Median pay by year
$20k$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k201620172018201920202021202220232024 (n/a)2025$38,780$57,550
- Median, dollars of each year
- Median in May 2025 dollars
- Middle 50% (25th–75th percentile)
What changed
The biggest one-year jump was in 2021: $43,320 to $46,730 (+7.9%).
In 2017 and 2022 and 2023, pay grew more slowly than prices, so the median lost buying power. Over the whole period, the median kept ahead of inflation by 10.9%.
Read the trend with care
- Each release mixes survey answers from three years, so neighbouring years overlap.
- BLS changed its estimation method with the May 2021 release.
- No figures are loaded for 2015 and 2024; the chart leaves a gap instead of guessing.
Year-by-year figures
| Year | Median | Change | Median hourly | Middle 50% | In May 2025 $ | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2016 | $38,780 | — | $18.65 | $29,950–$50,600 | $51,890 | 20,260 |
| May 2017 | $38,960 | +0.5% | $18.73 | $30,650–$50,680 | $51,180 | 21,160 |
| May 2018 | $40,180 | +3.1% | $19.32 | $31,490–$51,760 | $51,340 | 22,280 |
| May 2019 | $41,330 | +2.9% | $19.87 | $32,470–$53,380 | $51,880 | 22,940 |
| May 2020 | $43,320 | +4.8% | $20.83 | $33,450–$55,540 | $54,310 | 20,440 |
| May 2021 | $46,730 | +7.9% | $22.46 | $36,730–$56,550 | $55,800 | 23,080 |
| May 2022 | $48,280 | +3.3% | $23.21 | $38,260–$59,630 | $53,100 | 24,920 |
| May 2023 | $49,990 | +3.5% | $24.04 | $41,540–$61,210 | $52,840 | 23,230 |
| May 2025 | $57,550 | — | $27.67 | $46,750–$66,620 | $57,550 | 23,220 |
Inflation adjustment: median × CPI-U (May 2025) ÷ CPI-U (May of that year), using the BLS series CUUR0000SA0, rounded to $10. Sources: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 from the BLS occupation page for each year; 2025 from the BLS data API.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 49-3051. How we use it.