Cumulative percent change in real annual wages, by wage group, 1979–2013

Year Bottom 90% 90th–95th percentile 95th–99th percentile Top 1% Average 
1979-01-01 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
1980-01-01 -2.2% -1.3% -0.2% 3.4% -1.4%
1981-01-01 -2.6% -1.1% -0.1% 3.1% -1.7%
1982-01-01 -3.9% -0.9% 2.2% 9.5% -1.9%
1983-01-01 -3.7% 0.7% 3.6% 13.6% -1.1%
1984-01-01 -1.8% 2.5% 6.0% 20.7% 1.2%
1985-01-01 -1.0% 4.0% 8.1% 23.0% 2.4%
1986-01-01 1.1% 6.4% 12.5% 32.6% 5.3%
1987-01-01 2.1% 7.4% 15.0% 53.5% 7.9%
1988-01-01 2.2% 8.2% 18.4% 68.7% 9.7%
1989-01-01 1.8% 8.1% 18.2% 63.3% 9.0%
1990-01-01 1.1% 7.1% 16.5% 64.8% 8.3%
1991-01-01 0.0% 6.9% 15.5% 53.6% 6.5%
1992-01-01 1.5% 9.0% 19.2% 74.3% 9.8%
1993-01-01 0.9% 9.2% 20.6% 67.9% 9.1%
1994-01-01 2.0% 11.2% 21.0% 63.4% 9.8%
1995-01-01 2.8% 12.2% 24.1% 70.2% 11.3%
1996-01-01 4.1% 13.6% 27.0% 79.0% 13.3%
1997-01-01 7.0% 16.9% 32.3% 100.6% 17.9%
1998-01-01 11.0% 21.3% 38.2% 113.1% 22.8%
1999-01-01 13.2% 25.0% 42.9% 129.7% 26.5%
2000-01-01 15.3% 26.8% 48.0% 144.8% 29.9%
2001-01-01 15.7% 29.0% 46.4% 130.4% 29.3%
2002-01-01 15.6% 29.0% 43.2% 109.3% 27.2%
2003-01-01 15.7% 30.3% 44.9% 113.9% 27.9%
2004-01-01 15.6% 30.8% 47.1% 127.2% 29.2%
2005-01-01 15.0% 30.8% 48.7% 135.4% 29.6%
2006-01-01 15.7% 32.5% 52.1% 143.4% 31.2%
2007-01-01 16.7% 34.1% 55.4% 156.2% 33.4%
2008-01-01 16.0% 34.2% 53.8% 137.5% 31.4%
2009-01-01 16.0% 35.4% 53.6% 116.2% 29.9%
2010-01-01 15.2% 35.7% 55.7% 130.9% 30.8%
2011-01-01 14.6% 36.3% 56.9% 134.1% 30.7%
2012-01-01 14.7% 36.3% 58.3% 148.4% 32.1%
2013-01-01 15.2%  37.2% 59.5% 137.7% 31.9%

 

Source: EPI analysis of Kopczuk, Saez, and Song (2010, Table A3) and Social Security Administration wage statistics

View the underlying data on epi.org.