Typical American worker makes $82,700 a year; cardiologists top the list with $562,000
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Average wages in the US rose 6.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2023, slightly better than inflation at 5.8 per cent.
PHOTO: REUTERS
WASHINGTON – Fresh data from the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) found that the typical American worker earned US$61,900 in 2022 (S$82,700), though workers in the most predominant occupations made quite a bit less.
The annual report, released on Tuesday, provides estimates on wages in around 830 different occupations.
It showed that in the 12 most populous types of work, average pay was US$47,329 in 2022. These jobs include retail salespeople, home health and personal care aides, fast-food and counter workers, and cashiers.
Only two types of occupations among that dozen – general and operations managers at US$122,860, and registered nurses at US$89,010 – made more than the national average wage.
Workers have been fighting for better pay amid higher prices, and average wages rose 6.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2023 compared with the same period a year earlier, BLS data released last week showed. That was slightly better than inflation during that time of 5.8 per cent.
In 2022, the BLS found that there were 3.6 million retail salespeople, making it the most common job in the US and the average pay was US$16.70 per hour or about US$35,000 a year.
The second most common job was a home health and personal care aides, and there the pay was even lower at US$14.87 per hour.
The top-paying jobs are mostly in the health fields. Cardiologists earn an average of US$421,330 (S$562,000), orthopaedic surgeons US$371,400, and paediatric surgeons US$362,970.
Athletes and sports competitors earned an average of US$358,080. The average chief executive made US$246,440 in 2022.
At the other end of the list, the 3.3 million cashiers in the US earn US$28,730 a year and the 3.3 million fast-food and counter workers earn US$28,130. Shampooers make the least at US$27,870 per year.
By education, it was estimated that 38.2 per cent of jobs require a high school diploma for entry, and 21.9 per cent typically require no formal educational credential. Some 40 per cent of occupations usually require additional, postsecondary education training, including 24.5 per cent that require a bachelor’s degree for entry. BLOOMBERG
