Technical information:       (202) 691-6378      USDL 05-689
                    http://www.bls.gov/cps/
                                                 For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                     691-5902      Thursday, April 21, 2005


   USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:  FIRST QUARTER 2005
   
   
   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 100.9 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $653 in the first quarter of 2005, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was 3.0
percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 3.0 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 $586 per
week, or 80.4 percent of the $729 median for men.  The female-to-male
earnings ratios were higher among Hispanics or Latinos (88.7 percent)
and blacks (88.6 percent) than among Asians (84.0 percent) or whites
(79.8 percent).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $555 per
week, 73.9 percent of the median for white men ($751).  The difference was
less among women, as black women's median earnings ($492) were 82.1 percent
of those for their white counterparts ($599).  Overall, median earnings of
Hispanics or Latinos who worked full time ($470) were lower than those of
blacks ($513), whites ($677), and Asians ($738).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Among men, the highest median weekly earnings were for those age 55
to 64 and age 45 to 54, $877 and $853, respectively.  Among women, earnings
were highest for 45- to 54-year olds ($657).  (See table 2.)
   
   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial, professional, and related occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$1,127 for men and $804 for women.  Men and women in
service jobs earned the least.  (See table 3.)
   
   --Full-time workers age 25 and over without a high school diploma had
median weekly earnings of $404, compared with $579 for high school graduates
(no college) and $1,013 for college graduates 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 $2,896 or more per week, compared with $1,902 or more for their female
counterparts.  (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                                                
                                                               2004       2005                                               
                                                                                       I          I          I          I    
                                                                                     2004       2005       2004       2005   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    99,720    100,884     $634       $653       $328       $328   
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    55,888     56,719      711        729        368        367   
      16 to 24 years.......................................     5,762      5,904      410        401        212        201   
      25 years and over....................................    50,126     50,815      757        775        392        390   
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    43,832     44,165      567        586        294        295   
      16 to 24 years.......................................     4,342      4,331      387        380        200        191   
      25 years and over....................................    39,490     39,834      592        610        307        307   
                                                                                                                             
        RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    81,271     82,155      652        677        338        340   
      Men..................................................    46,562     47,364      729        751        378        378   
      Women................................................    34,709     34,790      580        599        300        301   
                                                                                                                             
    Black or African American..............................    11,796     12,023      521        513        270        258   
      Men..................................................     5,585      5,722      567        555        293        279   
      Women................................................     6,211      6,301      498        492        258        247   
                                                                                                                             
    Asian..................................................     4,440      4,425      712        738        369        371   
      Men..................................................     2,489      2,403      790        798        409        401   
      Women................................................     1,951      2,022      615        670        318        337   
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic or Latino.....................................    13,648     14,040      450        470        233        236   
      Men..................................................     8,678      9,021      478        488        248        245   
      Women................................................     4,970      5,019      417        433        216        218   

    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 2005, 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 2005 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.........................................   100,884       $653     56,719       $729     44,165       $586 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    10,235        392      5,904        401      4,331        380 
     16 to 19 years........................................     1,279        311        771        313        507        307 
     20 to 24 years........................................     8,956        403      5,132        411      3,824        392 
   25 years and over.......................................    90,649        696     50,815        775     39,834        610 
     25 to 54 years........................................    76,404        691     43,061        765     33,344        610 
       25 to 34 years......................................    24,515        610     14,264        658     10,250        556 
       35 to 44 years......................................    26,509        725     15,193        828     11,315        617 
       45 to 54 years......................................    25,381        751     13,603        853     11,778        657 
     55 years and over.....................................    14,245        730      7,755        851      6,490        609 
       55 to 64 years......................................    12,423        746      6,687        877      5,735        622 
       65 years and over...................................     1,822        553      1,067        655        755        481 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    82,155        677     47,364        751     34,790        599 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     8,340        399      4,948        409      3,391        384 
   25 years and over.......................................    73,815        723     42,416        805     31,399        623 
     25 to 54 years........................................    61,767        716     35,762        790     26,005        624 
     55 years and over.....................................    12,048        751      6,654        884      5,394        619 
                                                                                                                             
                 Black or African American                                                                                   
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    12,023        513      5,722        555      6,301        492 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,253        338        597        322        655        348 
   25 years and over.......................................    10,770        540      5,124        591      5,646        506 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,381        539      4,472        594      4,909        503 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,389        548        652        556        737        542 
                                                                                                                             
                           Asian                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................     4,425        738      2,403        798      2,022        670 
   16 to 24 years..........................................       290        411        168        405        121        419 
   25 years and over.......................................     4,135        775      2,235        853      1,900        694 
     25 to 54 years........................................     3,548        784      1,900        876      1,648        715 
     55 years and over.....................................       587        743        335        810        252        532 
                                                                                                                             
                     Hispanic or Latino                                                                                      
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    14,040       $470      9,021        488      5,019        433 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,997        337      1,377        332        620        349 
   25 years and over.......................................    12,043        498      7,644        515      4,398        454 
     25 to 54 years........................................    10,899        499      6,959        515      3,940        456 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,144        485        686        517        458        437 

    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 2005, 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      
                                                                       2004           2005             2004           2005     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
                              TOTAL                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
  Managerial, professional, and related occupations..............      36,362         36,935           $914           $937   
    Management, business, and financial operations occupations...      15,047         15,034            982          1,016   
    Professional and related occupations.........................      21,315         21,901            865            895   
  Service occupations............................................      12,985         13,467            410            416   
  Sales and office occupations...................................      24,705         24,142            555            570   
    Sales and related occupations................................       9,978          9,304            605            623   
    Office and administrative support occupations................      14,726         14,838            532            543   
  Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations...      10,617         11,218            629            634   
    Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations...................         637            690            327            370   
    Construction and extraction occupations......................       5,641          6,164            608            615   
    Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations............       4,340          4,365            713            712   
  Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....      15,052         15,122            519            543   
    Production occupations.......................................       8,588          8,475            522            539   
    Transportation and material moving occupations...............       6,465          6,646            515            550   
                                                                                                                             
                               Men                                                                                           
                                                                                                                             
  Managerial, professional, and related occupations..............      18,013         18,403          1,099          1,127   
    Management, business, and financial operations occupations...       8,277          8,086          1,168          1,234   
    Professional and related occupations.........................       9,736         10,317          1,037          1,048   
  Service occupations............................................       6,510          6,846            476            477   
  Sales and office occupations...................................       9,380          8,865            656            691   
    Sales and related occupations................................       5,620          5,140            741            772   
    Office and administrative support occupations................       3,759          3,726            566            598   
  Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations...      10,240         10,745            635            639   
    Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations...................         505            562            345            387   
    Construction and extraction occupations......................       5,543          6,028            608            616   
    Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations............       4,192          4,155            712            713   
  Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....      11,745         11,860            575            592   
    Production occupations.......................................       6,118          6,046            594            606   
    Transportation and material moving occupations...............       5,627          5,814            538            579   
                                                                                                                             
                              Women                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
  Managerial, professional, and related occupations..............      18,349         18,532            767            804   
    Management, business, and financial operations occupations...       6,769          6,948            809            838   
    Professional and related occupations.........................      11,579         11,584            750            784   
  Service occupations............................................       6,475          6,620            375            381   
  Sales and office occupations...................................      15,325         15,277            515            519   
    Sales and related occupations................................       4,358          4,164            476            487   
    Office and administrative support occupations................      10,967         11,113            523            527   
  Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations...         377            473            460            505   
    Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations...................         132            128            306            326   
    Construction and extraction occupations......................          98            136          (1)              592   
    Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations............         147            210            724            680   
  Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....       3,308          3,262            404            432   
    Production occupations.......................................       2,469          2,430            400            433   
    Transportation and material moving occupations...............         838            832            413            429   

   1 Data not shown where base is less than 100,000.
   NOTE:  Beginning in January 2005, 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 2005 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..................................   100,884       $312       $433       $653       $999     $1,509 
   Men.....................................................    56,719        331        478        729      1,130      1,692 
   Women...................................................    44,165        294        400        586        856      1,244 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    82,155        319        452        677      1,028      1,542 
     Men...................................................    47,364        341        492        751      1,154      1,735 
     Women.................................................    34,790        300        411        599        871      1,257 
                                                                                                                             
   Black or African American...............................    12,023        284        367        513        764      1,127 
     Men...................................................     5,722        293        386        555        854      1,208 
     Women.................................................     6,301        276        351        492        714        996 
                                                                                                                             
   Asian...................................................     4,425        330        474        738      1,160      1,753 
     Men...................................................     2,403        364        499        798      1,310      1,884 
     Women.................................................     2,022        308        422        670      1,046      1,544 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic or Latino......................................    14,040        277        332        470        695      1,033 
     Men...................................................     9,021        283        345        488        732      1,079 
     Women.................................................     5,019        262        315        433        639        927 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    90,649        333        473        696      1,050      1,558 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,427        257        309        404        578        789 
     High school graduates, no college(1)..................    26,777        311        412        579        799      1,084 
     Some college or associate degree......................    25,074        357        484        667        956      1,319 
     Bachelor's degree and higher(2).......................    30,372        496        704      1,013      1,529      2,099 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    19,587        470        643        931      1,395      1,908 
       Advanced degree.....................................    10,785        602        840      1,176      1,744      2,476 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    50,815        367        512        775      1,173      1,756 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,640        281        334        449        641        886 
       High school graduates, no college(1)................    15,388        350        475        644        913      1,198 
       Some college or associate degree....................    13,219        398        540        769      1,088      1,447 
       Bachelor's degree and higher(2).....................    16,569        560        792      1,171      1,755      2,407 
         Bachelor's degree only............................    10,653        511        734      1,081      1,617      2,205 
         Advanced degree...................................     5,916        675        937      1,401      1,918      2,896 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    39,834        307        421        610        890      1,278 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,786        228        279        341        430        597 
       High school graduates, no college(1)................    11,389        286        369        496        667        857 
       Some college or associate degree....................    11,855        326        434        587        791      1,084 
       Bachelor's degree and higher(2).....................    13,804        465        628        877      1,235      1,721 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     8,934        439        587        798      1,144      1,556 
         Advanced degree...................................     4,870        563        752      1,003      1,403      1,902 

   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 2005,
 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      
                                                                   2004            2005              2004            2005     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      22,127          22,398             $192            $197   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       7,057           6,951              180             188   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,624           3,404              140             146   
       25 years and over....................................       3,433           3,547              240             248   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      15,071          15,447              198             201   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,614           4,707              136             138   
       25 years and over....................................      10,457          10,740              232             242   
                                                                                                                            
         RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      18,665          19,040              194             197   
       Men..................................................       5,813           5,851              179             188   
       Women................................................      12,852          13,190              200             202   
                                                                                                                            
     Black or African American..............................       2,098           1,948              191             186   
       Men..................................................         721             609              200             188   
       Women................................................       1,377           1,340              189             184   
                                                                                                                            
     Asian..................................................         856             815              168             220   
       Men..................................................         342             276              161             211   
       Women................................................         514             539              175             223   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic or Latino.....................................       2,338           2,497              195             193   
       Men..................................................         825             953              203             200   
       Women................................................       1,513           1,544              190             188   

     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 2005, data reflect revised
  population controls used in the household survey.