Technical information:  (202) 691-6378         USDL 05-1977
               http://www.bls.gov/cps/
                                               For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902         Thursday, October 20, 2005


              USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                             THIRD QUARTER 2005


   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 105.4 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $649 in the third quarter of 2005, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was 2.7
percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 3.8 percent in
the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the same
period.

   Data on usual earnings are collected as part of the Current Population
Survey, a nationwide sample survey of households in which respondents are
asked, among other things, how much each wage and salary worker usually
earns.  (See the Explanatory Note.)  Highlights from the third-quarter
data are:

   --Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $585 per
week, or 81.7 percent of the $716 median for men.  The female-to-male
earnings ratios were higher among blacks (95.5 percent) and Hispanics
or Latinos (86.5 percent) than among whites (80.6 percent) or Asians
(79.0 percent).  (See table 1.)

   --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $533 per
week, 72.3 percent of the median for white men ($737).  The difference was
less among women, as black women's median earnings ($509) were 85.7 percent
of those for their white counterparts ($594).  Overall, median earnings of
Hispanics or Latinos who worked full time ($462) were lower than those of
blacks ($520), whites ($667), and Asians ($761).  (See table 1.)

   --Among men, those age 55 to 64 and age 45 to 54 had the highest median
weekly earnings, $858 and $848, respectively.  Among women, earnings were
highest for 45- to 54-year-olds and 55- to 64-year-olds, $640 and $639,
respectively.  (See table 2.)

   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
management, professional, and related occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$1,103 for men and $812 for women.  Men and women in
service jobs earned the least.  (See table 3.)

   --Full-time workers age 25 and over without a high school diploma had
median weekly earnings of $413, compared with $583 for high school graduates
(no college) and $1,014 for college graduates 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 $2,729 or more per week, compared with $1,858 or more for their female
counterparts.  (See table 4.)




                                  - 2 -

Explanatory Note
     
     
     The estimates in this release were obtained from the Current
Population Survey (CPS), which provides the basic information on the labor
force, employment, and unemployment.  The survey is conducted monthly for
the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau from a scienti-
fically selected national sample of about 60,000 households, with coverage
in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The earnings data are 
collected from one-quarter of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to
wages and salaries.  The data, therefore, exclude self-employment income.
     
     Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired 
individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-691-5200; TDD message referral 
phone number:  1-800-877-8339.
     
Reliability
     
     Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsam-
pling error.  When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed,
there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true"
population values they represent.  The exact difference, or sampling error,
varies depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is
measured by the standard error of the estimate.  There is about a 90-percent
chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will
differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true" population value
because of sampling error.  BLS analyses are generally conducted at the
90-percent level of confidence.

     The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error.  Nonsampling error
can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the
population, inability to obtain information for all respondents in
the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct
information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data.

     For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and
information on estimating standard errors, see the "Explanatory Notes and
Estimates of Error" section of Employment and Earnings.
     
Definitions
     
     The principal definitions used in connection with the earnings series
are described briefly below.
     
     Usual weekly earnings. Data represent earnings before taxes and other
deductions and include any overtime pay, commissions, or tips usually
received (at the main job in the case of multiple jobholders.)  Prior to
1994, respondents were asked how much they usually earned per week.  Since
January 1994, respondents have been asked to identify the easiest way for
them to report earnings (hourly, weekly, biweekly, twice monthly, monthly,
annually, other) and how much they usually earn in the reported time
period.  Earnings reported on a basis other than weekly are converted to a
weekly equivalent.  The term "usual" is as perceived by the respondent.  If
the respondent asks for a definition of usual, interviewers are instructed
to define the term as more than half the weeks worked during the past 4 or
5 months.

                                  - 3 -
     
     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.

     Full-time workers. Workers who usually work 35 hours or more per week
at their sole or principal job.
     
     Part-time workers. Workers who usually work fewer than 35 hours per
week at their sole or principal job.
     
     Constant dollars. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
(CPI-U) is used to convert current dollars to constant (1982) dollars.
     
     Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Refers to persons who identified them-
selves in the enumeration process as being Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino.  
Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any 
race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.
 
 
 
 

 Table 1.  Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly averages,
 not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                              Number of workers              Median weekly earnings          
                                                                (in thousands)                                               
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                       Characteristic                                               In current dollars    In constant (1982) 
                                                                                                               dollars       
                                                                III        III                                               
                                                               2004       2005                                               
                                                                                      III        III        III        III   
                                                                                     2004       2005       2004       2005   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................   102,325    105,428     $632       $649       $322       $318   
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    57,898     59,778      704        716        358        351   
      16 to 24 years.......................................     6,865      7,017      400        407        204        200   
      25 years and over....................................    51,033     52,761      759        768        386        377   
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    44,427     45,649      571        585        291        287   
      16 to 24 years.......................................     5,083      5,022      371        379        189        186   
      25 years and over....................................    39,344     40,627      602        615        306        301   
                                                                                                                             
        RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    83,367     85,558      651        667        331        327   
      Men..................................................    48,172     49,557      721        737        367        361   
      Women................................................    35,195     36,001      583        594        297        291   
                                                                                                                             
    Black or African American..............................    12,136     12,714      531        520        270        255   
      Men..................................................     5,757      6,159      570        533        290        261   
      Women................................................     6,379      6,555      508        509        258        250   
                                                                                                                             
    Asian..................................................     4,408      4,674      701        761        357        373   
      Men..................................................     2,581      2,665      801        834        408        409   
      Women................................................     1,827      2,009      589        659        300        323   
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic or Latino.....................................    14,263     14,913      458        462        233        226   
      Men..................................................     9,155      9,581      477        483        243        237   
      Women................................................     5,108      5,332      430        418        219        205   

   NOTE:  Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because
 data are not presented for all races.  In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of
 any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.  Beginning in January 2005, data reflect revised
 population controls used in the household survey.






 Table 2.  Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and
 sex, third quarter 2005 averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                                    Total                  Men                  Women        
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
        Age, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity           Number                Number                Number             
                                                                of       Median       of       Median       of       Median  
                                                              workers    weekly     workers    weekly     workers    weekly  
                                                                (in     earnings      (in     earnings      (in     earnings 
                                                            thousands)            thousands)            thousands)           
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
                           TOTAL                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................   105,428       $649     59,778       $716     45,649       $585 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    12,039        395      7,017        407      5,022        379 
     16 to 19 years........................................     2,283        310      1,362        322        921        293 
     20 to 24 years........................................     9,756        415      5,655        427      4,101        401 
   25 years and over.......................................    93,388        697     52,761        768     40,627        615 
     25 to 54 years........................................    78,744        691     44,605        760     34,138        613 
       25 to 34 years......................................    25,289        615     14,931        643     10,357        584 
       35 to 44 years......................................    27,582        730     15,697        822     11,886        622 
       45 to 54 years......................................    25,872        745     13,977        848     11,895        640 
     55 years and over.....................................    14,645        726      8,156        837      6,489        621 
       55 to 64 years......................................    12,731        741      6,988        858      5,743        639 
       65 years and over...................................     1,914        582      1,167        650        746        500 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    85,558        667     49,557        737     36,001        594 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     9,920        398      5,906        411      4,015        379 
   25 years and over.......................................    75,638        717     43,652        792     31,986        625 
     25 to 54 years........................................    63,356        712     36,706        782     26,650        623 
     55 years and over.....................................    12,282        743      6,946        871      5,336        636 
                                                                                                                             
                 Black or African American                                                                                   
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    12,714        520      6,159        533      6,555        509 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,316        367        669        366        647        368 
   25 years and over.......................................    11,398        551      5,490        571      5,908        531 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,911        550      4,773        567      5,138        534 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,487        555        717        603        770        509 
                                                                                                                             
                           Asian                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................     4,674        761      2,665        834      2,009        659 
   16 to 24 years..........................................       349        408        194        405        155        412 
   25 years and over.......................................     4,325        790      2,471        872      1,855        690 
     25 to 54 years........................................     3,722        795      2,125        871      1,597        692 
     55 years and over.....................................       603        770        345        877        257        684 
                                                                                                                             
                     Hispanic or Latino                                                                                      
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    14,913        462      9,581        483      5,332        418 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     2,176        375      1,455        380        721        355 
   25 years and over.......................................    12,738        484      8,126        502      4,611        434 
     25 to 54 years........................................    11,606        484      7,447        502      4,160        433 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,131        488        679        499        452        455 

   NOTE:  Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because
 data are not presented for all races.  In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of
 any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.  Beginning in January 2005, data reflect revised
 population controls used in the household survey.




 Table 3.  Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, quarterly averages, 
 not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                                        Number of workers           Median weekly earnings   
                                                                          (in thousands)                                     
                        Occupation and sex                                                                                   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                         III            III             III            III     
                                                                        2004           2005            2004           2005     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
                              TOTAL                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
  Management, professional, and related occupations..............      35,684         37,060           $916           $935   
    Management, business, and financial operations occupations...      14,421         14,891            958            992   
    Professional and related occupations.........................      21,263         22,168            886            897   
  Service occupations............................................      14,188         14,648            411            410   
  Sales and office occupations...................................      25,399         25,936            566            570   
    Sales and related occupations................................      10,056         10,352            598            606   
    Office and administrative support occupations................      15,343         15,584            549            550   
  Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations...      11,680         12,288            613            618   
    Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations...................         777            903            363            352   
    Construction and extraction occupations......................       6,635          7,031            602            604   
    Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations............       4,268          4,354            693            705   
  Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....      15,375         15,496            520            524   
    Production occupations.......................................       8,561          8,453            519            516   
    Transportation and material moving occupations...............       6,814          7,043            521            541   
                                                                                                                             
                               Men                                                                                           
                                                                                                                             
  Management, professional, and related occupations..............      17,719         18,305          1,111          1,103   
    Management, business, and financial operations occupations...       7,926          8,186          1,169          1,147   
    Professional and related occupations.........................       9,793         10,120          1,051          1,057   
  Service occupations............................................       7,188          7,262            470            464   
  Sales and office occupations...................................       9,691         10,153            668            682   
    Sales and related occupations................................       5,701          5,792            733            748   
    Office and administrative support occupations................       3,990          4,361            606            616   
  Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations...      11,247         11,734            618            622   
    Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations...................         655            719            366            361   
    Construction and extraction occupations......................       6,523          6,867            603            605   
    Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations............       4,068          4,148            699            704   
  Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....      12,054         12,324            575            577   
    Production occupations.......................................       6,058          6,090            591            594   
    Transportation and material moving occupations...............       5,995          6,234            548            556   
                                                                                                                             
                              Women                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
  Management, professional, and related occupations..............      17,965         18,754            776            812   
    Management, business, and financial operations occupations...       6,494          6,706            799            860   
    Professional and related occupations.........................      11,470         12,049            767            785   
  Service occupations............................................       7,001          7,385            382            383   
  Sales and office occupations...................................      15,708         15,783            516            514   
    Sales and related occupations................................       4,355          4,559            456            457   
    Office and administrative support occupations................      11,354         11,223            533            530   
  Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations...         433            554            434            471   
    Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations...................         121            184            357            324   
    Construction and extraction occupations......................         112            164            569            459   
    Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations............         199            207            506            720   
  Production, transportation, and material moving occupations....       3,321          3,173            398            418   
    Production occupations.......................................       2,502          2,363            394            416   
    Transportation and material moving occupations...............         819            810            406            429   

    NOTE:  Beginning in January 2005, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.



 Table 4.  Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected
 characteristics, third quarter 2005 averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                              Number                       Upper limit of:                   
                                                                of                                                           
                       Characteristic                         workers                                                        
                                                                (in        First     First     Second      Third       Ninth  
                                                            thousands)    decile   quartile   quartile   quartile     decile  
                                                                                              (median)                       
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
        SEX, RACE, AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................   105,428       $306       $422       $649       $994     $1,484 
   Men.....................................................    59,778        323        465        716      1,098      1,667 
   Women...................................................    45,649        289        392        585        862      1,246 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    85,558        311        435        667      1,016      1,524 
     Men...................................................    49,557        331        480        737      1,131      1,732 
     Women.................................................    36,001        290        398        594        873      1,264 
                                                                                                                             
   Black or African American...............................    12,714        281        368        520        783      1,129 
     Men...................................................     6,159        283        379        533        815      1,136 
     Women.................................................     6,555        279        359        509        760      1,123 
                                                                                                                             
   Asian...................................................     4,674        335        488        761      1,172      1,762 
     Men...................................................     2,665        373        527        834      1,333      1,917 
     Women.................................................     2,009        304        433        659        993      1,440 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic or Latino......................................    14,913        269        329        462        674      1,016 
     Men...................................................     9,581        283        347        483        700      1,067 
     Women.................................................     5,332        244        307        418        628        919 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    93,388        327        464        697      1,046      1,547 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     9,302        257        311        413        565        782 
     High school graduates, no college(1)..................    27,640        308        408        583        815      1,117 
     Some college or associate degree......................    25,655        345        476        678        950      1,290 
     Bachelor's degree and higher(2).......................    30,791        490        705      1,014      1,504      2,092 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    19,875        457        650        941      1,384      1,918 
       Advanced degree.....................................    10,916        597        809      1,157      1,694      2,320 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    52,761        355        505        768      1,158      1,760 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     6,381        281        336        461        621        851 
       High school graduates, no college(1)................    16,126        341        465        650        908      1,210 
       Some college or associate degree....................    13,390        387        541        764      1,052      1,424 
       Bachelor's degree and higher(2).....................    16,865        524        786      1,168      1,759      2,401 
         Bachelor's degree only............................    10,982        496        734      1,081      1,587      2,264 
         Advanced degree...................................     5,883        625        923      1,382      1,912      2,729 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    40,627        304        415        615        905      1,290 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,922        227        281        343        446        577 
       High school graduates, no college(1)................    11,514        281        366        491        669        919 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,265        319        420        594        815      1,109 
       Bachelor's degree and higher(2).....................    13,927        458        637        874      1,223      1,641 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     8,893        427        596        812      1,143      1,554 
         Advanced degree...................................     5,033        580        744        992      1,359      1,858 

   1 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
   2 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees. 
   NOTE:  Ten percent of all full-time wage and salary workers earn less than the upper limit of the first decile; 25
 percent earn less than the upper limit of the first quartile; 50 percent earn less than the upper limit of the second
 quartile, or median; 75 percent earn less than the upper limit of the third quartile; and 90 percent earn less than the
 upper limit of the ninth decile.  Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not
 sum to totals because data are not presented for all races.  In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic
 or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.  Beginning in January 2005,
 data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.





  Table 5.  Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly
  averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers             Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                        Characteristic                                                                                      
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    III             III               III             III     
                                                                   2004            2005              2004            2005     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      21,403          21,465             $199            $206   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,774           6,641              190             196   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,407           3,348              159             163   
       25 years and over....................................       3,367           3,293              232             257   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      14,629          14,824              203             210   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,423           4,800              152             159   
       25 years and over....................................      10,206          10,024              236             246   
                                                                                                                            
         RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      18,038          18,076              200             207   
       Men..................................................       5,629           5,546              186             199   
       Women................................................      12,408          12,530              206             212   
                                                                                                                            
     Black or African American..............................       2,026           2,001              189             193   
       Men..................................................         702             651              191             185   
       Women................................................       1,324           1,350              188             197   
                                                                                                                            
     Asian..................................................         842             845              217             209   
       Men..................................................         275             275              231             183   
       Women................................................         567             571              206             223   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic or Latino.....................................       2,416           2,497              189             198   
       Men..................................................         808             833              192             211   
       Women................................................       1,607           1,664              187             191   

    NOTE:  Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because
  data are not presented for all races.  In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of
  any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.  Beginning in January 2005, data reflect revised
  population controls used in the household survey.