In 1979, the median usual weekly earnings of a full-time employee amounted to *** current U.S. dollars. In 2023, this number had risen to ***** current U.S. dollars. The term current U.S. dollars describes the value of the currency in that particular year. Wages adjusted for inflation can be found here.

In 2023, the median hourly earnings of wage and salary workers in the United States was 19.24 U.S. dollars. This is an increase from 1979, when median hourly earnings were at 4.44 U.S. dollars. Hourly Workers The United States national minimum wage is 7.25 U.S. dollars per hour, which has been the minimum wage since 2009. However, each state has the agency to set their state minimum wage. Furthermore, some cities are able to create their minimum wage. Many argue that the minimum wage is too low and should be raised, because it is not considered a living wage. There has been a movement to raise the minimum wage to 15 U.S. dollars per hour, called “Fight for 15” which began in the early 2010s. While there has been no movement at the federal level, some states have moved to increase their minimum wages, with at least three states and the District of Columbia setting minimum wage rates at or above 15 dollars per hour. More recently, some proponents of increasing the minimum wage say that 15 dollars is too low, and lawmakers should strive toward a higher goal, especially given that a 2021 analysis found that the minimum wage in the U.S. should be 22.88 U.S. dollars if it grew at the same rate as economic productivity. Salary Workers On the other hand, salary workers in the United States do not get paid on an hourly basis. The median weekly earnings of salary workers have significantly increased since 1979. Asian salary workers had the highest hourly earnings in the U.S. in 2021. Among female salary workers, those ages 45 to 54 years old had the highest median hourly earnings in 2021, likewise for male salary workers.

In 2023, the usual median hourly rate of a worker's wage in the United States was 19.24 U.S. dollars, a decrease from the previous year. Dollar value is based on 2023 U.S. dollars. In 1979, the median hourly earnings in the U.S. was 17.48 dollars.

Graph and download economic data for Employed full time: Median usual weekly real earnings: Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over (LEU0252881600Q) from Q1 1979 to Q1 2025 about full-time, salaries, workers, earnings, 16 years +, wages, median, real, employment, and USA.

Data measure usual weekly earnings of wage and salary workers. Wage and salary workers are 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, it excludes all self-employed persons, both those with incorporated businesses and those with unincorporated businesses. Usual weekly earnings 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, or 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 determined by each respondent's own understanding of the term. 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. Visit the BLS (https://www.bls.gov/cps/earnings.htm) for more information.

The series comes from the 'Current Population Survey (Household Survey)'

The source code is: LES1252881600

Data measure usual weekly earnings of wage and salary workers. Wage and salary workers are 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, it excludes all self-employed persons, both those with incorporated businesses and those with unincorporated businesses. Usual weekly earnings 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, or 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 determined by each respondent's own understanding of the term. 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. For more information see https://www.bls.gov/cps/earnings.htm

The series comes from the 'Current Population Survey (Household Survey)'

The source code is: LES1252881900

In 1979 the median usual weekly earnings of a male full-time employee in the United States of America amounted to 292 current U.S. dollars. In 2023, that figure had risen to 1,202 current U.S. dollars. The term current U.S. dollars describes the value of the currency in that particular year. Men's median weekly earnings adjusted for inflation can be accessed here.

Graph and download economic data for Employed full time: Median usual weekly nominal earnings (second quartile): Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over (LEU0252881500Q) from Q1 1979 to Q1 2025 about second quartile, full-time, salaries, workers, earnings, 16 years +, wages, median, employment, and USA.

In 1979, the median usual weekly earnings of a Latino full-time employee in the United States amounted to 194 current U.S. dollars, which was 47 U.S. dollars beneath the general average. In 2023, this figure was 874 current U.S. dollars. The median weekly earnings of Hispanic Americans adjusted for inflation can be accessed here.

Graph and download economic data for Employed full time: Median usual weekly real earnings: Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over: Men (LEU0252881900A) from 1979 to 2024 about full-time, males, salaries, workers, earnings, 16 years +, wages, median, real, employment, and USA.

Median Weekly Earnings - Full-Time Workers: 46 years of historical data from 1979 to 2025.

In 2023, the median weekly earnings of a full-time employee in the United States of America was ***** U.S. dollars, an increase from 2022. Dollar value is based on constant 2023 U.S. dollars. In 1979, the median weekly earnings of a full-time employee was *** constant 2023 U.S. dollars. Median weekly earnings not adjusted for inflation can be found here.

This map layer portrays 1979, 1980, and 1981 estimates for total personal income, per capita personal income, annual number of full-time and part- time jobs, average wage per job in dollars, population, and per capita number of jobs, for counties in the United States. Total personal income is all the income that is received by, or on behalf of, the residents of a particular area. It is calculated as the sum of wage and salary disbursements, other labor income, proprietors' income with inventory valuation and capital consumption adjustments, rental income of persons with capital consumption adjustment, personal dividend income, personal interest income, and transfer payments to persons, minus personal contributions for social insurance. Per capita personal income is calculated as the total personal income of the residents of a county divided by the resident population of the county. The Census Bureau's annual midyear population estimates were used in the computation. The average annual number of full-time and part-time jobs includes all jobs for which wages and salaries are paid, except jury and witness service and paid employment of prisoners. The jobs are counted at equal weight, and employees, sole proprietors, and active partners are all included. Unpaid family workers and volunteers are not included. Average wage per job is the total wage and salary disbursements divided by the number of wage and salary jobs in the county. Wage and salary disbursements consist of the monetary remuneration of employees, including the compensation of corporate officers; commissions, tips, and bonuses; and receipts in kind, or pay-in-kind, such as the meals furnished to the employees of restaurants. It reflects the amount of payments disbursed, but not necessarily earned during the year. Per capita number of jobs is calculated as the average annual number of full-time and part-time jobs in a county divided by the resident population of the county. The Census Bureau's annual midyear population estimates were used in the computation. All dollar estimates are in current dollars, not adjusted for inflation. The information in this map layer comes from the Regional Economic Information System (REIS) that is distributed by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, http://www.bea.gov/. This is an updated version of the November 2004 map layer.

Graph and download economic data for Employed full time: Median usual weekly nominal earnings (second quartile): Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over (LEU0252881500A) from 1979 to 2024 about second quartile, full-time, salaries, workers, earnings, 16 years +, wages, median, employment, and USA.

Real Median Weekly Earnings: 46 years of historical data from 1979 to 2025.

In 2023, the usual median hourly rate of a male worker's wage in the U.S. was ***** U.S. dollars. Dollar value is based on 2023 U.S. dollars. This is a decrease from the previous year, when men's median hourly wage was ***** 2023 U.S. dollars. The median hourly earnings of men in the U.S. not adjusted for inflation can be found here.

Graph and download economic data for Employed full time: Median usual weekly real earnings: Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over: Women (LES1252882800Q) from Q1 1979 to Q1 2025 about females, full-time, salaries, workers, earnings, 16 years +, wages, median, real, employment, and USA.

The Recent College Graduates (RCG) survey estimates the potential supply of newly qualified teachers in the United States and explores the immediate post-degree employment and education experiences of individuals obtaining bachelor's or master's degrees from American colleges and universities. The RCG survey, which focuses heavily, but not exclusively, on those graduates qualified to teach at the elementary and secondary levels, is designed to meet the following objectives: (1) to determine how many graduates become eligible or qualified to teach for the first time and how many are employed as teachers in the year following graduation, by teaching field, (2) to examine the relationship between courses taken, student achievement, and occupational outcomes, and (3) to monitor unemployment rates and average salaries of graduates by field of study. The RCG survey collects information on education and employment of all graduates (date of graduation, field of study, whether newly qualified to teach, further enrollment, financial aid, employment status, and teacher employment characteristics) as well as standard demographic characteristics such as earnings, age, marital status, sex, and race/ethnicity.

In 2023, the usual median hourly rate of a female worker's wage in the United States was 18.11 U.S. dollars. Dollar value is based on 2023 U.S. dollars. This is a slight increase from the previous year, when women's median hourly wage was 17.9 constant 2023 U.S. dollars. The median hourly earnings of women in the U.S. not adjusted for inflation can be accessed here.

China Real Wage Index: Urban Non-private data was reported at 2,593.000 1978=100 in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,457.100 1978=100 for 2022. China Real Wage Index: Urban Non-private data is updated yearly, averaging 370.000 1978=100 from Dec 1979 (Median) to 2023, with 45 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,593.000 1978=100 in 2023 and a record low of 106.600 1978=100 in 1979. China Real Wage Index: Urban Non-private data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Labour Market – Table CN.GC: Real Wage Index.