Technical information:  (202) 691-6378         USDL 02-224
               http://www.bls.gov/cps/
                                               For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902         Wednesday, April 17, 2002
                                     

             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            FIRST QUARTER 2002


   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 97.2 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $614 in the first quarter of 2002, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was 
3.7 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 1.3 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 $535 per
week, or 77.8 percent of the $688 median for men.  The female-to-male
earnings ratios were higher among blacks (91.8 percent) and Hispanics 
(85.1 percent) than among whites (77.5 percent).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $538 per
week, 76.0 percent of the median for white men ($708).  The difference was
much less among women, as black women's median earnings ($494) were 
90.0 percent of those for their white counterparts ($549).  Overall, median
earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($421) were lower than those of
blacks ($511) and whites ($629).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Among men, the $810 median weekly earnings of 45- to 54-year-olds was
the highest of any age group.  Men age 55 to 64 had the second-highest
earnings ($795).  Among women, earnings also were highest for those 45 to
54 years old ($605) and second highest for 55- to 64-year-olds ($581).
(See table 2.)
   
   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial and professional specialty occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$1,053 for men and $760 for women.  Men and women in
service and farm jobs earned the least.  (See table 3.)
   
   --Full-time workers age 25 and over without a high school diploma had
median weekly earnings of $386, compared with $536 for high school graduates 
(no college) and $940 for college graduates.  Among college graduates with 
advanced degrees (professional or master's degree and above), the highest-
earning 10 percent of male workers made $2,716 or more per week, compared 
with $1,751 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 the February 1994 and subsequent issues of
Employment and Earnings.
     
Definitions
     
     The principal definitions used in connection with the earnings series
are described briefly below.
     
     Usual weekly earnings. Data represent earnings before taxes and other
deductions and include any overtime pay, commissions, or tips usually
received (at the main job in the case of multiple jobholders.)  Prior to
1994, respondents were asked how much they usually earned per week.  Since
January 1994, respondents have been asked to identify the easiest way for
them to report earnings (hourly, weekly, biweekly, twice monthly, monthly,
annually, other) and how much they usually earn in the reported time
period.  Earnings reported on a basis other than weekly are converted to a
weekly equivalent.  The term "usual" is as perceived by the respondent.  If
the respondent asks for a definition of usual, interviewers are instructed
to define the term as more than half the weeks worked during the past 4 or
5 months.
     
     Medians (and other quantiles) of weekly earnings. The median (or upper
limit of the second quartile) is the amount which divides a given earnings
distribution into two equal groups, one having earnings above the median
and the other having earnings below the median.  Ten percent of a given
distribution have earnings below the upper limit of the first decile (90
percent have higher earnings); 25 percent have earnings below the upper
limit of the first quartile (75 percent have higher earnings); 75 percent
have earnings below the upper limit of the third quartile (25 percent have
higher earnings); and 90 percent have earnings below the upper limit of the
ninth decile (10 percent have higher earnings).

                                  - 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 origin. Refers to persons who are of Mexican, Puerto Rican,
Cuban, Central or South  American, or other Hispanic origin or descent.
Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race; hence, they are included in
the numbers for the white and black populations.
Table 1. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly averages,
not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                                Number of workers              Median weekly earnings          
                                                                 (in thousands)                                               
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                       Characteristic                                                 In current dollars    In constant (1982) 
                                                                                                                 dollars       
                                                                  I          I                                                
                                                                2001       2002                                               
                                                                                         I          I          I          I    
                                                                                       2001       2002       2001       2002   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    99,054     97,165       $592       $614       $325       $333 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    55,382     54,188        668        688        367        373 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     6,195      5,640        384        410        211        222 
      25 years and over....................................    49,187     48,548        718        734        394        398 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    43,673     42,977        508        535        279        290 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     4,831      4,521        358        375        197        204 
      25 years and over....................................    38,842     38,456        535        574        294        311 
                                                                                                                             
               RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    81,758     80,357        610        629        335        341 
      Men..................................................    46,862     45,739        695        708        381        384 
      Women................................................    34,896     34,618        520        549        286        298 
                                                                                                                             
    Black..................................................    12,527     12,101        477        511        262        277 
      Men..................................................     5,899      5,820        505        538        277        291 
      Women................................................     6,628      6,281        440        494        241        268 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic origin........................................    11,627     11,582        407        421        223        228 
      Men..................................................     7,083      7,067        424        456        233        247 
      Women................................................     4,543      4,515        377        388        207        210 

      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.






 Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic origin, and sex, 
 first quarter 2002 averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                                    Total                  Men                  Women        
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
               Age, race, and Hispanic origin                 Number                Number                Number             
                                                                of       Median       of       Median       of       Median  
                                                              workers    weekly     workers    weekly     workers    weekly  
                                                                (in     earnings      (in     earnings      (in     earnings 
                                                            thousands)            thousands)            thousands)           
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                           TOTAL                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    97,165       $614     54,188       $688     42,977       $535 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    10,160        393      5,640        410      4,521        375 
     16 to 19 years........................................     1,605        316        916        331        689        301 
     20 to 24 years........................................     8,555        408      4,724        425      3,832        390 
   25 years and over.......................................    87,004        649     48,548        734     38,456        574 
     25 to 54 years........................................    75,161        649     42,042        730     33,119        575 
       25 to 34 years......................................    23,583        598     13,444        635     10,139        543 
       35 to 44 years......................................    28,021        667     15,882        759     12,139        565 
       45 to 54 years......................................    23,557        707     12,715        810     10,842        605 
     55 years and over.....................................    11,843        650      6,506        770      5,337        567 
       55 to 64 years......................................    10,337        671      5,607        795      4,730        581 
       65 years and over...................................     1,506        494        899        524        607        435 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    80,357        629     45,739        708     34,618        549 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     8,602        398      4,870        416      3,732        378 
   25 years and over.......................................    71,756        669     40,870        755     30,886        584 
     25 to 54 years........................................    61,540        669     35,186        749     26,355        584 
     55 years and over.....................................    10,215        671      5,684        799      4,531        579 
                                                                                                                             
                           Black                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    12,101        511      5,820        538      6,281        494 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,133        356        580        349        554        367 
   25 years and over.......................................    10,968        534      5,240        575      5,728        511 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,778        535      4,665        577      5,113        512 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,190        522        575        555        614        499 
                                                                                                                             
                      Hispanic origin                                                                                        
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    11,582        421      7,067        456      4,515        388 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,918        343      1,197        349        721        332 
   25 years and over.......................................     9,664        456      5,870        491      3,794        404 
     25 to 54 years........................................     8,701        452      5,278        491      3,422        399 
     55 years and over.....................................       964        485        592        488        372        479 

      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.






  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      
                                                                   2001            2002              2001            2002     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      31,990          32,099             $853            $887   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............      15,754          15,823              865             901   
     Professional specialty.................................      16,236          16,276              844             875   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      28,412          27,277              519             550   
     Technicians and related support........................       3,715           3,506              660             691   
     Sales occupations......................................      10,239           9,745              579             603   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      14,458          14,026              483             502   
   Service occupations......................................      11,025          11,196              367             378   
     Private household......................................         380             302              265             267   
     Protective service.....................................       2,101           2,314              613             665   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       8,544           8,580              330             347   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      12,120          11,407              622             644   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,143           3,994              654             679   
     Construction trades....................................       4,405           4,228              603             623   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       3,572           3,185              619             627   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      14,312          13,872              454             486   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       6,220           5,608              446             485   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,108           4,376              556             574   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,984           3,888              390             400   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,196           1,315              370             359   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      16,179          15,843            1,029           1,053   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       8,331           8,263            1,059           1,091   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,848           7,580            1,009           1,021   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      10,708          10,400              681             691   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,905           1,717              796             851   
     Sales occupations......................................       5,617           5,426              725             727   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............       3,186           3,257              583             580   
   Service occupations......................................       5,420           5,474              429             442   
     Private household......................................          23              14           (1)             (1)      
     Protective service.....................................       1,755           1,881              639             721   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       3,642           3,579              366             372   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      11,016          10,479              643             656   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       3,921           3,781              661             683   
     Construction trades....................................       4,324           4,154              605             623   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       2,771           2,544              684             671   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      11,022          10,932              491             516   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       4,030           3,776              504             532   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       3,731           4,046              576             585   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,261           3,111              405             411   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,036           1,059              376             370   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      15,811          16,255              731             760   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       7,423           7,559              710             741   
     Professional specialty.................................       8,387           8,696              745             774   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      17,704          16,877              469             487   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,810           1,788              556             584   
     Sales occupations......................................       4,622           4,320              423             445   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      11,272          10,769              464             485   
   Service occupations......................................       5,605           5,722              319             332   
     Private household......................................         357             288              269             264   
     Protective service.....................................         346             433              483             470   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       4,902           5,000              317             328   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................       1,104             928              466             495   
     Mechanics and repairers................................         222             213              556             591   
     Construction trades....................................          81              74           (1)             (1)      
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........         801             640              432             454   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................       3,290           2,939              361             388   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       2,190           1,832              368             393   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         377             330              412             440   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....         723             777              317             363   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................         159             256              344             314   

    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, first quarter 2002 averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                               Number                           Upper limit of:                   
                                                                 of                                                           
                       Characteristic                          workers                                                        
                                                                 (in        First     First      Second    Third      Ninth  
                                                             thousands)    decile    quartile   quartile  quartile    decile  
                                                                                                (median)                       
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
               SEX, RACE, AND HISPANIC ORIGIN                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    97,165       $295       $407       $614       $926     $1,377 
   Men.....................................................    54,188        319        455        688      1,031      1,559 
   Women...................................................    42,977        275        370        535        781      1,115 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    80,357        300        417        629        948      1,425 
     Men...................................................    45,739        326        474        708      1,063      1,589 
     Women.................................................    34,618        278        378        549        793      1,133 
                                                                                                                             
   Black...................................................    12,101        276        357        511        757      1,067 
     Men...................................................     5,820        287        378        538        803      1,140 
     Women.................................................     6,281        263        337        494        711      1,010 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic................................................    11,582        244        307        421        631        916 
     Men...................................................     7,067        263        322        456        685        978 
     Women.................................................     4,515        224        286        388        576        775 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    87,004        308        433        649        969      1,443 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,081        234        291        386        524        733 
     High school graduates, no college.....................    26,478        291        386        536        756      1,020 
     Some college or associate degree......................    24,549        326        447        633        897      1,200 
     College graduates, total..............................    27,896        483        663        940      1,401      1,975 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    18,329        454        622        879      1,284      1,852 
       Advanced degree.....................................     9,567        573        752      1,065      1,593      2,315 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    48,548        342        493        734      1,096      1,625 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,203        255        319        418        594        798 
       High school graduates, no college...................    15,083        321        438        617        857      1,143 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,936        370        509        723        999      1,350 
       College graduates, total............................    15,326        549        752      1,103      1,632      2,319 
         Bachelor's degree only............................    10,019        519        724      1,018      1,510      2,086 
         Advanced degree...................................     5,307        610        849      1,253      1,878      2,716 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    38,456        283        388        574        816      1,151 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,878        200        258        318        418        556 
       High school graduates, no college...................    11,395        261        338        456        613        808 
       Some college or associate degree....................    11,613        300        399        556        759      1,016 
       College graduates, total............................    12,570        426        597        799      1,102      1,555 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     8,310        397        562        752      1,026      1,448 
         Advanced degree...................................     4,260        524        688        914      1,274      1,751 

     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)                                        
                        Characteristic                                                                                      
                                                                                                                            
                                                                     I               I                 I               I      
                                                                   2001            2002              2001            2002     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      21,431          21,658             $175            $179   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,799           6,957              163             170   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,696           3,731              129             143   
       25 years and over....................................       3,103           3,226              221             219   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      14,632          14,701              181             184   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,752           4,700              127             133   
       25 years and over....................................       9,880          10,001              214             215   
                                                                                                                            
                RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      18,488          18,564              175             180   
       Men..................................................       5,654           5,796              163             170   
       Women................................................      12,835          12,767              182             186   
                                                                                                                            
     Black..................................................       1,959           2,061              170             168   
       Men..................................................         737             754              151             168   
       Women................................................       1,222           1,306              181             168   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic origin........................................       2,027           2,166              175             184   
       Men..................................................         716             716              174             190   
       Women................................................       1,310           1,451              176             181   

       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.