Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov:80/newsrels.htm
Technical information:   (202) 606-6378    USDL 97-129

                                           For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                 606-5902    Friday, April 18, 1997

                                     
             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            FIRST QUARTER 1997


   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 90.7 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $504 in the first quarter of 1997, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was 3.1
percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 3.0 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 explanatory note.)  Highlights from the first-quarter data
are:
   
   ---Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $427 a
week, or 73.4 percent of the $582 median for men.  The female-male earnings
ratios were higher among blacks (87.3 percent) and Hispanics (85.6
percent).  (See table 1.)

   ---Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $426 per
week, 71.1 percent of the median for white men ($599).  The racial
variation was much less among women, as black women's median earnings
($372) were 84.5 percent of those for their white counterparts ($440).
Overall, median earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($349) were
lower than those of blacks ($399) and whites ($519).  (See table 1.)
   
   ---The highest median weekly earnings for full-time workers were $719
for men in the 45- to 54-year-age group, with the median for 55- to 64-year-
old men next, at $676.  Among women, the highest-earning age group also was
45- to 54-year-olds, who had a median of $494; this was followed by 35- to
44-year-olds, with a median of $475.  (See table 2.)

  -----------------------------------------------------------------
 |  Beginning in January 1997, data are not strictly comparable    |
 |with figures for 1996 and earlier years because of revisions in  |
 |the population controls used in the household survey.  For       |
 |additional information, see "Revisions in the Current Population |
 |Survey Effective January 1997" in the February 1997 issue of     |
 |Employment and Earnings.                                         |
  -----------------------------------------------------------------

                                  - 2 -

   ---Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial and professional specialty occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$875 for men and $630 for women--while men and women in
service and farm jobs earned the least.  (See table 3.)
                                  
   ---Full-time workers age 25 and over with less than a high school
diploma had median weekly earnings of $318, compared with $450 for high
school graduates (no college) and $776 for college graduates.  Among
college graduates with advanced degrees (professional or master's degree
and above), the highest 10 percent of male workers earned more than $1,977,
compared with more than $1,393 for their female counterparts.  (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.
 
                                   - 2 -
 
 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       
                                                                 I          I                                                
                                                               1996       1997                                               
                                                                                       I          I          I          I    
                                                                                     1996       1997       1996       1997   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    88,699     90,734       $489       $504       $304       $304 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    50,388     51,604        557        582        347        352 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     5,448      5,409        311        319        193        193 
      25 years and over....................................    44,940     46,195        597        615        372        372 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    38,312     39,129        419        427        261        258 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     4,059      4,084        289        289        180        175 
      25 years and over....................................    34,253     35,045        442        456        276        276 
                                                                                                                             
               RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    74,423     75,743        504        519        314        314 
      Men..................................................    43,177     44,009        580        599        361        362 
      Women................................................    31,247     31,734        427        440        266        266 
                                                                                                                             
    Black..................................................    10,534     10,879        394        399        245        241 
      Men..................................................     5,199      5,340        417        426        260        258 
      Women................................................     5,335      5,539        372        372        232        225 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic origin........................................     8,599      9,623        330        349        205        211 
      Men..................................................     5,495      6,145        344        369        214        223 
      Women................................................     3,104      3,478        315        316        196        191 

      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.  Beginning in January
 1997, 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 origin, and sex, first
 quarter 1997 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.........................................    90,734       $504     51,604       $582     39,129       $427 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     9,493        307      5,409        319      4,084        289 
     16 to 19 years........................................     1,499        243        893        255        606        229 
     20 to 24 years........................................     7,994        321      4,516        338      3,478        304 
   25 years and over.......................................    81,240        536     46,195        615     35,045        456 
     25 to 54 years........................................    72,173        537     41,014        612     31,159        463 
       25 to 34 years......................................    25,324        477     14,712        511     10,611        423 
       35 to 44 years......................................    27,061        576     15,464        650     11,598        475 
       45 to 54 years......................................    19,788        609     10,838        719      8,950        494 
     55 years and over.....................................     9,067        524      5,182        658      3,886        411 
       55 to 64 years......................................     8,046        544      4,572        676      3,474        416 
       65 years and over...................................     1,021        405        610        489        412        346 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    75,743        519     44,009        599     31,734        440 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     7,836        309      4,559        323      3,277        290 
   25 years and over.......................................    67,907        562     39,450        635     28,457        469 
     25 to 54 years........................................    60,053        563     34,912        630     25,142        476 
     55 years and over.....................................     7,854        558      4,538        681      3,315        421 
                                                                                                                             
                           Black                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    10,879        399      5,340        426      5,539        372 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,190        283        566        286        624        279 
   25 years and over.......................................     9,689        422      4,774        467      4,916        392 
     25 to 54 years........................................     8,808        425      4,339        466      4,469        397 
     55 years and over.....................................       881        388        435        472        447        352 
                                                                                                                             
                      Hispanic origin                                                                                        
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................     9,623        349      6,145        369      3,478        316 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,492        260        959        265        533        251 
   25 years and over.......................................     8,130        374      5,186        396      2,944        335 
     25 to 54 years........................................     7,428        376      4,776        395      2,652        337 
     55 years and over.....................................       702        359        410        401        292        328 







      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.  Beginning in January
 1997, 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
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers             Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                      Occupation and sex                                                                                    
                                                                                                                            
                                                                     I               I               I               I      
                                                                   1996            1997            1996            1997     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      27,002          28,164             $713            $740   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............      12,884          13,625              696             726   
     Professional specialty.................................      14,118          14,539              724             754   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      25,453          25,841              438             453   
     Technicians and related support........................       3,045           3,445              576             578   
     Sales occupations......................................       8,917           8,783              481             482   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      13,491          13,614              399             415   
   Service occupations......................................       9,247           9,587              302             310   
     Private household......................................         371             351              198             215   
     Protective service.....................................       1,865           1,870              522             570   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       7,010           7,365              282             292   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      10,862          11,035              546             547   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       3,881           3,901              573             578   
     Construction trades....................................       3,390           3,675              523             532   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       3,591           3,460              531             524   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      14,879          14,811              381             398   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       7,151           7,256              374             388   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,225           3,968              455             492   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,502           3,588              320             336   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,257           1,294              297             294   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      13,669          14,562              846             875   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       6,929           7,530              843             858   
     Professional specialty.................................       6,740           7,032              849             889   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............       9,622           9,861              580             591   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,559           1,793              659             663   
     Sales occupations......................................       5,081           4,939              611             604   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............       2,982           3,129              469             515   
   Service occupations......................................       4,554           4,691              355             363   
     Private household......................................          11              10           (1)             (1)      
     Protective service.....................................       1,605           1,585             $554            $582   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       2,938           3,096              300             315   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................       9,945          10,095              564             572   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       3,732           3,757              575             582   
     Construction trades....................................       3,344           3,621              523             535   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       2,869           2,717              584             602   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      11,482          11,295              409             429   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       4,637           4,688             $419            $443   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       3,963           3,721              463             498   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       2,882           2,887              329             345   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,115           1,099              303             307   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      13,333          13,602              612             630   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       5,955           6,095              581             597   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,378           7,507              641             663   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      15,832          15,980              391             400   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,487           1,652              501             496   
     Sales occupations......................................       3,836           3,843              361             346   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      10,509          10,485              384             398   
   Service occupations......................................       4,693           4,896              269             279   
     Private household......................................         361             341              198             214   
     Protective service.....................................         260             286              427             495   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       4,072           4,269              269             278   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................         916             940              393             366   
     Mechanics and repairers................................         148             144              540             420   
     Construction trades....................................          46              54           (1)             (1)      
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........         722             742             $369            $357   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................       3,396           3,516              308             316   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       2,514           2,568              308             311   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         262             247              350             392   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....         621             701              294             312   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................         141             195              266             240   

    1 Data not shown where base is less than 100,000.
  Beginning in January 1997, 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, first quarter 1997 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..................................    90,734       $242       $330       $504       $762     $1,098 
   Men.....................................................    51,604        264        373        582        860      1,212 
   Women...................................................    39,129        224        299        427        634        906 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    75,743        248        343        519        786      1,131 
     Men...................................................    44,009        273        387        599        882      1,242 
     Women.................................................    31,734        228        306        440        651        925 
                                                                                                                             
   Black...................................................    10,879        213        283        399        595        842 
     Men...................................................     5,340        229        298        426        642        895 
     Women.................................................     5,539        202        265        372        537        754 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic................................................     9,623        197        254        349        529        806 
     Men...................................................     6,145        206        268        369        572        852 
     Women.................................................     3,478        186        232        316        479        734 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    81,240        259        357        536        800      1,137 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,157        194        242        318        458        632 
     High school graduates, no college.....................    26,319        243        319        450        643        864 
     Some college or associate degree......................    22,600        280        373        532        755      1,002 
     College graduates, total..............................    24,164        386        551        776      1,121      1,556 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    15,983        360        506        719      1,005      1,424 
       Advanced degree.....................................     8,181        465        648        922      1,289      1,813 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    46,195        285        405        615        898      1,256 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,430        208        265        358        508        697 
       High school graduates, no college...................    14,814        282        377        529        736        960 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,408        308        441        632        864      1,141 
       College graduates, total............................    13,542        423        611        886      1,257      1,807 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     8,907        399        576        818      1,147      1,621 
         Advanced degree...................................     4,635        491        732      1,027      1,445      1,977 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    35,045        234        315        456        662        934 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,726        181        212        275        350        466 
       High school graduates, no college...................    11,505        216        282        375        504        672 
       Some college or associate degree....................    10,192        253        329        446        608        800 
       College graduates, total............................    10,621        353        497        673        935      1,249 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     7,076       $326       $465       $621       $847     $1,142 
         Advanced degree...................................     3,546        437        598        804      1,064      1,393 

      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. 
 Beginning in January 1997, 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
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers             Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                Age, race, and Hispanic origin                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
                                                                     I               I               I               I      
                                                                   1996            1997            1996            1997     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      21,047          21,302             $139            $143   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,586           6,620              132             130   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,416           3,577              107             108   
       25 years and over....................................       3,170           3,043              173             179   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      14,461          14,682              142             148   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,225           4,456              103             107   
       25 years and over....................................      10,237          10,226              165             172   
                                                                                                                            
                RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      18,215          18,523              141             143   
       Men..................................................       5,646           5,741              132             129   
       Women................................................      12,569          12,782              144             149   
                                                                                                                            
     Black..................................................       1,995           2,023              128             138   
       Men..................................................         626             586              124             132   
       Women................................................       1,369           1,438              129             140   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic origin........................................       1,773           1,905              139             140   
       Men..................................................         672             739              141             145   
       Women................................................       1,101           1,166              138             137   

       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.  Beginning in
  January 1997, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.