Table 4. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected
characteristics, first quarter 2008 averages, not seasonally adjusted
Number of Upper limit of:
workers
Characteristic (in
thousands) First First Second Third Ninth
decile quartile quartile quartile decile
(median)
SEX, RACE, AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY
Total, 16 years and over....................................... 106,507 $344 $481 $719 $1,112 $1,653
Men.......................................................... 59,324 371 515 790 1,240 1,875
Women........................................................ 47,182 321 436 637 955 1,386
White........................................................ 85,721 354 494 742 1,138 1,694
Men........................................................ 48,810 381 538 822 1,264 1,886
Women...................................................... 36,911 328 449 652 965 1,402
Black or African American.................................... 12,922 307 402 582 857 1,254
Men........................................................ 6,101 319 419 604 896 1,328
Women...................................................... 6,821 299 389 556 822 1,200
Asian........................................................ 5,297 360 521 842 1,368 1,921
Men........................................................ 2,981 390 550 939 1,523 2,173
Women...................................................... 2,316 319 491 754 1,148 1,686
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity................................. 15,588 297 379 520 777 1,174
Men........................................................ 9,819 307 389 538 814 1,273
Women...................................................... 5,769 282 358 501 719 1,037
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Total, 25 years and over....................................... 96,088 366 507 757 1,156 1,734
Less than a high school diploma.............................. 7,998 281 338 435 597 821
High school graduates, no college (1)........................ 27,866 331 433 615 873 1,196
Some college or associate degree............................. 26,207 381 510 715 1,017 1,416
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)............................. 34,017 558 761 1,108 1,617 2,297
Bachelor's degree only..................................... 22,033 516 714 1,012 1,495 2,081
Advanced degree............................................ 11,984 642 890 1,259 1,865 2,659
Men, 25 years and over....................................... 53,436 392 567 848 1,302 1,903
Less than a high school diploma............................ 5,520 293 366 479 637 898
High school graduates, no college (1)...................... 15,986 375 497 701 988 1,336
Some college or associate degree........................... 13,843 422 588 819 1,162 1,563
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)........................... 18,087 609 874 1,274 1,883 2,698
Bachelor's degree only................................... 11,681 582 801 1,170 1,730 2,402
Advanced degree.......................................... 6,406 732 1,000 1,493 2,116 3,080
Women, 25 years and over..................................... 42,652 338 464 666 989 1,438
Less than a high school diploma............................ 2,478 250 303 375 496 633
High school graduates, no college (1)...................... 11,880 302 388 518 713 963
Some college or associate degree........................... 12,364 351 459 624 876 1,163
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)........................... 15,930 509 682 950 1,340 1,838
Bachelor's degree only................................... 10,352 484 634 886 1,238 1,733
Advanced degree.......................................... 5,578 603 807 1,081 1,487 1,988
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.
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