The Average Annual Salary in America
Although the salary you're paid on a job should never be the only criterion you consider when applying for or accepting, a position, it does play a large role in the decision-making process. It can also be an indicator of the United States' general economic forecast. Several government agencies, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, regularly track salary numbers from coast to coast and issue reports detailing the average salaries that workers bring in each year.
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National Averages
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The average worker in the United States earns an average hourly wage of $20.90, reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2010-2011 occupational handbook. This rings up to an average annual salary of $43,460.
Regional Salary Averages
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In the Northeast, the U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 report on U.S. poverty and income notes that the average annual salary is $53,073. Meanwhile, the Midwest rang in at $48,877, the South at $45,615 and the West at $53,8333.
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Residential Averages
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Whether your place of residence lies within a principal city --- defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as a state's largest city --- or outside of a principal city plays a role in your money-making potential. Those who live inside principal cities have a reported salary average of $44,852. In contrast, those who live outside of such cities but still within metropolitan areas --- defined by the census as population-dense, economically related communities --- bring in an annual average of $56,582. The average drops considerably for those who live in rural areas outside of metropolitan areas, where the average is $40,135.
Sex-based Averages
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The U.S. Census Bureau found that men and women earn differently. The national average for full-time male workers is $47,127, while women earn an annual average salary of $36,278.
Race
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White workers earn an annual average of $51,861; blacks, $32,584; Asians, $65,469; and Hispanics, $38,039.
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References
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