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Earnings of Men Aged 20–59, by Age Group and Race/Ethnicity, 2019–2020

Released: May 2022

DEFINITION: Earnings consist of all wages, salaries, and self-employment income in covered and noncovered employment, including earnings that exceed the annual taxable maximum.

Chart. Title: Men's Real Median Annual Earnings, 2019-2020 (in 2020 Dollars). Bar chart with tabular version below.
Show as table
Table equivalent for chart: Men's Real Median Annual Earnings, 2019–2020 (in 2020 dollars)
Age group White, not Hispanic Black, not Hispanic Hispanic Asian
20–29 31,600 19,900 26,000 31,200
30–39 57,200 34,000 38,100 78,100
40–49 68,000 47,900 40,500 100,000
50–59 69,600 48,000 41,400 68,900

In the 2-year period 2019–2020:

  • For the 20–29 age group, the real median annual earnings of:
    • White, non-Hispanic men were 59% higher than Black, non-Hispanic men and 22% higher than Hispanic men.
    • Asian men were 57% higher than Black, non-Hispanic men and 20% higher than Hispanic men.
  • For the 50–59 age group, the real median annual earnings of:
    • White, non-Hispanic men were 45% higher than Black, non-Hispanic men and 68% higher than Hispanic men.
    • Asian men were 44% higher than Black, non-Hispanic men 66% higher than Hispanic men.

SOURCE: Social Security Administration (SSA) calculations using SSA earnings data linked to Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement public-use files.

NOTES: Earnings are indexed to 2020 values based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.

Includes workers with annual earnings equal to or greater than one earnings credit. In 2020 dollars, the earnings required to earn a single credit were $1,376 in 2019 and $1,410 in 2020.

Real median earnings are shown for the 2-year period 2019–2020 to reduce annual variability that can occur when sampling relatively small demographic groups.