April 20, 2004 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Earnings and education in the first quarter of 2004

Median weekly earnings of the nation's 99.7 million full-time wage and salary workers were $634 in the first quarter of 2004.

[Chart data—TXT]

Among full-time workers 25 and over, median earnings were $676. In this group, those without a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $396. This compares with $562 for high school graduates (no college) and $996 for college graduates holding at least a bachelor’s degree.

College graduates with only a bachelor’s degree had median weekly earnings of $926, while those with an advanced degree had median earnings of $1,149.

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: First Quarter 2004" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 04-646.