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- About
Earnings
Factor: Economic Success
Age: Adult
Duration: Less than 3 minutes
Reading Level: Less than 6th grade
What
These questions assess income derived from working at a job — both as annual source of income and as an hourly rate of pay. There are up to 10 questions for each adult in a household.
Who
The adult(s) in a household.
How
INSTRUCTIONS
The questions are administered by interviewer. They have different answer formats, and can be used individually.
RESPONSE FORMAT
These questions are administered verbally by an interviewer. The questions have different answer formats, and can be used individually.
Annual Earnings
1. How much did [name/you] learn from this employer before taxes and other deductions during {year}?
2. Is this a weekly, every other week, twice a month, monthly, or yearly amount?
3. For how many (weekly/every other week/twice a month/monthly) pay periods did (name/you) earn (fill from {above}) from this employer in {year}?
4. According to my calculations (name/you) earned (total) altogether from this employer in {year} before deductions. Does that sound about right?
5. Does this amount include all tips, bonuses, overtime pay, or commissions (name/you) may have received from this employer in {year}?
6. How much did (name/you) earn in tips, bonuses, overtime pay, or commissions from this employer in {year}?
Hourly Earnings (Hourly Wage Rate)
The next questions are about income {you/person name} received from her job with {employer name}. {Ask for all employed household members}
7. Did {you/person name} have a set annual salary, or were {you/he/she} paid by the hour or some other way?
If paid by the hour:
8. What was {you/person name} regular hourly pay rate at {employer name}? Do not include overtime rate here.
If paid weekly/bi-weekly/twice a month/monthly/annually (pay period), ask:
9. How much were/was {you/person name} paid by {employer name} each pay period?
10. How many hours per week did {you/person name} usually work at {employer name} each pay period?
Compute hourly pay rate as (pay per period)/(hours per period)
Why It Matters
Earnings from employment represent the primary source of income for most nonelderly households. Earnings can rise through increases in hourly wage rates (getting a raise, promotion, or higher paying job) and through increases in hours worked.
HEADS UP
When measuring annual earnings, it is important to ask about all of the jobs the respondents held during the year. Errors in computed hourly wage rates can arise from misreports in usual hours, weeks worked, and annual earnings. Individuals may round off reported hourly wages.
SEE ALSO
References
Annual Earnings
Items shortened and adapted from: U.S. Census (2017). Current Population Survey 2017 Annual Social and Economic (ASEC) Supplement Survey. Retrieved from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps/techdocs/cpsmar17.pdf.
Hourly Earnings (Hourly Wage Rate)
Items adapted from Labor Force 2: U.S. Census (2008). Survey of Income and Program Participation 2008 Panel Wave 01 – Core Questionnaire. Retrieved from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/sipp/questionnaires/2008/sipp-2008-panel-wave-01-core-questionnaire.pdf.
