Racial wage gap statistics show substantial differences in typical earnings across racial and ethnic groups in the United States. In 2024, median weekly earnings ranged from $902 for Hispanic or Latino full-time wage and salary workers to $1,525 for Asian workers, while Black workers had median annual earnings of $45,130 among workers with earnings. These measures describe different populations and time frames, so they should be read alongside their definitions.
Contents
- 2024 weekly earnings by race and ethnicity
- 2024 annual earnings for full-time, year-round workers
- Changes in annual earnings from 2023 to 2024
- Gender differences within racial and ethnic groups
- Inflation-adjusted hourly earnings
- Long-run weekly earnings comparisons
2024 weekly earnings by race and ethnicity
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported median usual weekly earnings for full-time wage and salary workers as annual averages for 2024. The overall median was $1,159 per week. White workers had median weekly earnings of $1,177, while Black or African American workers had $959. Asian workers had the highest listed median at $1,525, and Hispanic or Latino workers had $902.
These are median figures: half of the workers in the relevant group earned more and half earned less. They are not average pay figures, and they do not represent an identical job mix across groups. The population is also limited to people working full time for wages or salary, rather than everyone with income or everyone who worked at any point during the year.
| Group | 2024 median weekly earnings |
|---|---|
| All full-time wage and salary workers | $1,159 |
| White workers | $1,177 |
| Black or African American workers | $959 |
| Asian workers | $1,525 |
| Hispanic or Latino workers | $902 |
Source: BLS, “Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics”, 2024 annual average.
The same BLS table reports a second dimension of the weekly earnings gap. Overall, full-time men had median weekly earnings of $1,261, compared with $1,043 for women. Within the racial and ethnic categories listed, White men had $1,288, Black men had $1,002, Asian men had $1,726, and Hispanic or Latino men had $963. White women had $1,061, according to the supplied 2024 figures.
The weekly values are useful for comparing the typical paycheck among full-time workers, but they should not be treated as annual income. A weekly measure reflects usual earnings during the survey period, whereas annual measures capture earnings over a full year and use a different population definition.
2024 annual earnings for full-time, year-round workers
The Census Bureau’s Income in the United States: 2024 reports median earnings in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars for workers with earnings. For all workers with earnings, the median was $51,370. The reported median was $51,800 for White workers, $45,130 for Black workers, $67,310 for Asian workers, and $40,840 for Hispanic workers of any race.
The Census measure also separates White workers from White non-Hispanic workers. White non-Hispanic workers with earnings had median earnings of $56,930 in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars. Because Hispanic or Latino identity can include people of any race, these categories are not interchangeable with a single mutually exclusive racial classification.
| Group | 2024 median annual earnings, inflation-adjusted dollars |
|---|---|
| All workers with earnings | $51,370 |
| White workers | $51,800 |
| White non-Hispanic workers | $56,930 |
| Black workers | $45,130 |
| Asian workers | $67,310 |
| Hispanic workers of any race | $40,840 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Income in the United States: 2024, 2024.
The annual figures are not a direct conversion of the weekly figures above. The weekly series covers full-time wage and salary workers, while the Census figures cited here concern workers with earnings and are presented in inflation-adjusted dollars. The labels, populations, and measurement designs therefore matter when comparing the two series.
Changes in annual earnings from 2023 to 2024
The Census Bureau reported that median earnings for full-time, year-round workers increased by different percentages across groups between 2023 and 2024. Median earnings rose 2.7% for White workers, 0.7% for White non-Hispanic workers, 2.1% for Black workers, 2.8% for Asian workers, and 6.8% for Hispanic workers of any race.
These are changes in median earnings, not measurements of the size of the racial wage gap itself. A group’s median can rise while its relative position changes little, improves, or worsens depending on the movement of other groups. The values are also reported for the 2023–2024 period and use the annual, full-time, year-round framework from the Census source.
The year-over-year pattern was therefore uneven. Hispanic workers of any race had the largest listed increase at 6.8%. Asian workers followed at 2.8%, just above the 2.7% increase for White workers. Black workers’ median earnings rose 2.1%, while White non-Hispanic workers had the smallest listed increase at 0.7%.
Gender differences within racial and ethnic groups
Race and ethnicity do not describe every earnings difference on their own. The BLS reported women’s median usual weekly earnings as a percentage of men’s for full-time wage and salary workers in 2024. Across all workers, women’s median usual weekly earnings were 82.7% of men’s.
Within the listed racial and ethnic groups, White women’s median usual weekly earnings were 91.1% of White men’s. The corresponding figures were 86.9% for Black women compared with Black men, 90.9% for Asian women compared with Asian men, and 81.9% for Hispanic or Latino women compared with Hispanic or Latino men.
| Group | Women’s median weekly earnings as a share of men’s, 2024 |
|---|---|
| All full-time workers | 82.7% |
| White workers | 91.1% |
| Black workers | 86.9% |
| Asian workers | 90.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino workers | 81.9% |
Source: BLS, “Highlights of women’s earnings in 2024”, 2024 annual average.
The same source gives 2023 comparison values. Women’s median usual weekly earnings were 83.6% of men’s overall in 2023. The group-specific figures were 93.9% for White workers, 89.7% for Black workers, 92.5% for Asian workers, and 83.3% for Hispanic or Latino workers.
The supplied 2023 and 2024 percentages are separate annual averages. They do not establish a cause for the year-to-year movement, and they should not be read as adjusted estimates controlling for occupation, hours, education, seniority, or other characteristics.
Inflation-adjusted hourly earnings
Another way to examine wage differences is inflation-adjusted median hourly earnings among wage and salary workers paid at hourly rates. In 2024, the overall median was $20.03 per hour. The median was $20.12 for White workers, $19.06 for Black or African American workers, $21.15 for Asian workers, and $19.02 for Hispanic or Latino workers.
The BLS also reports hourly figures by gender within these categories. Women paid at hourly rates had inflation-adjusted median hourly earnings of $19.20. White women had $19.34, Black women had $18.79, Asian women had $20.18, and Hispanic or Latino women had $17.99. Men had a median of $21.06 overall; White men had $21.74, Black men had $19.77, Asian men had $22.22, and Hispanic or Latino men had $19.99.
| Group | All workers | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|---|
| All groups | $20.03 | $19.20 | $21.06 |
| White | $20.12 | $19.34 | $21.74 |
| Black or African American | $19.06 | $18.79 | $19.77 |
| Asian | $21.15 | $20.18 | $22.22 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $19.02 | $17.99 | $19.99 |
Source: BLS, “Highlights of women’s earnings in 2024”, 2024 annual average. Dollar amounts are inflation-adjusted median hourly earnings.
Hourly earnings answer a different question from weekly earnings. They focus on workers paid at hourly rates and express the typical hourly amount in inflation-adjusted dollars. They do not show annual hours, total annual earnings, or the earnings of salaried workers who are not paid by the hour.
Long-run weekly earnings comparisons
The BLS long-run series places selected weekly earnings in constant 2024 dollars, allowing the 1979 and 2024 values to be presented in the same price basis. In 1979, inflation-adjusted median weekly earnings were $976 for all full-time wage and salary workers, $1,004 for White workers, $806 for Black or African American workers, and $785 for Hispanic or Latino workers.
In 2024, the corresponding figures were $1,159 overall, $1,177 for White workers, $959 for Black or African American workers, $1,525 for Asian workers, and $902 for Hispanic or Latino workers. The 1979 values listed here do not include an Asian figure in the supplied historical data, so the comparison for Asian workers begins with the later values available in the series.
| Group | 1979 median weekly earnings | 2024 median weekly earnings |
|---|---|---|
| All full-time workers | $976 | $1,159 |
| White workers | $1,004 | $1,177 |
| Black or African American workers | $806 | $959 |
| Hispanic or Latino workers | $785 | $902 |
| Asian workers | Not listed for 1979 | $1,525 |
Source: BLS, “Highlights of women’s earnings in 2024”. The 1979 and 2024 amounts are annual averages in constant 2024 dollars.
The supplied BLS series also reports Asian workers’ inflation-adjusted median weekly earnings at $1,126 in 2000, $1,237 in 2010, $1,592 in 2020, and $1,518 in 2023, all in constant 2024 dollars. These are annual-average values for Asian full-time wage and salary workers, and the sequence should not be confused with a forecast. It describes selected historical measurement years rather than projecting future earnings.
Taken together, the weekly, annual, hourly, and gender measures show why the phrase “racial wage gap” needs a clear definition. A comparison can refer to usual weekly earnings, annual earnings for full-time year-round workers, or hourly earnings for workers paid hourly. Each statistic identifies its own population, period, currency basis, and racial or ethnic labels.