For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Tuesday, January 24, 2012 USDL-12-0092 

Technical information: (202) 691-6378 • cpsinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/cps 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov 

USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS

FOURTH QUARTER 2011

Median weekly earnings of the nation's 101.5 million full-time wage and salary workers were $764 in 

the fourth quarter of 2011 (not seasonally adjusted), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. 

This was 1.6 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 3.3 percent in the Consumer 

Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the same period. 

Data on usual weekly 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 Technical Note.) Data shown in this release are not seasonally 

adjusted unless otherwise specified. Highlights from the fourth-quarter data are: 

 Seasonally adjusted median weekly earnings were $762 in the fourth quarter of 2011, little 

changed from the previous quarter ($758). (See table 1.) 

 On a not seasonally adjusted basis, median weekly earnings were $764 in the fourth quarter of 

2011. Women who usually worked full time had median weekly earnings of $688, or 81.6 

percent of the $843 median for men. (See table 2.) 

 The female-to-male earnings ratio varied by race and ethnicity. White women earned 81.4 

percent as much as their male counterparts, compared with black (91.1 percent), Asian (80.3 

percent), and Hispanic women (90.4 percent). (See table 2.) 

 Among the major race and ethnicity groups, median weekly earnings for black men working at 

full-time jobs were $660 per week, or 75.8 percent of the median for white men ($871). The 

difference was less among women, as black women's median earnings ($601) were 84.8 percent 

of those for white women ($709). Overall, median earnings of Hispanics who worked full time 

($537) were lower than those of blacks ($621), whites ($786), and Asians ($880). (See table 2.) 

 Usual weekly earnings of full-time workers varied by age. Among men, those age 45 to 54 and 

55 to 64 had the highest median weekly earnings—$993 and $1,029, respectively. Usual weekly 

earnings were highest for women age 35 to 64; weekly earnings were $737 for women age 35 to 

44, $757 for women age 45 to 54, and $742 for women age 55 to 64. Workers age 16 to 24 had 

the lowest median weekly earnings, at $447. (See table 3.) 
- 2 - 

 Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in management, 

professional, and related occupations had the highest median weekly earnings—$1,274 for men 

and $946 for women. Men and women employed in service jobs earned the least, $578 and $440, 

respectively. (See table 4.) 

 By educational attainment, full-time workers age 25 and over without a high school diploma 

had median weekly earnings of $444, compared with $641 for high school graduates (no college) 

and $1,158 for those holding at least a bachelor's degree. Among college graduates with 

advanced degrees (professional or master's degree and above), the highest earning 10 percent of 

male workers made $3,146 or more per week, compared with $2,303 or more for their female 

counterparts. (See table 5.) 

Annual Averages for 2010 and 2011 

In addition to the data for the fourth quarter, this release includes 2010 and 2011 annual averages of 

median weekly earnings for major demographic and occupational groups, and 2011 annual average data 

for educational attainment groups. (See tables 7, 8, and 9.) Annual average data on median usual weekly 

earnings for men and women by detailed occupational categories will be posted online at 

www.bls.gov/cps/tables.htm when they become available. 

Revision of Seasonally Adjusted Usual Weekly Earnings Data 

Seasonally adjusted median usual weekly earnings data shown in table 1 of this release have 

been revised using updated seasonal adjustment factors from the Current Population Survey, a 

procedure done at the end of each calendar year. The revisions directly affected the number of 

full-time wage and salary workers and current dollar estimates of median weekly earnings; 

estimates of constant (1982-84) dollar median weekly earnings were indirectly affected. 

Seasonally adjusted estimates back to the first quarter of 2007 were subject to revision. 

The Usual Weekly Earnings news release for the first quarter of 2012, scheduled for release on 

April 17, 2012, will incorporate revisions to the seasonally adjusted data for the median weekly 

earnings in constant (1982-84) dollars. Seasonally adjusted constant (1982-84) dollar estimates 

back to the first quarter of 2007 will be subject to revision due to annual revisions to seasonally 

adjusted data for the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). 
Technical Note 

The estimates in this release were obtained from the 

Current Population Survey (CPS), which provides 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 scientifically selected national sample of about 60,000 

eligible 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 

wage and salary workers (both incorporated and 

unincorporated self-employed are excluded). 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; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339. 

Reliability 

Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both 

sampling and nonsampling 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 errors 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 on a timely basis, mistakes made by 

respondents, and errors made in the collection or processing 

of the data. 

A full discussion of the reliability of data from the 

Current Population Survey and information on estimating 

standard errors is available on the BLS Web site at 

www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability. 

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 that 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 estimation procedure places each reported or 

calculated weekly earnings value into $50-wide intervals 

that 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, such as $250, $300, or $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 (1982-84) dollars. 

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Refers to persons who 

identified themselves in the enumeration process as being 

Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino. Persons whose ethnicity is 

identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. 

Seasonal adjustment 

Over the course of a year, the size of the nation's labor 

force and other measures of labor market activity undergo 

regularly occurring fluctuations. These recurring events 

include seasonal changes in weather, major holidays, and 

the opening and closing of schools. The effect of such 

seasonal variations can be very large. 

Because seasonal events follow a more or less regular 

pattern each year, their influence on the level of a series can 

be tempered by adjusting for regular seasonal variation. 

These adjustments make nonseasonal developments easier 

to spot. The seasonally adjusted figures provide a more 

useful tool with which to analyze changes in quarter-toquarter activity. 

At the end of each calendar year, the seasonally 

adjusted data are revised for the past 5 years when the 

seasonal adjustment factors are updated. More information 

on seasonal adjustment is available on the BLS Web site at 

www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#sa. 
Table 1. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by sex, quarterly averages,

seasonally adjusted

Year and quarter

Number of workers

(in thousands) Median weekly earnings

Total Men Women

In current dollars In constant (1982-84) dollars

Total

$

Men

$

Women

$

Total

$

Men

$

Women

$

2002

4th Quarter.......................................... 99,895 56,224 43,670 610 683 540 336 376 298

2003

1st Quarter.......................................... 100,136 56,079 44,057 615 689 546 335 376 297

2nd Quarter......................................... 100,255 56,013 44,242 619 692 551 338 378 301

3rd Quarter.......................................... 100,139 56,178 43,961 621 697 554 337 378 300

4th Quarter.......................................... 100,628 56,607 44,021 623 702 560 337 379 302

2004

1st Quarter.......................................... 100,905 56,848 44,057 629 705 562 337 378 301

2nd Quarter......................................... 101,135 56,914 44,221 642 715 576 341 380 306

3rd Quarter.......................................... 101,148 56,931 44,217 635 712 574 335 376 303

4th Quarter.......................................... 101,658 57,289 44,369 646 720 577 337 376 302

2005

1st Quarter.......................................... 102,091 57,710 44,381 647 723 580 336 376 302

2nd Quarter......................................... 103,201 58,099 45,101 647 714 584 334 369 301

3rd Quarter.......................................... 104,310 58,843 45,467 651 723 588 331 368 299

4th Quarter.......................................... 104,605 58,967 45,638 658 730 588 332 368 296

2006

1st Quarter.......................................... 104,708 58,960 45,748 662 737 594 332 370 298

2nd Quarter......................................... 105,798 59,831 45,966 663 732 597 329 364 296

3rd Quarter.......................................... 107,041 60,060 46,981 678 755 603 334 372 297

4th Quarter.......................................... 106,847 60,140 46,707 681 748 607 337 370 300

2007

1st Quarter.......................................... 107,176 60,105 47,070 687 752 610 336 368 298

2nd Quarter......................................... 106,827 60,351 46,476 693 765 610 335 370 295

3rd Quarter.......................................... 107,156 60,216 46,940 698 774 621 336 372 298

4th Quarter.......................................... 108,178 60,508 47,670 700 774 615 332 368 292

2008

1st Quarter.......................................... 107,819 60,401 47,418 713 783 633 335 368 298

2nd Quarter......................................... 107,051 59,581 47,469 722 801 636 335 372 295

3rd Quarter.......................................... 106,114 59,259 46,856 724 802 637 331 367 291

4th Quarter.......................................... 105,585 58,499 47,087 727 807 647 340 378 303

2009

1st Quarter.......................................... 101,734 56,339 45,395 731 815 645 344 384 304

2nd Quarter......................................... 100,002 55,226 44,776 737 816 652 345 382 306

3rd Quarter.......................................... 99,004 54,451 44,553 742 820 664 345 381 308

4th Quarter.......................................... 98,535 54,405 44,130 747 824 666 345 380 307

2010

1st Quarter.......................................... 98,223 54,156 44,067 747 836 662 343 384 304

2nd Quarter......................................... 99,621 55,030 44,591 743 812 671 342 374 309

3rd Quarter.......................................... 100,333 55,569 44,765 745 821 670 342 377 307

4th Quarter.......................................... 99,927 55,468 44,459 751 828 675 342 377 308

2011

1st Quarter.......................................... 99,788 55,407 44,380 749 820 680 337 369 306

2nd Quarter......................................... 100,377 55,839 44,539 756 828 688 337 369 306

3rd Quarter.......................................... 100,369 55,981 44,388 758 835 681 335 369 301

4th Quarter.......................................... 101,294 56,652 44,642 762 841 685 336 371 302

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

1
Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics,

quarterly averages, not seasonally adjusted

Characteristic

Number of workers

(in thousands) Median weekly earnings

4th

2010

4th

2011

In current dollars In constant (1982-84)

dollars

4th

2010

4th

2011

4th

2010

4th

2011

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over............................................... 100,120 101,458 $752 $764 $344 $338

Men, 16 years and over............................................. 55,500 56,678 830 843 379 373

16 to 24 years...................................................... 4,652 4,943 449 466 205 206

25 years and over................................................. 50,848 51,735 878 893 401 395

Women, 16 years and over......................................... 44,620 44,779 679 688 310 304

16 to 24 years...................................................... 3,612 3,787 436 420 199 186

25 years and over................................................. 41,008 40,993 709 724 324 320

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

White................................................................... 81,038 82,124 772 786 353 348

Men.................................................................. 45,917 46,881 857 871 391 385

Women.............................................................. 35,121 35,242 695 709 318 314

Black or African American........................................... 11,838 11,718 614 621 281 275

Men.................................................................. 5,535 5,533 629 660 287 292

Women.............................................................. 6,303 6,185 605 601 276 266

Asian................................................................... 4,951 5,271 828 880 378 389

Men.................................................................. 2,771 2,929 947 960 433 425

Women.............................................................. 2,180 2,341 719 771 329 341

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity......................................... 15,054 15,222 539 537 246 238

Men.................................................................. 9,374 9,542 567 562 259 248

Women.............................................................. 5,680 5,680 510 508 233 225

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.

Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of

January data.
Table 3. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic or Latino

ethnicity, and sex, 4th quarter 2011 averages, not seasonally adjusted

Age, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Total Men Women

Number of

workers

(in

thousands)

Median

weekly

earnings

Number of

workers

(in

thousands)

Median

weekly

earnings

Number of

workers

(in

thousands)

Median

weekly

earnings

TOTAL

16 years and over....................................................... 101,458 $764 56,678 $ 843 44,779 $688

16 to 24 years........................................................ 8,730 447 4,943 466 3,787 420

16 to 19 years...................................................... 964 346 550 367 414 318

20 to 24 years...................................................... 7,766 467 4,393 483 3,373 445

25 years and over.................................................... 92,728 805 51,735 893 40,993 724

25 to 54 years...................................................... 73,756 792 41,580 869 32,176 721

25 to 34 years................................................... 24,581 687 14,209 715 10,371 655

35 to 44 years................................................... 24,012 844 13,746 943 10,266 737

45 to 54 years................................................... 25,163 885 13,624 993 11,539 757

55 years and over................................................. 18,972 861 10,155 1,005 8,816 730

55 to 64 years................................................... 15,901 885 8,440 1,029 7,460 742

65 years and over............................................... 3,071 749 1,715 894 1,356 659

White

16 years and over.................................................... 82,124 786 46,881 871 35,242 709

16 to 24 years...................................................... 7,049 456 4,071 475 2,978 426

25 years and over................................................. 75,075 833 42,811 919 32,264 740

25 to 54 years................................................... 59,174 819 34,141 893 25,033 737

55 years and over............................................... 15,901 896 8,670 1,040 7,231 749

Black or African American

16 years and over.................................................... 11,718 621 5,533 660 6,185 601

16 to 24 years...................................................... 1,060 391 519 413 541 368

25 years and over................................................. 10,658 655 5,014 698 5,644 621

25 to 54 years................................................... 8,768 652 4,177 690 4,590 621

55 years and over............................................... 1,890 662 837 734 1,053 620

Asian

16 years and over.................................................... 5,271 880 2,929 960 2,341 771

16 to 24 years...................................................... 266 504 146 509 121 493

25 years and over................................................. 5,004 908 2,784 983 2,221 803

25 to 54 years................................................... 4,128 933 2,312 1,011 1,816 830

55 years and over............................................... 877 808 471 910 405 731

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

16 years and over.................................................... 15,222 537 9,542 562 5,680 508

16 to 24 years...................................................... 1,926 405 1,222 415 705 370

25 years and over................................................. 13,295 573 8,320 589 4,975 528

25 to 54 years................................................... 11,605 573 7,338 583 4,267 543

55 years and over............................................... 1,691 576 982 645 708 494

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.

Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of

January data.
Table 4. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, quarterly

averages, not seasonally adjusted

Occupation and sex

Number of workers

(in thousands) Median weekly earnings

4th

2010

4th

2011

4th

2010

4th

2011

TOTAL

Management, professional, and related occupations................................. 39,415 40,227 $1,069 $1,098

Management, business, and financial operations occupations.................... 15,670 16,261 1,162 1,162

Professional and related occupations................................................ 23,746 23,966 1,016 1,036

Service occupations....................................................................... 14,144 14,675 485 496

Sales and office occupations............................................................. 23,086 22,917 633 639

Sales and related occupations........................................................ 9,384 9,357 661 674

Office and administrative support occupations...................................... 13,702 13,559 622 624

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations..................... 9,569 10,004 718 747

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.......................................... 738 724 414 416

Construction and extraction occupations............................................. 4,598 5,027 712 725

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.................................. 4,234 4,253 793 823

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....................... 13,905 13,636 592 608

Production occupations................................................................. 7,280 7,316 592 596

Transportation and material moving occupations................................... 6,626 6,320 592 621

Men

Management, professional, and related occupations................................. 19,022 19,585 1,267 1,274

Management, business, and financial operations occupations.................... 8,506 8,920 1,396 1,369

Professional and related occupations................................................ 10,516 10,665 1,171 1,226

Service occupations....................................................................... 7,175 7,633 585 578

Sales and office occupations............................................................. 8,982 8,976 732 740

Sales and related occupations........................................................ 5,253 5,317 767 802

Office and administrative support occupations...................................... 3,730 3,660 673 663

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations..................... 9,210 9,611 724 755

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.......................................... 621 592 433 416

Construction and extraction occupations............................................. 4,512 4,917 713 726

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.................................. 4,077 4,103 799 830

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....................... 11,111 10,873 641 654

Production occupations................................................................. 5,338 5,420 661 664

Transportation and material moving occupations................................... 5,773 5,453 617 644

Women

Management, professional, and related occupations................................. 20,394 20,642 937 946

Management, business, and financial operations occupations.................... 7,163 7,341 967 993

Professional and related occupations................................................ 13,230 13,301 922 925

Service occupations....................................................................... 6,969 7,042 421 440

Sales and office occupations............................................................. 14,104 13,940 602 605

Sales and related occupations........................................................ 4,131 4,040 517 554

Office and administrative support occupations...................................... 9,973 9,900 615 618

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations..................... 360 392 533 548

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.......................................... 117 132 356 422

Construction and extraction occupations............................................. 86 110 626 671

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.................................. 157 150 620 697

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....................... 2,794 2,763 468 474

Production occupations................................................................. 1,941 1,896 478 464

Transportation and material moving occupations................................... 853 867 446 502

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Table 5. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by

selected characteristics, 4th quarter 2011 averages, not seasonally adjusted

Characteristic

Number of

workers

(in

thousands)

Upper limit of:

First decile First

quartile

Second

quartile

(median)

Third

quartile

Ninth

decile

SEX, RACE, AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY

Total, 16 years and over............................................... 101,458 $357 $ 502 $ 764 $1,194 $1,839

Men..................................................................... 56,678 376 535 843 1,336 1,976

Women................................................................. 44,779 337 472 688 1,039 1,538

White................................................................... 82,124 364 515 786 1,225 1,869

Men.................................................................. 46,881 382 559 871 1,358 2,002

Women.............................................................. 35,242 343 480 709 1,066 1,553

Black or African American........................................... 11,718 329 427 621 907 1,405

Men.................................................................. 5,533 346 438 660 953 1,536

Women.............................................................. 6,185 315 419 601 869 1,294

Asian................................................................... 5,271 381 553 880 1,429 2,018

Men.................................................................. 2,929 387 594 960 1,608 2,295

Women.............................................................. 2,341 374 516 771 1,269 1,847

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity......................................... 15,222 303 381 537 829 1,330

Men.................................................................. 9,542 314 393 562 878 1,422

Women.............................................................. 5,680 289 360 508 767 1,159

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Total, 25 years and over............................................... 92,728 379 533 805 1,245 1,881

Less than a high school diploma................................... 7,156 288 348 444 602 838

High school graduates, no college1

............................... 24,910 345 463 641 928 1,276

Some college or associate degree................................. 25,616 390 529 744 1,075 1,495

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................... 35,046 572 787 1,158 1,756 2,484

Bachelor’s degree only............................................ 22,299 517 742 1,071 1,577 2,291

Advanced degree.................................................. 12,746 671 922 1,351 1,942 2,881

Men, 25 years and over............................................. 51,735 396 585 893 1,387 2,034

Less than a high school diploma................................ 4,881 302 372 482 651 927

High school graduates, no college1............................ 14,864 371 505 723 1,037 1,440

Some college or associate degree.............................. 13,410 423 598 855 1,214 1,686

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

.................................. 18,580 617 885 1,341 1,919 2,894

Bachelor’s degree only......................................... 11,961 591 827 1,210 1,841 2,580

Advanced degree............................................... 6,619 727 1,058 1,596 2,285 3,146

Women, 25 years and over......................................... 40,993 358 496 724 1,089 1,572

Less than a high school diploma................................ 2,276 266 311 394 502 640

High school graduates, no college1

............................ 10,045 321 408 562 757 1,035

Some college or associate degree.............................. 12,206 364 486 648 912 1,248

Bachelor’s degree and higher2.................................. 16,466 518 731 1,005 1,463 2,048

Bachelor’s degree only......................................... 10,338 481 661 933 1,346 1,854

Advanced degree............................................... 6,128 628 836 1,154 1,681 2,303

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. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated

population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Table 6. Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics,

quarterly averages, not seasonally adjusted

Characteristic

Number of workers

(in thousands) Median weekly earnings

4th

2010

4th

2011

4th

2010

4th

2011

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over.................................................................. 24,409 24,652 $226 $233

Men, 16 years and over................................................................ 8,349 8,744 217 226

16 to 24 years........................................................................ 3,541 3,757 168 176

25 years and over.................................................................... 4,808 4,987 266 271

Women, 16 years and over............................................................ 16,061 15,909 232 237

16 to 24 years........................................................................ 4,620 4,460 164 168

25 years and over.................................................................... 11,440 11,448 267 271

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

White...................................................................................... 20,225 20,272 228 233

Men..................................................................................... 6,768 7,070 217 223

Women................................................................................. 13,457 13,203 235 239

Black or African American............................................................. 2,519 2,795 211 226

Men..................................................................................... 924 1,086 211 232

Women................................................................................. 1,595 1,709 212 222

Asian...................................................................................... 1,038 899 245 262

Men..................................................................................... 366 334 240 258

Women................................................................................. 672 565 248 266

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity............................................................ 3,341 3,720 228 223

Men..................................................................................... 1,411 1,660 239 227

Women................................................................................. 1,930 2,061 220 218

NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races.

Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of

January data.
Table 7. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, annual

averages

Characteristic

Number of workers

(in thousands) Median weekly earnings

2010 2011

In current dollars In constant (1982-84)

dollars

2010 2011 2010 2011

SEX AND AGE

Total, 16 years and over............................................... 99,531 100,457 $747 $756 $342 $336

Men, 16 years and over............................................. 55,059 55,971 824 832 378 370

16 to 24 years...................................................... 4,770 4,951 443 455 203 202

25 years and over................................................. 50,289 51,020 874 886 401 394

Women, 16 years and over......................................... 44,472 44,486 669 684 307 304

16 to 24 years...................................................... 3,782 3,772 422 421 194 187

25 years and over................................................. 40,691 40,714 704 718 323 319

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX

White................................................................... 80,656 81,336 765 775 351 344

Men.................................................................. 45,685 46,360 850 856 390 381

Women.............................................................. 34,971 34,976 684 703 313 313

Black or African American........................................... 11,658 11,604 611 615 280 274

Men.................................................................. 5,376 5,414 633 653 290 290

Women.............................................................. 6,283 6,191 592 595 271 264

Asian................................................................... 4,946 5,197 855 866 392 385

Men.................................................................. 2,753 2,912 936 970 429 431

Women.............................................................. 2,193 2,284 773 751 355 334

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity......................................... 14,837 15,147 535 549 245 244

Men.................................................................. 9,239 9,448 560 571 257 254

Women.............................................................. 5,598 5,700 508 518 233 230

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.

Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of

January data.
Table 8. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, annual

averages

Occupation and sex

Number of workers

(in thousands) Median weekly earnings

2010 2011 2010 2011

TOTAL

Management, professional, and related occupations................................. 39,145 39,791 $1,063 $1,082

Management, business, and financial operations occupations.................... 15,648 16,061 1,155 1,160

Professional and related occupations................................................ 23,497 23,730 1,008 1,029

Service occupations....................................................................... 14,424 14,378 479 486

Sales and office occupations............................................................. 23,060 22,989 631 638

Sales and related occupations........................................................ 9,121 9,294 666 670

Office and administrative support occupations...................................... 13,939 13,695 619 623

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations..................... 9,869 9,965 719 732

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.......................................... 729 775 416 430

Construction and extraction occupations............................................. 5,020 5,031 709 717

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.................................. 4,120 4,159 794 806

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....................... 13,034 13,333 599 609

Production occupations................................................................. 6,861 7,058 599 605

Transportation and material moving occupations................................... 6,172 6,275 599 614

Men

Management, professional, and related occupations................................. 19,009 19,267 1,256 1,269

Management, business, and financial operations occupations.................... 8,552 8,676 1,363 1,370

Professional and related occupations................................................ 10,457 10,592 1,179 1,211

Service occupations....................................................................... 7,294 7,387 543 551

Sales and office occupations............................................................. 8,840 9,012 736 738

Sales and related occupations........................................................ 5,058 5,225 805 804

Office and administrative support occupations...................................... 3,782 3,787 656 668

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations..................... 9,464 9,574 726 740

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.......................................... 577 625 438 445

Construction and extraction occupations............................................. 4,918 4,937 710 718

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.................................. 3,968 4,013 799 807

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....................... 10,453 10,730 640 651

Production occupations................................................................. 5,085 5,241 664 667

Transportation and material moving occupations................................... 5,368 5,489 618 634

Women

Management, professional, and related occupations................................. 20,136 20,524 923 941

Management, business, and financial operations occupations.................... 7,096 7,386 971 977

Professional and related occupations................................................ 13,040 13,139 900 919

Service occupations....................................................................... 7,129 6,991 423 433

Sales and office occupations............................................................. 14,220 13,977 597 602

Sales and related occupations........................................................ 4,063 4,069 516 549

Office and administrative support occupations...................................... 10,158 9,908 612 615

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations..................... 406 391 537 515

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations.......................................... 151 150 369 371

Construction and extraction occupations............................................. 102 95 646 612

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.................................. 152 146 683 751

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....................... 2,581 2,603 473 485

Production occupations................................................................. 1,776 1,817 481 483

Transportation and material moving occupations................................... 805 786 447 490

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Table 9. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by

selected characteristics, 2011 annual averages

Characteristic

Number of

workers

(in

thousands)

Upper limit of:

First decile First

quartile

Second

quartile

(median)

Third

quartile

Ninth

decile

TOTAL

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91,733 $380 $ 528 $ 797 $1,228 $1,867

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,019 288 346 451 616 862

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,157 349 464 638 919 1,266

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,205 387 519 739 1,063 1,476

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,353 571 783 1,150 1,743 2,475

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,834 518 734 1,053 1,561 2,215

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,520 663 924 1,346 1,922 2,886

Men

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51,020 399 581 886 1,371 2,009

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,794 299 368 488 674 950

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,937 381 508 720 1,023 1,419

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,156 420 589 840 1,195 1,645

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,132 607 888 1,332 1,913 2,882

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,634 580 819 1,199 1,806 2,499

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,498 718 1,045 1,569 2,276 3,232

Women

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40,714 358 493 718 1,070 1,556

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,225 269 316 395 516 677

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,220 322 409 554 748 1,015

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,048 360 479 645 913 1,237

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,221 524 726 998 1,443 2,001

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,200 490 664 930 1,320 1,851

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,021 622 842 1,154 1,656 2,310

White, total

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74,220 387 548 825 1,256 1,887

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,800 290 350 458 629 881

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,291 360 482 663 954 1,315

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,266 396 537 762 1,104 1,519

Bachelor’s degree and higher2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27,863 580 803 1,165 1,760 2,499

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,833 529 746 1,082 1,601 2,284

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,030 677 937 1,359 1,973 2,900

White men

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42,220 406 594 909 1,404 2,062

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,081 301 371 494 687 964

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,308 390 525 745 1,060 1,463

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,879 438 606 873 1,232 1,678

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,952 615 905 1,353 1,924 2,895

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,733 587 839 1,234 1,854 2,523

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,219 733 1,064 1,604 2,297 3,350

White women

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,000 365 503 736 1,098 1,573

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,719 272 317 394 514 685

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,983 328 420 572 766 1,046

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,387 368 488 665 937 1,268

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,911 535 735 1,011 1,455 2,010

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,101 496 674 939 1,340 1,872

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,811 632 856 1,163 1,655 2,309

Black or African American, total

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,583 340 451 643 955 1,406

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 709 266 320 416 563 720

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,397 315 399 538 746 1,039

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,496 353 458 616 862 1,200

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,981 494 695 958 1,381 1,975

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,966 473 656 912 1,242 1,817

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,016 572 767 1,074 1,639 2,294

Black or African American men

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,913 357 478 689 1,015 1,482

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399 280 342 447 595 812

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,791 335 425 598 819 1,152

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 9. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by

selected characteristics, 2011 annual averages — Continued

Characteristic

Number of

workers

(in

thousands)

Upper limit of:

First decile First

quartile

Second

quartile

(median)

Third

quartile

Ninth

decile

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,509 374 491 687 964 1,344

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,214 502 725 1,027 1,528 2,127

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 827 494 708 979 1,364 1,921

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388 520 787 1,174 1,834 2,575

Black or African American women

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,670 329 429 613 895 1,324

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310 246 305 385 513 633

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,606 298 377 493 657 879

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,987 341 433 589 791 1,085

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,767 489 676 915 1,262 1,860

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,139 451 625 843 1,159 1,648

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 628 590 761 1,024 1,524 2,096

Asian, total

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,903 390 566 901 1,444 2,090

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313 284 349 448 563 717

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 892 326 413 564 783 1,117

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 783 369 497 711 1,006 1,365

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,915 575 802 1,224 1,840 2,483

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,637 502 718 1,062 1,546 2,117

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,278 679 959 1,461 2,009 2,878

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, total

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,299 313 401 582 891 1,339

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,889 286 335 419 575 777

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,130 323 407 568 810 1,137

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,042 355 483 663 952 1,385

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,239 481 692 1,000 1,457 1,981

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,552 438 643 947 1,340 1,807

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 686 585 825 1,178 1,804 2,513

Hispanic or Latino men

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,239 322 412 600 932 1,412

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,800 294 351 450 609 820

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,602 341 435 606 901 1,211

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,666 377 516 737 1,061 1,525

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,172 488 746 1,114 1,627 2,280

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 829 460 705 1,035 1,456 1,919

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343 606 888 1,394 1,977 2,918

Hispanic or Latino women

Total, 25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,060 301 384 543 813 1,201

Less than a high school diploma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,089 260 308 377 483 621

High school graduates, no college1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,527 302 377 501 681 927

Some college or associate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,377 338 446 600 837 1,160

Bachelor’s degree and higher2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,067 472 650 922 1,300 1,769

Bachelor’s degree only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 724 424 615 862 1,173 1,591

Advanced degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 567 766 1,078 1,538 2,094

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. Persons

whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.