Table 4. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected
characteristics, second quarter 2008 averages, not seasonally adjusted
Upper limit of:
Number 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....................................... 107,119 $346 $484 $719 $1,122 $1,695
Men.......................................................... 59,759 377 519 800 1,252 1,895
Women........................................................ 47,360 320 434 634 947 1,388
White........................................................ 86,389 355 495 738 1,145 1,745
Men........................................................ 49,412 386 536 827 1,279 1,912
Women...................................................... 36,977 325 446 648 961 1,411
Black or African American.................................... 12,889 315 413 591 869 1,262
Men........................................................ 6,105 327 434 615 919 1,334
Women...................................................... 6,785 306 398 568 827 1,196
Asian........................................................ 5,267 361 518 855 1,378 1,906
Men........................................................ 2,804 390 591 975 1,541 2,082
Women...................................................... 2,463 335 477 741 1,151 1,641
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity................................. 15,951 298 384 537 798 1,185
Men........................................................ 10,059 316 407 569 845 1,249
Women...................................................... 5,892 280 344 494 734 1,099
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Total, 25 years and over....................................... 96,258 369 511 760 1,165 1,760
Less than a high school diploma.............................. 8,422 282 344 449 619 891
High school graduates, no college (1)........................ 27,291 335 447 620 893 1,232
Some college or associate degree............................. 26,612 382 512 727 1,036 1,434
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)............................. 33,933 548 749 1,105 1,640 2,306
Bachelor's degree only..................................... 21,892 511 696 999 1,496 2,100
Advanced degree............................................ 12,041 637 883 1,298 1,865 2,767
Men, 25 years and over....................................... 53,589 399 572 862 1,331 1,920
Less than a high school diploma............................ 5,673 301 379 497 687 987
High school graduates, no college (1)...................... 15,864 380 510 715 1,006 1,394
Some college or associate degree........................... 13,834 425 590 843 1,181 1,609
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)........................... 18,219 591 842 1,277 1,889 2,765
Bachelor's degree only................................... 11,730 565 778 1,164 1,745 2,378
Advanced degree.......................................... 6,488 682 987 1,521 2,100 3,235
Women, 25 years and over..................................... 42,668 337 467 668 984 1,432
Less than a high school diploma............................ 2,749 251 303 378 497 625
High school graduates, no college (1)...................... 11,427 305 389 521 716 960
Some college or associate degree........................... 12,778 350 470 632 870 1,183
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)........................... 15,714 508 678 942 1,351 1,879
Bachelor's degree only................................... 10,162 480 633 864 1,234 1,756
Advanced degree.......................................... 5,553 613 820 1,132 1,521 2,070
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. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.
Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
