Highest And Lowest 25 Paid Occupations

from Sentier Research

This statistical brief profiles the highest and lowest paid occupations based on data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). The survey data available to researchers permit the identification of 440 occupations along with detailed earnings and demographic information for each survey respondent. These data have been summarized in this report for those twenty-five occupations having the highest average annual wage and salary income and those twenty-five occupations with the lowest income from wage and salary jobs.

Two tables are shown for each group. The first shows the number employed, mean and median wage and salary income, and the “implied” hourly wage rate. The second table shows the number employed, compositional measures based on selected demographic characteristics, and mean age. The analysis is restricted to persons age 25 to 64 years old and working year-round full-time. Year-round full-time is defined as working 50 to 52 weeks and at least 35 hours per week during the reference year.

All Wage and Salary Workers

The 2014 survey found that the 85 million wage and salary workers, age 25 to 64 years old, working year-round full-time earned an average of $59,696 per year before taxes and other deductions. Information collected in the survey covering the number of hours and weeks worked during the year was used to generate an estimated hourly wage of $25.88.

A simple decomposition of these workers shows that 44 percent were women, 11 percent were Black, 16 percent were Hispanic, 9 percent were noncitizens, and 8 percent had no high school diploma. Thirty-eight percent had a 4-year college degree or higher and 6 percent were Asian. Their average age was 43 years (study universe restricted to persons age 25 to 64).