Median annual earnings of full-time, full-year wage and salary workers ages 25–34, by race/ethnicity and educational attainment: Selected years, 1980

Economic Outcomes

Table 20-2. Median annual earnings of full-time, full-year wage and salary workers ages 25–34, by race/ethnicity and educational attainment: Selected years, 1980–2006

[In constant 2006 dollars]

Race/ethnicity¹ and educational attainment	1980	1985	1990	1995	2000	2005	2006

White	$38,200	$37,500	$37,000	$34,400	$37,900	$36,100	$37,400
Less than high school	30,800	28,100	26,200	23,800	23,400	23,700	25,000
High school diploma or equivalent	35,100	33,700	30,900	29,100	32,200	31,000	30,000
Some college²	38,800	37,500	36,700	31,800	35,100	33,000	33,300
Associate’s degree	—	—	—	34,400	37,500	36,100	35,000
Bachelor’s degree or higher	44,000	46,900	46,300	45,000	46,800	46,500	45,000
Bachelor’s degree	—	—	—	42,300	46,800	42,300	45,000
Master’s degree or higher	—	—	—	52,900	52,700	51,600	50,000

Black	29,400	28,100	27,800	27,800	29,700	29,800	30,000
Less than high school	21,800	18,700	19,600	18,600	22,200	21,500	18,000
High school diploma or equivalent	29,400	26,200	24,500	23,800	24,600	23,700	25,000
Some college²	31,800	28,100	30,100	29,100	30,400	30,100	28,000
Associate’s degree	—	—	—	29,100	29,300	28,900	29,000
Bachelor’s degree or higher	36,700	37,500	38,600	36,400	41,000	40,300	40,000
Bachelor’s degree	—	—	—	34,400	38,600	37,200	37,000
Master’s degree or higher	—	—	—	45,000	50,300	45,400	50,000

Hispanic	33,000	30,400	27,800	26,500	29,300	27,900	28,000
Less than high school	29,300	24,400	21,700	20,600	21,300	21,500	20,800
High school diploma or equivalent	29,400	28,100	26,200	25,100	26,900	24,800	26,000
Some college²	36,700	35,600	30,900	26,500	31,600	33,000	30,000
Associate’s degree	—	—	—	31,800	35,100	35,100	32,000
Bachelor’s degree or higher	40,000	45,000	41,700	39,700	44,500	42,300	42,000
Bachelor’s degree	—	—	—	38,100	42,100	41,300	40,000
Master’s degree or higher	—	—	—	‡	‡	52,300	48,000

Asian	—	—	36,300³	34,400³	42,100³	41,300	45,000
Less than high school	—	—	‡³	‡³	‡³	‡	‡
High school diploma or equivalent	—	—	25,500³	26,500³	29,300³	27,900	28,000
Some college²	—	—	30,900³	24,600³	32,800³	31,000	32,000
Associate’s degree	—	—	—	26,500³	35,100³	36,100	36,000
Bachelor’s degree or higher	—	—	46,300³	43,700³	58,500³	51,600	55,000
Bachelor’s degree	—	—	—	40,300³	57,400³	51,600	50,000
Master’s degree or higher	—	—	—	50,300³	62,000³	56,800	60,000

Pacific Islander	—	—	(³)	(³)	‡³	‡	30,000
American Indian/Alaska Native	—	—	30,900	26,500	28,100	31,000	27,000
More than one race	—	—	—	—	—	36,100	35,000
Other	$36,700	$37,100	‡	—	—	—	—
Less than high school	‡	‡	‡	—	—	—	—
High school diploma or equivalent	29,400	30,000	‡	—	—	—	—
Some college²	36,700	34,100	‡	—	—	—	—
Associate’s degree	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Bachelor’s degree or higher	44,000	41,200	‡	—	—	—	—
Bachelor’s degree	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Master’s degree or higher	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

— Not available.
‡ Reporting standards not met (too few cases).
¹ Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Estimates for educational categories for Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native, and More than one race subgroups did not meet reporting standards.
² Due to changes in categories across time, the category “some college” prior to 1992 is not comparable with “some college” from 1992 onwards. Prior to 1992, some college may include students who earned an associate’s degree.
³ From 1989 through 2002, data for Asians and Pacific Islanders were not reported separately; therefore, Pacific Islanders are included with Asians during this period.
NOTE: Earnings are presented in constant dollars by means of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to eliminate inflationary factors and allow for direct comparison across years. See supplemental note 11 for further discussion. Full-year worker refers to those who were employed 50 or more weeks during the previous year; full-time worker refers to those who were usually employed 35 or more hours per week. The Current Population Survey (CPS) questions used to obtain educational attainment were changed in 1992. In 1994, the survey instrument for the CPS was changed and weights were adjusted. See supplemental note 2 for further discussion on both of these changes.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), March and Annual Social and Economic Supplement, selected years, 1981–2007.

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