Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202) 606-6378  USDL 98-295

                                        For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                606-5902  Thursday, July 16, 1998


             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            SECOND QUARTER 1998
   

   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 95.5 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $515 in the second quarter of 1998, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was 3.2
percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 1.6 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.  For further information, see the explanatory note.
   
   --Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $446 a week,
or 75.6 percent of the $590 median for men.  The female-to-male earnings
ratios were higher among blacks (82.8 percent) and Hispanics (87.4 percent)
than among whites (75.6 percent).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $471 per
week, 77.7 percent of the median for white men ($606).  The difference was
much less among women, as black women's median earnings ($390) were 85.2
percent of those for their white counterparts ($458).  Overall, median
earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($365) were lower than those of
blacks ($420) and whites ($532).  (See table 1.)
   
   --The highest median weekly earnings for full-time workers were $709 for
men in the 45- to 54-year-age group; second highest was the median for 55-
to 64- year-old men at $677.  Among women, the highest-earning age group
also was 45- to 54-year olds, who had a median of $503, followed by 35- to
44-year-olds, with a median of $485.  (See table 2.)
   
   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial and professional specialty occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$888 for men and $640 for women--while men and women in
farm jobs earned the least.  (See table 3.)

   --Full-time workers age 25 and over with less than a high school diploma
had median weekly earnings of $339, compared with $474 for high school
graduates (no college) and $795 for college graduates.  Among college
graduates with advanced degrees (professional or master's degree and
above), the highest 10 percent of male workers earned $2,083 or more,
compared with $1,509 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 Bureau of the Census from a
scientifically selected national sample of about 50,000 households, with
coverage in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The earnings data
are collected from one-quarter of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to
wages and  salaries.  The data, therefore, exclude self-employment income.
     
     Information in this release will be made available to sensory
impaired individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-606-STAT; TDD phone:
202-606-5897; TDD message referral phone number:  1-800-326-2577.
     
Reliability
     
     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).
     
     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.

                                  - 2 -

     Full-time workers. Workers who usually work 35 hours or more per week
at their sole or principal job.
     
     Part-time workers. Workers who usually work fewer than 35 hours per
week at their sole or principal job.
     
     Constant dollars. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
(CPI-U) is used to convert current dollars to constant (1982) dollars.
     
     Hispanic origin. Refers to persons who are of Mexican, Puerto Rican,
Cuban, Central or South  American, or 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       
                                                                 II         II                                               
                                                               1997       1998                                               
                                                                                       II         II         II         II   
                                                                                     1997       1998       1997       1998   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    93,387     95,548       $499       $515       $301       $306 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    53,329     54,625        572        590        344        350 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     6,321      6,409        316        335        190        199 
      25 years and over....................................    47,008     48,216        609        627        367        372 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    40,058     40,923        428        446        258        264 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     4,511      4,866        289        305        174        181 
      25 years and over....................................    35,548     36,057        457        474        275        281 
                                                                                                                             
               RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    77,856     79,361        515        532        310        315 
      Men..................................................    45,493     46,237        589        606        355        359 
      Women................................................    32,363     33,124        443        458        267        271 
                                                                                                                             
    Black..................................................    11,338     11,827        397        420        239        249 
      Men..................................................     5,490      5,890        424        471        255        279 
      Women................................................     5,847      5,937        379        390        228        231 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic origin........................................     9,789     10,552        352        365        212        216 
      Men..................................................     6,462      6,793        368        381        222        226 
      Women................................................     3,327      3,759        320        333        193        198 

      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.  Beginning in January
 1998, data reflect new composite estimation procedures and revised population controls used in the household survey.






 Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic origin, and sex, second
 quarter 1998 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.........................................    95,548       $515     54,625       $590     40,923       $446 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    11,275        320      6,409        335      4,866        305 
     16 to 19 years........................................     2,215        268      1,285        281        930        248 
     20 to 24 years........................................     9,061        341      5,124        360      3,936        317 
   25 years and over.......................................    84,273        560     48,216        627     36,057        474 
     25 to 54 years........................................    74,458        559     42,588        624     31,870        477 
       25 to 34 years......................................    25,633        499     14,939        538     10,694        449 
       35 to 44 years......................................    27,966        590     16,236        667     11,731        485 
       45 to 54 years......................................    20,859        605     11,413        709      9,446        503 
     55 years and over.....................................     9,815        568      5,628        657      4,187        446 
       55 to 64 years......................................     8,629        585      4,903        677      3,726        460 
       65 years and over...................................     1,186        392        725        424        460        349 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    79,361        532     46,237        606     33,124        458 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     9,513        322      5,509        336      4,004        309 
   25 years and over.......................................    69,848        581     40,729        650     29,120        485 
     25 to 54 years........................................    61,401        581     35,869        646     25,532        489 
     55 years and over.....................................     8,448        581      4,860        682      3,588        446 
                                                                                                                             
                           Black                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    11,827        420      5,890        471      5,937        390 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,409        298        702        319        706        271 
   25 years and over.......................................    10,419        449      5,188        494      5,231        409 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,425        448      4,654        495      4,771        407 
     55 years and over.....................................       994        458        534        484        460        439 
                                                                                                                             
                      Hispanic origin                                                                                        
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    10,552        365      6,793        381      3,759        333 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,883        298      1,312        305        570        281 
   25 years and over.......................................     8,669        390      5,480        410      3,188        352 
     25 to 54 years........................................     7,976        390      5,064        411      2,913        350 
     55 years and over.....................................       692        386        417        402        276        370 

      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.  Beginning in January
 1998, data reflect new composite estimation procedures and revised population controls used in the household survey.






  Table 3. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, quarterly averages, not
  seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers             Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                      Occupation and sex                                                                                    
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    II              II              II              II      
                                                                   1997            1998            1997            1998     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      28,160          29,076             $727            $746   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............      13,978          14,079              694             748   
     Professional specialty.................................      14,183          14,997              748             745   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      26,540          27,404              449             473   
     Technicians and related support........................       3,443           3,666              567             602   
     Sales occupations......................................       9,340           9,586              466             494   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      13,757          14,151              418             436   
   Service occupations......................................      10,039          10,421              311             330   
     Private household......................................         338             352              214             229   
     Protective service.....................................       1,915           2,082              510             603   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       7,786           7,987              295             312   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      11,671          11,740              545             572   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       3,970           4,070              568             596   
     Construction trades....................................       4,057           4,150              541             543   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       3,644           3,520              526             562   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      15,230          15,194              402             412   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       7,186           7,056              385             401   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,522           4,338              502             511   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,521           3,800              340             348   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,748           1,714              291             302   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      14,131          14,863              862             888   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       7,339           7,577              850             903   
     Professional specialty.................................       6,792           7,286              878             876   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      10,278          10,405              589             603   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,806           1,893              680             686   
     Sales occupations......................................       5,167           5,245              592             625   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............       3,306           3,266              530             507   
   Service occupations......................................       5,012           5,222              366             392   
     Private household......................................          19              19           (1)             (1)      
     Protective service.....................................       1,604           1,784             $527            $623   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       3,388           3,419              314             336   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      10,675          10,894              562             586   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       3,789           3,918              571             601   
     Construction trades....................................       3,991           4,116              541             543   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       2,895           2,860              582             609   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      11,674          11,744              438             450   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       4,604           4,499             $437            $460   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,198           4,000              511             519   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       2,872           3,245              357             359   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,558           1,498              296             306   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      14,029          14,212              622             640   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       6,638           6,501              599             613   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,391           7,711              653             660   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      16,261          16,999              398             417   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,637           1,773              484             506   
     Sales occupations......................................       4,173           4,341              348             365   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      10,451          10,885              397             418   
   Service occupations......................................       5,027           5,199              283             300   
     Private household......................................         319             333              212             225   
     Protective service.....................................         311             298              428             416   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       4,398           4,569              281             299   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................         996             847              380             389   
     Mechanics and repairers................................         180             152              504             473   
     Construction trades....................................          66              34           (1)             (1)      
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........         749             660             $352            $371   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................       3,555           3,450              315             324   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       2,582           2,558              315             327   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         325             339              361             393   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....         649             554              301             294   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................         189             215              256             266   

    1 Data not shown where base is less than 100,000.
  Beginning in January 1998, data reflect new composite estimation procedures and revised population controls used in the
  household survey.






 Table 4. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected
 characteristics, second quarter 1998 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..................................    95,548       $255       $344       $515       $773     $1,141 
   Men.....................................................    54,625        279        385        590        879      1,268 
   Women...................................................    40,923        234        310        446        647        928 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    79,361        260        354        532        803      1,167 
     Men...................................................    46,237        284        395        606        907      1,322 
     Women.................................................    33,124        238        314        458        662        946 
                                                                                                                             
   Black...................................................    11,827        224        301        420        617        849 
     Men...................................................     5,890        238        319        471        671        931 
     Women.................................................     5,937        212        286        390        572        762 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic................................................    10,552        217        273        365        559        825 
     Men...................................................     6,793        229        285        381        587        869 
     Women.................................................     3,759        200        252        333        503        731 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    84,273        274        374        560        820      1,175 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,759        203        258        339        488        678 
     High school graduates, no college.....................    27,350        259        337        474        655        884 
     Some college or associate degree......................    22,734        291        389        549        768      1,037 
     College graduates, total..............................    25,430        393        577        795      1,156      1,598 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    17,245        376        528        740      1,058      1,463 
       Advanced degree.....................................     8,185        478        658        950      1,348      1,888 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    48,216        298        421        627        925      1,335 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,961        226        282        381        542        738 
       High school graduates, no college...................    15,313        295        394        552        753        993 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,468        330        463        637        887      1,169 
       College graduates, total............................    14,474        424        621        911      1,329      1,822 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     9,729        405        589        839      1,225      1,662 
         Advanced degree...................................     4,745        505        729      1,100      1,474      2,083 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    36,057        246        327        474        676        964 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,798        185        225        284        370        486 
       High school graduates, no college...................    12,037        231        297        392        519        681 
       Some college or associate degree....................    10,266        266        339        465        627        839 
       College graduates, total............................    10,956        373        513        690        962      1,271 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     7,516       $345       $472       $646       $886     $1,172 
         Advanced degree...................................     3,440        449        612        832      1,107      1,509 

      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. 
 Beginning in January 1998, data reflect new composite estimation procedures and revised population controls used in the
 household survey.






  Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly
  averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers             Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                Age, race, and Hispanic origin                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    II              II              II              II      
                                                                   1997            1998            1997            1998     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      20,853          20,832             $147            $156   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,584           6,367              138             146   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,461           3,607              113             122   
       25 years and over....................................       3,123           2,759              180             192   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      14,268          14,466              151             160   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,365           4,355              111             115   
       25 years and over....................................       9,903          10,111              173             190   
                                                                                                                            
                RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      18,090          17,813              148             156   
       Men..................................................       5,541           5,386              136             145   
       Women................................................      12,549          12,427              153             162   
                                                                                                                            
     Black..................................................       1,883           2,035              138             152   
       Men..................................................         677             618              143             153   
       Women................................................       1,206           1,417              136             151   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic origin........................................       1,999           1,936              142             145   
       Men..................................................         723             637              159             148   
       Women................................................       1,276           1,299              132             144   

       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.  Beginning in
  January 1998, data reflect new composite estimation procedures and revised population controls used in the household
  survey.