1

Technical information: (202) 691-6378

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 07-1096

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Thursday, July 19, 2007

USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:

SECOND QUARTER 2007

Median weekly earnings of the nation’s 106.9 million full-time wage and salary workers were $690 in the

second quarter of 2007, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.

This was 4.7 percent higher than a year earlier compared with a gain of 2.7 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 second-quarter data are:

Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $607 per week, or 79.6 percent of the

$763 median for men. The female-to-male earnings ratios were higher among Hispanics or Latinos

(89.9 percent) and blacks (87.3 percent) than among whites (79.2 percent) or Asians (75.3 percent). (See table 1.)

Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $597 per week, 76.2 percent of the

median for white men ($783). The difference was less among women, as black women’s median

earnings ($521) were 84.0 percent of those for their white counterparts ($620). Overall, median

earnings of Hispanics or Latinos who worked full time ($503) were lower than those of blacks

($562), whites ($713), and Asians ($827). (See table 1.)

Among men, those age 55 to 64 had the highest median weekly earnings ($950). Women age 45 to

54 had median earnings of $668, about the same as those age 55 to 64 ($664) and age 35 to 44

($657). (See table 2.)

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

related occupations had the highest median weekly earnings—$1,176 for men and $859 for women.

Men and women 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

$440 compared with $597 for high school graduates (no college) and $1,092 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 $2,914 or more per week

compared with $1,979 or more for their female counterparts. (See table 4.)

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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 “Explanatory Notes

and Estimates of Error” section 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, 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 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 and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well

as by 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

II

2006

II

2007

In current dollars In constant (1982) dollars

II

2006

II

2007

II

2006

II

2007

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over ........................................................................... 105,881 106,879 $659 $690 $315 $320

 Men, 16 years and over ......................................................................... 59,983 60,507 731 763 349 355

 16 to 24 years ...................................................................................... 6,684 6,537 421 436 201 203

 25 years and over ................................................................................ 53,299 53,970 783 819 374 381

 Women, 16 years and over ................................................................... 45,897 46,372 593 607 283 282

 16 to 24 years ...................................................................................... 4,710 4,633 395 404 188 188

 25 years and over ................................................................................ 41,188 41,739 619 635 295 295

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

 White ..................................................................................................... 85,831 86,393 678 713 323 331

 Men ...................................................................................................... 49,804 50,162 753 783 359 364

 Women ................................................................................................ 36,026 36,232 602 620 287 288

 Black or African American ..................................................................... 12,748 13,048 534 562 255 261

 Men ...................................................................................................... 6,084 6,190 573 597 274 278

 Women ................................................................................................ 6,664 6,858 511 521 244 242

 Asian ...................................................................................................... 4,858 5,025 765 827 365 384

 Men ...................................................................................................... 2,780 2,766 843 942 402 438

 Women ................................................................................................ 2,078 2,258 688 709 328 330

 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity .................................................................... 15,715 15,943 485 503 231 234

 Men ...................................................................................................... 10,044 10,249 504 523 241 243

 Women ................................................................................................ 5,671 5,694 434 470 207 218

 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. In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by

race. Beginning in January 2007, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey. 
Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and

sex, second quarter 2007 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 ..................................................................................... 106,879 $690 60,507 $763 46,372 $607

 16 to 24 years ......................................................................................... 11,170 421 6,537 436 4,633 404

 16 to 19 years ....................................................................................... 1,659 317 1,003 338 657 302

 20 to 24 years ....................................................................................... 9,510 445 5,535 464 3,976 426

 25 years and over ................................................................................... 95,709 735 53,970 819 41,739 635

 25 to 54 years ....................................................................................... 79,296 730 45,052 804 34,244 632

 25 to 34 years ..................................................................................... 25,854 635 15,025 683 10,829 588

 35 to 44 years ..................................................................................... 26,991 770 15,539 871 11,453 657

 45 to 54 years ..................................................................................... 26,451 788 14,489 905 11,962 668

 55 years and over ................................................................................. 16,413 761 8,918 917 7,495 648

 55 to 64 years ..................................................................................... 14,049 790 7,514 950 6,535 664

 65 years and over ............................................................................... 2,364 611 1,404 664 960 548

White

16 years and over ..................................................................................... 86,393 713 50,162 783 36,232 620

 16 to 24 years ......................................................................................... 9,114 425 5,487 442 3,627 410

 25 years and over ................................................................................... 77,279 755 44,675 846 32,605 654

 25 to 54 years ....................................................................................... 63,459 749 36,998 827 26,461 651

 55 years and over ................................................................................. 13,820 787 7,677 940 6,143 667

Black or African American

16 years and over ..................................................................................... 13,048 562 6,190 597 6,858 521

 16 to 24 years ......................................................................................... 1,352 389 681 401 671 368

 25 years and over ................................................................................... 11,696 591 5,509 623 6,187 554

 25 to 54 years ....................................................................................... 10,065 589 4,772 616 5,293 560

 55 years and over ................................................................................. 1,630 602 737 681 894 533

Asian

16 years and over ..................................................................................... 5,025 827 2,766 942 2,258 709

 16 to 24 years ......................................................................................... 314 535 135 677 179 502

 25 years and over ................................................................................... 4,711 862 2,631 959 2,080 737

 25 to 54 years ....................................................................................... 3,997 872 2,265 969 1,732 742

 55 years and over ................................................................................. 714 803 366 894 348 697

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

16 years and over ..................................................................................... 15,943 503 10,249 523 5,694 470

 16 to 24 years ......................................................................................... 2,219 391 1,431 397 789 373

 25 years and over ................................................................................... 13,724 522 8,818 559 4,905 488

 25 to 54 years ....................................................................................... 12,411 520 7,976 555 4,435 486

 55 years and over ................................................................................. 1,313 556 843 585 470 507

 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. In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by

race. Beginning in January 2007, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey. 
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

II

2006

II

2007

II

2006

II

2007

TOTAL

 Management, professional, and related occupations .............................. 37,095 38,817 $967 $997

 Management, business, and financial operations occupations ............. 15,267 15,591 1,091 1,115

 Professional and related occupations .................................................... 21,827 23,226 911 945

 Service occupations ................................................................................ 14,933 14,811 421 459

 Sales and office occupations ................................................................... 25,860 25,536 581 595

 Sales and related occupations .............................................................. 10,682 10,477 615 640

 Office and administrative support occupations ...................................... 15,177 15,059 561 578

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations ............. 12,430 12,565 643 658

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations ............................................ 739 762 388 382

 Construction and extraction occupations ............................................... 7,204 7,322 610 634

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ................................ 4,487 4,482 736 744

 Production, transportation, and material moving occupations ................. 15,564 15,149 554 578

 Production occupations ......................................................................... 8,576 8,596 549 583

 Transportation and material moving occupations .................................. 6,988 6,553 565 568

Men

 Management, professional, and related occupations .............................. 18,713 19,402 1,159 1,176

 Management, business, and financial operations occupations ............. 8,669 8,763 1,254 1,237

 Professional and related occupations .................................................... 10,044 10,639 1,090 1,142

 Service occupations ................................................................................ 7,237 7,526 492 521

 Sales and office occupations ................................................................... 9,827 9,632 669 722

 Sales and related occupations .............................................................. 5,952 5,831 735 802

 Office and administrative support occupations ...................................... 3,875 3,801 600 613

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations ............. 11,947 12,141 648 661

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations ............................................ 542 612 411 394

 Construction and extraction occupations ............................................... 7,071 7,192 611 635

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ................................ 4,334 4,336 734 741

 Production, transportation, and material moving occupations ................. 12,259 11,806 598 619

 Production occupations ......................................................................... 6,153 6,154 615 643

 Transportation and material moving occupations .................................. 6,105 5,652 587 597

Women

 Management, professional, and related occupations .............................. 18,381 19,415 829 859

 Management, business, and financial operations occupations ............. 6,598 6,827 899 952

 Professional and related occupations .................................................... 11,783 12,587 781 823

 Service occupations ................................................................................ 7,696 7,285 389 404

 Sales and office occupations ................................................................... 16,032 15,904 534 546

 Sales and related occupations .............................................................. 4,730 4,646 491 489

 Office and administrative support occupations ...................................... 11,302 11,257 551 569

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations ............. 483 425 504 559

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations ............................................ 197 149 305 351

 Construction and extraction occupations ............................................... 133 130 542 566

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ................................ 153 146 837 782

 Production, transportation, and material moving occupations ................. 3,305 3,343 424 448

 Production occupations ......................................................................... 2,423 2,442 427 448

 Transportation and material moving occupations .................................. 883 901 415 446

 NOTE: Beginning in January 2007, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey. 
Table 4. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected

characteristics, second quarter 2007 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 ........................................................................... 106,879 $328 $463 $690 $1,067 $1,605

 Men ......................................................................................................... 60,507 355 502 763 1,182 1,840

 Women ................................................................................................... 46,372 309 416 607 913 1,337

 White ...................................................................................................... 86,393 333 477 713 1,099 1,656

 Men ....................................................................................................... 50,162 361 514 783 1,213 1,882

 Women ................................................................................................. 36,232 313 425 620 936 1,364

 Black or African American ...................................................................... 13,048 305 402 562 807 1,173

 Men ....................................................................................................... 6,190 328 422 597 880 1,247

 Women ................................................................................................. 6,858 293 385 521 756 1,108

 Asian ....................................................................................................... 5,025 351 511 827 1,329 1,885

 Men ....................................................................................................... 2,766 406 598 942 1,533 2,029

 Women ................................................................................................. 2,258 314 446 709 1,119 1,591

 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ..................................................................... 15,943 289 361 503 750 1,117

 Men ....................................................................................................... 10,249 297 379 523 793 1,187

 Women ................................................................................................. 5,694 274 333 470 665 964

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

 Total, 25 years and over ......................................................................... 95,709 353 494 735 1,130 1,667

 Less than a high school diploma .......................................................... 9,224 282 328 440 613 868

 High school graduates, no college1 ...................................................... 28,326 327 428 597 840 1,151

 Some college or associate degree ....................................................... 25,654 375 500 704 1,005 1,396

 Bachelor’s degree and higher 2 ............................................................ 32,505 523 746 1,092 1,595 2,291

 Bachelor’s degree only ....................................................................... 21,228 499 708 1,014 1,491 2,093

 Advanced degree ............................................................................... 11,277 612 850 1,220 1,832 2,507

 Men, 25 years and over ........................................................................ 53,970 385 545 819 1,247 1,889

 Less than a high school diploma ........................................................ 6,406 291 355 490 669 931

 High school graduates, no college1 .................................................... 16,424 374 494 680 954 1,280

 Some college or associate degree ..................................................... 13,402 415 584 820 1,153 1,555

 Bachelor’s degree and higher 2 .......................................................... 17,738 592 838 1,244 1,878 2,710

 Bachelor’s degree only ..................................................................... 11,447 552 782 1,169 1,744 2,495

 Advanced degree ............................................................................. 6,291 668 938 1,397 2,034 2,914

 Women, 25 years and over .................................................................. 41,739 325 441 635 956 1,381

 Less than a high school diploma ........................................................ 2,818 257 301 377 488 614

 High school graduates, no college1 .................................................... 11,902 299 382 508 685 920

 Some college or associate degree ..................................................... 12,252 337 444 605 832 1,148

 Bachelor’s degree and higher 2 .......................................................... 14,767 488 671 943 1,324 1,833

 Bachelor’s degree only ..................................................................... 9,781 468 633 876 1,242 1,725

 Advanced degree ............................................................................. 4,986 561 760 1,068 1,451 1,979

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. In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic

or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as

well as by race. Beginning in January 2007, data reflect revised

population controls used in the household survey. 
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

II

2006

II

2007

II

2006

II

2007

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over ........................................................................... 21,862 22,470 $204 $207

 Men, 16 years and over ......................................................................... 6,660 6,909 190 194

 16 to 24 years ...................................................................................... 3,433 3,514 152 161

 25 years and over ................................................................................ 3,227 3,396 248 248

 Women, 16 years and over ................................................................... 15,202 15,561 210 214

 16 to 24 years ...................................................................................... 4,746 4,758 148 153

 25 years and over ................................................................................ 10,456 10,802 249 256

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

 White ..................................................................................................... 18,382 18,834 206 208

 Men ...................................................................................................... 5,508 5,647 190 193

 Women ................................................................................................ 12,874 13,186 212 216

 Black or African American ..................................................................... 2,125 2,194 193 197

 Men ...................................................................................................... 710 752 187 195

 Women ................................................................................................ 1,415 1,442 195 200

 Asian ...................................................................................................... 876 861 213 227

 Men ...................................................................................................... 267 313 193 217

 Women ................................................................................................ 609 548 228 239

 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity .................................................................... 2,384 2,521 203 206

 Men ...................................................................................................... 755 835 219 227

 Women ................................................................................................ 1,629 1,686 198 200

 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. In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by

race. Beginning in January 2007, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.