Technical information:  (202) 691-6378          USDL 06-1236
               http://www.bls.gov/cps/
                                                For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902          Thursday, July 20, 2006

                                     
             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            SECOND QUARTER 2006

   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 105.9 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $659 in the second quarter of 2006, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was 2.5
percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 4.0 percent in
the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the same pe-
riod.

   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 $593 per
week, or 81.1 percent of the $731 median for men.  The female-to-male
earnings ratios were higher among blacks (89.2 percent) and Hispanics or
Latinos (86.1 percent) than among Asians (81.6 percent) or whites (79.9
percent).  (See table 1.)

   --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $573 per
week, 76.1 percent of the median for white men ($753).  The difference was
less among women, as black women's median earnings ($511) were 84.9 percent
of those for their white counterparts ($602).  Overall, median earnings of
Hispanics or Latinos who worked full time ($485) were lower than those of
blacks ($534), whites ($678), and Asians ($765).  (See table 1.)

   --Among men, those age 55 to 64 and age 45 to 54 had the highest median
weekly earnings, $900 and $897, respectively.  Among women, earnings were
highest for those age 45 to 54 ($646).  (See table 2.)

   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial, professional, and related occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$1,159 for men and $829 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 $420, compared with $591 for high school graduates
(no college) and $1,047 for college graduates holding at least a bachelor's
degree.  Among college graduates with advanced degrees (professional or mas-
ter's degree and above), the highest-earning 10 percent of male workers made
$2,888 or more per week, compared with $1,994 or more for their female coun-
terparts.  (See table 4.)


   
                                  - 2 -

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.

                                  - 3 -
     
     Medians (and other quantiles) of weekly earnings. The median (or upper
limit of the second quartile) is the amount which divides a given earnings
distribution into two equal groups, one having earnings above the median
and the other having earnings below the median.  Ten percent of a given
distribution have earnings below the upper limit of the first decile (90
percent have higher earnings); 25 percent have earnings below the upper
limit of the first quartile (75 percent have higher earnings); 75 percent
have earnings below the upper limit of the third quartile (25 percent have
higher earnings); and 90 percent have earnings below the upper limit of the
ninth decile (10 percent have higher earnings).

     The estimating procedure places each reported or calculated weekly
earnings value into $50-wide intervals which are centered around multiples
of $50.  The actual value is estimated through the linear interpolation of
the interval in which the quantile boundary lies.
     
     Over-the-year changes in the medians (and other quantile boundaries)
for specific groups may not necessarily be consistent with the movements
estimated for the overall quantile boundary.  The most common reasons for
this possible anomaly are: (1) There could be a change in the relative
weights of the subgroups.  For example, the medians of both 16-to-24 year
olds and those 25 years and over may rise; but if the lower-earning 16-to-
24 group accounts for a greatly increased share of the total, the overall
median could actually fall. (2) There could be a large change in the shape
of the distribution of reported earnings, particularly near a quantile
boundary.  This could be caused by survey observations that are clustered
at rounded values, e.g., $250, $300, $400.  An estimate lying in a $50-wide
centered interval containing such a cluster or "spike" tends to change more
slowly than one in other intervals.
     
     Wage and salary workers. Workers who receive wages, salaries,
commissions, tips, payment in kind, or piece rates.  The group includes
employees in both the private and public sectors but, for the purposes of
the earnings series, excludes all self-employed persons, regardless of
whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

     Full-time workers. Workers who usually work 35 hours or more per week
at their sole or principal job.
     
     Part-time workers. Workers who usually work fewer than 35 hours per
week at their sole or principal job.
     
     Constant dollars. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
(CPI-U) is used to convert current dollars to constant (1982) dollars.
     
     Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Refers to persons who identified 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                                                
                                                               2005       2006                                               
                                                                                      II         II         II         II    
                                                                                     2005       2006       2005       2006   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................   103,332    105,881     $643       $659       $319       $315   
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    58,242     59,983      713        731        354        349   
      16 to 24 years.......................................     6,511      6,684      407        421        202        201   
      25 years and over....................................    51,730     53,299      762        783        378        374   
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    45,090     45,897      580        593        288        283   
      16 to 24 years.......................................     4,708      4,710      374        395        186        188   
      25 years and over....................................    40,382     41,188      608        619        301        295   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
        RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    83,903     85,831      663        678        329        323   
      Men..................................................    48,487     49,804      732        753        363        359   
      Women................................................    35,416     36,026      590        602        293        287   
                                                                                                                             
    Black or African American..............................    12,293     12,748      518        534        257        255   
      Men..................................................     5,882      6,084      565        573        280        274   
      Women................................................     6,411      6,664      487        511        241        244   
                                                                                                                             
    Asian..................................................     4,697      4,858      743        765        369        365   
      Men..................................................     2,580      2,780      810        843        402        402   
      Women................................................     2,118      2,078      664        688        329        328   
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic or Latino ethnicity...........................    14,817     15,715      473        485        235        231   
      Men..................................................     9,575     10,044      487        504        242        241   
      Women................................................     5,242      5,671      437        434        217        207   

    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 2006, 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 2006 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.........................................   105,881       $659     59,983       $731     45,897       $593 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    11,394        410      6,684        421      4,710        395 
     16 to 19 years........................................     1,804        330      1,055        355        749        307 
     20 to 24 years........................................     9,590        427      5,629        438      3,961        416 
   25 years and over.......................................    94,487        705     53,299        783     41,188        619 
     25 to 54 years........................................    78,777        700     44,689        772     34,088        619 
       25 to 34 years......................................    25,350        617     14,703        647     10,647        583 
       35 to 44 years......................................    27,273        735     15,639        815     11,634        638 
       45 to 54 years......................................    26,153        766     14,347        897     11,807        646 
     55 years and over.....................................    15,710        728      8,611        858      7,100        619 
       55 to 64 years......................................    13,617        749      7,341        900      6,276        633 
       65 years and over...................................     2,093        559      1,270        614        823        510 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    85,831        678     49,804        753     36,026        602 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     9,273        414      5,591        427      3,682        396 
   25 years and over.......................................    76,558        727     44,213        814     32,345        630 
     25 to 54 years........................................    63,423        723     36,883        800     26,540        630 
     55 years and over.....................................    13,134        746      7,330        889      5,804        628 
                                                                                                                             
                 Black or African American                                                                                   
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    12,748        534      6,084        573      6,664        511 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,388        386        679        394        709        375 
   25 years and over.......................................    11,360        570      5,405        595      5,955        530 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,768        575      4,640        596      5,128        535 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,592        546        765        592        826        517 
                                                                                                                             
                           Asian                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................     4,858        765      2,780        843      2,078        688 
   16 to 24 years..........................................       304        487        174        483        130        496 
   25 years and over.......................................     4,553        803      2,605        897      1,948        714 
     25 to 54 years........................................     3,840        810      2,246        893      1,594        724 
     55 years and over.....................................       713        761        359        912        354        664 
                                                                                                                             
                Hispanic or Latino ethnicity                                                                                 
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    15,715        485     10,044        504      5,671        434 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     2,266        378      1,517        384        749        362 
   25 years and over.......................................    13,449        507      8,526        533      4,922        454 
     25 to 54 years........................................    12,065        507      7,671        535      4,394        450 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,383        506        855        522        528        485 

    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 2006, 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      
                                                                       2005           2006             2005           2006     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
                              TOTAL                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
  Management, professional, and related occupations..............      36,148         37,095           $926           $967   
    Management, business, and financial operations occupations...      14,664         15,267            979          1,091   
    Professional and related occupations.........................      21,484         21,827            894            911   
  Service occupations............................................      14,217         14,933            406            421   
  Sales and office occupations...................................      25,379         25,860            577            581   
    Sales and related occupations................................      10,460         10,682            624            615   
    Office and administrative support occupations................      14,918         15,177            550            561   
  Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations...      12,337         12,430            616            643   
    Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations...................         735            739            374            388   
    Construction and extraction occupations......................       7,061          7,204            595            610   
    Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations............       4,542          4,487            692            736   
  Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....      15,250         15,564            546            554   
    Production occupations.......................................       8,373          8,576            552            549   
    Transportation and material moving occupations...............       6,878          6,988            536            565   
                                                                                                                             
                               Men                                                                                           
                                                                                                                             
  Management, professional, and related occupations..............      17,936         18,713          1,089          1,159   
    Management, business, and financial operations occupations...       8,131          8,669          1,144          1,254   
    Professional and related occupations.........................       9,805         10,044          1,054          1,090   
  Service occupations............................................       6,937          7,237            473            492   
  Sales and office occupations...................................       9,623          9,827            684            669   
    Sales and related occupations................................       5,806          5,952            744            735   
    Office and administrative support occupations................       3,817          3,875            608            600   
  Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations...      11,793         11,947            621            648   
    Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations...................         575            542            402            411   
    Construction and extraction occupations......................       6,873          7,071            599            611   
    Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations............       4,344          4,334            693            734   
  Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....      11,952         12,259            593            598   
    Production occupations.......................................       6,026          6,153            607            615   
    Transportation and material moving occupations...............       5,926          6,105            580            587   
                                                                                                                             
                              Women                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
  Management, professional, and related occupations..............      18,211         18,381            805            829   
    Management, business, and financial operations occupations...       6,533          6,598            838            899   
    Professional and related occupations.........................      11,679         11,783            785            781   
  Service occupations............................................       7,281          7,696            371            389   
  Sales and office occupations...................................      15,755         16,032            523            534   
    Sales and related occupations................................       4,655          4,730            495            491   
    Office and administrative support occupations................      11,101         11,302            531            551   
  Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations...         545            483            438            504   
    Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations...................         160            197            333            305   
    Construction and extraction occupations......................         188            133            406            542   
    Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations............         197            153            659            837   
  Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....       3,298          3,305            409            424   
    Production occupations.......................................       2,347          2,423            417            427   
    Transportation and material moving occupations...............         951            883            391            415   

    NOTE:  Beginning in January 2006, 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 2006 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..................................   105,881       $316       $441       $659     $1,017     $1,542 
   Men.....................................................    59,983        339        486        731      1,148      1,750 
   Women...................................................    45,897        296        403        593        874      1,266 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    85,831        323        456        678      1,042      1,573 
     Men...................................................    49,804        349        497        753      1,165      1,772 
     Women.................................................    36,026        300        409        602        887      1,277 
                                                                                                                             
   Black or African American...............................    12,748        287        384        534        783      1,171 
     Men...................................................     6,084        296        396        573        852      1,259 
     Women.................................................     6,664        280        372        511        755      1,093 
                                                                                                                             
   Asian...................................................     4,858        341        502        765      1,273      1,900 
     Men...................................................     2,780        375        533        843      1,400      2,008 
     Women.................................................     2,078        316        475        688      1,112      1,555 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic or Latino ethnicity............................    15,715        277        349        485        696      1,032 
     Men...................................................    10,044        293        372        504        732      1,119 
     Women.................................................     5,671        244        315        434        639        920 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    94,487        338        480        705      1,078      1,604 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     9,339        258        319        420        592        791 
     High school graduates, no college(1)..................    28,256        314        416        591        836      1,160 
     Some college or associate degree......................    25,905        359        488        676        957      1,312 
     Bachelor's degree and higher (2)......................    30,987        506        721      1,047      1,563      2,205 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    20,163        480        660        968      1,441      1,925 
       Advanced degree.....................................    10,824        613        841      1,217      1,835      2,513 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    53,299        376        520        783      1,206      1,842 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     6,328        287        360        475        637        853 
       High school graduates, no college(1)................    16,372        354        488        669        952      1,283 
       Some college or associate degree....................    13,463        403        554        779      1,108      1,467 
       Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....................    17,136        545        792      1,200      1,839      2,482 
         Bachelor's degree only............................    11,048        501        736      1,112      1,641      2,253 
         Advanced degree...................................     6,088        663        954      1,440      2,005      2,888 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    41,188        311        423        619        914      1,338 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     3,011        224        278        356        466        642 
       High school graduates, no college(1)................    11,883        289        373        496        675        895 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,442        329        433        597        808      1,084 
       Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....................    13,851        484        648        923      1,287      1,770 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     9,115        451        612        856      1,198      1,658 
         Advanced degree...................................     4,736        582        749      1,026      1,465      1,994 

    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 2006,
 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      
                                                                   2005            2006              2005            2006     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      21,891          21,862             $204            $204   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,962           6,660              194             190   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,339           3,433              152             152   
       25 years and over....................................       3,623           3,227              245             248   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      14,929          15,202              209             210   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,633           4,746              151             148   
       25 years and over....................................      10,296          10,456              245             249   
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
         RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      18,479          18,382              205             206   
       Men..................................................       5,839           5,508              192             190   
       Women................................................      12,640          12,874              211             212   
                                                                                                                            
     Black or African American..............................       2,120           2,125              201             193   
       Men..................................................         697             710              206             187   
       Women................................................       1,423           1,415              197             195   
                                                                                                                            
     Asian..................................................         792             876              197             213   
       Men..................................................         256             267              189             193   
       Women................................................         536             609              201             228   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic or Latino ethnicity...........................       2,506           2,384              201             203   
       Men..................................................         868             755              209             219   
       Women................................................       1,637           1,629              196             198   

     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 2006, data reflect revised
  population controls used in the household survey.