Full text of Second Quarter 1998 : Text File, 98-295
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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.