Women in the Labor Force: A Databook (2009 Edition)

Table 16. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers in current dollars by race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and sex, 1979-2008 annual averages
Year Total White Black or African American Asian Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Total both sexes

1979

 $241 $248 $199 - $194

1980

 262 269 212 - 209

1981

 284 291 235 - 223

1982

 302 310 245 - 240

1983

 313 320 261 - 250

1984

 326 336 269 - 259

1985

 344 356 277 - 270

1986 (1)

 359 371 291 - 277

1987

 374 384 301 - 285

1988

 385 395 314 - 290

1989

 399 409 319 - 298

1990 (1)

 412 424 329 - 304

1991

 426 442 348 - 312

1992

 440 458 357 - 321

1993

 459 475 369 - 331

1994 (1)

 467 484 371 - 324

1995

 479 494 383 - 329

1996

 490 506 387 - 339

1997 (1)

 503 519 400 - 351

1998 (1)

 523 545 426 - 370

1999 (1)

 549 573 445 - 385

2000 (1)

 576 590 474 $615 399

2001

 596 610 491 639 417

2002

 608 623 498 658 424

2003 (1)

 620 636 514 693 440

2004

 638 657 525 708 456

2005

 651 672 520 753 471

2006

 671 690 554 784 486

2007

 695 716 569 830 503

2008 (1)

 722 742 589 861 529
Women

1979

 $182 $184 $169 - $157

1980

 201 203 185 - 172

1981

 219 221 206 - 190

1982

 239 242 217 - 203

1983

 252 254 232 - 215

1984

 265 268 241 - 223

1985

 277 281 252 - 230

1986 (1)

 291 294 264 - 241

1987

 303 307 276 - 251

1988

 315 318 288 - 260

1989

 328 334 301 - 269

1990 (1)

 346 353 308 - 278

1991

 366 373 323 - 292

1992

 380 387 335 - 302

1993

 393 401 348 - 313

1994 (1)

 399 408 346 - 305

1995

 406 415 355 - 305

1996

 418 428 362 - 316

1997 (1)

 431 444 375 - 318

1998 (1)

 456 468 400 - 337

1999 (1)

 473 483 409 - 348

2000 (1)

 493 502 429 $547 366

2001

 512 522 454 563 388

2002

 529 547 473 566 397

2003 (1)

 552 567 491 598 410

2004

 573 584 505 613 419

2005

 585 596 499 665 429

2006

 600 609 519 699 440

2007

 614 626 533 731 473

2008 (1)

 638 654 554 753 501
Men

1979

 $292 $298 $227 - $219

1980

 313 320 244 - 234

1981

 340 350 268 - 251

1982

 364 375 278 - 269

1983

 379 387 294 - 274

1984

 392 401 303 - 287

1985

 407 418 305 - 296

1986 (1)

 419 433 319 - 299

1987

 434 450 327 - 306

1988

 449 465 348 - 308

1989

 468 482 348 - 315

1990 (1)

 481 494 361 - 318

1991

 493 506 375 - 323

1992

 501 514 380 - 339

1993

 510 524 392 - 346

1994 (1)

 522 547 400 - 343

1995

 538 566 411 - 350

1996

 557 580 412 - 356

1997 (1)

 579 595 432 - 371

1998 (1)

 598 615 468 - 390

1999 (1)

 618 638 488 - 406

2000 (1)

 641 662 510 $685 417

2001

 670 689 529 732 440

2002

 679 702 524 756 451

2003 (1)

 695 715 555 772 464

2004

 713 732 569 802 480

2005

 722 743 559 825 489

2006

 743 761 591 882 505

2007

 766 788 600 936 520

2008 (1)

 798 825 620 966 559
Women's earnings as a percent of men's

1979

 62.3 61.7 74.4 - 71.7

1980

 64.2 63.4 75.8 - 73.5

1981

 64.4 63.1 76.9 - 75.7

1982

 65.7 64.5 78.1 - 75.5

1983

 66.5 65.6 78.9 - 78.5

1984

 67.6 66.8 79.5 - 77.7

1985

 68.1 67.2 82.6 - 77.7

1986 (1)

 69.5 67.9 82.8 - 80.6

1987

 69.8 68.2 84.4 - 82.0

1988

 70.2 68.4 82.8 - 84.4

1989

 70.1 69.3 86.5 - 85.4

1990 (1)

 71.9 71.5 85.3 - 87.4

1991

 74.2 73.7 86.1 - 90.4

1992

 75.8 75.3 88.2 - 89.1

1993

 77.1 76.5 88.8 - 90.5

1994 (1)

 76.4 74.6 86.5 - 88.9

1995

 75.5 73.3 86.4 - 87.1

1996

 75.0 73.8 87.9 - 88.8

1997 (1)

 74.4 74.6 86.8 - 85.7

1998 (1)

 76.3 76.1 85.5 - 86.4

1999 (1)

 76.5 75.7 83.8 - 85.7

2000 (1)

 76.9 75.8 84.1 79.9 87.8

2001

 76.4 75.8 85.8 76.9 88.2

2002

 77.9 77.9 90.3 74.9 88.0

2003 (1)

 79.4 79.3 88.5 77.5 88.4

2004

 80.4 79.8 88.8 76.4 87.3

2005

 81.0 80.2 89.3 80.6 87.7

2006

 80.8 80.0 87.8 79.3 87.1

2007

 80.2 79.4 88.8 78.1 91.0

2008 (1)

 79.9 79.3 89.4 78.0 89.6

Footnotes:
(1) The comparability of historical labor force data has been affected at various times by methodological and conceptual changes in the Current Population Survey (CPS). For an explanation, see the Historical Comparability documentation provided at http://www.bls.gov/cps/eetech_methods.pdf.

NOTE: Beginning in 2003, estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) include persons who selected this race group only; persons who selected more than one race group are not included. Prior to 2003, persons who reported more than one race were included in the group they identified as the main race. Data for 2000-02 are for the category Asians and Pacific Islanders. Starting in 2003, Asians constitute a separate category. For more information, see the Historical Comparability documentation. Data for Asians were not tabulated prior to 2000.

 

SOURCE: Current Population Survey, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.