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Earnings of Women 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 | 20,890 | 30,370 | 32,700 | 30,210 |
1990 | 20,473 | 29,986 | 32,700 | 30,130 |
1991 | 19,774 | 29,959 | 33,068 | 30,291 |
1992 | 19,463 | 30,212 | 33,714 | 31,030 |
1993 | 19,042 | 29,848 | 33,874 | 31,216 |
1994 | 18,774 | 29,560 | 33,925 | 31,503 |
1995 | 18,821 | 29,637 | 34,090 | 31,937 |
1996 | 18,875 | 29,645 | 34,060 | 32,463 |
1997 | 19,235 | 30,057 | 34,470 | 33,498 |
1998 | 20,212 | 31,119 | 35,490 | 34,883 |
1999 | 20,510 | 31,540 | 35,750 | 35,620 |
2000 | 20,854 | 32,212 | 35,885 | 36,190 |
2001 | 20,764 | 32,704 | 36,045 | 36,873 |
2002 | 20,478 | 33,106 | 36,323 | 37,779 |
2003 | 20,167 | 33,360 | 36,207 | 38,097 |
2004 | 20,105 | 33,704 | 36,264 | 38,300 |
2005 | 20,006 | 33,630 | 36,009 | 38,267 |
2006 | 20,244 | 33,906 | 36,240 | 38,528 |
2007 | 20,278 | 34,246 | 36,250 | 38,403 |
2008 | 20,063 | 34,171 | 36,092 | 38,246 |
2009 | 19,540 | 34,390 | 36,380 | 38,300 |
2010 | 18,700 | 33,944 | 36,230 | 37,825 |
2011 | 18,278 | 33,556 | 36,223 | 37,341 |
2012 | 18,120 | 33,422 | 36,057 | 37,041 |
2013 | 18,313 | 33,636 | 36,561 | 37,235 |
2014 | 18,652 | 33,714 | 37,016 | 37,344 |
2015 | 19,770 | 35,000 | 38,644 | 38,627 |
2016 | 20,518 | 35,516 | 39,260 | 38,891 |
2017 | 20,790 | 35,569 | 39,429 | 38,808 |
2018 | 21,613 | 36,160 | 40,025 | 39,309 |
2019 | 22,380 | 36,890 | 40,900 | 39,940 |
- For all age groups, real median annual earnings were higher in 2019 than in any of the preceding 30 years.
- Earnings for women in the three oldest age groups—
- increased across each decade analyzed, and
- were lowest between 1989 and 1994.
- Whereas, earnings for women aged 20–29—
- declined across the first two decades analyzed, but increased from 2009 through 2019, and
- were lowest in 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 | $1,490 7.1% |
$6,520 21.5% |
$8,200 25.1% |
$9,730 32.2% |
1989–1999 | −$380 −1.8% |
$1,170 3.9% |
$3,050 9.3% |
$5,410 17.9% |
1999–2009 | −$970 −4.7% |
$2,850 9.0% |
$630 1.8% |
$2,680 7.5% |
2009–2019 | $2,840 14.5% |
$2,500 7.3% |
$4,520 12.4% |
$1,640 4.3% |
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.