Table 4.4
Hourly wages of all workers, by wage percentile, 1973–2011 (2011 dollars)
| Wage by percentile* | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 95 | |
| Real hourly wage | ||||||||||
| 1973 | $8.07 | $9.75 | $11.58 | $13.47 | $15.45 | $17.72 | $20.58 | $23.53 | $29.57 | $37.10 |
| 1979 | 8.53 | 9.73 | 11.43 | 13.45 | 15.21 | 17.64 | 20.84 | 24.29 | 29.71 | 36.28 |
| 1989 | 7.29 | 9.08 | 10.89 | 13.01 | 15.12 | 17.66 | 21.01 | 25.12 | 31.72 | 38.99 |
| 1995 | 7.42 | 9.07 | 10.84 | 12.75 | 14.84 | 17.57 | 20.94 | 25.35 | 32.76 | 41.09 |
| 2000 | 8.24 | 10.15 | 11.85 | 13.71 | 15.99 | 18.92 | 22.43 | 27.25 | 35.62 | 45.44 |
| 2007 | 8.45 | 10.25 | 11.97 | 14.04 | 16.40 | 19.46 | 23.10 | 28.50 | 38.23 | 49.39 |
| 2011 | 8.16 | 9.86 | 11.74 | 13.88 | 16.07 | 19.03 | 23.00 | 28.80 | 38.49 | 49.74 |
| Percent change | ||||||||||
| 1973–1979 | 5.7% | -0.1% | -1.3% | -0.2% | -1.6% | -0.5% | 1.3% | 3.2% | 0.5% | -2.2% |
| 1979–1989 | -14.6 | -6.7 | -4.7 | -3.3 | -0.6 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 3.4 | 6.8 | 7.5 |
| 1989–2000 | 13.1 | 11.8 | 8.9 | 5.4 | 5.8 | 7.1 | 6.8 | 8.5 | 12.3 | 16.5 |
| 1989–1995 | 1.8 | -0.1 | -0.5 | -2.0 | -1.8 | -0.5 | -0.3 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 5.4 |
| 1995–2000 | 11.1 | 11.9 | 9.4 | 7.5 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 8.7 | 10.6 |
| 2000–2007 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 4.6 | 7.3 | 8.7 |
| 2007–2011 | -3.4 | -3.9 | -1.9 | -1.2 | -2.0 | -2.2 | -0.5 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| 1979–2011 | -4.3 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 5.7 | 7.9 | 10.3 | 18.6 | 29.6 | 37.1 |
* The xth-percentile wage is the wage at which x% of the wage earners earn less and (100-x)% earn more.
Source: Authors' analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata
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