Education by earnings
median_earnings_by_educationMedian earnings by educational attainment
Median annual earnings in ACS period-end dollars of full-time, year-round workers grouped by education.
What this measure means
The weighted median annual earnings of civilian adults age 16–64 who worked 50–52 weeks in the past 12 months, usually worked at least 35 hours per week, and had valid adjusted earnings, including zero and net losses, computed separately for each educational-attainment category. ADJINC puts earnings in ACS period-end dollars before estimation; estimates from different periods are not directly comparable without a separate common-dollar adjustment. Current employment during the ACS reference week is not required. Total earnings use the Census PERNP recode with ADJINC; separately rounded wage and self-employment components are not substituted. Education means currently reported highest attainment at interview, including younger adults still completing schooling.
Who is included
- Population (universe)
- Full-time, year-round civilian noninstitutionalized workers age 16–64 with valid adjusted earnings, including zero and net losses
- Age range
- 16–64
- Measure and unit
- Median; Dollars for the final year of the ACS period
- Denominator
- full-time, year-round workers with valid adjusted earnings, including zero and net losses in each education category
Supported data sources and areas
These are the combinations this definition supports. Available estimates depend on the selected release, source coverage and reporting rules. National estimates can use annual or pooled ACS data; state estimates use pooled data. Eligible PUMA estimates use annual or pooled data with the selected release's native boundaries.
Products
- ACS 1-year
- ACS 5-year
Geographies
- United States
- Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA), using the selected release’s documented native boundaries
- State and District of Columbia
Compatible ACS release years
ACS 1-year: 2015 onward, excluding 2020; ACS 5-year: periods ending in 2015 onward
Analysis options defined for this measure
The explorer shows the options available in the selected release. Calculated changes between periods are currently unavailable.
Filters and breakdowns
- Educational attainment
- Race and ethnicity
- Sex reported in the ACS
- Disability
- Additional disability
Calculations
- Difference
- Ratio
Uncertainty and reliability
- When results are withheld
- Results are withheld when fewer than 351 survey records are included in the denominator. Medians are also withheld when the replicate method produces a standard error at or very near zero.
- When to use caution
- Results are marked unstable when the standard error exceeds 30% of the estimate's absolute value. This is the relative standard error (RSE). Use these estimates with caution.
Survey weights used: PWGTP and PWGTP1–PWGTP80
Version and sources
- Definition version
- ndc-definitions-2026.12
- Methodology version
- ndc-observatory-2026.3
- Change note
- Uses official PERNP total earnings rather than summing rounded WAGP and SEMP components; retains explicit full-time/year-round eligibility and includes zero earnings and net losses. The education comparison covers ages 16–64; current reported attainment is not a completed-lifetime-education assumption.