Technical information:  (202) 691-6378       USDL 04-2167
               http://www.bls.gov/cps/
                                             For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902       Wednesday, October 20, 2004


   USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:  THIRD QUARTER 2004

   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 102.3 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $632 in the third quarter of 2004, 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 2.7 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 third-quarter data
are:
   
   Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $571 per week,
or 81.1 percent of the $704 median for men.  The female-to-male earnings
ratios were higher among Hispanics or Latinos (90.1 percent) and blacks
(89.1 percent) than among whites (80.9 percent) or Asians (73.5 percent).
(See table 1.)
   
   Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $570 per
week, 79.1 percent of the median for white men ($721).  The difference was
less among women, as black women's median earnings ($508) were 87.1 percent
of those for their white counterparts ($583).  Overall, median earnings of
Hispanics or Latinos who worked full time ($458) were lower than those of
blacks ($531), whites ($651), and Asians ($701).  (See table 1.)
   
   Among men, those age 45 to 54 and age 55 to 64 had the highest median
weekly earnings, $859 and $828, respectively.  Among women, earnings also
were highest for these two age groups--$629 for 45- to 54-year olds and
$607 for 55- to 64-year olds.  (See table 2.)
   
   Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in mana-
gerial, professional, and related occupations had the highest median weekly
earnings--$1,111 for men and $776 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 $399, compared with $574 for high school grad-
uates (no college) and $984 for college graduates holding at least a bach-
elor's degree.  Among college graduates with advanced degrees (profession-
al or master's degree and above), the highest-earning 10 percent of male
workers made $2,881 or more per week, compared with $1,890 or more for
their female counterparts.  (See table 4.)





Explanatory Note
     
     
     The estimates in this release were obtained from the Current
Population Survey (CPS), which provides the basic information on the labor
force, employment, and unemployment.  The survey is conducted monthly for
the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the 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.
     
     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).

                                  - 2 -

     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       
                                                                III        III                                               
                                                               2003       2004                                               
                                                                                        III        III        III        III   
                                                                                       2003       2004       2003       2004   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................   101,372    102,325       $618       $632       $323       $322 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    57,175     57,898        689        704        360        358 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     6,746      6,865        396        400        207        204 
      25 years and over....................................    50,429     51,033        742        759        388        386 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    44,197     44,427        550        571        288        291
      16 to 24 years.......................................     5,018      5,083        366        371        191        189 
      25 years and over....................................    39,180     39,344        585        602        306        306 
                                                                                                                             
        RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    82,828     83,367        633        651        331        331 
      Men..................................................    47,815     48,172        708        721        370        367 
      Women................................................    35,012     35,195        569        583        297        297 
                                                                                                                             
    Black or African American..............................    11,984     12,136        509        531        266        270 
      Men..................................................     5,654      5,757        568        570        297        290 
      Women................................................     6,330      6,379        478        508        250        258 
                                                                                                                             
    Asian..................................................     4,382      4,408        692        701        362        357 
      Men..................................................     2,500      2,581        762        801        399        408 
      Women................................................     1,882      1,827        592        589        310        300 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic or Latino.....................................    13,805     14,263        444        458        232        233 
      Men..................................................     8,761      9,155        463        477        242        243 
      Women................................................     5,044      5,108        414        430        216        219 

    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 2004, 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, third quarter 2004 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.........................................   102,325       $632     57,898       $704     44,427       $571 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    11,948        387      6,865        400      5,083        371 
     16 to 19 years........................................     2,159        300      1,336        310        823        279 
     20 to 24 years........................................     9,789        410      5,529        431      4,260        390 
   25 years and over.......................................    90,377        681     51,033        759     39,344        602 
     25 to 54 years........................................    76,721        680     43,519        753     33,203        603 
       25 to 34 years......................................    25,016        610     14,584        643     10,432        575 
       35 to 44 years......................................    26,780        708     15,387        802     11,393        607 
       45 to 54 years......................................    24,925        740     13,547        859     11,377        629 
     55 years and over.....................................    13,656        689      7,515        800      6,141        596 
       55 to 64 years......................................    11,874        711      6,478        828      5,395        607 
       65 years and over...................................     1,782        575      1,036        623        746        484 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    83,367        651     48,172        721     35,195        583 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     9,843        389      5,811        403      4,032        371 
   25 years and over.......................................    73,524        701     42,361        781     31,163        613 
     25 to 54 years........................................    61,864        699     35,867        774     25,997        613 
     55 years and over.....................................    11,660        714      6,494        832      5,166        612 
                                                                                                                             
                 Black or African American                                                                                   
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    12,136        531      5,757        570      6,379        508 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,311        374        630        380        682        366 
   25 years and over.......................................    10,824        567      5,127        599      5,697        524 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,543        575      4,526        602      5,017        536 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,282        515        601        573        680        482 
                                                                                                                             
                           Asian                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................     4,408        701      2,581        801      1,827        589 
   16 to 24 years..........................................       420        414        201        501        219        392 
   25 years and over.......................................     3,987        743      2,379        848      1,608        615 
     25 to 54 years........................................     3,511        753      2,094        855      1,417        627 
     55 years and over.....................................       476        696        286        798        190        524 
                                                                                                                             
                     Hispanic or Latino                                                                                      
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    14,263        458      9,155        477      5,108        430 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     2,263        328      1,524        329        739        325 
   25 years and over.......................................    12,000        488      7,631        502      4,369        456 
     25 to 54 years........................................    10,909        487      6,980        501      3,929        455 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,091        502        652        528        440        463 

    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 2004, 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                                                                                    
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    III             III               III             III     
                                                                   2003            2004              2003            2004     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial, professional, and related occupations........      35,663          35,684             $883            $916   
     Management, business, and financial operations                                                                         
      occupations...........................................      14,388          14,421              951             958   
     Professional and related occupations...................      21,276          21,263              840             886   
   Service occupations......................................      13,996          14,188              400             411   
   Sales and office occupations.............................      25,199          25,399              544             566   
     Sales and related occupations..........................      10,003          10,056              598             598   
     Office and administrative support occupations..........      15,196          15,343              524             549   
   Natural resources, construction, and maintenance                                                                         
    occupations.............................................      11,344          11,680              600             613   
     Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.............         783             777              398             363   
     Construction and extraction occupations................       6,378           6,635              586             602   
     Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations......       4,182           4,268              679             693   
   Production, transportation, and material moving                                                                          
    occupations.............................................      15,170          15,375              527             520   
     Production occupations.................................       8,790           8,561              526             519   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       6,380           6,814              529             521   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial, professional, and related occupations........      17,799          17,719            1,056           1,111   
     Management, business, and financial operations                                                                         
      occupations...........................................       8,070           7,926            1,112           1,169   
     Professional and related occupations...................       9,728           9,793            1,018           1,051   
   Service occupations......................................       7,112           7,188              451             470   
   Sales and office occupations.............................       9,583           9,691              647             668   
     Sales and related occupations..........................       5,653           5,701              728             733   
     Office and administrative support occupations..........       3,930           3,990              571             606   
   Natural resources, construction, and maintenance                                                                         
    occupations.............................................      10,870          11,247              604             618   
     Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.............         648             655              408             366   
     Construction and extraction occupations................       6,224           6,523              587             603   
     Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations......       3,998           4,068              681             699   
   Production, transportation, and material moving                                                                          
    occupations.............................................      11,811          12,054              579             575   
     Production occupations.................................       6,210           6,058              595             591   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       5,601           5,995              549             548   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial, professional, and related occupations........      17,865          17,965              755             776   
     Management, business, and financial operations                                                                         
      occupations...........................................       6,317           6,494              808             799   
     Professional and related occupations...................      11,547          11,470              731             767   
   Service occupations......................................       6,883           7,001              361             382   
   Sales and office occupations.............................      15,616          15,708              501             516   
     Sales and related occupations..........................       4,350           4,355              428             456   
     Office and administrative support occupations..........      11,266          11,354              516             533   
   Natural resources, construction, and maintenance                                                                         
    occupations.............................................         474             433              488             434   
     Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.............         135             121              327             357   
     Construction and extraction occupations................         154             112              510             569   
     Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations......         185             199              639             506   
   Production, transportation, and material moving                                                                          
    occupations.............................................       3,359           3,321              414             398   
     Production occupations.................................       2,579           2,502              400             394   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         780             819              477             406   

     NOTE:  Beginning in January 2004, 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, third quarter 2004 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..................................   102,325       $303       $419       $632       $970     $1,461 
   Men.....................................................    57,898        319        463        704      1,089      1,641 
   Women...................................................    44,427        287        388        571        831      1,183 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    83,367        307        429        651        990      1,489 
     Men...................................................    48,172        323        478        721      1,119      1,668 
     Women.................................................    35,195        290        393        583        845      1,208 
                                                                                                                             
   Black or African American...............................    12,136        285        379        531        773      1,122 
     Men...................................................     5,757        297        393        570        832      1,214 
     Women.................................................     6,379        278        365        508        729      1,033 
                                                                                                                             
   Asian...................................................     4,408        316        428        701      1,143      1,757 
     Men...................................................     2,581        338        495        801      1,356      1,908 
     Women.................................................     1,827        292        384        589        925      1,339 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic or Latino......................................    14,263        267        322        458        685      1,017 
     Men...................................................     9,155        277        332        477        695      1,055 
     Women.................................................     5,108        251        310        430        661        962 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    90,377        325        462        681      1,019      1,527 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,484        249        305        399        540        771 
     High school graduates, no college(1)..................    27,171        307        409        574        792      1,097 
     Some college or associate degree......................    25,322        344        478        661        935      1,283 
     Bachelor's degree and higher(2).......................    29,400        492        689        984      1,469      2,018 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    19,437        462        636        908      1,344      1,889 
       Advanced degree.....................................     9,963        606        823      1,159      1,735      2,392 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    51,033        357        506        759      1,153      1,735 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,709        275        330        442        603        865 
       High school graduates, no college(1)................    15,770        339        459        634        899      1,219 
       Some college or associate degree....................    13,195        390        547        763      1,072      1,476 
       Bachelor's degree and higher(2).....................    16,360        537        766      1,136      1,694      2,310 
         Bachelor's degree only............................    10,791        500        715      1,024      1,538      2,078 
         Advanced degree...................................     5,568        649        934      1,380      1,904      2,881 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    39,344        301        412        602        873      1,232 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,775        227        275        334        421        541 
       High school graduates, no college(1)................    11,401        283        367        491        660        885 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,127        317        417        580        777      1,039 
       Bachelor's degree and higher(2).....................    13,040        458        625        859      1,186      1,645 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     8,646        429        588        790      1,100      1,495 
         Advanced degree...................................     4,394        575        735        983      1,378      1,890 

   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 2004,
 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                                                                                      
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    III             III               III             III     
                                                                   2003            2004              2003            2004     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      20,907          21,403             $199            $199   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,428           6,774              189             190   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,295           3,407              153             159   
       25 years and over....................................       3,134           3,367              241             232   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      14,478          14,629              205             203   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,457           4,423              153             152   
       25 years and over....................................      10,022          10,206              235             236   
                                                                                                                            
         RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      17,637          18,038              200             200   
       Men..................................................       5,369           5,629              190             186   
       Women................................................      12,268          12,408              205             206   
                                                                                                                            
     Black or African American..............................       1,954           2,026              187             189   
       Men..................................................         651             702              178             191   
       Women................................................       1,302           1,324              191             188   
                                                                                                                            
     Asian..................................................         807             842              227             217   
       Men..................................................         219             275              173             231   
       Women................................................         588             567              251             206   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic or Latino.....................................       2,365           2,416              195             189   
       Men..................................................         830             808              200             192   
       Women................................................       1,535           1,607              193             187   

     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 2004, data reflect revised
  population controls used in the household survey.