U.S. Workers’ Earnings Rose 3.4% in 2018, Women See Strong Employment Gains

Earnings for American workers rose significantly in 2018, according to Census Bureau figures released Tuesday.

The Census Bureau said average earnings for men working year-round in full-time positions were $55,291, a 3.4 percent gain after adjusting for inflation. Average earnings for women working full-time, year-round rose to $45,097, a 3.3 percent gain.

It was not just full-time, year-round workers who saw their earnings grow. Between 2017 and 2018, the real median earnings of all workers increased 3.4 percent to $40,247.

While workers saw rising earnings, which mostly consist of wages and salaries, a broader measure of household income–which includes Social Security payments, pensions, child support, public assistance, annuities, money derived from rental properties, interest and dividends–was flat with the prior year, the Census Bureau said. That ended a three-year streak in median household income growth.

The Census report does not break out the sources of household income apart from earnings.

The number of women working full-time, year-round rose by 1.6 million to 50.8 million, while the number of men working full-time rose by 700,000 to 67.2 million. The ratio of male-to-female earnings was also unchanged.