Introduction
Somerset County vs. Pennsylvania
Somerset County:
2022 Avg. Earnings = $51,297
2022 Percent of State = 72.75%
Pennsylvania:
2022 Avg. Earnings = $70,516
The United States economy has generated an impressive number of jobs since the 1970s. The contrast between the nation's vigorous employment growth and the modest performance of other major industrial countries is striking. Despite this rosy track record, the real (inflation adjusted) wages and salaries of many workers have stagnated or slipped in recent years. This development has provoked concerns about the quality of new jobs. Structural shifts in the composition of employment--from high-wage goods-producing to low-wage services-related sectors--is the culprit most often cited for the deteriorating quality of jobs.
Regions vary greatly in the make-up of their labor force, in their industry composition of employment, and their economic experience. Reviewing and examining recent developments in average earnings per job in Somerset County with comparisons to Pennsylvania and the nation is an important first step in understanding the economic forces at play in Somerset County.
Discussion: Average Annual Earnings Per Job are computed by dividing BEA total industry earnings estimates by the BEA total full- and part-time jobs estimates. No convenient or adequate means exist at the county or regional level for converting the job estimates to a full-time equivalent measure. So, interpret the average earnings per job estimates with caution in consideration of the following issues:
Average earnings per job within industries involving more part-time work is lower than industries involving more full-time work, although there could be little difference in the underlying wage of full-time workers. Such differences could also prevail between counties and regions. An increase in the proportion of part-time jobs over time may erode average earnings per job estimates, although full-time earnings per worker may have remained unchanged.
As with per capita income, average earnings per job may be subject to extreme short-run variation, especially in smaller counties. Major construction projects relating to building dams, nuclear power plants, and private plant construction projects have caused extreme fluctuations in many smaller counties. Such changes typify both small and large agriculture-dependent counties owing to the extreme annual variations in farm incomes. Also, Since average earnings per job are just a simple average, it does not account for variations in the distribution of earnings among high- vs. low-wage jobs.
Page 2 of 13
Somerset County Average Earnings Per Job, 1970-2022
Current vs. Constant Dollars
Somerset County Average Earnings Per Job, 1970-2022
Current vs. Constant Dollars
Figure 1.
Figure 1 depicts Somerset County's annual average earnings per job over 1970-2022 in current and constant (2017) dollars. Constant dollar measurements remove the effects of inflation. They allow for comparison of changes in the real purchasing power of Somerset County over time.
When measured in current dollars, Somerset County's average earnings per job increased 751.32%, from $6,026 in 1970 to $51,297 in 2022. When measured in constant 2017 dollars to adjust for inflation, it advanced 45.01%, from $30,485 in 1970 to $44,205 in 2022.
Page 3 of 13
Real Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
Real Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 tracks Somerset County's and Pennsylvania's annual real average earnings per job for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate real average earnings per job patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Somerset County's real average earnings per job rose from $30,142 in 1969 to $44,205 in 2022, for a net gain of $14,063, or 46.66%. In comparison, Pennsylvania's real average earnings per job increased from $38,772 in 1969 to $60,768 in 2022, for a net gain of $21,995, or 56.73%.
Page 4 of 13
Real Average Earnings Per Job Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Real Average Earnings Per Job Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Figure 3 portrays Somerset County's real average earnings per job growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with Pennsylvania, the United States. The growth indices shown here express each region's real average earnings per job in 1969 as a base figure of 100, and the real average earnings per jobs in later years as a percentage of the 1969 base figure. This method allows for more direct comparison of differences in real average earnings per job growth between regions that may differ vastly in size.
Somerset County's overall real average earnings per job growth was 46.66% over 1969-2022 trailed Pennsylvania's increase of 56.73%, and fell below the United States' increase of 62.26%.
Page 5 of 13
Average Earnings Per Job as a Percent of the U.S. Average: 1969-2022
Average Earnings Per Job as a Percent of the U.S. Average: 1969-2022
Figure 4.
Figure 4 displays the trends for average earnings per job relative to the national average by tracing Somerset County and Pennsylvania average earnings per job as a percent of the national average over 1969-2022.
In 1969, Somerset County's average earnings per job amounted to 79.28% of the national average; in 2022, it approximated 71.66%. Similarly, in 1969, Pennsylvania's average earnings per job totaled 101.98% of the national average; in 2022, it consisted of 98.51%.
Page 6 of 13
Somerset County Real Average Earnings Per Job:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Somerset County Real Average Earnings Per Job:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Figure 5 displays the short-run pattern of Somerset County's real average earnings per job growth by tracking the year-to-year percent change over 1970-2022. The average annual percent change for the entire 53-year period is also traced on this chart to provide a benchmark for gauging periods of relative high--and relative low--growth against the backdrop of the long-term average.
On average, Somerset County's real average earnings per job grew at an annual rate of 0.79% over 1970-2022. The county recorded its highest growth in 1988 (11.30%) and posted its lowest growth in 1980 (-7.73%). In 2022, Somerset County's real average earnings per job declined by -4.28%
Page 7 of 13
Somerset County Real Average Earnings Per Job:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Somerset County Real Average Earnings Per Job:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Figure 6.
Over the past five decades some counties have experienced extreme swings in growth, and often such swings have tended to coincide with the decades themselves. Figure 6 again shows the annual percent change in Somerset County's real average earnings per job since 1970, but this time they are displayed with average growth rates for the decade of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020-2022.
During the 1970s, Somerset County's annual real average earnings per job growth rate averaged 3.18%. It averaged -0.85% throughout the 1980s, 0.63% in the 1990s, 0.30% in the 2000s, 1.64% during the 2010s, -2.39% thus far this decade (2020-2022).
Page 8 of 13
Real Average Earnings Per Job Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Real Average Earnings Per Job Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Figure 7.
Figure 7 compares the decade average growth rates for Somerset County noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for Pennsylvania and the nation. As the chart reveals, Somerset County's average annual real average earnings per job growth surpassed Pennsylvania's average in the 1970s (3.18% vs. 1.17%), recorded under Pennsylvania's average during the 1980s (-0.85% vs. 0.41%), fell below Pennsylvania's average throughout the 1990s (0.63% vs. 1.52%), recorded under Pennsylvania's average in the 2000s (0.30% vs. 0.80%), outperformed Pennsylvania's average in the 2010s (1.64% vs. 1.01%), and amounted to less than Pennsylvania's average over the 3 year period of the current decade, 2020-2022 (-2.39% vs. -1.09%).
Finally, relative to nationwide real average earnings per job growth trends, Somerset County recorded above the nation in the 1970s (3.18% vs. 0.89%), posted below the nation in the 1980s (-0.85% vs. 0.71%), trailed the nation throughout the 1990s (0.63% vs. 1.68%), posted below the nation throughout the 2000s (0.30% vs. 0.72%), outgained the nation in the 2010s (1.64% vs. 1.01%), and fell under the nation over 2020-2022 (-2.39% vs. -0.24%).
   
 
Real* Average Earnings Per Job Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
0.79
3.18
-0.85
0.63
0.30
1.64
-2.39
-4.28
 
0.87
1.17
0.41
1.52
0.80
1.01
-1.09
-4.86
 
0.93
0.89
0.71
1.68
0.72
1.01
-0.24
-4.51
 
   
Page 9 of 13

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Somerset County:
Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
5,692
0.189
30,142
100.0
N
77.74
79.28
1970
 
6,026
0.198
30,485
101.1
1.14
77.72
79.33
1971
 
6,318
0.206
30,663
101.7
0.58
76.86
77.97
1972
 
6,913
0.213
32,445
107.6
5.81
78.26
79.55
1973
 
7,511
0.225
33,449
111.0
3.10
79.37
80.45
1974
 
8,470
0.248
34,163
113.3
2.14
82.75
85.32
1975
 
9,673
0.269
36,014
119.5
5.42
87.16
90.30
1976
 
10,742
0.283
37,913
125.8
5.27
89.51
93.01
1977
 
12,385
0.302
41,043
136.2
8.25
95.11
99.78
1978
 
13,495
0.323
41,813
138.7
1.88
95.65
100.28
1979
 
14,425
0.351
41,046
136.2
-1.83
94.34
99.02
1980
 
14,744
0.389
37,874
125.7
-7.73
90.31
94.17
1981
 
15,808
0.424
37,270
123.6
-1.59
89.32
92.63
1982
 
16,181
0.448
36,141
119.9
-3.03
87.55
89.95
1983
 
15,997
0.467
34,273
113.7
-5.17
82.58
84.55
1984
 
17,488
0.484
36,104
119.8
5.34
84.92
86.66
1985
 
17,390
0.501
34,691
115.1
-3.91
81.21
82.30
1986
 
17,157
0.512
33,498
111.1
-3.44
77.31
77.71
1987
 
18,050
0.528
34,184
113.4
2.05
77.84
78.05
1988
 
20,874
0.549
38,047
126.2
11.30
84.71
85.52
1989
 
21,289
0.573
37,179
123.3
-2.28
82.15
83.62
1990
 
22,212
0.598
37,159
123.3
-0.05
82.21
83.51
1991
 
23,735
0.618
38,423
127.5
3.40
84.33
86.19
1992
 
25,382
0.634
40,022
132.8
4.16
84.57
86.40
1993
 
26,151
0.650
40,232
133.5
0.53
84.43
86.88
1994
 
26,047
0.664
39,253
130.2
-2.43
81.85
84.27
1995
 
25,985
0.678
38,352
127.2
-2.30
80.14
82.22
1996
 
26,153
0.692
37,791
125.4
-1.46
78.06
79.71
1997
 
25,853
0.704
36,720
121.8
-2.83
74.48
75.56
1998
 
27,191
0.710
38,315
127.1
4.35
74.78
75.51
1999
 
28,403
0.720
39,449
130.9
2.96
75.03
75.24
2000
 
28,628
0.738
38,779
128.7
-1.70
72.50
71.74
2001
 
28,696
0.753
38,108
126.4
-1.73
69.69
69.19
2002
 
29,530
0.763
38,707
128.4
1.57
69.75
69.64
2003
 
30,752
0.779
39,479
131.0
1.99
70.07
70.44
2004
 
32,910
0.798
41,227
136.8
4.43
71.02
72.40
2005
 
33,871
0.821
41,242
136.8
0.04
71.38
72.61
2006
 
34,606
0.844
40,983
136.0
-0.63
71.38
71.44
2007
 
35,312
0.866
40,772
135.3
-0.51
70.67
71.51
2008
 
36,635
0.892
41,084
136.3
0.76
72.23
72.84
2009
 
36,080
0.889
40,575
134.6
-1.24
71.31
72.10
2010
 
38,418
0.905
42,444
140.8
4.61
72.76
73.61
2011
 
41,127
0.928
44,316
147.0
4.41
75.46
76.68
2012
 
41,098
0.945
43,475
144.2
-1.90
73.60
74.64
2013
 
42,168
0.958
44,026
146.1
1.27
73.54
75.52
2014
 
43,056
0.971
44,333
147.1
0.70
73.81
75.55
2015
 
43,267
0.973
44,468
147.5
0.31
72.17
74.59
2016
 
42,411
0.983
43,151
143.2
-2.96
70.14
72.52
2017
 
45,133
1.000
45,133
149.7
4.59
73.12
74.81
2018
 
46,770
1.020
45,832
152.1
1.55
74.02
75.31
2019
 
49,238
1.035
47,567
157.8
3.79
75.64
76.43
2020
 
49,982
1.046
47,768
158.5
0.42
73.77
74.18
2021
 
50,338
1.090
46,181
153.2
-3.32
72.31
71.48
2022
 
51,297
1.160
44,205
146.7
-4.28
72.75
71.66
Source: Calculations by the Pennsylvania Regional Economic Analysis Project (PA-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1400_PSN
 
   
Page 10 of 13

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Pennsylvania:
Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
7,321
0.189
38,772
100.0
N
101.98
1970
 
7,753
0.198
39,225
101.2
1.17
102.07
1971
 
8,220
0.206
39,894
102.9
1.71
101.45
1972
 
8,834
0.213
41,459
106.9
3.92
101.65
1973
 
9,463
0.225
42,142
108.7
1.65
101.36
1974
 
10,236
0.248
41,285
106.5
-2.03
103.10
1975
 
11,098
0.269
41,318
106.6
0.08
103.60
1976
 
12,001
0.283
42,357
109.2
2.51
103.91
1977
 
13,022
0.302
43,155
111.3
1.88
104.92
1978
 
14,109
0.323
43,713
112.7
1.29
104.84
1979
 
15,290
0.351
43,508
112.2
-0.47
104.95
1980
 
16,325
0.389
41,937
108.2
-3.61
104.27
1981
 
17,698
0.424
41,726
107.6
-0.50
103.70
1982
 
18,481
0.448
41,279
106.5
-1.07
102.73
1983
 
19,372
0.467
41,503
107.0
0.54
102.39
1984
 
20,594
0.484
42,516
109.7
2.44
102.05
1985
 
21,414
0.501
42,719
110.2
0.48
101.35
1986
 
22,193
0.512
43,329
111.8
1.43
100.52
1987
 
23,190
0.528
43,918
113.3
1.36
100.27
1988
 
24,643
0.549
44,916
115.8
2.27
100.97
1989
 
25,915
0.573
45,258
116.7
0.76
101.79
1990
 
27,018
0.598
45,199
116.6
-0.13
101.57
1991
 
28,147
0.618
45,565
117.5
0.81
102.22
1992
 
30,012
0.634
47,323
122.1
3.86
102.16
1993
 
30,972
0.650
47,650
122.9
0.69
102.89
1994
 
31,821
0.664
47,956
123.7
0.64
102.95
1995
 
32,424
0.678
47,856
123.4
-0.21
102.59
1996
 
33,503
0.692
48,412
124.9
1.16
102.11
1997
 
34,711
0.704
49,300
127.2
1.83
101.44
1998
 
36,361
0.710
51,237
132.1
3.93
100.97
1999
 
37,856
0.720
52,577
135.6
2.62
100.28
2000
 
39,488
0.738
53,490
138.0
1.74
98.96
2001
 
41,178
0.753
54,684
141.0
2.23
99.28
2002
 
42,336
0.763
55,493
143.1
1.48
99.84
2003
 
43,887
0.779
56,342
145.3
1.53
100.53
2004
 
46,339
0.798
58,049
149.7
3.03
101.94
2005
 
47,449
0.821
57,776
149.0
-0.47
101.72
2006
 
48,483
0.844
57,417
148.1
-0.62
100.08
2007
 
49,969
0.866
57,697
148.8
0.49
101.19
2008
 
50,717
0.892
56,877
146.7
-1.42
100.83
2009
 
50,594
0.889
56,897
146.7
0.04
101.10
2010
 
52,802
0.905
58,336
150.5
2.53
101.17
2011
 
54,499
0.928
58,724
151.5
0.67
101.61
2012
 
55,839
0.945
59,067
152.3
0.58
101.41
2013
 
57,339
0.958
59,865
154.4
1.35
102.69
2014
 
58,330
0.971
60,059
154.9
0.32
102.35
2015
 
59,948
0.973
61,612
158.9
2.59
103.35
2016
 
60,464
0.983
61,520
158.7
-0.15
103.39
2017
 
61,727
1.000
61,727
159.2
0.34
102.32
2018
 
63,186
1.020
61,918
159.7
0.31
101.74
2019
 
65,097
1.035
62,888
162.2
1.57
101.05
2020
 
67,755
1.046
64,754
167.0
2.97
100.56
2021
 
69,618
1.090
63,869
164.7
-1.37
98.86
2022
 
70,516
1.160
60,768
156.7
-4.86
98.51
Source: Calculations by the Pennsylvania Regional Economic Analysis Project (PA-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1400_PSN
 
   
Page 11 of 13

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
United States:
Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
7,179
0.189
38,018
100.0
N
1970
 
7,596
0.198
38,430
101.1
1.08
1971
 
8,103
0.206
39,326
103.4
2.33
1972
 
8,691
0.213
40,786
107.3
3.71
1973
 
9,336
0.225
41,579
109.4
1.94
1974
 
9,928
0.248
40,044
105.3
-3.69
1975
 
10,713
0.269
39,883
104.9
-0.40
1976
 
11,549
0.283
40,761
107.2
2.20
1977
 
12,412
0.302
41,131
108.2
0.91
1978
 
13,457
0.323
41,694
109.7
1.37
1979
 
14,568
0.351
41,454
109.0
-0.58
1980
 
15,657
0.389
40,220
105.8
-2.98
1981
 
17,066
0.424
40,237
105.8
0.04
1982
 
17,989
0.448
40,181
105.7
-0.14
1983
 
18,920
0.467
40,535
106.6
0.88
1984
 
20,181
0.484
41,663
109.6
2.78
1985
 
21,130
0.501
42,152
110.9
1.17
1986
 
22,078
0.512
43,104
113.4
2.26
1987
 
23,126
0.528
43,799
115.2
1.61
1988
 
24,408
0.549
44,487
117.0
1.57
1989
 
25,460
0.573
44,462
117.0
-0.05
1990
 
26,599
0.598
44,498
117.0
0.08
1991
 
27,537
0.618
44,577
117.3
0.18
1992
 
29,378
0.634
46,323
121.8
3.92
1993
 
30,101
0.650
46,309
121.8
-0.03
1994
 
30,909
0.664
46,580
122.5
0.59
1995
 
31,605
0.678
46,646
122.7
0.14
1996
 
32,810
0.692
47,411
124.7
1.64
1997
 
34,218
0.704
48,600
127.8
2.51
1998
 
36,011
0.710
50,743
133.5
4.41
1999
 
37,751
0.720
52,432
137.9
3.33
2000
 
39,903
0.738
54,053
142.2
3.09
2001
 
41,477
0.753
55,080
144.9
1.90
2002
 
42,406
0.763
55,584
146.2
0.92
2003
 
43,655
0.779
56,045
147.4
0.83
2004
 
45,456
0.798
56,943
149.8
1.60
2005
 
46,648
0.821
56,800
149.4
-0.25
2006
 
48,442
0.844
57,368
150.9
1.00
2007
 
49,382
0.866
57,019
150.0
-0.61
2008
 
50,298
0.892
56,407
148.4
-1.07
2009
 
50,041
0.889
56,276
148.0
-0.23
2010
 
52,191
0.905
57,661
151.7
2.46
2011
 
53,633
0.928
57,792
152.0
0.23
2012
 
55,061
0.945
58,245
153.2
0.78
2013
 
55,837
0.958
58,296
153.3
0.09
2014
 
56,990
0.971
58,680
154.3
0.66
2015
 
58,005
0.973
59,615
156.8
1.59
2016
 
58,480
0.983
59,501
156.5
-0.19
2017
 
60,329
1.000
60,329
158.7
1.39
2018
 
62,102
1.020
60,856
160.1
0.87
2019
 
64,419
1.035
62,233
163.7
2.26
2020
 
67,378
1.046
64,393
169.4
3.47
2021
 
70,421
1.090
64,606
169.9
0.33
2022
 
71,586
1.160
61,690
162.3
-4.51
Source: Calculations by the Pennsylvania Regional Economic Analysis Project (PA-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1400_PN
 
   
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