Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202)  606-6378    USDL 98-425

                                           For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                 606-5902    Wednesday, October 21, 1998
                                     
                                     
             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            THIRD QUARTER 1998
     
   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 97.4 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $520 in the third quarter of 1998, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was
4.2 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 1.6 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.  For further information, see the explanatory note.
     
     ---Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $455 a
week, or 76.7 percent of the $593 median for men.  The female-to-male
earnings ratios were higher among blacks (88.1 percent) and Hispanics
(87.4 percent) than among whites (76.1 percent).  (See table 1.)
     
     ---Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $462
per week, 75.7 percent of the median for white men ($610).  The difference
was much less among women, as black women's median earnings ($407) were
87.7 percent of those for their white counterparts ($464).  Overall, median
earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($382) were lower than those of
blacks ($430) and whites ($540).  (See table 1.)
     
     ---The highest median weekly earnings for full-time workers were $735
for men in the 45- to 54-year-age group; second highest was the median for
55- to 64- year-old men at $698.  Among women, the highest-earning age
group also was 45- to 54-year-olds, who had a median of $523,  followed by
35- to 44-year-olds, with a median of $501.  (See table 2.)
     
     ---Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial and professional specialty occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$910 for men and $664 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 $341, compared with $486 for high
school graduates (no college) and $822 for college graduates.  Among
college graduates, the highest 10 percent of male workers earned $1,891 or
more, compared with $1,329 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       
                                                                III        III                                               
                                                               1997       1998                                               
                                                                                      III        III        III        III   
                                                                                     1997       1998       1997       1998   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    95,837     97,437       $499       $520       $300       $307 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    54,491     55,378        573        593        344        350 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     7,009      7,086        312        323        187        191 
      25 years and over....................................    47,483     48,292        614        639        368        378 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    41,346     42,059        429        455        258        269 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     5,129      5,346        291        299        174        177 
      25 years and over....................................    36,217     36,713        463        489        278        289 
                                                                                                                             
               RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    79,853     81,096        515        540        309        319 
      Men..................................................    46,434     47,142        592        610        355        361 
      Women................................................    33,419     33,954        441        464        265        274 
                                                                                                                             
    Black..................................................    11,691     11,880        397        430        238        254 
      Men..................................................     5,640      5,727        420        462        252        273 
      Women................................................     6,051      6,153        376        407        225        241 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic origin........................................    10,279     10,582        352        382        211        225 
      Men..................................................     6,569      6,720        373        398        224        235 
      Women................................................     3,710      3,863        319        348        191        205 

      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, third
 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.........................................    97,437       $520     55,378       $593     42,059       $455 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    12,432        313      7,086        323      5,346        299 
     16 to 19 years........................................     3,052        260      1,762        268      1,290        248 
     20 to 24 years........................................     9,380        334      5,324        351      4,056        317 
   25 years and over.......................................    85,005        575     48,292        639     36,713        489 
     25 to 54 years........................................    75,137        573     42,568        634     32,569        490 
       25 to 34 years......................................    25,671        498     14,820        533     10,851        449 
       35 to 44 years......................................    28,513        600     16,330        678     12,183        501 
       45 to 54 years......................................    20,953        628     11,418        735      9,536        523 
     55 years and over.....................................     9,868        588      5,724        678      4,144        480 
       55 to 64 years......................................     8,658        605      4,970        698      3,688        496 
       65 years and over...................................     1,210        393        754        433        456        350 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    81,096        540     47,142        610     33,954        464 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    10,562        316      6,172        328      4,390        300 
   25 years and over.......................................    70,535        592     40,970        665     29,564        499 
     25 to 54 years........................................    62,014        591     35,951        660     26,063        501 
     55 years and over.....................................     8,521        600      5,019        701      3,502        479 
                                                                                                                             
                           Black                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    11,880        430      5,727        462      6,153        407 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,378        289        639        293        739        286 
   25 years and over.......................................    10,503        468      5,088        491      5,415        434 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,560        463      4,604        491      4,956        424 
     55 years and over.....................................       943        504        484        493        458        517 
                                                                                                                             
                      Hispanic origin                                                                                        
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    10,582        382      6,720        398      3,863        348 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,895        297      1,234        301        661        291 
   25 years and over.......................................     8,687        408      5,486        424      3,201        375 
     25 to 54 years........................................     7,947        410      5,009        430      2,938        375 
     55 years and over.....................................       740        393        477        397        263        384 

      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                                                                                    
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    III             III             III             III     
                                                                   1997            1998            1997            1998     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      28,075          28,996             $732            $766   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............      14,096          14,666              731             763   
     Professional specialty.................................      13,979          14,330              733             769   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      27,477          28,258              455             477   
     Technicians and related support........................       3,533           3,598              570             589   
     Sales occupations......................................       9,773           9,941              474             498   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      14,170          14,719              424             439   
   Service occupations......................................      10,719          11,062              312             329   
     Private household......................................         312             379              191             219   
     Protective service.....................................       2,168           2,210              539             576   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       8,238           8,472              295             309   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      11,827          12,243              560             560   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,061           4,322              590             590   
     Construction trades....................................       4,045           4,228              529             528   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       3,721           3,693              551             546   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      15,976          15,221              398             414   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       7,378           6,848              390             398   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,400           4,372              499             505   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       4,198           4,000              323             358   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,763           1,658              302             303   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      14,261          14,806              852             910   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       7,546           7,912              864             924   
     Professional specialty.................................       6,715           6,894              838             894   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      10,390          10,781              578             602   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,755           1,748              640             683   
     Sales occupations......................................       5,299           5,533              590             614   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............       3,336           3,499              520             519   
   Service occupations......................................       5,326           5,459              377             381   
     Private household......................................          18              12           (1)             (1)      
     Protective service.....................................       1,849           1,889             $565            $603   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       3,459           3,557              317             331   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      10,745          11,190              579             579   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       3,860           4,164              593             592   
     Construction trades....................................       3,956           4,136              530             533   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       2,928           2,890              602             607   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      12,245          11,702              432             457   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       4,703           4,348             $446            $465   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,136           4,066              506             513   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,406           3,288              335             372   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,525           1,441              312             304   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      13,815          14,190              632             664   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       6,550           6,754              610             631   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,264           7,436              658             705   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      17,087          17,477              409             419   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,778           1,849              501             507   
     Sales occupations......................................       4,474           4,408              354             362   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      10,835          11,220              409             421   
   Service occupations......................................       5,392           5,603              278             297   
     Private household......................................         294             367              185             219   
     Protective service.....................................         319             321              417             445   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       4,780           4,915              279             296   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................       1,082           1,053              391             404   
     Mechanics and repairers................................         201             158              542             510   
     Construction trades....................................          89              92           (1)             (1)      
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........         792             803             $355            $393   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................       3,731           3,519              310             323   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       2,675           2,501              311             320   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         264             306              351             407   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....         792             712              300             323   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................         239             217              264             291   

    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, third 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..................................    97,437       $254       $345       $520       $785     $1,151 
   Men.....................................................    55,378        276        385        593        890      1,267 
   Women...................................................    42,059        236        311        455        665        945 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    81,096        258        357        540        812      1,171 
     Men...................................................    47,142        280        396        610        918      1,315 
     Women.................................................    33,954        237        317        464        673        958 
                                                                                                                             
   Black...................................................    11,880        236        303        430        634        881 
     Men...................................................     5,727        244        316        462        667        905 
     Women.................................................     6,153        231        291        407        606        844 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic................................................    10,582        221        277        382        576        812 
     Men...................................................     6,720        231        288        398        605        889 
     Women.................................................     3,863        203        258        348        522        715 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    85,005        277        383        575        836      1,195 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,760        207        260        341        479        655 
     High school graduates, no college.....................    27,207        261        345        486        679        921 
     Some college or associate degree......................    23,572        291        392        555        767      1,024 
     College graduates, total..............................    25,466        418        590        822      1,175      1,646 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    16,857        396        546        757      1,101      1,469 
       Advanced degree.....................................     8,609        507        683        954      1,363      1,907 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    48,292        301        427        639        938      1,342 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,809        225        287        389        517        725 
       High school graduates, no college...................    15,527        295        400        576        773      1,026 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,524        320        450        637        876      1,146 
       College graduates, total............................    14,433        454        639        935      1,337      1,891 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     9,547        425        600        863      1,233      1,672 
         Advanced degree...................................     4,886        538        747      1,108      1,553      2,204 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    36,713        251        335        489        703        977 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,951        188        232        283        368        488 
       High school graduates, no college...................    11,681        236        300        400        537        697 
       Some college or associate degree....................    11,048        271        349        481        653        845 
       College graduates, total............................    11,033        394        539        721        978      1,329 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     7,309       $377       $498       $661       $910     $1,211 
         Advanced degree...................................     3,724        477        626        840      1,138      1,545 

      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                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    III             III             III             III     
                                                                   1997            1998            1997            1998     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      19,482          19,588             $156            $161   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       5,976           6,101              148             153   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,248           3,352              127             130   
       25 years and over....................................       2,728           2,749              188             203   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      13,505          13,487              159             165   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,086           4,186              121             130   
       25 years and over....................................       9,419           9,301              185             189   
                                                                                                                            
                RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      16,749          16,774              157             162   
       Men..................................................       4,933           5,055              149             154   
       Women................................................      11,817          11,720              161             167   
                                                                                                                            
     Black..................................................       1,924           2,012              146             150   
       Men..................................................         726             740              150             142   
       Women................................................       1,198           1,271              144             155   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic origin........................................       1,794           1,756              141             154   
       Men..................................................         651             626              145             164   
       Women................................................       1,143           1,130              139             149   

       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.