Technical information:  (202) 606-6378     USDL 96-441
                              606-6373
                                           For release:  10:00 A.M.  EDT
Media contact:                606-5902     Thursday, October 24, 1996


             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            THIRD QUARTER 1996


   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 92.7 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $488 in the third quarter of 1996, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was 1.9
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 explanatory note.)  Highlights from the third-quarter data
are:
   
   ---Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $415 a
week, or 75.2 percent of the $552 median for men.  The female-male earnings
ratios were higher among blacks (89.6 percent) and Hispanics (88.5 percent)
than among whites (73.3 percent).  (See table 1.)
   
   ---Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $405 per
week, 70.2 percent of the median for white men ($577).  The racial
variation was much less among women, as black women's median earnings
($363) were 85.8 percent of those for their white counterparts ($423).
Overall, median earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($346) were
lower than those of blacks ($383) and whites ($502).  (See table 1.)
   
   ---The highest median weekly earnings for men who usually work full time
were in the 45- to 54-year-age group ($693), with the median for 55- to 64-
year-old men next, at $646.  Among women, the highest-earning age group
also was 45- to 54-year-olds, who had a median of $483; this was followed
by 35- to 44-year-olds, with a median of $459.  (See table 2.)
   
   ---Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial and professional specialty occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$837 for men and $614 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 $319, compared with $445 for high
school graduates (no college) and $756 for college graduates.  Among
college graduates with advanced degrees (master's degree and above), the
highest 10 percent of male workers earned more than $1,992, compared with
more than $1,417 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
 
 In  any  sample survey, variations in the data can occur by chance because
a  sample,  rather  than  the whole of the population,  is  surveyed.   The
standard error is a measure of such  potential variation.  The chances  are
about  68 out of 100 that an estimate from the survey differs from a figure
that  would  be obtained from a complete census by less than  one  standard
error.  The chances are about 90 out of 100 that such a difference would be
less  than 1.6 standard errors.  All statements of comparisons in the  text
of this release are significant at 1.6 or more standard errors.
 
 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, taxes,  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 self-employed persons whose 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 of 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                                               
                                                               1995       1996                                               
                                                                                      III        III        III        III   
                                                                                     1995       1996       1995       1996   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    90,686     92,703       $479       $488       $302       $299 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    52,228     53,000        536        552        338        338 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     6,782      6,694        304        305        192        187 
      25 years and over....................................    45,446     46,305        591        600        373        368 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    38,458     39,703        405        415        255        254 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     4,805      4,756        269        280        170        172 
      25 years and over....................................    33,653     34,947        432        443        273        272 
                                                                                                                             
               RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    76,146     77,704        495        502        312        308 
      Men..................................................    44,672     45,442        565        577        357        354 
      Women................................................    31,474     32,262        415        423        262        260 
                                                                                                                             
    Black..................................................    10,628     11,060        380        383        240        235 
      Men..................................................     5,309      5,402        406        405        256        248 
      Women................................................     5,319      5,657        358        363        226        222 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic origin........................................     9,007      9,460        333        346        210        212 
      Men..................................................     5,790      6,127        357        364        225        223 
      Women................................................     3,217      3,333        305        322        192        197 

      NOTE:   Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
 group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.  Publication of data on
 family relationship has been temporarily suspended due to editing and weighting problems associated with the redesigned
 survey. 






 Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic origin, and sex, third
 quarter 1996 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.........................................    92,703       $488     53,000       $552     39,703       $415 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    11,451        294      6,694        305      4,756        280 
     16 to 19 years........................................     2,625        233      1,625        244      1,000        219 
     20 to 24 years........................................     8,826        312      5,069        324      3,756        297 
   25 years and over.......................................    81,252        520     46,305        600     34,947        443 
     25 to 54 years........................................    72,273        519     41,171        596     31,101        447 
       25 to 34 years......................................    25,918        467     15,115        503     10,803        417 
       35 to 44 years......................................    27,092        551     15,486        630     11,606        459 
       45 to 54 years......................................    19,263        592     10,570        693      8,693        483 
     55 years and over.....................................     8,979        521      5,134        630      3,845        416 
       55 to 64 years......................................     7,921        544      4,483        646      3,439        428 
       65 years and over...................................     1,058        372        651        473        406        325 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    77,704        502     45,442        577     32,262        423 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     9,786        299      5,874        310      3,911        282 
   25 years and over.......................................    67,919        544     39,568        617     28,351        456 
     25 to 54 years........................................    60,162        544     35,069        613     25,093        462 
     55 years and over.....................................     7,757        541      4,499        650      3,258        420 
                                                                                                                             
                           Black                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    11,060        383      5,402        405      5,657        363 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,254        258        625        256        629        259 
   25 years and over.......................................     9,806        408      4,777        436      5,029        383 
     25 to 54 years........................................     8,876        407      4,331        433      4,546        383 
     55 years and over.....................................       929        417        447        465        483        386 
                                                                                                                             
                      Hispanic origin                                                                                        
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................     9,460        346      6,127        364      3,333        322 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,567        275      1,085        272        482        280 
   25 years and over.......................................     7,892        374      5,041        395      2,851        336 
     25 to 54 years........................................     7,267        373      4,649        391      2,618        341 
     55 years and over.....................................       626        383        393        443        233        300 

      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.  Publication of data on
 family relationship has been temporarily suspended due to editing and weighting problems associated with the redesigned
 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      
                                                                   1995            1996            1995            1996     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      26,443          27,291             $704            $710   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............      13,200          13,761              680             683   
     Professional specialty.................................      13,243          13,530              724             731   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      26,306          26,512              425             442   
     Technicians and related support........................       3,316           3,290              562             557   
     Sales occupations......................................       9,035           9,341              438             464   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      13,956          13,882              401             410   
   Service occupations......................................       9,885          10,484              299             302   
     Private household......................................         358             393              193             211   
     Protective service.....................................       2,048           1,947              535             577   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       7,479           8,145              277             282   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      11,323          11,271              524             545   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       3,836           3,826              552             583   
     Construction trades....................................       3,902           3,833              508             520   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       3,585           3,613              522             518   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      15,080          15,495              379             387   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       6,990           7,172              368             371   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,170           4,384              472             471   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,920           3,939              318             331   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,649           1,649              294             295   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      13,800          14,060              832             837   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       7,263           7,476              831             823   
     Professional specialty.................................       6,536           6,585              834             853   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      10,136          10,270              554             548   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,768           1,779              649             636   
     Sales occupations......................................       5,054           5,245              570             569   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............       3,314           3,246              502             495   
   Service occupations......................................       5,015           5,326              354             347   
     Private household......................................          19              24           (1)             (1)      
     Protective service.....................................       1,757           1,678             $566            $592   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       3,239           3,623              300             300   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      10,347          10,207              544             574   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       3,681           3,646              555             584   
     Construction trades....................................       3,845           3,750              510             523   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       2,821           2,811              583             593   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      11,472          11,669              409             424   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       4,362           4,369             $419            $429   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       3,926           4,102              477             486   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,184           3,198              322             342   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,457           1,468              302             304   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      12,644          13,231              611             614   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       5,937           6,286              574             575   
     Professional specialty.................................       6,707           6,945              643             653   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      16,169          16,242              380             398   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,547           1,511              468             491   
     Sales occupations......................................       3,981           4,095              319             358   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      10,641          10,636              382             395   
   Service occupations......................................       4,869           5,159              263             270   
     Private household......................................         339             368              198             213   
     Protective service.....................................         291             269              411             420   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       4,240           4,521              263             270   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................         976           1,065              349             362   
     Mechanics and repairers................................         155             180              484             562   
     Construction trades....................................          57              83           (1)             (1)      
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........         763             802             $325            $346   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................       3,608           3,826              304             308   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       2,628           2,803              303             308   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         243             282              346             324   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....         736             741              302             304   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................         192             181              247             242   

    1 Data not shown where base is less than 100,000.






 Table 4. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected
 characteristics, third quarter 1996 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..................................    92,703       $229       $317       $488       $733     $1,046 
   Men.....................................................    53,000        248        354        552        826      1,165 
   Women...................................................    39,703        212        289        415        613        863 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    77,704        234        328        502        755      1,074 
     Men...................................................    45,442        256        372        577        850      1,196 
     Women.................................................    32,262        215        295        423        623        880 
                                                                                                                             
   Black...................................................    11,060        203        272        383        575        782 
     Men...................................................     5,402        215        286        405        608        892 
     Women.................................................     5,657        194        259        363        523        719 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic................................................     9,460        190        246        346        513        758 
     Men...................................................     6,127        194        254        364        547        813 
     Women.................................................     3,333        185        233        322        459        668 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    81,252        249        350        520        771      1,098 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,337        186        236        319        450        630 
     High school graduates, no college.....................    26,686        236        314        445        623        844 
     Some college or associate degree......................    22,997        270        369        521        734        974 
     College graduates, total..............................    23,231        372        534        756      1,084      1,502 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    15,543        349        496        698        984      1,352 
       Advanced degree.....................................     7,689        454        634        918      1,268      1,767 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    46,305        279        398        600        876      1,226 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,508        197        264        362        509        711 
       High school graduates, no college...................    14,960        271        375        514        714        943 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,475        301        429        611        842      1,085 
       College graduates, total............................    13,363        396        597        865      1,225      1,701 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     8,932        378        564        792      1,125      1,501 
         Advanced degree...................................     4,430        477        685      1,011      1,447      1,992 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    34,947        227        308        443        642        898 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,829        170        209        269        344        422 
       High school graduates, no college...................    11,727        209        278        371        502        668 
       Some college or associate degree....................    10,522        244        325        445        605        782 
       College graduates, total............................     9,869        349        484        660        909      1,193 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     6,610       $325       $444       $608       $812     $1,069 
         Advanced degree...................................     3,258        439        593        792      1,072      1,417 

      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. 






  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      
                                                                   1995            1996            1995            1996     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      19,787          20,045             $145            $150   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,026           6,264              135             141   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,327           3,302              116             118   
       25 years and over....................................       2,699           2,962              169             182   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      13,761          13,781              149             155   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,149           4,279              113             116   
       25 years and over....................................       9,612           9,502              171             182   
                                                                                                                            
                RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      17,071          17,226              145             152   
       Men..................................................       5,036           5,194              133             143   
       Women................................................      12,035          12,032              151             157   
                                                                                                                            
     Black..................................................       1,949           1,968              139             138   
       Men..................................................         697             733              136             131   
       Women................................................       1,252           1,235              141             142   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic origin........................................       1,583           1,564              142             143   
       Men..................................................         601             530              150             158   
       Women................................................         981           1,034              137             138   

       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.  Publication of
  data on family relationship has been temporarily suspended due to editing and weighting problems associated with the
  redesigned survey.