According to the latest data from the Social Security Administration [ht: db], the raw average wage in the United States (computed as net compensation divided by the number of wage earners) was $44,569.20 in 2014. Based on data in the table above, about 67.2 percent of wage earners had net compensation less than or equal to the raw average wage.
By definition, 50 percent of wage earners had net compensation less than or equal to the median wage, which is estimated to have been only $28,851.21 for 2014.
About 1 in 7 American workers earned less than $5000 in 2014.
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