U.S. Average hourly earnings

Average hourly earnings of all employees on private nonfarm payrolls.

3.09%

August 2026 · Year-over-year change
Percent · Seasonally adjusted

Compared with July 2026
-0.15 percentage points

Compared with August 2025
-0.89 percentage points

Source: BLS
Publication date: 2026-09-04
Status: Preliminary
Site snapshot: 2026-09-30-d6e32ee5

Next scheduled: 2026-10-02 · Employment Situation

The headline uses reviewed snapshot 2026-09-30-d6e32ee5. Source publication is distinct from the observation period and site acquisition. Check freshness · See what changed.

Historical data

Average hourly earnings · Year-over-year change · Percent · Seasonally adjusted

Average hourly earnings — Percent -0.34.39.0 2006-032026-08 Average hourly earnings — Percent -0.34.39.0 2006-032026-08
August 2026: 3.09 Percent

246 periods. Unpublished values remain gaps; no interpolation is applied.

Accessible historical table
Average hourly earnings: Year-over-year change, Percent
Reference periodValueStatus
August 20263.086Preliminary
July 20263.236Preliminary
June 20263.383Published
May 20263.335Published
April 20263.571Published
March 20263.434Published
February 20263.701Published
January 20263.655Published
December 20253.727Published
November 20253.933Published
October 20253.920Published
September 20253.848Published
August 20253.975Published
July 20253.962Published
June 20253.856Published
May 20253.984Published
April 20253.913Published
March 20254.214Published
February 20254.114Published
January 20253.974Published
December 20244.083Published
November 20244.185Published
October 20244.049Published
September 20243.911Published
August 20243.924Published
July 20243.634Published
June 20243.918Published
May 20244.149Published
April 20243.978Published
March 20244.148Published
February 20244.133Published
January 20244.391Published
December 20234.098Published
November 20234.113Published
October 20234.220Published
September 20234.421Published
August 20234.470Published
July 20234.669Published
June 20234.660Published
May 20234.361Published
April 20234.599Published
March 20234.623Published
February 20234.772Published
January 20234.494Published
December 20224.938Published
November 20225.091Published
October 20225.010Published
September 20225.132Published
August 20225.393Published
July 20225.479Published
June 20225.403Published
May 20225.557Published
April 20225.758Published
March 20225.894Published
February 20225.291Published
January 20225.580Published
December 20214.948Published
November 20215.364Published
October 20215.416Published
September 20214.981Published
August 20214.374Published
July 20214.321Published
June 20213.948Published
May 20212.322Published
April 20210.599Published
March 20214.525Published
February 20215.291Published
January 20215.276Published
December 20205.391Published
November 20204.587Published
October 20204.603Published
September 20204.794Published
August 20204.797Published
July 20204.852Published
June 20205.041Published
May 20206.600Published
April 20208.096Published
March 20203.457Published
February 20203.070Published
January 20203.045Published
December 20192.975Published
November 20193.280Published
October 20193.179Published
September 20193.075Published
August 20193.418Published
July 20193.432Published
June 20193.478Published
May 20193.336Published
April 20193.270Published
March 20193.426Published
February 20193.553Published
January 20193.256Published
December 20183.492Published
November 20183.391Published
October 20183.283Published
September 20183.133Published
August 20183.185Published
July 20182.846Published
June 20182.932Published
May 20182.938Published
April 20182.788Published
March 20182.834Published
February 20182.570Published
January 20182.769Published
December 20172.700Published
November 20172.471Published
October 20172.317Published
September 20172.794Published
August 20172.567Published
July 20172.569Published
June 20172.498Published
May 20172.463Published
April 20172.546Published
March 20172.593Published
February 20172.719Published
January 20172.483Published
December 20162.693Published
November 20162.574Published
October 20162.778Published
September 20162.628Published
August 20162.430Published
July 20162.719Published
June 20162.603Published
May 20162.443Published
April 20162.571Published
March 20162.414Published
February 20162.380Published
January 20162.546Published
December 20152.517Published
November 20152.393Published
October 20152.481Published
September 20152.239Published
August 20152.282Published
July 20152.165Published
June 20152.085Published
May 20152.336Published
April 20152.260Published
March 20152.221Published
February 20151.891Published
January 20152.147Published
December 20141.861Published
November 20142.070Published
October 20142.076Published
September 20142.078Published
August 20142.165Published
July 20142.085Published
June 20142.087Published
May 20142.135Published
April 20141.969Published
March 20142.143Published
February 20142.313Published
January 20142.022Published
December 20131.939Published
November 20132.243Published
October 20132.250Published
September 20132.079Published
August 20132.300Published
July 20132.086Published
June 20132.131Published
May 20132.050Published
April 20132.052Published
March 20131.884Published
February 20132.148Published
January 20132.064Published
December 20122.153Published
November 20121.897Published
October 20121.639Published
September 20121.990Published
August 20121.821Published
July 20121.644Published
June 20122.000Published
May 20121.916Published
April 20122.095Published
March 20122.143Published
February 20121.793Published
January 20121.705Published
December 20112.021Published
November 20112.024Published
October 20111.980Published
September 20111.941Published
August 20111.945Published
July 20112.302Published
June 20112.086Published
May 20112.044Published
April 20111.867Published
March 20111.825Published
February 20111.825Published
January 20112.098Published
December 20101.743Published
November 20101.746Published
October 20101.883Published
September 20101.796Published
August 20101.754Published
July 20101.849Published
June 20101.762Published
May 20101.763Published
April 20101.765Published
March 20101.859Published
February 20102.184Published
January 20102.004Published
December 20091.913Published
November 20092.196Published
October 20092.528Published
September 20092.485Published
August 20092.442Published
July 20092.685Published
June 20092.881Published
May 20093.027Published
April 20093.368Published
March 20093.230Published
February 20093.338Published
January 20093.634Published
December 20083.733Published
November 20083.504Published
October 20083.324Published
September 20083.279Published
August 20083.333Published
July 20083.152Published
June 20082.721Published
May 20083.023Published
April 20082.838Published
March 20083.089Published
February 20082.853Published
January 20082.914Published
December 20072.818Published
November 20073.075Published
October 20073.134Published
September 20073.137Published
August 20073.346Published
July 20073.204Published
June 20073.610Published
May 20073.527Published
April 20073.074Published
March 20073.393Published
February 2007Not publishedNot published / transformation unavailable
January 2007Not publishedNot published / transformation unavailable
December 2006Not publishedNot published / transformation unavailable
November 2006Not publishedNot published / transformation unavailable
October 2006Not publishedNot published / transformation unavailable
September 2006Not publishedNot published / transformation unavailable
August 2006Not publishedNot published / transformation unavailable
July 2006Not publishedNot published / transformation unavailable
June 2006Not publishedNot published / transformation unavailable
May 2006Not publishedNot published / transformation unavailable
April 2006Not publishedNot published / transformation unavailable
March 2006Not publishedNot published / transformation unavailable

Reading the latest movement

For August 2026, this snapshot reports 3.09 percent in the year-over-year change view. The difference from the preceding available period is -0.15 percentage points. This comparison uses the prior value contained in the same acquired file. A difference between periods describes economic change; it is separate from a later revision of either observation.

Put the latest level in context

These comparisons use published levels in this snapshot, with matching reference periods. Rate differences use percentage points; growth of a rate is not a percentage-point difference. The chart above may use a different transformation.

Average hourly earnings: same-period historical comparisons · Dollars per hour
Earlier periodEarlier levelLatest levelAbsolute differenceRelative change
August 202536.62037.7501.1303.09%
August 202130.78037.7506.97022.64%
August 201625.71037.75012.04046.83%

How have prices, jobs and output changed since 2019? · Research questions and worked comparisons.

Definition and limitations

An average across employees can change with the mix of workers. It is not a median wage, a fixed-worker raise, or total compensation including benefits.

Percentage growth is calculated from matching series levels. Both endpoints retain the same adjustment basis. Growth computed from rounded source inputs can differ from the agency’s published headline rounding.

Which measure fits your question? Compare definitions and complementary measures before drawing a conclusion.

Transformations and related measures

Published level retains the source unit. Year-over-year change compares with the same reference period one year earlier. Weekly series compare with 52 weeks earlier (364 days) to retain the weekday. Previous-period percentage change measures the relative change; absolute change subtracts the preceding level. For a rate already expressed in percent, absolute change is in percentage points. Invalid or missing denominators produce an unavailable result. No frequency conversion or hidden rescaling is applied.

Source and methodology

Producer documentation · Acquisition endpoint / file · Producer release information

Revisions and archived snapshots

Two site acquisitions are archived. Matching unchanged series identities can be compared between versions; this is not a complete agency vintage history. Previous-period readings above come from the same acquired snapshot. The revision comparison separates changes to matching historical observations from new coverage and corrected series identities. Earlier agency vintages remain outside this archive. Read the revision policy and download this frozen snapshot.

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