Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov:80/newsrels.htm
Technical information:   (202) 606-6378    USDL 97-235

                                           For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                 606-5902    Tuesday, July 22, 1997


             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            SECOND QUARTER 1997


   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 93.4 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $499 in the second quarter of 1997, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was 2.7
percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 2.3 percent in
the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the same
period.
   
   Data on usual earnings are collected as part of the Current Population
Survey, a nationwide sample survey of households in which respondents are
asked, among other things, how much each wage and salary worker usually
earns.  (See explanatory note.)  Highlights from the second-quarter data
are:
   
   ---Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $428 a
week, or 74.8 percent of the $572 median for men.  The female-male earnings
ratios were higher among blacks (89.4 percent) and Hispanics (87.0 percent)
than among whites (75.2 percent).  (See table 1.)
   
   ---Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $424 per
week, 72.0 percent of the median for white men ($589).  The racial
variation was much less among women, as black women's median earnings
($379) were 85.6 percent of those for their white counterparts ($443).
Overall, median earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($352) were
lower than those of blacks ($397) and whites ($515).  (See table 1.)
   
   ---The highest median weekly earnings for full-time workers were $692
for men in the 45- to 54-year-age group, with the median for 55- to 64-year-
old men next, at $660.  Among women, the highest-earning age group also was
45- to 54-year-olds, who had a median of $496, followed by 35- to 44-year-
olds, with a median of $475.  (See table 2.)
   
   ---Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial and professional specialty occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$862 for men and $622 for women--while men and women in
service and farm jobs earned the least.  (See table 3.)
   
   ---Full-time workers age 25 and over with less than a high school
diploma had median weekly earnings of $322, compared with $463 for high
school graduates (no college) and $772 for college graduates.  Among
college graduates with advanced degrees (professional or master's degree
and above), the highest 10 percent of male workers earned more than $2,089,
compared with more than $1,515 for their female counterparts.  (See
table 4.)
Explanatory Note
 
 
 
 The  estimates  in this release were obtained from the Current  Population
Survey  (CPS),  which provides the basic information on  the  labor  force,
employment,  and  unemployment.  The survey is conducted  monthly  for  the
Bureau   of  Labor  Statistics  by  the  Bureau  of  the  Census   from   a
scientifically  selected national sample of about 50,000  households,  with
coverage in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The earnings  data
are collected from one-quarter of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to
wages and  salaries.  The data, therefore, exclude self-employment income.
 
 Information  in  this release will be made available to  sensory  impaired
individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-606-STAT; TDD phone:  
202-606-5897; TDD message referral phone number:  1-800-326-2577.

Reliability
 
 In  any  sample survey, variations in the data can occur by chance because
a  sample,  rather  than  the whole of the population,  is  surveyed.   The
standard error is a measure of such  potential variation.  The chances  are
about  68 out of 100 that an estimate from the survey differs from a figure
that  would  be obtained from a complete census by less than  one  standard
error.  The chances are about 90 out of 100 that such a difference would be
less  than 1.6 standard errors.  All statements of comparisons in the  text
of this release are significant at 1.6 or more standard errors.
 
 For  a  full  discussion  of the reliability of  data  from  the  CPS  and
information on estimating standard errors, see the "Explanatory  Notes  and
Estimates  of Error" section of the February 1994 and subsequent issues  of
Employment and Earnings.

Definitions
 
 The  principal definitions used in connection with the earnings series are
described briefly below.
 
 Usual  weekly  earnings. Data represent earnings before  taxes  and  other
deductions  and  include  any  overtime pay, taxes,  commissions,  or  tips
usually  received  (at  the main job in the case of  multiple  jobholders.)
Prior  to  1994,  respondents were asked how much they usually  earned  per
week.   Since  January 1994, respondents have been asked  to  identify  the
easiest  way  for them to report earnings (hourly, weekly, biweekly,  twice
monthly,  monthly, annually, other) and how much they usually earn  in  the
reported  time period.  Earnings reported on a basis other than weekly  are
converted to a weekly equivalent.  The term "usual" is as perceived by  the
respondent.  If the respondent asks for a definition of usual, interviewers
are instructed to define the term as more than half the weeks worked during
the past 4 or 5 months.
 
 Medians  (and  other quantiles) of weekly earnings. The median  (or  upper
limit  of the second quartile) is the amount which divides a given earnings
distribution  into two equal groups, one having earnings above  the  median
and  the  other having earnings below the median.  Ten percent of  a  given
distribution  have earnings below the upper limit of the first  decile  (90
percent  have  higher earnings); 25 percent have earnings below  the  upper
limit  of the first quartile (75 percent have higher earnings); 75  percent
have  earnings below the upper limit of the third quartile (25 percent have
higher earnings); and 90 percent have earnings below the upper limit of the
ninth decile (10 percent have higher earnings).
 
 The  estimating  procedure  places  each  reported  or  calculated  weekly
earnings  value into $50-wide intervals which are centered around multiples
of  $50.  The actual value is estimated through the linear interpolation of
the interval in which the quantile boundary lies.
 
 Over-the-year  changes in the medians (and other quantile boundaries)  for
specific  groups  may  not  necessarily be consistent  with  the  movements
estimated  for the overall quantile boundary.  The most common reasons  for
this  possible  anomaly are: (1) There could be a change  in  the  relative
weights  of the subgroups.  For example, the medians of both 16-to-24  year
olds  and those 25 years and over may rise; but if the lower-earning 16-to-
24  group accounts for a greatly increased share of the total, the  overall
median could actually fall. (2) There could be a large change in the  shape
of  the  distribution of reported earnings, particularly  near  a  quantile
boundary.   This could be caused by survey observations that are  clustered
at rounded values, e.g., $250, $300, $400.  An estimate lying in a $50-wide
centered interval containing such a cluster or "spike" tends to change more
slowly than one in other intervals.
 
 Wage   and   salary   workers.  Workers  who  receive   wages,   salaries,
commissions,  tips,  payment in kind, or piece rates.  The  group  includes
employees  in both the private and public sectors but, for the purposes  of
the  earnings  series, excludes self-employed persons whose businesses  are
incorporated.
 
                                   - 2 -
 
 Full-time workers. Workers who usually work 35 hours or more per  week  at
their sole or principal job.
 
 Part-time workers. Workers who usually work fewer than 35 hours  per  week
at their sole or principal job.
 
 Constant  dollars. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers  
(CPI-U) is used to convert current dollars to constant (1982) dollars.
 
 Hispanic  origin.  Refers  to persons who are of  Mexican,  Puerto  Rican,
Cuban,  Central or South  American, or of other Hispanic origin or descent.
Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race; hence, they are included  in
the numbers for the white and black populations.
 Table 1. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly averages,
 not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                              Number of workers              Median weekly earnings          
                                                                (in thousands)                                               
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                       Characteristic                                               In current dollars    In constant (1982) 
                                                                                                               dollars       
                                                                II         II                                                
                                                               1996       1997                                               
                                                                                      II         II         II         II    
                                                                                     1996       1997       1996       1997   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    90,956     93,387       $486       $499       $300       $301 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    52,140     53,329        554        572        341        344 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     6,079      6,321        302        316        186        190 
      25 years and over....................................    46,061     47,008        599        609        369        367 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    38,817     40,058        414        428        255        258 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     4,337      4,511        273        289        168        174 
      25 years and over....................................    34,480     35,548        439        457        271        275 
                                                                                                                             
               RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    76,144     77,856        502        515        309        310 
      Men..................................................    44,604     45,493        578        589        356        355 
      Women................................................    31,540     32,363        425        443        262        267 
                                                                                                                             
    Black..................................................    10,864     11,338        383        397        236        239 
      Men..................................................     5,314      5,490        411        424        253        255 
      Women................................................     5,550      5,847        353        379        218        228 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic origin........................................     8,790      9,789        336        352        207        212 
      Men..................................................     5,706      6,462        350        368        216        222 
      Women................................................     3,084      3,327        313        320        193        193 

      NOTE:   Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
 group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.  Beginning in January
 1997, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.






 Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic origin, and sex, second
 quarter 1997 averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                                    Total                  Men                  Women        
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
               Age, race, and Hispanic origin                 Number                Number                Number             
                                                                of       Median       of       Median       of       Median  
                                                              workers    weekly     workers    weekly     workers    weekly  
                                                                (in     earnings      (in     earnings      (in     earnings 
                                                            thousands)            thousands)            thousands)           
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                           TOTAL                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    93,387       $499     53,329       $572     40,058       $428 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    10,831        305      6,321        316      4,511        289 
     16 to 19 years........................................     2,031        251      1,206        264        825        239 
     20 to 24 years........................................     8,800        318      5,114        333      3,686        302 
   25 years and over.......................................    82,556        533     47,008        609     35,548        457 
     25 to 54 years........................................    73,372        533     41,718        605     31,654        462 
       25 to 34 years......................................    25,851        478     14,913        514     10,939        422 
       35 to 44 years......................................    27,489        567     15,804        639     11,685        475 
       45 to 54 years......................................    20,032        601     11,001        692      9,031        496 
     55 years and over.....................................     9,184        537      5,291        646      3,893        417 
       55 to 64 years......................................     8,071        560      4,623        660      3,449        426 
       65 years and over...................................     1,113        403        668        486        445        352 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    77,856        515     45,493        589     32,363        443 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     9,144        309      5,480        320      3,664        295 
   25 years and over.......................................    68,712        560     40,013        627     28,700        472 
     25 to 54 years........................................    60,826        559     35,429        622     25,397        478 
     55 years and over.....................................     7,886        570      4,584        677      3,302        422 
                                                                                                                             
                           Black                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    11,338        397      5,490        424      5,847        379 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,303        271        615        288        688        252 
   25 years and over.......................................    10,035        418      4,876        463      5,160        397 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,102        418      4,383        460      4,718        398 
     55 years and over.....................................       933        423        492        482        441        382 
                                                                                                                             
                      Hispanic origin                                                                                        
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................     9,789        352      6,462        368      3,327        320 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,695        262      1,219        258        476        271 
   25 years and over.......................................     8,094        389      5,243        411      2,852        341 
     25 to 54 years........................................     7,509        389      4,852        408      2,657        348 
     55 years and over.....................................       585        389        391        469        195        276 


      NOTE:   Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
 group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.  Beginning in January
 1997, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.






  Table 3. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, quarterly averages, not
  seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers             Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                      Occupation and sex                                                                                    
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    II              II              II              II      
                                                                   1996            1997            1996            1997     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      27,282          28,160             $718            $727   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............      13,335          13,978              705             694   
     Professional specialty.................................      13,947          14,183              729             748   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      26,058          26,540              438             449   
     Technicians and related support........................       3,233           3,443              566             567   
     Sales occupations......................................       8,864           9,340              478             466   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      13,961          13,757              404             418   
   Service occupations......................................      10,085          10,039              303             311   
     Private household......................................         303             338              224             214   
     Protective service.....................................       1,850           1,915              524             510   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       7,932           7,786              285             295   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      10,832          11,671              527             545   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       3,697           3,970              554             568   
     Construction trades....................................       3,717           4,057              498             541   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       3,417           3,644              543             526   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      14,984          15,230              392             402   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       7,089           7,186              380             385   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,163           4,522              487             502   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,732           3,521              333             340   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,716           1,748              286             291   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      14,015          14,131              867             862   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       7,240           7,339              865             850   
     Professional specialty.................................       6,775           6,792              870             878   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      10,004          10,278              575             589   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,620           1,806              649             680   
     Sales occupations......................................       5,099           5,167              591             592   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............       3,284           3,306              488             530   
   Service occupations......................................       5,096           5,012              358             366   
     Private household......................................          12              19           (1)             (1)      
     Protective service.....................................       1,594           1,604             $540            $527   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       3,490           3,388              308             314   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................       9,970          10,675              545             562   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       3,556           3,789              562             571   
     Construction trades....................................       3,635           3,991              500             541   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       2,779           2,895              585             582   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      11,538          11,674              427             438   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       4,511           4,604             $444            $437   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       3,901           4,198              495             511   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,126           2,872              352             357   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,517           1,558              293             296   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      13,267          14,029              609             622   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       6,095           6,638              584             599   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,172           7,391              634             653   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      16,054          16,261              391             398   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,612           1,637              495             484   
     Sales occupations......................................       3,765           4,173              336             348   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      10,677          10,451              392             397   
   Service occupations......................................       4,989           5,027              270             283   
     Private household......................................         290             319              221             212   
     Protective service.....................................         257             311              429             428   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       4,442           4,398              269             281   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................         861             996              373             380   
     Mechanics and repairers................................         141             180              431             504   
     Construction trades....................................          82              66           (1)             (1)      
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........         638             749             $365            $352   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................       3,447           3,555              301             315   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       2,579           2,582              301             315   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         261             325              372             361   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....         607             649              282             301   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................         199             189              224             256   

    1 Data not shown where base is less than 100,000.
  Beginning in January 1997, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.






 Table 4. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected
 characteristics, second quarter 1997 averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                              Number                       Upper limit of:                   
                                                                of                                                           
                       Characteristic                         workers                                                        
                                                                (in       First      First     Second      Third      Ninth  
                                                            thousands)   decile    quartile   quartile   quartile    decile  
                                                                                              (median)                       
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
               SEX, RACE, AND HISPANIC ORIGIN                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    93,387       $239       $327       $499       $749     $1,081 
   Men.....................................................    53,329        260        369        572        847      1,215 
   Women...................................................    40,058        223        298        428        623        886 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    77,856        246        340        515        772      1,129 
     Men...................................................    45,493        269        384        589        875      1,247 
     Women.................................................    32,363        228        304        443        640        905 
                                                                                                                             
   Black...................................................    11,338        210        284        397        586        782 
     Men...................................................     5,490        223        297        424        621        831 
     Women.................................................     5,847        201        272        379        525        737 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic................................................     9,789        197        254        352        526        776 
     Men...................................................     6,462        201        260        368        561        839 
     Women.................................................     3,327        191        242        320        492        676 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    82,556        259        359        533        788      1,137 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,780        193        246        322        472        647 
     High school graduates, no college.....................    27,284        245        324        463        642        864 
     Some college or associate degree......................    22,202        279        372        526        741        998 
     College graduates, total..............................    24,290        383        546        772      1,129      1,556 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    16,534        358        502        709      1,003      1,391 
       Advanced degree.....................................     7,756        475        664        928      1,334      1,888 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    47,008        286        408        609        894      1,263 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,893        205        268        369        517        702 
       High school graduates, no college...................    15,372        285        388        536        729        960 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,004        306        424        608        851      1,129 
       College graduates, total............................    13,739        427        617        891      1,266      1,757 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     9,152        400        581        817      1,158      1,551 
         Advanced degree...................................     4,587        509        752      1,063      1,472      2,089 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    35,548        235        315        457        652        919 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,887        179        217        280        361        476 
       High school graduates, no college...................    11,911        217        286        381        510        670 
       Some college or associate degree....................    10,198        253        328        454        616        816 
       College graduates, total............................    10,551        349        485        657        913      1,236 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     7,382       $328       $449       $612       $843     $1,138 
         Advanced degree...................................     3,169        434        594        786      1,052      1,515 

      NOTE:   Ten percent of all full-time wage and salary workers earn less than the upper limit of the first decile; 25
 percent earn less than the upper limit of the first quartile; 50 percent earn less than the upper limit of the second
 quartile, or median; 75 percent earn less than the upper limit of the third quartile; and 90 percent earn less than the
 upper limit of the ninth decile.  Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data
 for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. 
 Beginning in January 1997, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.






  Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly
  averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers             Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                Age, race, and Hispanic origin                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    II              II              II              II      
                                                                   1996            1997            1996            1997     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      20,770          20,853             $142            $147   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,383           6,584              129             138   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,361           3,461              108             113   
       25 years and over....................................       3,023           3,123              168             180   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      14,387          14,268              148             151   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,390           4,365              111             111   
       25 years and over....................................       9,996           9,903              171             173   
                                                                                                                            
                RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      17,926          18,090              144             148   
       Men..................................................       5,356           5,541              131             136   
       Women................................................      12,570          12,549              149             153   
                                                                                                                            
     Black..................................................       2,025           1,883              131             138   
       Men..................................................         704             677              125             143   
       Women................................................       1,321           1,206              134             136   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic origin........................................       1,758           1,999              140             142   
       Men..................................................         664             723              143             159   
       Women................................................       1,094           1,276              138             132   

       NOTE:   Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other
  races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.  Beginning in
  January 1997, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.