Technical information:  (202) 691-6378           USDL 06-696
               http://www.bls.gov/cps/
                                                 For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902           Thursday, April 20, 2006


             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            FIRST QUARTER 2006


   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 103.5 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $668 in the first quarter of 2006, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was 2.3
percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 3.6 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.  (See the Explanatory Note.)  Highlights from the first-quarter
data are:

   --Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $600 per
week, or 80.6 percent of the $744 median for men.  The female-to-male
earnings ratios were higher among blacks (93.9 percent) and Hispanics or
Latinos (86.6 percent) than among whites (79.6 percent) or Asians (71.1
percent).  (See table 1.)

   --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $577 per
week, 75.6 percent of the median for white men ($763).  The difference was
less among women, as black women's median earnings ($542) were 89.3 percent
of those for their white counterparts ($607).  Overall, median earnings of
Hispanics or Latinos who worked full time ($487) were lower than those of
blacks ($560), whites ($688), and Asians ($766).  (See table 1.)

   --Among men, those 55 to 64 years old had the highest median weekly
earnings ($910).  Among women, earnings were highest for those age 45 to
54 ($663).  (See table 2.)

   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial, professional, and related occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$1,160 for men and $816 for women.  Men and women in ser-
vice jobs earned the least.  (See table 3.)

   --Full-time workers age 25 and over without a high school diploma had
median weekly earnings of $420, compared with $592 for high school graduates
(no college) and $1,019 for college graduates holding at least a bachelor's
degree.  Among college graduates with advanced degrees (professional or mas-
ter's degree and above), the highest-earning 10 percent of male workers made
$2,899 or more per week, compared with $1,904 or more for their female coun-
terparts.  (See table 4.)

                                  - 2 -

Explanatory Note
     
     
     The estimates in this release were obtained from the Current
Population Survey (CPS), which provides the basic information on the labor
force, employment, and unemployment.  The survey is conducted monthly for
the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau from a scienti-
fically selected national sample of about 60,000 households, with coverage
in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The earnings data are 
collected from one-quarter of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to
wages and salaries.  The data, therefore, exclude self-employment income.
     
     Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired 
individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-691-5200; TDD message referral 
phone number:  1-800-877-8339.
     
Reliability
     
     Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsam-
pling error.  When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed,
there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true"
population values they represent.  The exact difference, or sampling error,
varies depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is
measured by the standard error of the estimate.  There is about a 90-percent
chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will
differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true" population value
because of sampling error.  BLS analyses are generally conducted at the
90-percent level of confidence.

     The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error.  Nonsampling error
can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the
population, inability to obtain information for all respondents in
the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct
information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data.

     For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and
information on estimating standard errors, see the "Explanatory Notes and
Estimates of Error" section of Employment and Earnings.
     
Definitions
     
     The principal definitions used in connection with the earnings series
are described briefly below.
     
     Usual weekly earnings. Data represent earnings before taxes and other
deductions and include any overtime pay, commissions, or tips usually
received (at the main job in the case of multiple jobholders.)  Prior to
1994, respondents were asked how much they usually earned per week.  Since
January 1994, respondents have been asked to identify the easiest way for
them to report earnings (hourly, weekly, biweekly, twice monthly, monthly,
annually, other) and how much they usually earn in the reported time
period.  Earnings reported on a basis other than weekly are converted to a
weekly equivalent.  The term "usual" is as perceived by the respondent.  If
the respondent asks for a definition of usual, interviewers are instructed
to define the term as more than half the weeks worked during the past 4 or
5 months.

                                  - 3 -
     
     Medians (and other quantiles) of weekly earnings. The median (or upper
limit of the second quartile) is the amount which divides a given earnings
distribution into two equal groups, one having earnings above the median
and the other having earnings below the median.  Ten percent of a given
distribution have earnings below the upper limit of the first decile (90
percent have higher earnings); 25 percent have earnings below the upper
limit of the first quartile (75 percent have higher earnings); 75 percent
have earnings below the upper limit of the third quartile (25 percent have
higher earnings); and 90 percent have earnings below the upper limit of the
ninth decile (10 percent have higher earnings).

     The estimating procedure places each reported or calculated weekly
earnings value into $50-wide intervals which are centered around multiples
of $50.  The actual value is estimated through the linear interpolation of
the interval in which the quantile boundary lies.
     
     Over-the-year changes in the medians (and other quantile boundaries)
for specific groups may not necessarily be consistent with the movements
estimated for the overall quantile boundary.  The most common reasons for
this possible anomaly are: (1) There could be a change in the relative
weights of the subgroups.  For example, the medians of both 16-to-24 year
olds and those 25 years and over may rise; but if the lower-earning 16-to-
24 group accounts for a greatly increased share of the total, the overall
median could actually fall. (2) There could be a large change in the shape
of the distribution of reported earnings, particularly near a quantile
boundary.  This could be caused by survey observations that are clustered
at rounded values, e.g., $250, $300, $400.  An estimate lying in a $50-wide
centered interval containing such a cluster or "spike" tends to change more
slowly than one in other intervals.
     
     Wage and salary workers. Workers who receive wages, salaries,
commissions, tips, payment in kind, or piece rates.  The group includes
employees in both the private and public sectors but, for the purposes of
the earnings series, excludes all self-employed persons, regardless of
whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

     Full-time workers. Workers who usually work 35 hours or more per week
at their sole or principal job.
     
     Part-time workers. Workers who usually work fewer than 35 hours per
week at their sole or principal job.
     
     Constant dollars. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
(CPI-U) is used to convert current dollars to constant (1982) dollars.
     
     Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Refers to persons who identified them-
selves in the enumeration process as being Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino.  
Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any 
race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.
 
 
 
 

 Table 1.  Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly averages,                  
 not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                              Number of workers              Median weekly earnings          
                                                                (in thousands)                                               
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                       Characteristic                                               In current dollars    In constant (1982) 
                                                                                                               dollars       
                                                                 I          I                                                
                                                               2005       2006                                               
                                                                                       I          I          I          I    
                                                                                     2005       2006       2005       2006   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................   100,884    103,469     $653       $668       $328       $324   
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    56,719     57,950      729        744        367        361   
      16 to 24 years.......................................     5,904      5,886      401        417        201        202   
      25 years and over....................................    50,815     52,065      775        793        390        385   
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    44,165     45,519      586        600        295        291   
      16 to 24 years.......................................     4,331      4,492      380        388        191        188   
      25 years and over....................................    39,834     41,027      610        624        307        303   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
        RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    82,155     83,710      677        688        340        334   
      Men..................................................    47,364     48,039      751        763        378        370   
      Women................................................    34,790     35,670      599        607        301        295   
                                                                                                                             
    Black or African American..............................    12,023     12,536      513        560        258        272   
      Men..................................................     5,722      5,920      555        577        279        280   
      Women................................................     6,301      6,616      492        542        247        263   
                                                                                                                             
    Asian..................................................     4,425      4,849      738        766        371        371   
      Men..................................................     2,403      2,695      798        932        401        452   
      Women................................................     2,022      2,154      670        663        337        322   
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic or Latino ethnicity...........................    14,040     15,285      470        487        236        237   
      Men..................................................     9,021      9,701      488        506        245        246   
      Women................................................     5,019      5,584      433        438        218        213   

    NOTE:   Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because
 data are not presented for all races.  In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of
 any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.  Beginning in January 2006, data reflect revised
 population controls used in the household survey.






 Table 2.  Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and
 sex, first quarter 2006 averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                                    Total                  Men                  Women        
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
        Age, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity           Number                Number                Number             
                                                                of       Median       of       Median       of       Median  
                                                              workers    weekly     workers    weekly     workers    weekly  
                                                                (in     earnings      (in     earnings      (in     earnings 
                                                            thousands)            thousands)            thousands)           
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
                           TOTAL                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................   103,469       $668     57,950       $744     45,519       $600 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    10,377        405      5,886        417      4,492        388 
     16 to 19 years........................................     1,382        322        815        358        567        293 
     20 to 24 years........................................     8,995        417      5,070        428      3,925        404 
   25 years and over.......................................    93,092        712     52,065        793     41,027        624 
     25 to 54 years........................................    77,717        705     43,774        778     33,943        623 
       25 to 34 years......................................    24,808        617     14,370        656     10,438        578 
       35 to 44 years......................................    26,884        748     15,459        839     11,424        646 
       45 to 54 years......................................    26,026        763     13,945        888     12,081        663 
     55 years and over.....................................    15,374        744      8,290        880      7,084        628 
       55 to 64 years......................................    13,272        763      7,049        910      6,223        648 
       65 years and over...................................     2,103        596      1,241        707        861        488 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    83,710        688     48,039        763     35,670        607 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     8,450        410      4,849        424      3,601        390 
   25 years and over.......................................    75,260        732     43,190        818     32,070        636 
     25 to 54 years........................................    62,217        726     36,025        800     26,192        637 
     55 years and over.....................................    13,043        761      7,165        903      5,878        629 
                                                                                                                             
                 Black or African American                                                                                   
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    12,536        560      5,920        577      6,616        542 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,244        364        652        356        592        375 
   25 years and over.......................................    11,292        588      5,268        616      6,024        571 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,853        584      4,602        617      5,251        560 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,439        614        666        614        773        613 
                                                                                                                             
                           Asian                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................     4,849        766      2,695        932      2,154        663 
   16 to 24 years..........................................       358        425        208        431        150        412 
   25 years and over.......................................     4,491        815      2,487        978      2,004        680 
     25 to 54 years........................................     3,830        830      2,128      1,017      1,702        673 
     55 years and over.....................................       661        727        359        775        302        710 
                                                                                                                             
                Hispanic or Latino ethnicity                                                                                 
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    15,285       $487      9,701       $506      5,584       $438 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     2,152        373      1,367        379        785        364 
   25 years and over.......................................    13,133        508      8,334        535      4,799        465 
     25 to 54 years........................................    11,841        509      7,543        533      4,298        467 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,292        508        791        552        501        435 

    NOTE:  Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because
 data are not presented for all races.  In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of
 any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.  Beginning in January 2006, data reflect revised
 population controls used in the household survey.




 Table 3.  Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, quarterly averages, 
 not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                                        Number of workers           Median weekly earnings   
                                                                          (in thousands)                                     
                        Occupation and sex                                                                                   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                          I              I              I              I      
                                                                        2005           2006            2005           2006     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
                              TOTAL                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
  Management, professional, and related occupations..............      36,935         37,912           $937           $954   
    Management, business, and financial operations occupations...      15,034         15,591          1,016          1,029   
    Professional and related occupations.........................      21,901         22,321            895            911   
  Service occupations............................................      13,467         13,981            416            419   
  Sales and office occupations...................................      24,142         25,048            570            588   
    Sales and related occupations................................       9,304         10,005            623            635   
    Office and administrative support occupations................      14,838         15,043            543            565   
  Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations...      11,218         11,739            634            650   
    Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations...................         690            611            370            405   
    Construction and extraction occupations......................       6,164          6,813            615            618   
    Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations............       4,365          4,315            712            746   
  Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....      15,122         14,790            543            552   
    Production occupations.......................................       8,475          8,252            539            545   
    Transportation and material moving occupations...............       6,646          6,538            550            562   
                                                                                                                             
                               Men                                                                                           
                                                                                                                             
  Management, professional, and related occupations..............      18,403         18,683          1,127          1,160   
    Management, business, and financial operations occupations...       8,086          8,591          1,234          1,242   
    Professional and related occupations.........................      10,317         10,092          1,048          1,119   
  Service occupations............................................       6,846          6,963            477            500   
  Sales and office occupations...................................       8,865          9,379            691            696   
    Sales and related occupations................................       5,140          5,631            772            758   
    Office and administrative support occupations................       3,726          3,748            598            620   
  Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations...      10,745         11,287            639            656   
    Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations...................         562            515            387            422   
    Construction and extraction occupations......................       6,028          6,641            616            618   
    Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations............       4,155          4,131            713            750   
  Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....      11,860         11,639            592            591   
    Production occupations.......................................       6,046          5,904            606            601   
    Transportation and material moving occupations...............       5,814          5,735            579            580   
                                                                                                                             
                              Women                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
  Management, professional, and related occupations..............      18,532         19,229            804            816   
    Management, business, and financial operations occupations...       6,948          7,000            838            851   
    Professional and related occupations.........................      11,584         12,229            784            795   
  Service occupations............................................       6,620          7,019            381            382   
  Sales and office occupations...................................      15,277         15,669            519            532   
    Sales and related occupations................................       4,164          4,373            487            492   
    Office and administrative support occupations................      11,113         11,296            527            546   
  Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations...         473            452            505            514   
    Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations...................         128             96            326            (1)     
    Construction and extraction occupations......................         136            172            592            588   
    Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations............         210            184            680            653   
  Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....       3,262          3,151            432            426   
    Production occupations.......................................       2,430          2,348            433            423   
    Transportation and material moving occupations...............         832            803            429            436   

    1 Data not shown where base is less than 100,000.
    NOTE:  Beginning in January 2006, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.



 Table 4.  Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected
 characteristics, first quarter 2006 averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                              Number                       Upper limit of:                   
                                                                of                                                           
                       Characteristic                         workers                                                        
                                                                (in       First      First     Second      Third      Ninth  
                                                            thousands)   decile    quartile   quartile   quartile    decile  
                                                                                              (median)                       
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
        SEX, RACE, AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................   103,469       $318       $445       $668     $1,030     $1,535 
   Men.....................................................    57,950        342        488        744      1,164      1,744 
   Women...................................................    45,519        299        405        600        877      1,262 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    83,710        325        460        688      1,056      1,560 
     Men...................................................    48,039        355        501        763      1,186      1,770 
     Women.................................................    35,670        301        409        607        890      1,266 
                                                                                                                             
   Black or African American...............................    12,536        289        384        560        823      1,198 
     Men...................................................     5,920        290        389        577        887      1,249 
     Women.................................................     6,616        288        380        542        775      1,135 
                                                                                                                             
   Asian...................................................     4,849        340        492        766      1,290      1,877 
     Men...................................................     2,695        360        533        932      1,451      1,999 
     Women.................................................     2,154        325        458        663      1,037      1,479 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic or Latino ethnicity............................    15,285        278        351        487        713      1,108 
     Men...................................................     9,701        290        374        506        749      1,175 
     Women.................................................     5,584        254        319        438        659        958 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    93,092        341        483        712      1,084      1,577 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,661        259        318        420        580        804 
     High school graduates, no college(1)..................    27,725        314        416        592        838      1,159 
     Some college or associate degree......................    25,492        365        492        691        988      1,375 
     Bachelor's degree and higher (2)......................    31,214        510        705      1,019      1,532      2,171 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    20,349        477        648        933      1,394      1,924 
       Advanced degree.....................................    10,865        620        846      1,215      1,772      2,505 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    52,065        375        523        793      1,224      1,826 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,859        286        356        473        623        902 
       High school graduates, no college(1)................    16,130        349        482        672        949      1,258 
       Some college or associate degree....................    13,367        405        561        792      1,139      1,514 
       Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....................    16,708        569        793      1,223      1,823      2,497 
         Bachelor's degree only............................    10,693        518        729      1,112      1,619      2,292 
         Advanced degree...................................     6,015        700        978      1,453      2,009      2,899 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    41,027        314        426        624        913      1,320 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,801        229        279        352        472        598 
       High school graduates, no college(1)................    11,595        287        372        498        674        925 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,125        332        435        603        832      1,117 
       Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....................    14,506        477        637        868      1,236      1,675 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     9,657        434        604        797      1,141      1,557 
         Advanced degree...................................     4,849        580        756        987      1,401      1,904 

   1 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
   2 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees. 
   NOTE:  Ten percent of all full-time wage and salary workers earn less than the upper limit of the first decile; 25
 percent earn less than the upper limit of the first quartile; 50 percent earn less than the upper limit of the second
 quartile, or median; 75 percent earn less than the upper limit of the third quartile; and 90 percent earn less than the
 upper limit of the ninth decile.  Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not
 sum to totals because data are not presented for all races.  In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic
 or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.  Beginning in January 2006,
 data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.


  Table 5.  Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly
  averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers             Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                        Characteristic                                                                                      
                                                                                                                            
                                                                     I               I                 I               I      
                                                                   2005            2006              2005            2006     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      22,398          22,375             $197            $200   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,951           7,241              188             188   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,404           3,731              146             147   
       25 years and over....................................       3,547           3,509              248             253   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      15,447          15,134              201             208   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,707           4,572              138             136   
       25 years and over....................................      10,740          10,562              242             250   
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
         RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      19,040          19,044              197             204   
       Men..................................................       5,851           6,099              188             191   
       Women................................................      13,190          12,944              202             211   
                                                                                                                            
     Black or African American..............................       1,948           2,032              186             173   
       Men..................................................         609             692              188             170   
       Women................................................       1,340           1,340              184             175   
                                                                                                                            
     Asian..................................................         815             783              220             219   
       Men..................................................         276             248              211             205   
       Women................................................         539             535              223             225   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic or Latino ethnicity...........................       2,497           2,590              193             197   
       Men..................................................         953           1,042              200             195   
       Women................................................       1,544           1,548              188             198   

     NOTE:   Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because
  data are not presented for all races.  In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of
  any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.  Beginning in January 2006, data reflect revised
  population controls used in the household survey.