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Earnings of Men Aged 20–59, 1989–2019
Released: May 2022DEFINITION: Earnings consist of all wages, salaries, and self-employment income in covered and noncovered employment, including earnings that exceed the annual taxable maximum.
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Year | Aged 20–29 | Aged 30–39 | Aged 40–49 | Aged 50–59 |
---|---|---|---|---|
1989 | 26,830 | 50,680 | 64,130 | 61,820 |
1990 | 25,927 | 49,005 | 62,385 | 60,147 |
1991 | 24,261 | 47,098 | 60,456 | 58,639 |
1992 | 23,742 | 46,837 | 60,058 | 59,207 |
1993 | 23,526 | 45,840 | 58,891 | 58,523 |
1994 | 23,728 | 45,582 | 58,147 | 58,607 |
1995 | 24,164 | 45,420 | 57,799 | 58,716 |
1996 | 24,391 | 45,461 | 57,226 | 58,917 |
1997 | 25,097 | 46,238 | 57,306 | 59,853 |
1998 | 26,358 | 47,749 | 58,211 | 61,115 |
1999 | 26,760 | 48,380 | 58,030 | 61,060 |
2000 | 27,010 | 48,905 | 57,963 | 60,576 |
2001 | 26,185 | 48,880 | 57,257 | 59,838 |
2002 | 25,409 | 48,878 | 56,806 | 59,435 |
2003 | 24,899 | 48,790 | 56,505 | 58,901 |
2004 | 24,805 | 49,116 | 56,751 | 58,990 |
2005 | 24,937 | 49,187 | 56,500 | 58,692 |
2006 | 25,194 | 49,478 | 56,700 | 58,550 |
2007 | 25,026 | 49,187 | 56,595 | 58,093 |
2008 | 24,408 | 48,169 | 55,879 | 57,044 |
2009 | 22,950 | 46,870 | 54,610 | 55,750 |
2010 | 22,017 | 46,214 | 54,593 | 55,594 |
2011 | 21,770 | 45,738 | 54,774 | 55,619 |
2012 | 21,782 | 45,380 | 54,580 | 55,510 |
2013 | 22,118 | 45,760 | 55,260 | 55,872 |
2014 | 22,726 | 46,085 | 56,061 | 56,392 |
2015 | 23,814 | 47,421 | 57,707 | 57,863 |
2016 | 24,429 | 47,629 | 58,009 | 57,786 |
2017 | 25,007 | 47,909 | 57,919 | 57,765 |
2018 | 26,041 | 48,850 | 58,908 | 58,620 |
2019 | 26,830 | 49,540 | 59,470 | 59,220 |
- Overall, men aged 30–59 experienced a decline in real median annual earnings over the 31-year time period from 1989 through 2019, while these earnings were unchanged among men aged 20–29 during the same time period.
- For men aged 30–59, real median annual earnings were higher in 1989 than in any subsequent year, while for men aged 20–29, the highest year was 2000.
- For all age groups, real median annual earnings—
- declined from 1989 through 2009 and increased from 2009 through 2019, and
- were lowest in 2011 or 2012, shortly after the Great Recession of 2007–2009.
Time span | Aged 20–29 | Aged 30–39 | Aged 40–49 | Aged 50–59 |
---|---|---|---|---|
1989–2019 | $0 0.0% |
−$1,140 −2.2% |
−$4,660 −7.3% |
−$2,600 −4.2% |
1989–1999 | −$70 −0.3% |
−$2,300 −4.5% |
−$6,100 −9.5% |
−$760 −1.2% |
1999–2009 | −$3,810 −14.2% |
−$1,510 −3.1% |
−$3,420 −5.9% |
−$5,310 −8.7% |
2009–2019 | $3,880 16.9% |
$2,670 5.7% |
$4,860 8.9% |
$3,470 6.2% |
SOURCE: Social Security Administration's Continuous Work History Sample.
NOTES: Earnings are indexed to 2019 values based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers and rounded to the nearest $10.
Includes workers with annual earnings equal to or greater than one earnings credit. In 2019 dollars, the earnings required to earn a single credit were $1,031 in 1989, $1,136 in 1999, $1,299 in 2009, and $1,360 in 2019.