Average salary in the US by age and other demographics
If you’re wondering about the average salary in the U.S., there might be a better metric to consider. Median salary data tends to be a better representation than an average because it’s not skewed by abnormally high or low numbers.
The most recent salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows a median weekly salary of $1,143 for full-time workers. That ends up being about $59,436 annually.
What you’ll learn:
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BLS tracks national employment and salary information. Keeping up with its reports is one way to compare your salary.
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Age is one way to compare median salaries in the U.S. But industry, location, education level and other factors can impact salaries too.
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Pay gaps exist between sexes, ethnicities and races.
- Taking a look at BLS median salary data can help you compare your salary and could be useful if you’re trying to negotiate your salary.
Average salary vs. median salary
BLS typically reports median salary statistics. This is the number that would be right in the middle if all the salaries were lined up from lowest to highest.
The department uses the median instead of the mean, or average, because the salaries at the high and low ends could skew the data if calculated as an average. Reflecting the median offers a more accurate picture of typical income levels.
Income vs. salary
Salary is a type of income. But income can also include earnings from things like investments, stocks, bonds and rental properties.
Understanding how much money you’re bringing in each month can help you better manage your finances. Knowing your income is also important when applying for credit or other financial products. That’s because credit card issuers may ask for your annual or monthly income when you’re trying to get approved for a new credit card.
Creditors also use this information to determine factors like credit limits and interest rates. And some cards have minimum income requirements to qualify.
Median salary in the U.S. by age bracket
One way of looking at median salaries is by age group since it allows you to compare your salary to that of others who are around the same age.
Here are the second-quarter 2024 earnings of full-time wage and salary workers, ages 16 and older, according to the BLS:
|
Age range |
Median weekly earnings |
Median annual earnings |
|
16-19 |
$626 |
$32,552 |
|
20-24 |
$752 |
$39,104 |
|
25-34 |
$1,103 |
$57,356 |
|
35-44 |
$1,247 |
$64,844 |
|
45-54 |
$1,316 |
$68,432 |
|
55-64 |
$1,197 |
$62,244 |
|
65 and older |
$1,154 |
$60,008 |
Median salary in the U.S. by education level
Education level is another factor that can influence salary amounts.
Here’s how education levels compare among second-quarter 2024 full-time wage and salary workers ages 25 and older, according to the BLS:
|
Education level |
Median weekly earnings |
Median annual earnings |
|
Less than a high school diploma |
$726 |
$37,752 |
|
High school diploma, no college |
$916 |
$47,632 |
|
Some college or associate degree |
$1,057 |
$54,964 |
|
Bachelor’s degree and higher |
$1,684 |
$87,568 |
Median salary in the U.S. for women and men
As the BLS points out, pay gaps also exist between the sexes. For example, women only earned about 81.6% of what men earned in the second quarter of 2024.
Here’s the breakdown of the earnings of full-time wage and salary workers, ages 16 and older, according to the BLS:
|
Sex |
Median weekly earnings |
Median annual earnings |
|
Women |
$1,026 |
$53,352 |
|
Men |
$1,256 |
$65,312 |
Median salary in the U.S. based on ethnicity and race
Pay gaps also exist between ethnicities and races. For example, BLS data shows Hispanics or Latinos have the lowest median annual earnings, while Asians have the highest.
Here’s how they compare among the second-quarter 2024 earnings of full-time wage and salary workers, ages 16 and older, according to the BLS:
|
Ethnicity/race |
Median weekly earnings |
Median annual earnings |
|
Hispanic or Latino |
$903 |
$46,956 |
|
Black |
$941 |
$48,932 |
|
White |
$1,167 |
$60,684 |
|
Asian |
$1,500 |
$78,000 |
Average weekly wages by state
Earnings can also vary depending on the state and size of the organization.
For example, these are the average weekly wages by state for private companies with 100-249 employees as of March 2024, the most recent data from the BLS.
|
States |
Average weekly wages |
|
California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Virginia |
$1,667 and above |
|
Alaska, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington |
$1,405 to $1,666 |
|
Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah |
$1,331 to $1,404 |
|
Arizona, Delaware, Iowa, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming |
$1,208 to $1,330 |
|
Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, West Virginia |
$1,207 and below |
Average salary in the U.S. by industry
The industry an employee works in can also impact salary.
The BLS last compiled and shared data in September 2024 from all industries in both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas from every state and Washington, D.C. The following are the average annual salaries for some of those major industries:
|
Occupations |
Average annual salary* |
|
Professional and business services |
$80,623 |
|
Construction |
$78,520 |
|
Manufacturing |
$71,593 |
|
Retail trade |
$37,675 |
|
Transportation and warehousing |
$60,818 |
|
Utilities |
$113,282 |
|
Information |
$95,483 |
|
Financial activities |
$89,583 |
|
Private education and health services |
$59,219 |
|
Leisure and hospitality |
$29,272 |
*amount rounded to the nearest dollar
Average salary in the U.S. FAQ
Still curious about average salaries in the U.S.? Here are some other common questions:
What is household income?
According to the IRS, household income refers to your adjusted gross income (AGI), including excludible foreign-earned income and tax-exempt interest received throughout the year. Household income also includes a spouse’s and any dependent’s AGI.
What does the average 25-year-old make?
The BLS groups median salaries by age. The median salary for ages 25-34 in the second quarter of 2024 was $57,356 per year. The median annual salary for workers between the ages of 20 and 24 was $39,104.
What occupations are projected to experience growth?
Some occupations are projected to experience more growth than others. So if you’re planning to start a new job or switch fields, here are some of the occupations with the highest projected growth rate from 2023 to 2033, according to the BLS:
- Wind turbine service technicians: 60%
- Solar photovoltaic installers: 48%
- Nurse practitioners: 46%
- Data scientists: 36%
- Information security analysts: 33%
- Medical and health services managers: 29%
- Physician assistants: 28%
- Computer and information research scientists: 26%
- Physical therapist assistants: 25%
Key takeaways: Average salary in the U.S.
The BLS reports median salaries, which can help keep abnormally high or low salaries from skewing the data. Its most recent report showed that the median annual salary for full-time workers was about $59,436.
Looking at salary ranges could be helpful in understanding your income compared to others, especially if you’re trying to negotiate your salary.
