January 29, 2007 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Earnings and education in the fourth quarter of 2006

Median weekly earnings of the nation’s 106.9 million full-time wage and salary workers were $682 in the fourth quarter of 2006.

Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by educational attainment, fourth quarter 2006
[Chart data—TXT]

Full-time workers age 25 years and over without a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $415, compared with $597 for high school graduates (no college) and $1,046 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 $3,090 or more per week, compared with $2,055 or more for their female counterparts.

Data on weekly earnings are from the Current Population Survey. Figures in this article are not seasonally adjusted. Find more information on earnings in "Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers: Fourth Quarter 2006" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 07-0076.