For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Friday, January 18, 2013 USDL-13-0060 

Technical information: (202) 691-6378 • cpsinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/cps 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov 

USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS

FOURTH QUARTER 2012

Median weekly earnings of the nation's 103.8 million full-time wage and salary workers were $775 in 

the fourth quarter of 2012 (not seasonally adjusted), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. 

This was 1.4 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 1.9 percent in the Consumer 

Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the same period. 

Data on usual weekly 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 Technical Note.) Data shown in this release are not seasonally 

adjusted unless otherwise specified. Highlights from the fourth-quarter data are: 

 Seasonally adjusted median weekly earnings were $772 in the fourth quarter of 2012, little 

changed from the previous quarter ($765). (See table 1.) 

 On a not seasonally adjusted basis, median weekly earnings were $775 in the fourth quarter of 

2012. Women who usually worked full time had median weekly earnings of $692, or 79.1 

percent of the $875 median for men. (See table 2.) 

 The female-to-male earnings ratio varied by race and ethnicity. White women earned 79.6 

percent as much as their male counterparts, compared with black (87.4 percent), Hispanic 

(86.6 percent), and Asian women (71.6 percent). (See table 2.) 

 Among the major race and ethnicity groups, median weekly earnings for black men working at 

full-time jobs were $680 per week, or 76.0 percent of the median for white men ($895). The 

difference was less among women, as black women's median earnings ($594) were 83.4 percent 

of those for white women ($712). Overall, median earnings of Hispanics who worked full time 

($571) were lower than those of blacks ($615), whites ($802), and Asians ($910). (See table 2.) 

 Usual weekly earnings of full-time workers varied by age and were highest for persons age 35 to 

64. Weekly earnings were $985 for men age 35 to 44, little different from the medians for men 

age 45 to 54 ($997) and men age 55 to 64 ($1,035). Among women, those age 35 to 44 had 

median weekly earnings of $742, about the same as the weekly earnings for women age 45 to 54 

($747) and women age 55 to 64 ($759). Workers age 16 to 24 had the lowest median weekly 

earnings, at $459. (See table 3.) 
-2- 

 Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in management, 

professional, and related occupations had the highest median weekly earnings—$1,340 for men 

and $953 for women. Men and women employed in service jobs earned the least, $550 and $420, 

respectively. (See table 4.) 

 By educational attainment, full-time workers age 25 and over without a high school diploma 

had median weekly earnings of $478, compared with $647 for high school graduates (no college) 

and $1,168 for those holding at least a bachelor's degree. Among college graduates with 

advanced degrees (professional or master's degree and above), the highest earning 10 percent of 

male workers made $3,474 or more per week, compared with $2,343 or more for their female 

counterparts. (See table 5.) 

Annual Averages for 2011 and 2012 

In addition to the data for the fourth quarter, this release includes 2011 and 2012 annual averages of 

median weekly earnings for major demographic and occupational groups, and 2012 annual average data 

for educational attainment groups. (See tables 7, 8, and 9.) Annual average data on median usual weekly 

earnings for men and women by detailed occupational categories will be posted online at 

www.bls.gov/cps/tables.htm when they become available. 

Revision of Seasonally Adjusted Usual Weekly Earnings Data 

Seasonally adjusted median usual weekly earnings data shown in table 1 of this release have 

been revised using updated seasonal adjustment factors from the Current Population Survey, a 

procedure done at the end of each calendar year. The revisions directly affected the number of 

full-time wage and salary workers and current dollar estimates of median weekly earnings; 

estimates of constant (1982-84) dollar median weekly earnings were indirectly affected. 

Seasonally adjusted estimates back to the first quarter of 2008 were subject to revision. 

The Usual Weekly Earnings news release for the first quarter of 2013, scheduled for release on 

April 18, 2013, will incorporate revisions to the seasonally adjusted data for the median weekly 

earnings in constant (1982-84) dollars. Seasonally adjusted constant (1982-84) dollar estimates 

back to the first quarter of 2008 will be subject to revision due to annual revisions to seasonally 

adjusted data for the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). 
Technical Note 

The estimates in this release were obtained from the 

Current Population Survey (CPS), which provides basic 

information on the labor force, employment, and 

unemployment. The survey is conducted monthly for the 

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by the U.S. Census 

Bureau using a scientifically selected national sample of 

about 60,000 eligible 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 wage and salary workers (both incorporated 

and unincorporated self-employed are excluded). 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; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339. 

Reliability 

Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both 

sampling and nonsampling 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 errors 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 on a timely basis, mistakes made by respondents, and errors made in the collection or processing of the 

data. 

A full discussion of the reliability of data from the 

Current Population Survey and information on estimating 

standard errors is available on the BLS website at 

www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability. 

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 

that 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 estimation procedure places each reported or 

calculated weekly earnings value into $50-wide intervals 

that 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-year-olds 

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, such as $250, $300, or $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 (1982-84) dollars. 

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Refers to persons who 

identified themselves in the enumeration process as being 

of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin. Persons whose 

ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of 

any race. 

Seasonal adjustment 

Over the course of a year, the size of the nation's labor 

force and other measures of labor market activity undergo 

regularly occurring fluctuations. These recurring events 

include seasonal changes in weather, major holidays, and 

the opening and closing of schools. The effect of such 

seasonal variations can be very large. 

Because seasonal events follow a more or less regular 

pattern each year, their influence on the level of a series can 

be tempered by adjusting for regular seasonal variation. 

These adjustments make nonseasonal developments easier 

to spot. The seasonally adjusted figures provide a more 

useful tool with which to analyze changes in quarter-toquarter activity. 

At the end of each calendar year, the seasonally 

adjusted data are revised for the past 5 years when the 

seasonal adjustment factors are updated. More information 

on seasonal adjustment is available on the BLS website at 

www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#sa. 
Table 1. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by sex, quarterly averages,

seasonally adjusted

Year and quarter

Number of workers

(in thousands) Median weekly earnings

Total Men Women

In current dollars In constant (1982-84) dollars

Total

$

Men

$

Women

$

Total

$

Men

$

Women

$

2003

4th Quarter.......................................... 100,628 56,607 44,021 623 702 560 337 379 302

2004

1st Quarter.......................................... 100,905 56,848 44,057 629 705 562 337 378 301

2nd Quarter......................................... 101,135 56,914 44,221 642 715 576 341 380 306

3rd Quarter.......................................... 101,148 56,931 44,217 635 712 574 335 376 303

4th Quarter.......................................... 101,658 57,289 44,369 646 720 577 337 376 302

2005

1st Quarter.......................................... 102,091 57,710 44,381 647 723 580 336 376 302

2nd Quarter......................................... 103,201 58,099 45,101 647 714 584 334 369 301

3rd Quarter.......................................... 104,310 58,843 45,467 651 723 588 331 368 299

4th Quarter.......................................... 104,605 58,967 45,638 658 730 588 332 368 296

2006

1st Quarter.......................................... 104,708 58,960 45,748 662 737 594 332 370 298

2nd Quarter......................................... 105,798 59,831 45,966 663 732 597 329 364 296

3rd Quarter.......................................... 107,041 60,060 46,981 678 755 603 334 372 297

4th Quarter.......................................... 106,847 60,140 46,707 681 748 607 337 370 300

2007

1st Quarter.......................................... 107,176 60,105 47,070 687 752 610 336 368 298

2nd Quarter......................................... 106,827 60,351 46,476 693 765 610 335 370 295

3rd Quarter.......................................... 107,156 60,216 46,940 698 774 621 336 372 298

4th Quarter.......................................... 108,178 60,508 47,670 700 774 615 332 368 292

2008

1st Quarter.......................................... 107,786 60,378 47,408 713 783 633 335 368 298

2nd Quarter......................................... 107,046 59,586 47,460 722 802 636 335 372 295

3rd Quarter.......................................... 106,136 59,273 46,863 724 802 637 331 366 291

4th Quarter.......................................... 105,617 58,511 47,106 727 806 647 340 377 302

2009

1st Quarter.......................................... 101,680 56,299 45,381 732 815 645 344 384 304

2nd Quarter......................................... 99,990 55,233 44,757 736 818 652 345 383 306

3rd Quarter.......................................... 99,049 54,481 44,567 742 820 664 345 381 308

4th Quarter.......................................... 98,569 54,412 44,156 747 823 666 344 379 307

2010

1st Quarter.......................................... 98,149 54,102 44,048 748 836 662 344 385 304

2nd Quarter......................................... 99,598 55,038 44,559 742 813 671 342 374 309

3rd Quarter.......................................... 100,410 55,618 44,792 746 822 670 342 377 307

4th Quarter.......................................... 99,960 55,469 44,491 750 826 676 342 376 308

2011

1st Quarter.......................................... 99,690 55,338 44,353 750 821 679 338 370 306

2nd Quarter......................................... 100,343 55,848 44,495 754 828 688 336 369 307

3rd Quarter.......................................... 100,487 56,053 44,434 759 837 681 335 370 301

4th Quarter.......................................... 101,316 56,643 44,674 761 838 686 335 369 302

2012

1st Quarter.......................................... 102,194 57,113 45,081 764 842 693 335 369 303

2nd Quarter......................................... 102,491 57,102 45,389 772 867 688 337 379 301

3rd Quarter.......................................... 102,637 57,236 45,401 765 838 693 332 364 301

4th Quarter.......................................... 103,681 57,701 45,980 772 868 690 334 376 298

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics,

quarterly averages, not seasonally adjusted

Characteristic

Number of workers

(in thousands) Median weekly earnings

4th

2011

4th

2012

In current dollars In constant (1982-84)

dollars

4th

2011

4th

2012

4th

2011

4th

2012

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over............................................... 101,458 103,819 $764 $ 775 $338 $336

Men, 16 years and over............................................. 56,678 57,735 843 875 373 380

16 to 24 years...................................................... 4,943 5,094 466 480 206 208

25 years and over................................................. 51,735 52,641 893 926 395 402

Women, 16 years and over......................................... 44,779 46,084 688 692 304 300

16 to 24 years...................................................... 3,787 3,916 420 422 186 183

25 years and over................................................. 40,993 42,168 724 725 320 315

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

White................................................................... 82,124 82,536 786 802 348 348

Men.................................................................. 46,881 46,876 871 895 385 388

Women.............................................................. 35,242 35,660 709 712 314 309

Black or African American........................................... 11,718 12,445 621 615 275 267

Men.................................................................. 5,533 5,841 660 680 292 295

Women.............................................................. 6,185 6,604 601 594 266 258

Asian................................................................... 5,271 5,857 880 910 389 395

Men.................................................................. 2,929 3,385 960 1,051 425 456

Women.............................................................. 2,341 2,472 771 752 341 326

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity......................................... 15,222 16,217 537 571 238 248

Men.................................................................. 9,542 9,868 562 599 248 260

Women.............................................................. 5,680 6,349 508 519 225 225

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.

Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of

January data.
Table 3. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic or Latino

ethnicity, and sex, 4th quarter 2012 averages, not seasonally adjusted

Age, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Total Men Women

Number of

workers

(in

thousands)

Median

weekly

earnings

Number of

workers

(in

thousands)

Median

weekly

earnings

Number of

workers

(in

thousands)

Median

weekly

earnings

TOTAL

16 years and over....................................................... 103,819 $775 57,735 $ 875 46,084 $692

16 to 24 years........................................................ 9,010 459 5,094 480 3,916 422

16 to 19 years...................................................... 864 363 485 393 379 329

20 to 24 years...................................................... 8,146 476 4,609 490 3,537 444

25 years and over.................................................... 94,809 823 52,641 926 42,168 725

25 to 54 years...................................................... 74,428 807 41,573 902 32,855 717

25 to 34 years................................................... 24,874 713 14,234 747 10,640 668

35 to 44 years................................................... 24,247 873 13,657 985 10,591 742

45 to 54 years................................................... 25,307 877 13,682 997 11,625 747

55 years and over................................................. 20,381 887 11,068 1,016 9,313 746

55 to 64 years................................................... 17,067 911 9,178 1,035 7,889 759

65 years and over............................................... 3,314 770 1,890 909 1,424 668

White

16 years and over.................................................... 82,536 802 46,876 895 35,660 712

16 to 24 years...................................................... 7,158 470 4,096 485 3,062 433

25 years and over................................................. 75,379 851 42,780 947 32,598 744

25 to 54 years................................................... 58,470 830 33,405 916 25,065 736

55 years and over............................................... 16,909 930 9,376 1,073 7,533 768

Black or African American

16 years and over.................................................... 12,445 615 5,841 680 6,604 594

16 to 24 years...................................................... 1,088 371 555 372 533 371

25 years and over................................................. 11,357 644 5,286 713 6,071 608

25 to 54 years................................................... 9,208 637 4,293 703 4,915 605

55 years and over............................................... 2,148 694 992 753 1,156 624

Asian

16 years and over.................................................... 5,857 910 3,385 1,051 2,472 752

16 to 24 years...................................................... 399 510 240 547 160 475

25 years and over................................................. 5,458 945 3,145 1,091 2,312 772

25 to 54 years................................................... 4,509 983 2,648 1,135 1,861 805

55 years and over............................................... 949 707 498 880 451 571

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

16 years and over.................................................... 16,217 571 9,868 599 6,349 519

16 to 24 years...................................................... 1,927 426 1,184 439 743 412

25 years and over................................................. 14,290 600 8,684 633 5,606 544

25 to 54 years................................................... 12,556 594 7,653 622 4,903 546

55 years and over............................................... 1,735 642 1,032 690 703 523

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.

Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of

January data.
Table 4. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, quarterly

averages, not seasonally adjusted

Occupation and sex

Number of workers

(in thousands) Median weekly earnings

4th

2011

4th

2012

4th

2011

4th

2012

TOTAL

Management, professional, and related occupations................................. 40,227 41,759 $1,098 $1,124

Management, business, and financial operations occupations.................... 16,261 17,137 1,162 1,178

Professional and related occupations................................................ 23,966 24,622 1,036 1,067

Service occupations....................................................................... 14,675 14,643 496 476

Sales and office occupations............................................................. 22,917 23,358 639 665

Sales and related occupations........................................................ 9,357 9,699 674 694

Office and administrative support occupations...................................... 13,559 13,659 624 654

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations..................... 10,004 10,120 747 748

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.......................................... 724 749 416 461

Construction and extraction occupations............................................. 5,027 5,238 725 747

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.................................. 4,253 4,133 823 806

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....................... 13,636 13,939 608 620

Production occupations................................................................. 7,316 7,656 596 619

Transportation and material moving occupations................................... 6,320 6,283 621 620

Men

Management, professional, and related occupations................................. 19,585 20,436 1,274 1,340

Management, business, and financial operations occupations.................... 8,920 9,267 1,369 1,366

Professional and related occupations................................................ 10,665 11,168 1,226 1,309

Service occupations....................................................................... 7,633 7,086 578 550

Sales and office occupations............................................................. 8,976 9,338 740 801

Sales and related occupations........................................................ 5,317 5,672 802 838

Office and administrative support occupations...................................... 3,660 3,665 663 749

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations..................... 9,611 9,713 755 756

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.......................................... 592 554 416 487

Construction and extraction occupations............................................. 4,917 5,133 726 749

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.................................. 4,103 4,025 830 805

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....................... 10,873 11,162 654 676

Production occupations................................................................. 5,420 5,686 664 692

Transportation and material moving occupations................................... 5,453 5,476 644 655

Women

Management, professional, and related occupations................................. 20,642 21,323 946 953

Management, business, and financial operations occupations.................... 7,341 7,869 993 986

Professional and related occupations................................................ 13,301 13,454 925 931

Service occupations....................................................................... 7,042 7,556 440 420

Sales and office occupations............................................................. 13,940 14,021 605 609

Sales and related occupations........................................................ 4,040 4,026 554 505

Office and administrative support occupations...................................... 9,900 9,994 618 633

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations..................... 392 408 548 557

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.......................................... 132 195 422 369

Construction and extraction occupations............................................. 110 105 671 670

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.................................. 150 108 697 865

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....................... 2,763 2,777 474 487

Production occupations................................................................. 1,896 1,971 464 497

Transportation and material moving occupations................................... 867 806 502 444

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Table 5. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by

selected characteristics, 4th quarter 2012 averages, not seasonally adjusted

Characteristic

Number of

workers

(in

thousands)

Upper limit of:

First decile First

quartile

Second

quartile

(median)

Third

quartile

Ninth

decile

SEX, RACE, AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY

Total, 16 years and over............................................... 103,819 $362 $ 505 $ 775 $1,227 $1,887

Men..................................................................... 57,735 389 552 875 1,373 2,103

Women................................................................. 46,084 334 466 692 1,036 1,552

White................................................................... 82,536 373 518 802 1,255 1,908

Men.................................................................. 46,876 399 575 895 1,416 2,127

Women.............................................................. 35,660 342 480 712 1,061 1,573

Black or African American........................................... 12,445 314 423 615 967 1,440

Men.................................................................. 5,841 336 437 680 1,038 1,541

Women.............................................................. 6,604 298 411 594 872 1,363

Asian................................................................... 5,857 376 545 910 1,424 2,142

Men.................................................................. 3,385 411 611 1,051 1,620 2,421

Women.............................................................. 2,472 344 484 752 1,169 1,734

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity......................................... 16,217 316 400 571 870 1,331

Men.................................................................. 9,868 331 416 599 913 1,445

Women.............................................................. 6,349 300 373 519 786 1,163

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Total, 25 years and over............................................... 94,809 383 536 823 1,272 1,913

Less than a high school diploma................................... 6,910 292 358 478 664 901

High school graduates, no college1

............................... 25,228 350 457 647 938 1,324

Some college or associate degree................................. 26,251 385 525 752 1,090 1,511

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................... 36,419 557 801 1,168 1,774 2,580

Bachelor’s degree only............................................ 23,064 515 738 1,071 1,611 2,310

Advanced degree.................................................. 13,355 660 937 1,379 2,022 2,916

Men, 25 years and over............................................. 52,641 412 597 926 1,438 2,192

Less than a high school diploma................................ 4,750 325 394 518 712 981

High school graduates, no college1

............................ 15,176 387 508 738 1,047 1,455

Some college or associate degree.............................. 13,477 435 608 874 1,239 1,725

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

.................................. 19,238 614 936 1,387 2,038 2,956

Bachelor’s degree only......................................... 12,210 574 867 1,267 1,885 2,805

Advanced degree............................................... 7,028 730 1,119 1,617 2,408 3,474

Women, 25 years and over......................................... 42,168 349 489 725 1,075 1,592

Less than a high school diploma................................ 2,160 256 308 381 506 676

High school graduates, no college1

............................ 10,052 313 402 539 758 1,020

Some college or associate degree.............................. 12,775 349 479 655 914 1,274

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................. 17,181 513 716 991 1,469 2,014

Bachelor’s degree only......................................... 10,854 485 646 922 1,316 1,858

Advanced degree............................................... 6,328 629 847 1,155 1,673 2,343

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. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated

population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Table 6. Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics,

quarterly averages, not seasonally adjusted

Characteristic

Number of workers

(in thousands) Median weekly earnings

4th

2011

4th

2012

4th

2011

4th

2012

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over.................................................................. 24,652 24,604 $233 $235

Men, 16 years and over................................................................ 8,744 8,573 226 225

16 to 24 years........................................................................ 3,757 3,698 176 173

25 years and over.................................................................... 4,987 4,874 271 273

Women, 16 years and over............................................................ 15,909 16,031 237 241

16 to 24 years........................................................................ 4,460 4,616 168 168

25 years and over.................................................................... 11,448 11,415 271 281

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

White...................................................................................... 20,272 19,884 233 236

Men..................................................................................... 7,070 6,871 223 224

Women................................................................................. 13,203 13,013 239 243

Black or African American............................................................. 2,795 2,760 226 225

Men..................................................................................... 1,086 1,023 232 231

Women................................................................................. 1,709 1,737 222 221

Asian...................................................................................... 899 1,116 262 263

Men..................................................................................... 334 366 258 232

Women................................................................................. 565 750 266 281

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity............................................................ 3,720 3,953 223 234

Men..................................................................................... 1,660 1,589 227 231

Women................................................................................. 2,061 2,365 218 236

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.

Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of

January data.
Table 7. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, annual

averages

Characteristic

Number of workers

(in thousands) Median weekly earnings

2011 2012

In current dollars In constant (1982-84)

dollars

2011 2012 2011 2012

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over............................................... 100,457 102,749 $756 $ 768 $336 $335

Men, 16 years and over............................................. 55,971 57,286 832 854 370 372

16 to 24 years...................................................... 4,951 5,164 455 468 202 204

25 years and over................................................. 51,020 52,122 886 910 394 396

Women, 16 years and over......................................... 44,486 45,462 684 691 304 301

16 to 24 years...................................................... 3,772 3,866 421 416 187 181

25 years and over................................................. 40,714 41,597 718 727 319 317

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

White................................................................... 81,336 81,779 775 792 344 345

Men.................................................................. 46,360 46,672 856 879 381 383

Women.............................................................. 34,976 35,108 703 710 313 309

Black or African American........................................... 11,604 12,230 615 621 274 271

Men.................................................................. 5,414 5,756 653 665 290 289

Women.............................................................. 6,191 6,474 595 599 264 261

Asian................................................................... 5,197 5,790 866 920 385 401

Men.................................................................. 2,912 3,231 970 1,055 431 459

Women.............................................................. 2,284 2,560 751 770 334 335

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity......................................... 15,147 16,302 549 568 244 247

Men.................................................................. 9,448 9,887 571 592 254 258

Women.............................................................. 5,700 6,414 518 521 230 227

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.

Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of

January data.
Table 8. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, annual

averages

Occupation and sex

Number of workers

(in thousands) Median weekly earnings

2011 2012 2011 2012

TOTAL

Management, professional, and related occupations................................. 39,791 40,984 $1,082 $1,108

Management, business, and financial operations occupations.................... 16,061 16,991 1,160 1,171

Professional and related occupations................................................ 23,730 23,993 1,029 1,053

Service occupations....................................................................... 14,378 14,839 486 485

Sales and office occupations............................................................. 22,989 23,115 638 655

Sales and related occupations........................................................ 9,294 9,433 670 689

Office and administrative support occupations...................................... 13,695 13,683 623 643

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations..................... 9,965 9,968 732 740

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.......................................... 775 777 430 435

Construction and extraction occupations............................................. 5,031 5,102 717 740

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.................................. 4,159 4,088 806 808

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....................... 13,333 13,842 609 624

Production occupations................................................................. 7,058 7,427 605 627

Transportation and material moving occupations................................... 6,275 6,415 614 621

Men

Management, professional, and related occupations................................. 19,267 19,926 1,269 1,328

Management, business, and financial operations occupations.................... 8,676 9,121 1,370 1,387

Professional and related occupations................................................ 10,592 10,804 1,211 1,267

Service occupations....................................................................... 7,387 7,511 551 543

Sales and office occupations............................................................. 9,012 9,202 738 768

Sales and related occupations........................................................ 5,225 5,428 804 838

Office and administrative support occupations...................................... 3,787 3,774 668 700

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations..................... 9,574 9,579 740 749

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.......................................... 625 611 445 457

Construction and extraction occupations............................................. 4,937 5,004 718 741

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.................................. 4,013 3,963 807 809

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....................... 10,730 11,069 651 675

Production occupations................................................................. 5,241 5,497 667 695

Transportation and material moving occupations................................... 5,489 5,572 634 650

Women

Management, professional, and related occupations................................. 20,524 21,059 941 951

Management, business, and financial operations occupations.................... 7,386 7,869 977 993

Professional and related occupations................................................ 13,139 13,189 919 928

Service occupations....................................................................... 6,991 7,328 433 435

Sales and office occupations............................................................. 13,977 13,914 602 610

Sales and related occupations........................................................ 4,069 4,005 549 521

Office and administrative support occupations...................................... 9,908 9,909 615 629

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations..................... 391 389 515 550

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.......................................... 150 166 371 377

Construction and extraction occupations............................................. 95 98 612 723

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.................................. 146 125 751 757

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....................... 2,603 2,773 485 493

Production occupations................................................................. 1,817 1,930 483 496

Transportation and material moving occupations................................... 786 843 490 487

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Table 9. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by

selected characteristics, 2012 annual averages

Characteristic

Number of

workers

(in

thousands)

Upper limit of:

First decile First

quartile

Second

quartile

(median)

Third

quartile

Ninth

decile

TOTAL

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93,719 $382 $ 538 $ 815 $1,261 $1,901

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,010 288 351 471 643 898

High school graduates, no college1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,239 349 465 652 937 1,305

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,826 389 526 749 1,085 1,512

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35,644 562 791 1,165 1,767 2,555

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,715 514 733 1,066 1,595 2,304

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,929 662 936 1,373 2,008 2,918

Men

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52,122 407 592 910 1,420 2,113

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,773 305 383 508 704 985

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,087 383 512 735 1,044 1,443

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,517 426 598 857 1,228 1,699

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,745 611 910 1,371 2,000 2,920

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,018 575 834 1,246 1,875 2,691

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,727 746 1,098 1,622 2,390 3,449

Women

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41,597 354 494 727 1,085 1,597

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,236 262 311 386 510 669

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,152 317 408 561 765 1,031

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,310 360 484 659 922 1,263

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,899 514 720 1,001 1,457 2,023

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,697 485 655 931 1,335 1,880

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,202 621 843 1,157 1,688 2,306

White, total

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74,643 391 563 842 1,293 1,917

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,760 292 356 482 659 914

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,021 362 484 680 970 1,349

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,440 398 553 774 1,131 1,556

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28,423 577 810 1,178 1,824 2,671

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,266 526 748 1,094 1,641 2,353

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,157 670 944 1,390 2,052 3,015

White men

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42,518 416 608 932 1,448 2,179

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,058 309 386 515 711 994

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,257 394 534 760 1,083 1,481

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,991 450 620 894 1,264 1,753

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,213 624 926 1,399 2,059 3,019

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,897 591 858 1,269 1,889 2,769

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,316 752 1,104 1,650 2,478 3,784

White women

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,124 362 506 743 1,113 1,630

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,702 267 313 389 515 673

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,763 326 419 581 786 1,064

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,449 367 495 678 947 1,291

Bachelor’s degree and higher2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,210 520 729 1,012 1,468 2,063

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,369 490 666 939 1,345 1,893

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,841 629 854 1,164 1,702 2,310

Black or African American, total

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,079 342 460 657 981 1,450

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 681 258 319 408 548 735

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,553 313 405 548 774 1,076

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,654 359 468 626 885 1,227

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,191 492 682 972 1,407 1,922

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,098 474 633 892 1,294 1,750

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,092 581 819 1,149 1,655 2,324

Black or African American men

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,182 360 484 702 1,054 1,548

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365 271 340 446 600 873

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,887 338 435 604 871 1,188

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 9. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by

selected characteristics, 2012 annual averages — Continued

Characteristic

Number of

workers

(in

thousands)

Upper limit of:

First decile First

quartile

Second

quartile

(median)

Third

quartile

Ninth

decile

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,637 379 496 694 969 1,359

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,292 493 720 1,086 1,562 2,193

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 874 471 665 975 1,409 1,888

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419 593 975 1,333 1,893 2,832

Black or African American women

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,897 329 440 621 919 1,369

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 247 306 377 474 622

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,666 296 381 499 673 926

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,017 344 443 595 812 1,095

Bachelor’s degree and higher2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,898 492 660 913 1,318 1,832

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,224 476 616 846 1,202 1,631

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 674 576 773 997 1,505 2,041

Asian, total

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,442 387 582 954 1,534 2,278

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322 282 339 446 584 858

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888 318 401 589 857 1,153

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 899 380 499 715 1,054 1,414

Bachelor’s degree and higher2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,333 537 828 1,290 1,889 2,623

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,870 479 718 1,128 1,623 2,312

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,463 688 992 1,525 2,107 2,889

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, total

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,285 317 408 597 901 1,363

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,023 288 341 437 599 795

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,397 322 408 582 810 1,137

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,277 359 489 680 983 1,390

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,587 450 653 967 1,453 2,098

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,783 420 609 906 1,341 1,882

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 804 537 810 1,166 1,757 2,624

Hispanic or Latino men

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,643 332 424 619 945 1,444

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,859 299 368 486 647 874

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,751 346 437 624 889 1,236

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,740 389 523 758 1,117 1,523

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,292 474 698 1,103 1,654 2,475

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 897 445 643 1,002 1,527 2,186

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395 543 860 1,287 1,992 3,006

Hispanic or Latino women

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,642 301 383 554 821 1,238

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,164 274 307 369 482 616

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,646 298 377 501 692 939

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,537 336 442 611 848 1,195

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,295 426 628 902 1,268 1,760

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 886 406 587 818 1,151 1,573

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409 525 755 1,093 1,539 2,099

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. Persons

whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.