Personal income in the United States

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
 This article is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this section to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (March 2009)
For information on household income, see Household income in the United States.
Median personal income for the population age 25 or older.[1]

Personal income is a measure of individual income used by the United States government, particularly the Department of Commerce. It is most often only applied to those who are either above the age of 15, 18, or 25 and are considered to be members of the labor force. The personal income figures of individuals in the United States are dependent on age, sex, race and educational characteristics. In 2005 roughly half of all those with graduate degrees were among the nation's top 15% of income earners. Among different demographics (sex, marital status, race, gender) for those over the age of 18, median personal income ranged from $3,317 for an unemployed, married Asian American female[2] to $55,935 for a full-time, year-round employed Asian American male.[3] According to the US Census Bureau, men tended to have higher income than women while Asians and Whites earned more than African Americans and Hispanics. The overall median personal income for all individuals over the age of 18 was $25,149[4] ($32,140 for those age 25 or above) in the year 2005.[5] The overall median income for all 155 million persons over the age of 15 who worked with earnings in 2005 was $28,567.[6]

Contents

[edit] Income at a glance

Median income levels
Households Persons, age 25 or older with earnings Household income by race
All households Dual earner
households		 Per household
member		 Males Females Both sexes Asian White,
non-hispanic		 Hispanic Black
$46,326 $67,348 $23,535 $39,403 $26,507 $32,140 $57,518 $48,977 $34,241 $30,134
Median personal income by educational attainment
Measure Some High School High school graduate Some college Associate's degree Bachelor's degree or higher Bachelor's degree Master's degree Professional degree Doctorate degree
Persons, age 25+ w/ earnings $20,321 $26,505 $31,054 $35,009 $49,303 $43,143 $52,390 $82,473 $70,853
Male, age 25+ w/ earnings $24,192 $32,085 $39,150 $42,382 $60,493 $52,265 $67,123 $100,000 $78,324
Female, age 25+ w/ earnings $15,073 $21,117 $25,185 $29,510 $40,483 $36,532 $45,730 $66,055 $54,666
Persons, age 25+, employed full-time $25,039 $31,539 $37,135 $40,588 $56,078 $50,944 $61,273 $100,000 $79,401
Household $22,718 $36,835 $45,854 $51,970 $73,446 $68,728 $78,541 $100,000 $96,830
Household income distribution
Bottom 10% Bottom 20% Bottom 25% Middle 33% Middle 20% Top 25% Top 20% Top 5% Top 1.5% Top 1%
$0 to $10,500 $0 to $18,500 $0 to $22,500 $30,000 to $62,500 $35,000 to $55,000 $77,500 and up $92,000 and up $167,000 and up $250,000 and up $350,000 and up
Source: US Census Bureau, 2006; income statistics for the year 2005

[edit] Income distribution

Of those individuals who were older than 25 years of age, over 42% had incomes below $25,000 while the top 10% had incomes exceeding $75,000 a year. The distribution of income among individuals differs substantially from household incomes as 42% of all households had two income earners. As a result 15.8% of households have six figure incomes, even though only 5.63% of Americans had incomes exceeding $100,000. The following chart shows the income distribution among all 191,884,000 individuals aged 25 or higher as recorded by the United States Census Bureau. All numbers are given in 1000s.[7]

Income distribution among all those above age 25 and those between 25 and 64 with earnings.[7][8] NOTE: 25+ statistics must be incorrect since they do not sum to ~100%
Income range Number of individuals (in thousands) Percent Cumulative percentages
Under $2,500 8,635 4.50 less than $25k
42.72%		 less than $50k
70.95%
$2,500 to $4,999 4,696 2.45
$5,000 to $7,499 9,038 4.71
$7,500 to $9,999 8,929 4.65
$10,000 to $12,499 10,334 5.38
$12,500 to $14,999 8,347 4.35
$15,000 to $17,499 9,365 4.88
$17,500 to $19,999 7,129 3.71
$20,000 to $22,499 9,275 4.83
$22,500 to $24,999 6,255 3.26
$25,000 to $50,000
$25,000 to $27,499 8,245 4.30 $25k-$50k
28.23%
$27,500 to $29,999 4,809 2.50
$30,000 to $32,499 8,884 4.63
$32,500 to $34,999 4,035 2.10
$35,000 to $37,499 7,133 3.72
$37,500 to $39,999 3,795 1.98
$40,000 to $42,499 6,977 3.64
$42,500 to $44,999 2,921 1.52
$45,000 to $47,499 4,572 2.38
$47,500 to $49,999 2,801 1.46
$50,000 to $75,000
$50,000 to $52,499 5,435 2.83 $50k-$75k
12.28%		 $50k-$100k
16.94%
$52,500 to $54,999 1,952 1.01
$55,000 to $57,499 2,999 1.56
$57,500 to $59,999 1,500 0.78
$60,000 to $62,499 3,690 1.92
$62,500 to $64,999 1,368 0.71
$65,000 to $67,499 2,270 1.18
$67,500 to $69,999 1,168 0.61
$70,000 to $72,499 2,311 1.20
$72,500 to $74,999 928 0.48
$75,000 to $100,000
$75,000 to $77,499 1,871 0.97 $75k-$100k
4.66%
$77,500 to $79,999 769 0.40
$80,000 to $82,499 1,653 0.86
$82,500 to $84,999 590 0.31
$85,000 to $87,499 1,022 0.53
$87,500 to $89,999 506 0.26
$90,000 to $92,499 1,042 0.54
$92,500 to $94,999 447 0.24
$95,000 to $97,499 679 0.35
$97,500 to $99,999 377 0.20
$100,000 or more
$100,000 or more 10,813 5.63

SOURCE: US Census Bureau, 2006[7]

[edit] Over time - by Race & Sex

This chart is median income of 15 year olds or older, who have non-zero income. Taken from World Almanac (in turn sourced to US Census Bureau)

1950(1950 $'s, 2004 $'s) 1960(1960 $'s, 2004 $'s) 1970(1970 $'s, 2004 $) 1980(1980 $'s, 2004 $'s) 1990(1990 $'s, 2004 $'s) 2000(2000 $'s, 2004 $'s) 2004(2004 $'s)
Overall Male 2 570(17 077) 4 080(22 051) 6 670(28 100) 12 530(27 206) 20 293(28 439) 28 343(31 089) 30 513
Female 953(6 333) 1 261(6 815) 2 237(9 424) 4 920(10 683) 10 070(14 112) 16 063(17 619) 17 629
White/European American Male 2 709(18 001) 4 296(23 219) 7 011(29 536) 13 328(28 939) 21 170(29 668) 29 797, (32 684) 31 335
Female 1 060(7 044) 1 352(7 307) 2 266(9 546) 4 947(10 741) 10 317(14 459) 16 079(17 637) 17 648
Black/African American Male 1 471(9 775) 2 260(12 215) 4 157(17 513) 8 009(17 390) 12 868(18 034) 21 343(23 411) 22 740
Female 474(3 150) 837(4 524) 2 063(8 691) 4 580(9 944) 8 328(11 671) 15 581(17 420) 18 379
Asian Male NA NA NA NA 19 394(27 179) 30 833(33 820) 32 419
Female Na Na NA NA 11 086(15 536) 17 356(19 038) 20 618

[edit] Race

The number of thousands of individuals in each income bracket.
Median personal income by race.[9]

Personal income varied significantly with an individual's racial characteristics with racial discrepancies having remained largely stagnant since 1996. Overall Asian Americans enjoyed higher median personal incomes than any other racial demographic.[10] The only exception was among the holders of graduate degrees who consititute 8.9% of the population. Among those with a Master's, Professional or Doctorate degree those who identified as White had the highest median individual income. While Asian Americans had a median income roughly ten percent higher than that of Whites, this racial income gap was relatively small.[10][11] The largest racial gap was between Whites and African Americans with the former earning roughly 22% more than the latter. Thus one can observe a significant discrepancy with the median income of Asians and Whites and that of African Americans and Hispanics.[12] Those identifying as Hispanic or Latino who may have been of any race had the lowest overall median personal income, earning 28.51% less than Whites[13][11] and 35% less than Asian Americans.[10] Overall the race gap between African Americans and Whites, which remains the largest, has remained roughly equal between both races over the past decade.[14][11] Both races saw a gain in median income between 1996 and 2006, with the income growth among African Americans slightly outpacing that of Whites. In 1996 the median income for Whites was $5,957 (31%) higher for Whites than Blacks. In 2006 the gap in median incomes was nearly identical with the median income for Whites being $5,929 (22%) higher than that for African Americans. While the gap remains numerically unchanged, the percentage difference between the two races has decrease as a result of mutual increases in median personal income.[14][11]

Race Overall Median High School Some College College Graduate Bachelor's Degree Master's Degree Doctorate Degree
Total population All, age 25+ 32,140 26,505 31,054 49,303 43,143 52,390 70,853
Full-time workers, age 25-64 39,509 31,610 37,150 56,027 50,959 61,324 79,292
White alone All, age 25+ 33,030 27,311 31,564 49,972 43,833 52,318 85,658
Full-time workers, age 25-64 40,422 32,427 38,481 56,903 51,543 61,441 77,906
Asian alone All, age 25+ 36,152 25,285 29,982 51,481 42,466 61,452 69,653
Full-time workers, age 25-64 42,109 27,041 33,120 60,532 51,040 71,316 91,430
African American All, age 25+ 27,101 22,379 27,648 44,534 41,572 48,266 61,894
Full-time workers, age 25-64 32,021 26,230 32,392 47,758 45,505 52,858 N/A
Hispanic or Latino All, age 25+ 23,613 22,941 28,698 41,596 37,819 50,901 67,274
Full-time workers, age 25-64 27,266 26,461 33,120 46,594 41,831 53,880 N/A

SOURCE: US Census Bureau, 2006[9]

[edit] See also

Income in the United States
Household income in the United States
Personal income in the United States
Affluence in the United States
Income inequality in the United States

Income by:

State (localities by state)
County (highest | lowest)
Metropolitan area
Place
Urban Areas
ZCTAs (Zip Codes)
Class

[edit] References

  1. ^ "US Census Bureau, 25+, 2005". http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_000.htm. Retrieved on 2006-12-08. 
  2. ^ "US Census Bureau, females, 18 or older, unemployed, personal income, 2005". http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new02_067.htm. Retrieved on 2006-12-08. 
  3. ^ "US Census Bureau, male, 18 or older, employed full-time year round, 2005". http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new02_037.htm. Retrieved on 2006-12-08. 
  4. ^ "US Census Bureau, 18+ age, 2005". http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new02_001.htm. Retrieved on 2006-12-08. 
  5. ^ "US Census Bureau, Personal income for all sexes, races in 2005". http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_001.htm. Retrieved on 2006-11-19. 
  6. ^ "US Census Bureau, median income for total labor force". http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new05_001.htm. Retrieved on 2006-12-08. 
  7. ^ a b c "US Census Bureau, distribution of personal income, 2006". http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new01_001.htm. Retrieved on 2006-12-09. 
  8. ^ "US Census Bureau, income distribution, ages 25-64, 2006". http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_019.htm. Retrieved on 2006-12-09. 
  9. ^ a b "US Census Bureau, Personal income, age 25+, 2006 statistics forum". http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_000.htm. Retrieved on 2006-12-17. 
  10. ^ a b c "US Census Bureau, Personal income for Asian Americans, age 25+, 2006". http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_008.htm. Retrieved on 2006-12-17. 
  11. ^ a b c d "US Census Bureau, Personal income for Whites, age 25+, 2006". http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_003.htm. Retrieved on 2006-12-17. 
  12. ^ "US Census Bureau, Personal income for African Americans, age 25+, 2006". http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_006.htm. Retrieved on 2006-12-17. 
  13. ^ "US Census Bureau, Personal income for Hispanic Americans, age 25+, 2006". http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_009.htm. Retrieved on 2006-12-17. 
  14. ^ a b "US Census Bureau, Personal income by race, age 25+, 1996". http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/031996/perinc/06_001.htm. Retrieved on 2006-12-17. 

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Life in the United States
v • d • e
Demographics of the United States
Demographic history
Economic and social
Religion
Race,
ethnicity,
and ancestry

Major examples: Arab and Middle Eastern Americans · Black Americans (African Americans, African immigrants, Afro-Caribbeans, etc) · Asian Americans (Chinese Americans, Filipino Americans, Indian Americans, Japanese Americans, Pacific Islander Americans, etc.)  · European Americans ("White Americans") · Hispanic and Latino Americans (Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans in the United States, Cuban Americans, etc.) · Jewish Americans (by ethnic origin) · Multiracial Americans · Native Americans (Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, etc.)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_income_in_the_United_States"
Personal tools