occupations ................................................... 19,518 20,254 868 916

Management, business, and financial operations occupations ................................ 7,400 7,650 923 958

Professional and related occupations ....................................................................... 12,118 12,604 835 886

Service occupations ..................................................................................................... 7,684 7,838 408 416

Sales and office occupations ........................................................................................ 16,075 15,399 562 576

Sales and related occupations ................................................................................. 4,706 4,297 507 524

Office and administrative support occupations ......................................................... 11,370 11,103 577 585

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations .................................. 490 417 526 599

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations ............................................................... 162 134 353 423

Construction and extraction occupations .................................................................. 178 149 560 755

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ................................................... 150 134 773 685

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations ...................................... 3,354 3,116 437 456

Production occupations ............................................................................................ 2,387 2,194 443 468

Transportation and material moving occupations ..................................................... 967 923 426 423

 NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Table 4. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected

characteristics, third quarter 2008 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 ..................................................................................... 107,194 $345 $484 $720 $1,131 $1,708

Men ................................................................................................................. 60,170 376 519 796 1,246 1,886

Women ........................................................................................................... 47,025 319 435 631 966 1,435

White .............................................................................................................. 86,600 352 493 739 1,154 1,745

Men ............................................................................................................. 49,727 380 529 816 1,272 1,897

Women ....................................................................................................... 36,873 325 450 649 985 1,460

Black or African American .............................................................................. 12,878 311 411 589 882 1,307

Men ............................................................................................................. 6,085 337 470 646 952 1,374

Women ....................................................................................................... 6,793 294 386 530 789 1,243

Asian ............................................................................................................... 5,266 368 525 854 1,362 1,916

Men ............................................................................................................. 3,004 401 606 960 1,561 2,261

Women ....................................................................................................... 2,261 330 470 723 1,121 1,645

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ............................................................................. 16,095 301 387 529 803 1,199

Men ............................................................................................................. 10,197 316 403 566 852 1,255

Women ....................................................................................................... 5,898 286 354 498 723 1,103

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Total, 25 years and over ..................................................................................... 95,869 374 513 763 1,180 1,766

Less than a high school diploma .................................................................... 7,841 284 347 471 631 877

High school graduates, no college 1 ............................................................... 27,759 341 453 618 887 1,240

Some college or associate degree ................................................................. 26,599 382 514 725 1,039 1,435

Bachelor’s degree and higher 2 ...................................................................... 33,671 552 761 1,131 1,666 2,329

Bachelor’s degree only ............................................................................... 21,979 507 712 1,020 1,542 2,116

Advanced degree ....................................................................................... 11,692 642 896 1,333 1,895 2,881

Men, 25 years and over .................................................................................. 53,731 403 578 857 1,328 1,911

Less than a high school diploma ................................................................ 5,459 298 382 505 697 924

High school graduates, no college 1 ........................................................... 16,239 385 508 710 993 1,366

Some college or associate degree ............................................................. 13,805 431 593 835 1,182 1,596

Bachelor’s degree and higher 2 .................................................................. 18,227 603 866 1,291 1,889 2,719

Bachelor’s degree only ........................................................................... 12,025 579 811 1,173 1,760 2,386

Advanced degree ................................................................................... 6,202 695 988 1,509 2,139 3,192

Women, 25 years and over ............................................................................ 42,139 338 469 666 1,011 1,487

Less than a high school diploma ................................................................ 2,381 256 305 381 492 647

High school graduates, no college 1 ........................................................... 11,520 306 396 518 710 983

Some college or associate degree ............................................................. 12,794 343 471 622 880 1,189

Bachelor’s degree and higher 2 .................................................................. 15,443 499 685 968 1,401 1,906

Bachelor’s degree only ........................................................................... 9,954 461 631 888 1,265 1,764

Advanced degree ................................................................................... 5,490 608 824 1,166 1,605 2,287

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 5. 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

III

2007

III

2008

III

2007

III

2008

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over ............................................................................................... 21,707 22,345 $218 $223

Men, 16 years and over ............................................................................................ 6,855 7,262 213 212

16 to 24 years ....................................................................................................... 3,279 3,533 174 169

25 years and over ................................................................................................. 3,577 3,729 268 280

Women, 16 years and over ...................................................................................... 14,851 15,083 221 229

16 to 24 years ....................................................................................................... 4,529 4,517 164 172

25 years and over ................................................................................................. 10,323 10,566 262 262

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

White ........................................................................................................................ 18,190 18,677 221 224

Men ....................................................................................................................... 5,543 5,926 214 212

Women ................................................................................................................. 12,646 12,751 224 230

Black or African American ........................................................................................ 2,039 2,122 200 214

Men ....................................................................................................................... 768 782 201 206

Women ................................................................................................................. 1,271 1,340 198 218

Asian ......................................................................................................................... 902 879 233 245

Men ....................................................................................................................... 347 301 251 244

Women ................................................................................................................. 555 578 222 246

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ....................................................................................... 2,377 2,781 208 220

Men ....................................................................................................................... 786 1,043 202 226

Women ................................................................................................................. 1,591 1,739 210 216

 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.