Research Brief 33:
Washington Earnings Compared to the U.S. and Other Western States: A Report Based on the Census
Research Brief 33A: Washington's Total Earnings Compared to the U.S. and Other Western States
In 1999, Washington State's mean earnings for all adults aged 18 to 64 (including those working and not working) were $28,291, $1,218 more than the mean earnings for the U.S. With the exception of California, Washington's mean earnings were higher than the earnings of other western states. In addition, with median earnings at $20,000 in 1999, Washington State had the highest median earnings followed in order by Oregon, California, and Idaho. Read Research Brief 33A (pdf)…
Research Brief 33B: Change in Total Earnings: Washington vs. the U.S. and Other Western States
Between 1989 and 1999 Washington State's mean earnings for all adults aged 18 to 64 (including those working and not working) increased at a faster rate than the U.S. and other western states. Washington's mean earnings grew by 20 percent between 1989 and 1999, followed in order by Oregon (19 percent), the U.S. (18 percent), Idaho (18 percent), and California (12 percent). While Washington State's median earnings were higher than those for the U.S. overall, the rate of growth between 1989 and 1999 was slower. Washington's median earnings increased by 12 percent, the third highest rate of increase among the four states examined. Read Research Brief 33B (pdf)…
Research Brief 33C: Total Earnings by Sex: Washington vs. the U.S. and Other Western States
Washington State's mean and median earnings for both men and women aged 18 to 64 (including those working and not working) were higher than the U.S. as a whole. Male and female mean earnings in Washington State were a close second to California's earnings and higher than Oregon's and Idaho's mean earnings. Washington's median earnings for men and women were higher than California's, Oregon's, and Idaho's median earnings. Read Research Brief 33C (pdf)…
Research Brief 33D: Change in Total Earnings by Sex: Washington vs. the U.S. and Other Western States
Compared to the U.S. as a whole, Washington State's mean and median total earnings for both men and women aged 18 to 64 (including those working and not working) increased at a faster rate between 1989 and 1999. In 1989, mean earnings for male Washington residents were just over $1600 less than mean earnings for male California residents. By 1999 the difference between male mean earnings for California and Washington residents had all but disappeared. Male mean earnings for Washington residents grew at a faster rate between 1989 and 1999 than male mean earnings for California residents. Median earnings for male Washington residents were the highest among the four states examined and grew by seven percent between 1989 and 1999.
In 1999, women in California had higher mean earnings than women in Washington, but women in Washington experienced a greater rate of growth in earnings between 1989 and 1999. Mean earnings grew by 33 percent for women in Washington and Oregon compared to 19 percent growth in mean earnings for women in California, and 10 percent growth in mean earnings for women in Idaho. Women in Washington had the highest median earnings in 1999 followed by Oregon, California and Idaho. Median earnings for women in Washington grew by 30 percent between 1989 and 1999 compared to 56 percent growth for women in Idaho, 35 percent growth for women in Oregon, and nine percent growth for women in California. Read Research Brief 33D (pdf)…
Research Brief 33E: Washington's Full Time Total Earnings by Sex Compared to the U.S. and Other Western States
In Washington, the ratio of women's mean and median full time earnings relative to men's were very similar to the U.S. as a whole. Women who worked full time in Washington earned on average 69 percent of what men who worked full time earned. At $29,000, Washington women's full time median earnings were 73 percent or $11,000 less than men's median full time earnings. The ratio of women's mean and median full time earnings to men's earnings was the highest in California, followed by both Oregon and Washington. Of the four states examined, women who work full time in Idaho earn the least compared to men. Read Research Brief 33E (pdf)…
Last modified: April 1, 2005
E-mail: OFM.Forecasting@ofm.wa.gov
