Technical information:  (202) 691-6378        USDL 04-1328
               http://www.bls.gov/cps/
                                              For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902        Tuesday, July 20, 2004


  USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:  SECOND QUARTER 2004


   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 101.3 million full-time wage
and salary workers were $639 in the second quarter of 2004, the Bureau of
Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was
3.7 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 2.8 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 explanatory note.)  Highlights from the second-quarter
data are:

   --Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $572 per
week, or 80.1 percent of the $714 median for men.  The female-to-male
earnings ratios were higher among Hispanics or Latinos (86.8 percent)
and blacks (84.3 percent) than among Asians (80.9 percent) or whites
(80.0 percent).  (See table 1.)

   --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $598 per
week, 82.0 percent of the median for white men ($729).  The difference was
less among women, as black women's median earnings ($504) were 86.4 percent
of those for their white counterparts ($583).  Overall, median earnings of
Hispanics or Latinos who worked full time ($451) were lower than those of
blacks ($536), whites ($655), and Asians ($720).  (See table 1.)

   --Among men, those age 55 to 64 and age 45 to 54 had the highest median
weekly earnings, $854 and $849, respectively.  Among women, earnings also
were highest for these two age groups--$628 for both groups.  (See table 2.)

   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial, professional, and related occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$1,073 for men and $782 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 $404, compared with $576 for high school graduates
(no college) and $973 for college graduates 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 $2,891 or more per week, compared with $1,845 or more 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 U.S. Census Bureau from a scienti-
fically 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 self-employment 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 nonsam-
pling 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).

                                  - 2 -

     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 them-
selves 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
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                              Number of workers              Median weekly earnings          
                                                                (in thousands)                                               
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                       Characteristic                                               In current dollars    In constant (1982) 
                                                                                                               dollars       
                                                                II         II                                                
                                                               2003       2004                                               
                                                                                        II         II         II         II    
                                                                                       2003       2004       2003       2004   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................   100,442    101,300       $616       $639       $323       $326 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    56,111     57,034        692        714        363        364 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     6,206      6,272        391        397        205        203 
      25 years and over....................................    49,905     50,763        743        763        390        389 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    44,332     44,266        547        572        287        292 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     4,835      4,691        366        370        192        189 
      25 years and over....................................    39,497     39,575        582        601        306        307 
                                                                                                                             
        RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    82,145     82,756        631        655        331        334 
      Men..................................................    47,028     47,688        712        729        374        372 
      Women................................................    35,117     35,067        561        583        295        298 
                                                                                                                             
    Black or African American..............................    11,879     12,014        509        536        267        274 
      Men..................................................     5,471      5,669        540        598        284        305 
      Women................................................     6,408      6,344        489        504        257        257 
                                                                                                                             
    Asian..................................................     4,242      4,328        678        720        356        368 
      Men..................................................     2,414      2,404        759        807        399        412 
      Women................................................     1,828      1,924        606        653        318        333 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic or Latino.....................................    13,624     14,324        430        451        226        230 
      Men..................................................     8,597      9,163        456        477        239        244 
      Women................................................     5,027      5,160        399        414        210        211 

    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 2004, 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 2004 averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                                    Total                  Men                  Women        
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
        Age, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity           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.........................................   101,300       $639     57,034       $714     44,266       $572 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    10,963        387      6,272        397      4,691        370 
     16 to 19 years........................................     1,637        313        991        324        646        296 
     20 to 24 years........................................     9,325        401      5,281        409      4,045        386 
   25 years and over.......................................    90,337        684     50,763        763     39,575        601 
     25 to 54 years........................................    76,648        679     43,303        754     33,345        599 
       25 to 34 years......................................    24,863        595     14,459        627     10,404        553 
       35 to 44 years......................................    26,826        722     15,395        814     11,431        613 
       45 to 54 years......................................    24,959        741     13,449        849     11,510        628 
     55 years and over.....................................    13,690        714      7,460        832      6,230        611 
       55 to 64 years......................................    11,844        733      6,443        854      5,401        628 
       65 years and over...................................     1,846        592      1,017        664        828        473 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    82,756        655     47,688        729     35,067        583 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     9,177        391      5,344        398      3,833        379 
   25 years and over.......................................    73,579        703     42,344        781     31,234        612 
     25 to 54 years........................................    61,980        698     35,917        769     26,063        611 
     55 years and over.....................................    11,599        729      6,427        862      5,171        618 
                                                                                                                             
                 Black or African American                                                                                   
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    12,014        536      5,669        598      6,344        504 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,202        346        606        381        596        328 
   25 years and over.......................................    10,812        577      5,063        626      5,748        520 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,494        576      4,468        627      5,026        521 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,318        585        596        618        722        514 
                                                                                                                             
                           Asian                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................     4,328        720      2,404        807      1,924        653 
   16 to 24 years..........................................       264        404        127        405        137        402 
   25 years and over.......................................     4,064        755      2,276        840      1,788        667 
     25 to 54 years........................................     3,524        749      1,971        840      1,552        664 
     55 years and over.....................................       540        794        305        838        235        739 
                                                                                                                             
                     Hispanic or Latino                                                                                      
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    14,324       $451      9,163        477      5,160        414 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     2,233        346      1,439        353        794        330 
   25 years and over.......................................    12,091        484      7,724        502      4,367        439 
     25 to 54 years........................................    10,951        481      7,063        499      3,888        436 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,139        508        661        558        478        472 

    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 2004, 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                                                                                    
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    II              II                II              II      
                                                                   2003            2004              2003            2004     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial, professional, and related occupations........      35,730          36,217             $877            $912   
     Management, business, and financial operations                                                                         
       occupations..........................................      14,798          14,828              956             952   
     Professional and related occupations...................      20,932          21,389              837             882   
   Service occupations......................................      13,184          13,847              398             409   
   Sales and office occupations.............................      25,396          24,846              545             557   
     Sales and related occupations..........................       9,986           9,899              598             616   
     Office and administrative support occupations..........      15,410          14,947              522             525   
   Natural resources, construction, and maintenance                                                                         
     occupations............................................      10,891          11,157              611             618   
     Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.............         736             768              357             367   
     Construction and extraction occupations................       5,889           6,090              598             595   
     Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations......       4,265           4,299              668             707   
   Production, transportation, and material moving                                                                          
     occupations............................................      15,241          15,233              510             523   
     Production occupations.................................       8,600           8,496              504             520   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       6,641           6,737              517             528   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial, professional, and related occupations........      17,666          17,976            1,048           1,073   
     Management, business, and financial operations                                                                         
       occupations..........................................       8,124           8,183            1,140           1,134   
     Professional and related occupations...................       9,542           9,793              988           1,046   
   Service occupations......................................       6,568           7,012              451             474   
   Sales and office occupations.............................       9,619           9,435              662             664   
     Sales and related occupations..........................       5,676           5,601              733             753   
     Office and administrative support occupations..........       3,943           3,835              583             585   
   Natural resources, construction, and maintenance                                                                         
     occupations............................................      10,433          10,669              616             623   
     Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.............         552             632              379             382   
     Construction and extraction occupations................       5,770           5,963              600             596   
     Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations......       4,111           4,073              669             711   
   Production, transportation, and material moving                                                                          
     occupations............................................      11,825          11,942              562             577   
     Production occupations.................................       6,041           6,072              573             590   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       5,784           5,871              547             561   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial, professional, and related occupations........      18,065          18,241              753             782   
     Management, business, and financial operations                                                                         
       occupations..........................................       6,674           6,645              786             810   
     Professional and related occupations...................      11,391          11,596              734             768   
   Service occupations......................................       6,616           6,835              365             369   
   Sales and office occupations.............................      15,777          15,411              502             509   
     Sales and related occupations..........................       4,310           4,298              455             465   
     Office and administrative support occupations..........      11,468          11,112              512             516   
   Natural resources, construction, and maintenance                                                                         
     occupations............................................         458             488              454             476   
     Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.............         185             136              327             330   
     Construction and extraction occupations................         119             127              535             509   
     Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations......         154             225              656             588   
   Production, transportation, and material moving                                                                          
     occupations............................................       3,416           3,291              399             405   
     Production occupations.................................       2,560           2,424              399             407   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         857             867              396             402   

     NOTE:  Beginning in January 2004, 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 2004 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 OR LATINO ETHNICITY                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................   101,300       $304       $419       $639       $969     $1,445 
   Men.....................................................    57,034        323        467        714      1,087      1,631 
   Women...................................................    44,266        287        386        572        834      1,174 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    82,756        310        429        655        991      1,474 
     Men...................................................    47,688        328        478        729      1,121      1,660 
     Women.................................................    35,067        291        395        583        847      1,199 
                                                                                                                             
   Black or African American...............................    12,014        282        366        536        788      1,101 
     Men...................................................     5,669        294        400        598        852      1,158 
     Women.................................................     6,344        272        343        504        732      1,026 
                                                                                                                             
   Asian...................................................     4,328        321        465        720      1,157      1,730 
     Men...................................................     2,404        354        504        807      1,288      1,861 
     Women.................................................     1,924        297        422        653      1,044      1,439 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic or Latino......................................    14,324        266        320        451        678        992 
     Men...................................................     9,163        281        336        477        700      1,024 
     Women.................................................     5,160        240        302        414        621        932 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    90,337        323        462        684      1,015      1,500 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,661        250        305        404        562        798 
     High school graduates, no college(1)..................    27,383        308        408        576        801      1,105 
     Some college or associate degree......................    24,450        338        478        664        932      1,258 
     Bachelor's degree and higher(2).......................    29,844        480        679        973      1,439      2,019 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    19,386        440        628        902      1,302      1,860 
       Advanced degree.....................................    10,457        596        806      1,142      1,679      2,423 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    50,763        357        509        763      1,145      1,717 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,893        279        331        455        618        884 
       High school graduates, no college(1)................    15,542        345        476        657        906      1,215 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,844        384        546        760      1,043      1,422 
       Bachelor's degree and higher(2).....................    16,485        508        759      1,123      1,669      2,402 
         Bachelor's degree only............................    10,688        470        705      1,020      1,511      2,116 
         Advanced degree...................................     5,797        640        911      1,331      1,909      2,891 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    39,575        300        409        601        872      1,226 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,768        224        270        326        425        559 
       High school graduates, no college(1)................    11,841        284        362        489        653        889 
       Some college or associate degree....................    11,606        310        417        580        779      1,054 
       Bachelor's degree and higher(2).....................    13,359        451        621        850      1,170      1,573 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     8,699        415        590        777      1,082      1,459 
         Advanced degree...................................     4,660        567        726        979      1,343      1,845 

   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 2004,
 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)                                        
                        Characteristic                                                                                      
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    II              II               II              II      
                                                                   2003            2004             2003            2004     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      21,721          21,817             $193            $195   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,975           6,860              188             178   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,490           3,558              148             150   
       25 years and over....................................       3,484           3,302              241             226   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      14,746          14,957              196             203   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,430           4,573              143             145   
       25 years and over....................................      10,316          10,384              228             237   
                                                                                                                            
         RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      18,388          18,489              195             197   
       Men..................................................       5,729           5,702              186             178   
       Women................................................      12,659          12,787              199             205   
                                                                                                                            
     Black or African American..............................       2,068           1,953              185             192   
       Men..................................................         768             663              194             183   
       Women................................................       1,300           1,290              180             197   
                                                                                                                            
     Asian..................................................         724             781              206             193   
       Men..................................................         242             291              206             183   
       Women................................................         482             490              205             197   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic or Latino.....................................       2,512           2,420              185             194   
       Men..................................................         996             848              209             189   
       Women................................................       1,516           1,571              170             197   

     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 2004, data reflect revised
  population controls used in the household survey.