Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202)  606-6378     USDL 98-148
                                     
                                            For release:10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                 606-5902     Monday, April 20, 1998
                                     
                                     
             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            FIRST QUARTER 1998
   
   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 93.2 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $521 in the first quarter of 1998, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was 3.4
percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 1.5 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.)  Major findings from the first-quarter
data follow.
   
   --Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $455 a week,
or 76.3 percent of the $596 median for men.  The female-to-male earnings
ratios were higher among blacks (87.4 percent) and Hispanics (86.6 percent)
than among whites.  (See table 1.)
   
   --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $452 per
week, 74.0 percent of the median for white men ($611).  The difference was
much less among women, as black women's median earnings ($395) were 84.6
percent of those for their white counterparts ($467).  Overall, median
earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($364) were lower than those of
blacks ($418) and whites ($543).  (See table 1.)
   
   --The highest median weekly earnings for full-time workers were $731 for
men in the 45- to 54-year-age group; second highest was the median for 55-
to 64-year-old men at $707.  Among women, the highest-earning age group
also was 45- to 54-year olds, who had a median of $515, followed by 35- to
44-year-olds, with a median of $497.  (See table 2.)
   
   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial and professional specialty occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$865 for men and $647 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 $326, compared with $469 for high school
graduates (no college) and $802 for college graduates.  Among college
graduates with advanced degrees (professional or master's degree and
above), the highest 10 percent of male workers earned $2,118 or more,
compared with $1,537 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 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
     
     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 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, 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 all self-employed persons, regardless of
whether or not their 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 other Hispanic origin or descent.
Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race; hence, they are included in
the numbers for the white and black populations.
 Table 1. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly averages,
 not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                              Number of workers              Median weekly earnings          
                                                                (in thousands)                                               
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                       Characteristic                                               In current dollars    In constant (1982) 
                                                                                                               dollars       
                                                                 I          I                                                
                                                               1997       1998                                               
                                                                                       I          I          I          I    
                                                                                     1997       1998       1997       1998   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    90,734     93,183       $504       $521       $304       $310 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    51,604     52,791        582        596        352        355 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     5,409      5,560        319        337        193        201 
      25 years and over....................................    46,195     47,230        615        629        372        375 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    39,129     40,392        427        455        258        271 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     4,084      4,110        289        304        175        181 
      25 years and over....................................    35,045     36,283        456        480        276        286 
                                                                                                                             
               RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    75,743     77,526        519        543        314        323 
      Men..................................................    44,009     44,840        599        611        362        364 
      Women................................................    31,734     32,686        440        467        266        278 
                                                                                                                             
    Black..................................................    10,879     11,383        399        418        241        249 
      Men..................................................     5,340      5,579        426        452        258        269 
      Women................................................     5,539      5,803        372        395        225        235 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic origin........................................     9,623     10,183        349        364        211        217 
      Men..................................................     6,145      6,475        369        381        223        227 
      Women................................................     3,478      3,707        316        330        191        197 

      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
 1998, data reflect new composite estimation procedures and revised population controls used in the household survey.






 Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic origin, and sex, first
 quarter 1998 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.........................................    93,183       $521     52,791       $596     40,392       $455 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     9,670        320      5,560        337      4,110        304 
     16 to 19 years........................................     1,634        265        960        287        674        239 
     20 to 24 years........................................     8,036        336      4,600        355      3,436        317 
   25 years and over.......................................    83,513        563     47,230        629     36,283        480 
     25 to 54 years........................................    73,940        563     41,793        623     32,147        484 
       25 to 34 years......................................    25,355        495     14,570        531     10,784        446 
       35 to 44 years......................................    27,706        590     15,885        663     11,821        497 
       45 to 54 years......................................    20,880        618     11,338        731      9,542        515 
     55 years and over.....................................     9,573        564      5,437        688      4,136        444 
       55 to 64 years......................................     8,463        579      4,790        707      3,674        454 
       65 years and over...................................     1,109        433        647        524        462        344 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    77,526        543     44,840        611     32,686        467 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     8,171        323      4,768        342      3,403        306 
   25 years and over.......................................    69,355        583     40,072        651     29,283        491 
     25 to 54 years........................................    61,085        583     35,363        644     25,721        496 
     55 years and over.....................................     8,271        583      4,709        721      3,562        450 
                                                                                                                             
                           Black                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    11,383        418      5,579        452      5,803        395 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,118        301        560        304        558        296 
   25 years and over.......................................    10,265        439      5,020        480      5,245        412 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,310        440      4,519        482      4,791        411 
     55 years and over.....................................       955        435        501        462        454        418 
                                                                                                                             
                      Hispanic origin                                                                                        
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    10,183        364      6,475        381      3,707        330 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,600        290      1,042        295        558        277 
   25 years and over.......................................     8,583        390      5,434        410      3,149        352 
     25 to 54 years........................................     7,864        389      5,017        410      2,847        352 
     55 years and over.....................................       718        398        416        411        302        349 


      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
 1998, data reflect new composite estimation procedures and revised population controls used in the household survey.






  Table 3. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, quarterly averages, not
  seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers             Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                      Occupation and sex                                                                                    
                                                                                                                            
                                                                     I               I               I               I      
                                                                   1997            1998            1997            1998     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      28,164          28,748             $740            $741   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............      13,625          14,026              726             730   
     Professional specialty.................................      14,539          14,721              754             750   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      25,841          26,602              453             476   
     Technicians and related support........................       3,445           3,414              578             597   
     Sales occupations......................................       8,783           9,285              482             505   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      13,614          13,904              415             435   
   Service occupations......................................       9,587          10,415              310             323   
     Private household......................................         351             382              215             214   
     Protective service.....................................       1,870           2,197              570             595   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       7,365           7,836              292             301   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      11,035          11,535              547             567   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       3,901           4,127              578             596   
     Construction trades....................................       3,675           3,788              532             535   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       3,460           3,620              524             552   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      14,811          14,755              398             409   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       7,256           7,057              388             405   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       3,968           4,228              492             505   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,588           3,469              336             342   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,294           1,128              294             302   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      14,562          14,516              875             865   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       7,530           7,384              858             864   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,032           7,132              889             865   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............       9,861          10,222              591             606   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,793           1,751              663             697   
     Sales occupations......................................       4,939           5,179              604             619   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............       3,129           3,292              515             522   
   Service occupations......................................       4,691           5,243              363             388   
     Private household......................................          10              15           (1)             (1)      
     Protective service.....................................       1,585           1,854             $582            $604   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       3,096           3,374              315             317   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      10,095          10,564              572             585   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       3,757           3,943              582             598   
     Construction trades....................................       3,621           3,720              535             539   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       2,717           2,901              602             613   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      11,295          11,309              429             452   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       4,688           4,591             $443            $475   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       3,721           3,865              498             515   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       2,887           2,853              345             350   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,099             936              307             303   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      13,602          14,231              630             647   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       6,095           6,642              597             620   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,507           7,589              663             671   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      15,980          16,381              400             418   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,652           1,663              496             512   
     Sales occupations......................................       3,843           4,106              346             386   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      10,485          10,612              398             414   
   Service occupations......................................       4,896           5,172              279             290   
     Private household......................................         341             367              214             211   
     Protective service.....................................         286             343              495             492   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       4,269           4,462              278             288   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................         940             971              366             404   
     Mechanics and repairers................................         144             184              420             508   
     Construction trades....................................          54              68           (1)             (1)      
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........         742             719             $357            $385   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................       3,516           3,445              316             321   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       2,568           2,466              311             323   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         247             363              392             325   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....         701             616              312             308   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................         195             193              240             297   

    1 Data not shown where base is less than 100,000.
  Beginning in January 1998, data reflect new composite estimation procedures and revised population controls used in the
  household survey.






 Table 4. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected
 characteristics, first quarter 1998 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..................................    93,183       $255       $345       $521       $779     $1,142 
   Men.....................................................    52,791        278        386        596        882      1,259 
   Women...................................................    40,392        235        312        455        655        928 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    77,526        263        359        543        806      1,163 
     Men...................................................    44,840        285        401        611        904      1,291 
     Women.................................................    32,686        240        319        467        668        947 
                                                                                                                             
   Black...................................................    11,383        230        297        418        624        894 
     Men...................................................     5,579        244        311        452        679        974 
     Women.................................................     5,803        218        283        395        588        790 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic................................................    10,183        212        268        364        557        793 
     Men...................................................     6,475        225        278        381        585        866 
     Women.................................................     3,707        196        250        330        504        702 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    83,513        272        373        563        819      1,169 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,396        196        249        326        487        670 
     High school graduates, no college.....................    27,094        253        328        469        655        881 
     Some college or associate degree......................    23,231        293        389        561        771      1,025 
     College graduates, total..............................    24,793        412        577        802      1,161      1,700 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    16,494        384        524        737      1,077      1,529 
       Advanced degree.....................................     8,299        492        675        951      1,362      1,909 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    47,230        294        418        629        921      1,313 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,469        214        274        370        540        731 
       High school graduates, no college...................    15,347        286        385        543        751        971 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,616        320        453        639        878      1,156 
       College graduates, total............................    13,798        454        633        930      1,341      1,903 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     9,118        428        593        852      1,226      1,769 
         Advanced degree...................................     4,679        524        753      1,093      1,549      2,118 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    36,283        246        327        480        683        958 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,926        180        221        280        369        499 
       High school graduates, no college...................    11,747        228        293        391        524        684 
       Some college or associate degree....................    10,615        276        346        475        634        845 
       College graduates, total............................    10,995        378        513        695        961      1,312 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     7,376       $350       $484       $640       $879     $1,172 
         Advanced degree...................................     3,620        459        620        834      1,120      1,537 

      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 1998, data reflect new composite estimation procedures and revised population controls used in the
 household survey.






  Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly
  averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers             Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                Age, race, and Hispanic origin                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
                                                                     I               I               I               I      
                                                                   1997            1998            1997            1998     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      21,302          21,705             $143            $152   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,620           6,797              130             142   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,577           3,746              108             114   
       25 years and over....................................       3,043           3,051              179             198   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      14,682          14,908              148             155   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,456           4,845              107             111   
       25 years and over....................................      10,226          10,062              172             184   
                                                                                                                            
                RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      18,523          18,646              143             152   
       Men..................................................       5,741           5,799              129             140   
       Women................................................      12,782          12,847              149             157   
                                                                                                                            
     Black..................................................       2,023           2,165              138             147   
       Men..................................................         586             659              132             149   
       Women................................................       1,438           1,506              140             147   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic origin........................................       1,905           1,869              140             155   
       Men..................................................         739             680              145             167   
       Women................................................       1,166           1,190              137             150   

       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 1998, data reflect new composite estimation procedures and revised population controls used in the household
  survey.