Median Annual Income, by Level of Education, 1990–2010
Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff
![Updated by an Factmonster Editor on February 21, 2017](/themes/ip/images/info-circle.png)
Sex & Year | Elementary/Secondary | College | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Less than 9th grade | 9th to 12th grade, no completion1 | High school completion (includes equivalency)2 | Some college, no degree3 | Associate degree4 | Bachelor's Degree5 | Master's Degree4 | Professional Degree4 | Doctorate4 | |
Men | |||||||||
1990 | $17,394 | $20,902 | $26,653 | $31,734 | — | $39,328 | — | — | — |
1991 | 17,623 | 21,402 | 26,779 | 31,663 | $33,817 | 40,906 | $49,734 | $73,996 | $57,187 |
1992 | 17,294 | 21,274 | 27,280 | 32,103 | $33,433 | 41,355 | $49,973 | $76,220 | $57,418 |
1993 | 16,863 | 21,752 | 27,370 | 32,077 | 33,690 | 42,757 | 51,867 | 80,549 | 63,149 |
1994 | 17,532 | 22,048 | 28,037 | 32,279 | 35,794 | 43,663 | 53,500 | 75,009 | 61,921 |
1995 | 18,354 | 22,185 | 29,510 | 33,883 | 35,201 | 45,266 | 55,216 | 79,667 | 65,336 |
1996 | 17,962 | 22,717 | 30,709 | 34,845 | 37,131 | 45,846 | 60,508 | 85,963 | 71,227 |
1997 | 19,291 | 24,726 | 31,215 | 35,945 | 38,022 | 48,616 | 61,690 | 85,011 | 76,234 |
1998 | 19,380 | 23,958 | 31,477 | 36,934 | 40,274 | 51,405 | 62,244 | 94,737 | 75,078 |
1999 | 20,429 | 25,035 | 33,184 | 39,221 | 41,638 | 52,985 | 66,243 | 100,000 | 81,687 |
2000 | 20,789 | 25,095 | 34,303 | 40,337 | 41,952 | 56,334 | 68,322 | 99,411 | 80,250 |
2001 | 21,361 | 26,209 | 34,723 | 41,045 | 42,776 | 55,929 | 70,899 | 100,000 | 86,965 |
2002 | 20,919 | 25,903 | 33,206 | 40,851 | 42,856 | 56,077 | 67,281 | 100,000 | 83,305 |
2003 | 21,217 | 26,468 | 35,412 | 41,348 | 42,871 | 56,502 | 70,640 | 100,000 | 87,131 |
2004 | 21,659 | 26,277 | 35,725 | 41,895 | 44,404 | 57,220 | 71,530 | 100,000 | 82,401 |
2006 | 22,710 | 27,650 | 37,030 | 43,830 | 47,070 | 60,910 | 75,430 | 100,000* | 100,000* |
2008 | 27,964 | 33,435 | 43,165 | 50,359 | 54,861 | 82,197 | 99,516 | 166,065 | 129,773 |
2009 | 23,000 | — | 32,900 | 39,000 | 42,000 | 51,000 | 70,000 | — | — |
2010 | 24,000 | 29,000 | 40,000 | 46,000 | 50,000 | 64,000 | 81,000 | 115,000 | 101,000 |
Women | |||||||||
1990 | $12,251 | $14,429 | $18,319 | $22,227 | — | $28,017 | — | — | — |
1991 | 12,066 | 14,455 | 18,836 | 22,143 | $25,000 | 28,079 | $34,949 | $46,742 | $43,303 |
1992 | 12,958 | 14,559 | 19,427 | 23,157 | $25,624 | 30,326 | $36,037 | $46,257 | $45,790 |
1993 | 12,415 | 15,386 | 19,963 | 23,056 | 25,883 | 31,197 | 38,612 | 50,211 | 47,248 |
1994 | 12,430 | 15,133 | 20,373 | 23,514 | 25,940 | 31,741 | 39,457 | 50,615 | 51,119 |
1995 | 13,577 | 15,825 | 20,463 | 23,997 | 27,311 | 32,051 | 40,263 | 50,000 | 48,141 |
1996 | 14,414 | 16,953 | 21,175 | 25,167 | 28,083 | 33,525 | 41,901 | 57,624 | 56,267 |
1997 | 14,161 | 16,697 | 22,067 | 26,335 | 28,812 | 35,379 | 44,949 | 61,051 | 53,037 |
1998 | 14,467 | 16,482 | 22,780 | 27,420 | 29,924 | 36,559 | 45,283 | 57,565 | 57,796 |
1999 | 15,098 | 17,015 | 23,061 | 27,757 | 30,919 | 37,993 | 48,097 | 59,904 | 60,079 |
2000 | 15,978 | 17,919 | 24,970 | 28,697 | 31,071 | 40,415 | 50,139 | 58,957 | 57,081 |
2001 | 16,691 | 19,156 | 25,303 | 30,418 | 32,153 | 40,994 | 50,669 | 61,748 | 62,123 |
2002 | 16,510 | 19,307 | 25,182 | 29,400 | 31,625 | 40,853 | 48,890 | 57,018 | 65,715 |
2003 | 16,907 | 18,938 | 26,074 | 30,142 | 32,253 | 41,327 | 50,163 | 66,491 | 67,214 |
2004 | 17,023 | 19,162 | 26,029 | 30,816 | 33,481 | 41,681 | 51,316 | 75,036 | 68,875 |
2006 | 18,130 | 20,130 | 26,740 | 31,950 | 35,160 | 45,410 | 52,440 | 76,240 | 70,520 |
2008 | 21,346 | 21,937 | 31,533 | 35,888 | 39,948 | 54,204 | 65,039 | 100,167 | 83,762 |
2009 | 19,000 | — | 25,000 | 29,300 | 31,000 | 40,100 | 54,000 | — | — |
2010 | 18,000 | 21,000 | 30,000 | 33,000 | 38,000 | 47,000 | 59,000 | 77,000 | 77,000 |
NOTE: Year-round, full-time workers 25 years and older. (—) = not available.
1. Includes 1 to 3 years high school for 1990.
2. Includes 4 years of high school for 1990, and equivalency certificates for the other years.
3. Includes 1 to 3 years of college and associate degrees for 1990.
4. Not reported separately for 1990. "or higher" for 2009.
5. Includes 4 years of college for 1990.
* Data not available
Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, Series P-60, “Money Income of Households, Families, and Persons in the United States,” “Income, Poverty, and Valuation of Noncash Benefits,” various years; and Series P-60, “Money Income in the United States,” various years. From Digest of Education Statistics 2005. For 2009: nces.ed.gov.