Median Salary in the US
Learn about specific salaries by location, gender, caste, age, education, and job.
A solid understanding of the average salary can help you choose a career and location and can help ensure that your salary is reasonable.
This data can be further broken down to give insight into average salaries based on gender, race, and more. Here are some critical government estimates about the median salary in the US
Key takeaways
- The median wage in the US in the second quarter of 2022 was $1,041 per week or $54,132 per year.
- Massachusetts ($58,531.20) and Washington, DC ($79,955.20) are the regions with the highest median annual salaries.
- The median weekly wage was $1,144 for men and $943 for women.
- Management and professional occupations had the highest median salaries ($1,743 for men and $1,265 for women).
Average Wage Information for US Workers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median wage for workers in the United States in the second quarter of 2022 was approximately $1,041 per week, or $54,132 per year (assuming 52 weeks of work per year). Wages were 5.2% higher than a year ago.
A good salary in one job or metro area may not be in another. For example, professionals, management, and related workers earned the highest wages.
In these jobs, men earned a median annual salary of $90,636, while women earned a median annual salary of $65,780. However, in service occupations, men earned a median annual salary of $40,196, while women earned a median annual salary of $34,112.
Jobs in large metropolitan cities with a higher cost of living also tend to pay more than jobs in rural and suburban areas.
Average salary by state
The BLS breaks down salary data by state. Here are the median state salaries as of May 2021 (assuming 52 weeks of a 40-hour schedule).
The average salary for US men and women
The BLS reports that, in the second quarter of 2022, men earned a median annual salary of $59,488, while women earned a median annual salary of $49,036, or 82.4% of men’s earnings.
Caste wise average salary
Race and ethnicity also play a part in the wages of men and women. For example, white women earned 82.3% more than their male counterparts, compared to 88.1% for black women, 79% for Asian women, and 85.7% for Hispanic women.
However, black men earned an average annual salary of $49,556, which is only 82.1% of white men’s earnings ($55,536). The difference was slightly smaller for women; Black women had a median annual income of 87.9% ($43,680) of white women’s median annual income ($49,712).
The BLS also provides information on Hispanic and Asian wage earners who earned median annual salaries of $42,224 and $69,472, respectively.
Average salary by age
Salary also varies according to age. For example, men aged 35 to 44 had the highest average annual salary ($69,264). Women between the ages of 45 and 54 ($54,652) earned the highest annual salary.
Average salary based on education
BLS data shows that completing more education pays off (at least statistically). Workers age 25 and older without a high school degree had a median annual income of $35,828 in the second quarter of 2022, compared to $43,576 for high school graduates without a college degree. College graduates with a bachelor’s degree earn a median salary of $80,444 annually.
Average salary by job
The BLS breaks down salary information by career. It can help you choose a career with a salary that meets your needs. These average annual figures are based on weekly wage information from the second quarter of 2022 (assuming someone works 52 weeks per year).
Job Median Annual Salary
- Management, Professionals, and Related Professions 75,868
- Service Business 36,764
- Sales and Office Business 45,084
- Natural Resources, Construction, and Maintenance Business 50,128
- Production, Transportation, and Material Transfer Business 41,964
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