Change in annual wages, by wage group, 1979–2014

Percent change Percent change
Average annual wages (2014 dollars)  Long-term Great Recession
Wage group 1979 2007 2009 2013 2014 1979–2007 1979–2014 2007–09 2009–14 2013–14 2007–14
Bottom 90% $28,524 $33,277 $33,077 $32,851 $33,297 16.7% 16.7% -0.6% 0.7% 1.4% 0.1%
Top 90th to 99th $93,295 $135,584 $135,242 $139,014 $141,293 45.3% 51.4% -0.3% 4.5% 1.6% 4.2%
90%-95% $79,113 $106,063 $107,065 $108,543 $109,923 34.1% 38.9% 0.9% 2.7% 1.3% 3.6%
95%-99% $111,023 $172,484 $170,464 $177,103 $180,505 55.4% 62.6% -1.2% 5.9% 1.9% 4.7%
Upper 5% $142,639 $275,862 $252,719 $269,585 $278,616 93.4% 95.3% -8.4% 10.2% 3.3% 1.0%
Upper 1% $269,102 $689,373 $581,738 $639,514 $671,061 156.2% 149.4% -15.6% 15.4% 4.9% -2.7%
99.0%–99.9% $232,421 $458,049 $418,939 $451,166 $463,072 97.1% 99.2% -8.5% 10.5% 2.6% 1.1%
99.9% -100% $599,230 $2,771,290 $2,046,933 $2,334,653 $2,542,965 362.5% 324.4% -26.1% 24.2% 8.9% -8.2%
Average $36,763 $49,045 $47,759 $48,473 $49,395 33.4% 34.4% -2.6% 3.4% 1.9% 0.7%

Source: EPI analysis of Kopczuk, Saez and Song (2010) and Social Security Administration wage statistics

View the underlying data on epi.org.