High earners experienced the fastest wage growth since 1979: Cumulative percent change in real hourly wages by wage group, 1979–2023
| Low-wage<br>(10th percentile) | Lower-middle-wage<br>(avg 20th–40th) | Middle-wage<br>(avg 40th–60th) | Upper-middle-wage<br>(avg 60th–80th) | High-wage<br>(90th percentile) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1980 | -4.4% | -2.0% | -2.5% | -1.7% | 0.3% |
| 1981 | -6.6% | -3.4% | -3.2% | -1.7% | 1.4% |
| 1982 | -10.4% | -4.4% | -2.7% | -1.2% | 0.6% |
| 1983 | -13.7% | -5.5% | -3.5% | -1.3% | 3.3% |
| 1984 | -15.8% | -5.0% | -3.2% | -1.1% | 5.7% |
| 1985 | -17.2% | -4.6% | -2.2% | 0.3% | 3.1% |
| 1986 | -17.0% | -3.0% | 0.0% | 2.4% | 7.8% |
| 1987 | -16.2% | -2.9% | 0.3% | 2.3% | 9.2% |
| 1988 | -14.3% | -2.8% | 0.1% | 2.1% | 9.9% |
| 1989 | -17.2% | -3.4% | -0.4% | 1.2% | 8.5% |
| 1990 | -15.4% | -3.5% | -1.6% | 0.6% | 8.8% |
| 1991 | -15.3% | -3.5% | -1.6% | 1.0% | 10.3% |
| 1992 | -13.4% | -3.7% | -1.8% | 0.9% | 8.1% |
| 1993 | -12.4% | -3.8% | -1.5% | 1.6% | 9.1% |
| 1994 | -12.1% | -4.6% | -2.2% | 1.6% | 11.8% |
| 1995 | -13.7% | -4.4% | -2.0% | 1.5% | 11.4% |
| 1996 | -15.2% | -4.0% | -2.1% | 1.5% | 12.9% |
| 1997 | -13.0% | -2.3% | -0.9% | 2.8% | 14.3% |
| 1998 | -7.3% | 1.1% | 2.3% | 5.8% | 18.4% |
| 1999 | -5.2% | 3.7% | 4.3% | 8.2% | 19.4% |
| 2000 | -6.0% | 4.7% | 5.2% | 8.9% | 21.1% |
| 2001 | -2.8% | 6.6% | 7.4% | 10.4% | 25.7% |
| 2002 | -0.1% | 7.9% | 8.6% | 12.1% | 26.7% |
| 2003 | 0.8% | 8.2% | 9.1% | 13.1% | 26.5% |
| 2004 | -2.8% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 12.8% | 28.1% |
| 2005 | -4.5% | 6.0% | 7.5% | 11.8% | 27.1% |
| 2006 | -5.2% | 6.0% | 7.8% | 11.7% | 29.4% |
| 2007 | -4.3% | 6.3% | 8.2% | 13.0% | 30.5% |
| 2008 | -1.2% | 6.2% | 8.4% | 13.1% | 30.5% |
| 2009 | -0.7% | 7.7% | 10.9% | 15.9% | 34.3% |
| 2010 | -2.3% | 6.2% | 9.7% | 14.9% | 35.2% |
| 2011 | -4.2% | 3.9% | 7.3% | 12.8% | 31.9% |
| 2012 | -6.1% | 2.6% | 6.5% | 12.6% | 32.9% |
| 2013 | -6.4% | 2.6% | 6.4% | 12.8% | 33.8% |
| 2014 | -4.9% | 2.7% | 6.2% | 12.4% | 33.0% |
| 2015 | -1.2% | 5.1% | 8.3% | 15.2% | 38.1% |
| 2016 | 0.4% | 8.0% | 9.8% | 17.1% | 40.8% |
| 2017 | 5.0% | 9.8% | 11.1% | 18.2% | 43.7% |
| 2018 | 5.8% | 11.4% | 11.9% | 18.8% | 46.0% |
| 2019 | 4.5% | 15.1% | 14.0% | 21.0% | 45.4% |
| 2020 | 12.6% | 22.3% | 22.1% | 29.3% | 57.5% |
| 2021 | 14.2% | 20.7% | 18.8% | 25.4% | 50.3% |
| 2022 | 13.2% | 19.2% | 16.4% | 22.8% | 51.4% |
| 2023 | 18.3% | 20.8% | 17.4% | 23.4% | 51.7% |
Note: Shaded areas denote recessions.
Source: EPI analysis of the Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata, EPI Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 1.0.48 (2024a), https://microdata.epi.org.