Technical information:  (202) 691-6378     USDL 03-379
               http://www.bls.gov/cps/
                                           For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:               691-5902      Thursday, July 17, 2003


               USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            SECOND QUARTER 2003


   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 100.4 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $616 in the second quarter of 2003, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was 
1.8 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 2.2 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 $547 per
week, or 79.0 percent of the $692 median for men.  The female-to-male
earnings ratios were higher among blacks (90.6 percent) and Hispanics 
(87.5 percent) than among whites (78.8 percent) or Asians (79.8 percent).  
(See table 1.)
   
   --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $540 per
week, 75.8 percent of the median for white men ($712).  The difference was
much less among women, as black women's median earnings ($489) were 87.2 per-
cent of those for their white counterparts ($561).  Overall, median earnings 
of Hispanics who worked full time ($430) were lower than those of blacks 
($509), whites ($631), and Asians ($678).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Among men, the highest median weekly earnings were for those age 45 to
54 ($854).  Among women, the age groups with the highest earnings were 45
to 54 years ($603) and 55 to 64 years ($606).  (See table 2.)
   
   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial, professional, and related occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$1,048 for men and $753 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 $394, compared with $547 for high school graduates 
(no college) and $969 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 $2,698 or more per week, compared with $1,794 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.  This 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
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                              Number of workers              Median weekly earnings          
                                                                (in thousands)                                               
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                       Characteristic                                               In current dollars    In constant (1982) 
                                                                                                               dollars       
                                                                II         II                                                
                                                               2002       2003                                               
                                                                                        II         II         II         II    
                                                                                       2002       2003       2002       2003   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................   100,482    100,442       $605       $616       $325       $323 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    56,730     56,111        677        692        364        363 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     6,403      6,206        398        391        214        205 
      25 years and over....................................    50,327     49,905        732        743        393        390
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    43,752     44,332        520        547        279        287 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     4,955      4,835        355        366        191        192 
      25 years and over....................................    38,797     39,497        559        582        300        306 
                                                                                                                             
        RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
    White(1)...............................................    82,529     82,145        622        631        334        331 
      Men..................................................    47,794     47,028        703        712        377        374 
      Women................................................    34,735     35,117        534        561        287        295 
                                                                                                                             
    Black or African American(1)...........................    12,172     11,879        500        509        269        267 
      Men..................................................     5,819      5,471        532        540        285        284 
      Women................................................     6,353      6,408        469        489        252        257 
                                                                                                                             
    Asian(1)...............................................     4,657      4,242        648        678        348        356 
      Men..................................................     2,501      2,414        756        759        406        399 
      Women................................................     2,155      1,828        552        606        296        318 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic or Latino.....................................    13,202     13,624        420        430        226        226 
      Men..................................................     8,341      8,597        450        456        242        239
      Women................................................     4,861      5,027        391        399        210        210 

   1 Beginning in 2003, persons who selected this race group only; persons who selected more than one race group only are not
 included.  Prior to 2003, persons who reported more than one race group were included in the group they indentified as the
 main race.
   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 2003, 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 2003 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.........................................   100,442       $616     56,111       $692     44,332       $547 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    11,041        380      6,206        391      4,835        366 
     16 to 19 years........................................     1,724        307        980        317        744        292 
     20 to 24 years........................................     9,317        396      5,225        406      4,091        384 
   25 years and over.......................................    89,401        659     49,905        743     39,497        582 
     25 to 54 years........................................    76,297        656     42,841        735     33,457        581 
       25 to 34 years......................................    24,810        588     14,267        616     10,543        542 
       35 to 44 years......................................    27,101        687     15,376        775     11,726        589 
       45 to 54 years......................................    24,386        726     13,198        854     11,188        603 
     55 years and over.....................................    13,104        685      7,064        798      6,040        591 
       55 to 64 years......................................    11,300        710      6,072        833      5,228        606 
       65 years and over...................................     1,804        537        992        622        812        427 
                                                                                                                             
                          White(1)                                                                                           
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    82,145        631     47,028        712     35,117        561 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     9,125        383      5,244        394      3,881        368 
   25 years and over.......................................    73,020        679     41,784        766     31,236        591 
     25 to 54 years........................................    61,844        676     35,695        759     26,149        590 
     55 years and over.....................................    11,176        698      6,089        821      5,087        597 
                                                                                                                             
                Black or African American(1)                                                                                 
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    11,879        509      5,471        540      6,408        489 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,249        363        593        368        656        354 
   25 years and over.......................................    10,630        534      4,879        584      5,752        507 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,397        527      4,309        580      5,087        503 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,234        582        569        602        664        553 
                                                                                                                             
                          Asian(1)                                                                                           
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................     4,242        678      2,414        759      1,828        606 
   16 to 24 years..........................................       324        404        191        391        133        435 
   25 years and over.......................................     3,918        725      2,223        804      1,695        622 
     25 to 54 years........................................     3,421        727      1,924        796      1,497        638 
     55 years and over.....................................       497        672        299        848        198        521 
                                                                                                                             
                     Hispanic or Latino                                                                                      
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    13,624       $430      8,597        456      5,027        399 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     2,152        341      1,367        350        785        328 
   25 years and over.......................................    11,472        464      7,230        488      4,242        417 
     25 to 54 years........................................    10,519        458      6,643        482      3,875        416 
     55 years and over.....................................       953        514        587        567        367        447 

   1 Beginning in 2003, persons who selected this race group only; persons who selected more than one race group only are not
 included.  Prior to 2003, persons who reported more than one race group were included in the group they indentified as the
 main race.
    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 2003, 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      
                                                                   2002            2003              2002            2003     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial, professional, and related occupations........      35,573          35,730             $853            $877   
     Management, business, and financial operations                                                                         
      occupations...........................................      14,868          14,798              912             956   
     Professional and related occupations...................      20,705          20,932              816             837   
   Service occupations......................................      13,008          13,184              397             398   
   Sales and office occupations.............................      24,965          25,396              521             545   
     Sales and related occupations..........................       9,886           9,986              582             598   
     Office and administrative support occupations..........      15,080          15,410              510             522   
   Natural resources, construction, and maintenance                                                                         
    occupations.............................................      10,775          10,891              592             611   
     Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.............         851             736              346             357   
     Construction and extraction occupations................       6,063           5,889              590             598   
     Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations......       3,861           4,265              655             668   
   Production, transportation, and material moving                                                                          
    occupations.............................................      16,161          15,241              510             510   
     Production occupations.................................       9,359           8,600              502             504   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       6,802           6,641              520             517   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial, professional, and related occupations........      18,103          17,666            1,001           1,048   
     Management, business, and financial operations                                                                         
      occupations...........................................       8,456           8,124            1,077           1,140   
     Professional and related occupations...................       9,648           9,542              952             988   
   Service occupations......................................       6,582           6,568              450             451   
   Sales and office occupations.............................       9,367           9,619              661             662   
     Sales and related occupations..........................       5,501           5,676              740             733   
     Office and administrative support occupations..........       3,867           3,943              594             583   
   Natural resources, construction, and maintenance                                                                         
    occupations.............................................      10,239          10,433              599             616   
     Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.............         661             552              366             379   
     Construction and extraction occupations................       5,901           5,770              591             600   
     Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations......       3,677           4,111              659             669   
   Production, transportation, and material moving                                                                          
    occupations.............................................      12,437          11,825              562             562   
     Production occupations.................................       6,503           6,041              572             573   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       5,935           5,784              548             547   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial, professional, and related occupations........      17,469          18,065              729             753   
     Management, business, and financial operations                                                                         
      occupations...........................................       6,412           6,674              746             786   
     Professional and related occupations...................      11,057          11,391              717             734   
   Service occupations......................................       6,425           6,616              357             365   
   Sales and office occupations.............................      15,598          15,777              482             502   
     Sales and related occupations..........................       4,385           4,310              420             455   
     Office and administrative support occupations..........      11,213          11,468              495             512   
   Natural resources, construction, and maintenance                                                                         
    occupations.............................................         535             458              413             454   
     Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.............         189             185              282             327   
     Construction and extraction occupations................         162             119              518             535   
     Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations......         184             154              529             656   
   Production, transportation, and material moving                                                                          
    occupations.............................................       3,724           3,416              395             399   
     Production occupations.................................       2,857           2,560              388             399   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         868             857              420             396   

     NOTE:  Occupations reflect the introduction of the 2002 Census occupational classification system derived from the
  2000 Standard Occupational Classification system into the Current Population Survey.  Beginning in January 2003, 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 2003 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..................................   100,442       $301       $411       $616       $940     $1,413 
   Men.....................................................    56,111        321        452        692      1,057      1,582 
   Women...................................................    44,332        284        378        547        803      1,151 
                                                                                                                             
   White(1)................................................    82,145        304        419        631        964      1,447 
     Men...................................................    47,028        325        467        712      1,096      1,622 
     Women.................................................    35,117        286        384        561        814      1,163 
                                                                                                                             
   Black or African American(1)............................    11,879        283        369        509        759      1,043 
     Men...................................................     5,471        298        395        540        785      1,055 
     Women.................................................     6,408        273        345        489        732      1,037 
                                                                                                                             
   Asian(1)................................................     4,242        313        434        678      1,096      1,610 
     Men...................................................     2,414        334        472        759      1,223      1,829 
     Women.................................................     1,828        297        402        606        949      1,310 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic or Latino......................................    13,624        255        315        430        644        930 
     Men...................................................     8,597        273        330        456        676        972 
     Women.................................................     5,027        237        297        399        601        862 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    89,401        318        445        659        988      1,463 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,788        246        301        394        547        753 
     High school graduates, no college.....................    27,157        303        399        547        768      1,029 
     Some college or associate degree......................    24,256        338        457        638        894      1,219 
     Bachelor's degree and higher..........................    29,201        483        671        969      1,431      2,023 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    19,253        461        630        902      1,329      1,884 
       Advanced degree.....................................     9,948        573        776      1,137      1,646      2,308 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    49,905        356        495        743      1,128      1,656 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,880        271        326        437        604        837 
       High school graduates, no college...................    15,122        344        449        621        880      1,166 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,658        391        524        740        999      1,384 
       Bachelor's degree and higher........................    16,244        517        753      1,134      1,635      2,310 
         Bachelor's degree only............................    10,705        496        712      1,045      1,486      2,090 
         Advanced degree...................................     5,539        597        878      1,346      1,912      2,698 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    39,497        295        399        582        840      1,196 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,908        223        274        322        416        566 
       High school graduates, no college...................    12,034        280        355        474        626        834 
       Some college or associate degree....................    11,598        308        404        555        755      1,004 
       Bachelor's degree and higher........................    12,957        454        610        841      1,166      1,617 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     8,548        427        581        774      1,079      1,512 
         Advanced degree...................................     4,409        525        718        968      1,318      1,794 

   1 Beginning in 2003, persons who selected this race group only; persons who selected more than one race group only are not
 included.  Prior to 2003, persons who reported more than one race group were included in the group they indentified as the
 main race.
    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 2003, 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      
                                                                   2002            2003              2002            2003     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      21,356          21,721             $189            $193   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,797           6,975              181             188   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,508           3,490              149             148   
       25 years and over....................................       3,288           3,484              227             241   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      14,559          14,746              193             196   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,438           4,430              138             143   
       25 years and over....................................      10,121          10,316              228             228   
                                                                                                                            
         RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
     White(1)...............................................      18,395          18,388              190             195   
       Men..................................................       5,665           5,729              177             186   
       Women................................................      12,729          12,659              196             199   
                                                                                                                            
     Black or African American(1)...........................       1,932           2,068              188             185   
       Men..................................................         703             768              205             194   
       Women................................................       1,229           1,300              178             180   
                                                                                                                            
     Asian(1)...............................................         817             724              193             206   
       Men..................................................         337             242              203             206   
       Women................................................         481             482              186             205   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic or Latino.....................................       2,363           2,512              182             185   
       Men..................................................         818             996              192             209   
       Women................................................       1,544           1,516              178             170   

    1 Beginning in 2003, persons who selected this race group only; persons who selected more than one race group only are
  not included.  Prior to 2003, persons who reported more than one race group were included in the group they indentified as
  the main race.
     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 2003, data reflect revised
  population controls used in the household survey.