Average Hourly Wage

[pppiglet]

I read in a Costco mag that the average hourly wage is $18 an hour. I think the guy is totally off and most people make less.
What do you think? Are you below, at, or above average?

The article had something to do with getting rid of pennies and not making them any more.

 

[Charade]

I read in a Costco mag that the average hourly wage is $18 an hour. I think the guy is totally off and most people make less.
What do you think? Are you below, at, or above average?

The article had something to do with getting rid of pennies and not making them any more.

Apparently he isn't too far off the mark.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t16.htm

 

[FroggyinArk]

i think the amount is about right actually, we bill $15.00 per hour per person on the crew, and pay our top hand $12.50 we personally do not make an hourly wage, we just recieve the profits...

 

[pppiglet]

Apparently he isn't too far off the mark.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t16.htm

Wow...that's interesting. I think I need a new job!

 

[aprilgail2]

If I only made 18.00 an hour I certainly could not afford to live on Long Island! Perhaps in some areas that is a good wage, but here it stinks!

 

[Judy from Boise]

My CNAs start at 9 , LPN at 14 , and RNs at 19

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

Wow...that's interesting. I think I need a new job!

me too!

 

[OK!]

I make well below the poverty level right now; God, I can't wait till I'm done with school and can get a real job!!!

 

[barkley]

i wonder what the criteria for 'earnings' is-does it include any monies the employee 'earns' but does not see directly in the paycheck (benefits, employer retirement contributions and such), are they figuring in usual tips or commissions for those types of jobs, maybe average amount of overtime? the numbers seem off to me-california currently has a minimum wage of $6.75 per hour (though it raises over the next year and half up to $8.00 per hour) and the bulk of unskilled and retail jobs pay exactly that (employees in san francisco get higher because of a city ordinance though). you might see a fast food or a retailer who is having a hard time attracting employees offer a bit higher but no where near the wages listed in the report (the hospitality workers that make tips take in more but theres never a guarantee that you will always do well in tips, and i would'nt consider it a part of the person's hourly wage).

the other thing that looks off on the chart-if you take the hourly wages and multiply them at a 40 hour work week, the result is not what the chart shows for the average weekly earnings (so it appears that some of the data could be for people who earn a higher hourly wage than norm but don't get a full 40 hours per week-not uncommon in some industries that keep employees under 32 to preclude them from medical and retirement benefits).

 

[MrsKreamer]

right now my Dh makes below average, but he is in a program where the longer he works the more he makes. To be specific he gets a raise based on the top pay, every 500 hours. The top pay went up in November, and he just got his first 500 hour raise. The top pay goes up again in March . By the time he finishes the program(3 1/2 years) he will make above average.

 

[golfgal]

I would have thought that $18/hour average was low. That is about $33,400/year. You also have to consider that a lot of people are paid a salary so their 'hourly' wage isn't something they look at usually so someone making $100,000 is making $48/hour.

DH and I both make above average according to this but mine takes into account my commission.

 

[kdibattista]

Above average but I only work about 25 hours per week...

 

[alldiz]

If I only made 18.00 an hour I certainly could not afford to live on Long Island! Perhaps in some areas that is a good wage, but here it stinks!

I'll second that notion.....
way to expensive here....

 

[petrymom]

Wow - and I thought I made fairly good money........

I think it depends on what part of the country you are in.

 

[Melwood23]

If I go by the OP avg, I am below, but considering when I started in my career back in 89, at $5.50, when I was laid off in 2002 (company closed) I was around $13.50/hr, so in 13yrs I had a total of an $8 raise. Now with the new company (most of the same coworkers as the previous company, just diff owner),I started at my previous pay, and now after 2yrs am at $16. But I could use more

 

[User Name]

I think most people in America *think* that people make much more than they actually do.

The average HOUSEHOLD income in the US is around $46,326 (2005 data). (Roughly 1.3 earners per household.)

Another way to look at it is the average individual income is roughly $35,600. Or, roughly $18/hr. So, this is in line with the other chart.

People throw out the number $100,000 a year in earnings all the time, like it's common. Less than 1 out of every 6 HOUSEHOLDS (not individuals) earn over $100,000 a year. (2005 data)

Only 1% of households earned more than $295,495 (2003 data).


Interestingly enough, households earning under $43,000 (just under the average) a year pay LESS THAN 5% of all income taxes collected.

That top 1% (Over $295,495 household income) pay 34.27% of all income taxes collected.


pubdb3. census. gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new01_001. htm