Technical information:  (202) 691-6378    USDL 01-368
               http://www.bls.gov/cps/
                                          For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902    Wednesday, October 24, 2001


                                     
             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            THIRD QUARTER 2001

   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 100.9 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $595 in the third quarter of 2001, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was
3.5 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 2.7 percent
in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the same
period.
   
   Data on usual earnings are collected as part of the Current Population
Survey, a nationwide sample survey of households in which respondents are
asked, among other things, how much each wage and salary worker usually
earns.  (See the Explanatory Note.)  Highlights from the third-quarter data
are:
   
     --Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $507 per
week, or 75.2 percent of the $674 median for men.  The female-to-male earnings
ratios were higher among blacks (88.6 percent) and Hispanics (85.1 percent)
than among whites (74.2 percent).  (See table 1.)
   
     --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $516 per
week, 74.4 percent of the median for white men ($694).  The difference was
much less among women, as black women's median earnings ($457) were 88.7
percent of those for their white counterparts ($515).  Overall, median
earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($418) were lower than those of
blacks ($489) and whites ($610).  (See table 1.)
   
     --Among men, the $794 median weekly earnings level of 45- to 54-year-
olds was the highest of any age group.  Among women, earnings also were
highest for those 45-to-54 years old ($593).  (See table 2.)
   
     --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial and professional specialty occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$1,053 for men and $727 for women.  Men and women in
service and farm jobs earned the least.  (See table 3.)
   
     --Full-time workers age 25 and over without a high school diploma had
median weekly earnings of $381, compared with $522 for high school graduates
(no college) and $931 for college graduates.  Among college graduates with
advanced degrees (professional or master's degree and above), the highest-
earning 10 percent of male workers made $2,432 or more per week, compared
with $1,672 or more for their female counterparts.  (See table 4.)
Explanatory Note
     
     
     The estimates in this release were obtained from the Current
Population Survey (CPS), which provides the basic information on the labor
force, employment, and unemployment.  The survey is conducted monthly for
the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau from a scienti-
fically selected national sample of about 60,000 households, with coverage
in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The earnings data are 
collected from one-quarter of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to
wages and salaries.  The data, therefore, exclude self-employment income.
     
     Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired 
individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-691-5200; TDD message referral 
phone number:  1-800-877-8339.
     
Reliability
     
     Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsam-
pling error.  When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed,
there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true"
population values they represent.  The exact difference, or sampling error,
varies depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is
measured by the standard error of the estimate.  There is about a 90-percent
chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will
differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true" population value
because of sampling error.  BLS analyses are generally conducted at the
90-percent level of confidence.

     The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error.  Nonsampling error
can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the
population, inability to obtain information for all respondents in
the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct
information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data.

     For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and
information on estimating standard errors, see the "Explanatory Notes and
Estimates of Error" section of the February 1994 and subsequent issues of
Employment and Earnings.
     
Definitions
     
     The principal definitions used in connection with the earnings series
are described briefly below.
     
     Usual weekly earnings. Data represent earnings before taxes and other
deductions and include any overtime pay, commissions, or tips usually
received (at the main job in the case of multiple jobholders.)  Prior to
1994, respondents were asked how much they usually earned per week.  Since
January 1994, respondents have been asked to identify the easiest way for
them to report earnings (hourly, weekly, biweekly, twice monthly, monthly,
annually, other) and how much they usually earn in the reported time
period.  Earnings reported on a basis other than weekly are converted to a
weekly equivalent.  The term "usual" is as perceived by the respondent.  If
the respondent asks for a definition of usual, interviewers are instructed
to define the term as more than half the weeks worked during the past 4 or
5 months.
     
     Medians (and other quantiles) of weekly earnings. The median (or upper
limit of the second quartile) is the amount which divides a given earnings
distribution into two equal groups, one having earnings above the median
and the other having earnings below the median.  Ten percent of a given
distribution have earnings below the upper limit of the first decile (90
percent have higher earnings); 25 percent have earnings below the upper
limit of the first quartile (75 percent have higher earnings); 75 percent
have earnings below the upper limit of the third quartile (25 percent have
higher earnings); and 90 percent have earnings below the upper limit of the
ninth decile (10 percent have higher earnings).

                                  - 2 -

     The estimating procedure places each reported or calculated weekly
earnings value into $50-wide intervals which are centered around multiples
of $50.  The actual value is estimated through the linear interpolation of
the interval in which the quantile boundary lies.
     
     Over-the-year changes in the medians (and other quantile boundaries)
for specific groups may not necessarily be consistent with the movements
estimated for the overall quantile boundary.  The most common reasons for
this possible anomaly are: (1) There could be a change in the relative
weights of the subgroups.  For example, the medians of both 16-to-24 year
olds and those 25 years and over may rise; but if the lower-earning 16-to-
24 group accounts for a greatly increased share of the total, the overall
median could actually fall. (2) There could be a large change in the shape
of the distribution of reported earnings, particularly near a quantile
boundary.  This could be caused by survey observations that are clustered
at rounded values, e.g., $250, $300, $400.  An estimate lying in a $50-wide
centered interval containing such a cluster or "spike" tends to change more
slowly than one in other intervals.
     
     Wage and salary workers. Workers who receive wages, salaries,
commissions, tips, payment in kind, or piece rates.  The group includes
employees in both the private and public sectors but, for the purposes of
the earnings series, excludes all self-employed persons, regardless of
whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

     Full-time workers. Workers who usually work 35 hours or more per week
at their sole or principal job.
     
     Part-time workers. Workers who usually work fewer than 35 hours per
week at their sole or principal job.
     
     Constant dollars. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
(CPI-U) is used to convert current dollars to constant (1982) dollars.
     
     Hispanic origin. Refers to persons who are of Mexican, Puerto Rican,
Cuban, Central or South  American, or other Hispanic origin or descent.
Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race; hence, they are included in
the numbers for the white and black populations.
 Table 1. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly averages,
 not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                              Number of workers               Median weekly earnings          
                                                                (in thousands)                                               
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                       Characteristic                                                 In current dollars    In constant (1982) 
                                                                                                                  dollars       
                                                                III        III                                               
                                                               2000       2001                                               
                                                                                        III        III        III        III   
                                                                                       2000       2001       2000       2001   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................   101,462    100,851       $575       $595       $321       $323 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    57,430     56,865        640        674        356        366 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     7,719      7,303        378        389        211        211 
      25 years and over....................................    49,711     49,562        700        725        390        394 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    44,031     43,987        491        507        273        275 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     5,872      5,555        335        350        187        190 
      25 years and over....................................    38,160     38,432        519        542        289        294 
                                                                                                                             
               RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    83,623     83,196        590        610        329        331 
      Men..................................................    48,505     48,118        664        694        370        377 
      Women................................................    35,117     35,078        497        515        277        279 
                                                                                                                             
    Black..................................................    12,776     12,642        463        489        258        266 
      Men..................................................     6,143      5,953        492        516        274        280 
      Women................................................     6,633      6,689        434        457        242        248 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic origin........................................    11,767     11,712        402        418        224        227 
      Men..................................................     7,271      7,159        416        450        232        244 
      Women................................................     4,496      4,552        377        383        210        208 

      NOTE:  Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
 group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.






 Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic origin, and sex, 
 third quarter 2001 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.........................................   100,851       $595     56,865       $674     43,987       $507 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    12,858        373      7,303        389      5,555        350 
     16 to 19 years........................................     2,852        306      1,628        321      1,224        291 
     20 to 24 years........................................    10,006        393      5,675        408      4,331        375 
   25 years and over.......................................    87,994        636     49,562        725     38,432        542 
     25 to 54 years........................................    76,715        638     43,252        722     33,463        548 
       25 to 34 years......................................    24,579        582     14,054        633     10,525        512 
       35 to 44 years......................................    28,402        662     16,222        759     12,180        546 
       45 to 54 years......................................    23,734        691     12,976        794     10,758        593 
     55 years and over.....................................    11,279        620      6,310        751      4,969        511 
       55 to 64 years......................................     9,756        643      5,398        769      4,358        524 
       65 years and over...................................     1,523        467        912        555        611        360 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    83,196        610     48,118        694     35,078        515 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    10,876        378      6,353        395      4,523        353 
   25 years and over.......................................    72,320        659     41,765        748     30,555        558 
     25 to 54 years........................................    62,689        661     36,260        744     26,429        565 
     55 years and over.....................................     9,631        649      5,505        778      4,126        519 
                                                                                                                             
                           Black                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    12,642        489      5,953        516      6,689        457 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,494        333        677        336        817        330 
   25 years and over.......................................    11,148        510      5,276        553      5,872        484 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,949        511      4,707        557      5,242        486 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,198        485        569        520        630        443 
                                                                                                                             
                      Hispanic origin                                                                                        
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    11,712        418      7,159        450      4,552        383 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,999        327      1,300        341        698        311 
   25 years and over.......................................     9,713        448      5,859        488      3,854        402 
     25 to 54 years........................................     8,837        453      5,353        490      3,484        404 
     55 years and over.....................................       876        406        506        462        370        394 

      NOTE:  Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
 group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.






  Table 3. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, quarterly averages, 
  not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers             Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                      Occupation and sex                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
                                                                    III             III               III             III     
                                                                   2000            2001              2000            2001     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      31,849          32,298             $833            $867   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............      15,482          16,149              850             884   
     Professional specialty.................................      16,367          16,149              817             854   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      28,620          28,546              504             516   
     Technicians and related support........................       3,780           3,837              654             683   
     Sales occupations......................................      10,237          10,323              557             568   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      14,603          14,386              463             479   
   Service occupations......................................      11,035          11,608              352             368   
     Private household......................................         351             354              252             248   
     Protective service.....................................       2,147           2,163              638             609   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       8,537           9,091              324             345   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      12,336          12,236              612             627   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,287           4,160              648             670   
     Construction trades....................................       4,553           4,649              592             611   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       3,495           3,427              599             614   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      15,740          14,504              433             475   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       6,631           5,957              423             462   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,724           4,686              532             587   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       4,386           3,862              380             390   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,881           1,658              345             347   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      16,144          16,476              994           1,053   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       8,319           8,631            1,026           1,077   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,824           7,845              962           1,026   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      11,072          11,054              651             664   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,941           1,933              766             786   
     Sales occupations......................................       5,564           5,657              691             683   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............       3,567           3,464              545             552   
   Service occupations......................................       5,230           5,424              411             420   
     Private household......................................           6              12           (1)             (1)      
     Protective service.....................................       1,796           1,781              678             624   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       3,427           3,631              347             366   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      11,285          11,149              621             645   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,082           3,927              645             672   
     Construction trades....................................       4,461           4,558              595             613   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       2,741           2,664              639             669   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      12,130          11,346              475             508   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       4,205           3,888              480             513   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,341           4,304              552             603   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,584           3,153              394             402   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,570           1,416              362             361   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      15,705          15,823              706             727   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       7,163           7,518              682             709   
     Professional specialty.................................       8,543           8,304              725             738   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      17,548          17,492              449             465   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,839           1,905              539             583   
     Sales occupations......................................       4,673           4,665              413             421   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      11,036          10,922              443             461   
   Service occupations......................................       5,805           6,184              316             334   
     Private household......................................         345             342              251             241   
     Protective service.....................................         351             382              502             501   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       5,110           5,461              316             331   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................       1,051           1,087              466             489   
     Mechanics and repairers................................         205             233              695             620   
     Construction trades....................................          92              90           (1)             (1)      
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........         754             764              423             465   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................       3,611           3,159              355             377   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       2,426           2,069              363             379   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         383             381              382             440   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....         802             708              321             347   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................         311             242              291             299   

    1  Data not shown where base is less than 100,000.






 Table 4. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected
 characteristics, third quarter 2001 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..................................   100,851       $288       $392       $595       $897     $1,355 
   Men.....................................................    56,865        309        435        674      1,014      1,520 
   Women...................................................    43,987        267        351        507        745      1,090 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    83,196        292        402        610        921      1,386 
     Men...................................................    48,118        314        451        694      1,043      1,547 
     Women.................................................    35,078        272        358        515        755      1,114 
                                                                                                                             
   Black...................................................    12,642        262        338        489        708      1,014 
     Men...................................................     5,953        284        369        516        758      1,127 
     Women.................................................     6,689        247        319        457        654        929 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic................................................    11,712        244        305        418        631        941 
     Men...................................................     7,159        259        319        450        683      1,012 
     Women.................................................     4,552        230        285        383        557        809 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    87,994        305        424        636        951      1,419 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,399        236        290        381        515        716 
     High school graduates, no college.....................    26,694        290        379        522        741      1,007 
     Some college or associate degree......................    25,108        322        442        621        869      1,208 
     College graduates, total..............................    27,792        465        650        931      1,382      1,905 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    18,598        430        613        870      1,278      1,809 
       Advanced degree.....................................     9,194        561        743      1,078      1,549      2,124 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    49,562        340        488        725      1,096      1,578 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,484        255        311        416        584        788 
       High school graduates, no college...................    14,856        329        441        620        845      1,144 
       Some college or associate degree....................    13,488        380        515        724        988      1,340 
       College graduates, total............................    15,735        505        727      1,098      1,562      2,204 
         Bachelor's degree only............................    10,535        479        678      1,006      1,469      2,001 
         Advanced degree...................................     5,199        599        860      1,261      1,768      2,432 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    38,432        280        375        542        778      1,142 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,915        212        258        317        414        523 
       High school graduates, no college...................    11,838        261        330        440        593        778 
       Some college or associate degree....................    11,621        292        385        521        714        962 
       College graduates, total............................    12,058        426        596        788      1,128      1,498 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     8,063        392        559        750      1,035      1,383 
         Advanced degree...................................     3,995        518        674        886      1,251      1,672 

      NOTE:  Ten percent of all full-time wage and salary workers earn less than the upper limit of the first decile; 25
 percent earn less than the upper limit of the first quartile; 50 percent earn less than the upper limit of the second
 quartile, or median; 75 percent earn less than the upper limit of the third quartile; and 90 percent earn less than the
 upper limit of the ninth decile.  Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data
 for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.






  Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly
  averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers             Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                        Characteristic                                                                                      
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    III             III               III             III     
                                                                   2000            2001              2000            2001     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      19,103          19,747             $174            $189   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       5,721           6,253              159             180   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,169           3,321              137             157   
       25 years and over....................................       2,552           2,933              211             217   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      13,382          13,494              183             192   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,168           4,214              140             150   
       25 years and over....................................       9,214           9,280              210             218   
                                                                                                                            
                RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      16,578          16,987              176             190   
       Men..................................................       4,871           5,223              159             182   
       Women................................................      11,707          11,764              185             194   
                                                                                                                            
     Black..................................................       1,747           1,859              160             172   
       Men..................................................         576             711              158             162   
       Women................................................       1,171           1,148              161             177   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic origin........................................       1,634           1,926              159             190   
       Men..................................................         483             685              161             194   
       Women................................................       1,151           1,241              159             188   

       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.