Wage gap by age — Senior to prime-age wage gap in United States
United States: Wage gap by age — Senior to prime-age wage gap was -1.19 Percentage of prime-age employees wage in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
-1.19 Percentage of prime-age employees wage
Change on year
down 440.1%
World rank
10th
of 36 countries
All-time high
7.59 Percentage of prime-age employees wage
in 1975
All-time low
-16.65 Percentage of prime-age employees wage
in 2013
Years of data
53
1973–2025
Wage gap by age — Senior to prime-age wage gap in United States, 1973–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of prime-age employees wage.
Analysis
United States recorded -1.19 Percentage of prime-age employees wage for wage gap by age — senior to prime-age wage gap in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 440.1% on the previous year and up 88.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wage gap by age — senior to prime-age wage gap in United States peaked at 7.59 Percentage of prime-age employees wage in 1975 and was at its lowest, -16.65 Percentage of prime-age employees wage, in 2013.
That places United States 10th out of 36 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Wage gap by age — Senior to prime-age wage gap in United States, year by year
| Year | Percentage of prime-age employees wage | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 7.33 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | — |
| 1974 | 6.83 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -6.8% |
| 1975 | 7.59 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +11.1% |
| 1976 | 1.69 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -77.7% |
| 1977 | 1.98 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +16.6% |
| 1978 | 4.06 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +105.4% |
| 1979 | 0.3378 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -91.7% |
| 1980 | -0.3125 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -192.5% |
| 1981 | -1.45 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +362.4% |
| 1982 | -1.08 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -25.0% |
| 1983 | -2.33 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +115.0% |
| 1984 | -2.2 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -5.4% |
| 1985 | -2.39 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +8.5% |
| 1986 | -2.96 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +23.9% |
| 1987 | -2.51 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -15.2% |
| 1988 | -2.59 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +2.8% |
| 1989 | -3.11 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +20.5% |
| 1990 | -3.18 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +1.9% |
| 1991 | -3.71 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +16.7% |
| 1992 | -3.43 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -7.3% |
| 1993 | -2.62 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -23.7% |
| 1994 | -11.9 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +354.0% |
| 1995 | -6.26 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -47.4% |
| 1996 | -8.15 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +30.2% |
| 1997 | -7.2 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -11.7% |
| 1998 | -5.41 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -24.8% |
| 1999 | -7.68 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +41.9% |
| 2000 | -2.5 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -67.5% |
| 2001 | -3.6 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +44.3% |
| 2002 | -9.17 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +154.5% |
| 2003 | -8.74 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -4.6% |
| 2004 | -11.45 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +31.0% |
| 2005 | -9.01 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -21.3% |
| 2006 | -7.93 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -12.0% |
| 2007 | -7.53 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -5.1% |
| 2008 | -8.65 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +14.9% |
| 2009 | -7.55 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -12.8% |
| 2010 | -7.23 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -4.2% |
| 2011 | -9.46 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +30.8% |
| 2012 | -14.59 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +54.2% |
| 2013 | -16.65 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +14.2% |
| 2014 | -10.62 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -36.2% |
| 2015 | -10.51 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -1.1% |
| 2016 | -10.8 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +2.8% |
| 2017 | -10.47 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -3.0% |
| 2018 | -8.65 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -17.4% |
| 2019 | -6.13 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -29.1% |
| 2020 | -8.3 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +35.4% |
| 2021 | -11.71 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | +41.0% |
| 2022 | -3.97 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -66.1% |
| 2023 | -3.09 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -22.0% |
| 2024 | 0.3494 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -111.3% |
| 2025 | -1.19 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -440.1% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's -1.19 Percentage of prime-age employees wage is above the median for high income countries, which is -5.41 Percentage of prime-age employees wage, 22% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Wage gap by age — Senior to prime-age wage gap in United States changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | -440.1% | 0.3494 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -1.19 Percentage of prime-age employees wage |
| 1981 | -362.4% | -0.3125 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -1.45 Percentage of prime-age employees wage |
| 1994 | -354.0% | -2.62 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -11.9 Percentage of prime-age employees wage |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.26 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | 0.3378 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | 7.59 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | 7 |
| 1980s | -2.09 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -3.11 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -0.3125 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | 10 |
| 1990s | -5.95 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -11.9 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -2.62 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | 10 |
| 2000s | -7.61 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -11.45 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -2.5 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | 10 |
| 2010s | -10.51 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -16.65 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -6.13 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | 10 |
| 2020s | -4.65 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | -11.71 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | 0.3494 Percentage of prime-age employees wage | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 7 Malta 4.37 Percentage of prime-age employees wage compare
- 8 United Kingdom 2.48 Percentage of prime-age employees wage compare
- 9 Canada 0.109 Percentage of prime-age employees wage compare
- 11 Romania -2.84 Percentage of prime-age employees wage compare
- 12 Japan -2.97 Percentage of prime-age employees wage compare
- 13 New Zealand -3.11 Percentage of prime-age employees wage compare
More work & labour data for United States
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 113,208 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 61.24 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 178,849 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.4 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.05 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 159,991 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 141,322 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 58.55 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.27 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.3372 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wage gap by age — senior to prime-age wage gap in United States?
- Wage gap by age — senior to prime-age wage gap in United States was -1.19 Percentage of prime-age employees wage in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest wage gap by age — senior to prime-age wage gap recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 7.59 Percentage of prime-age employees wage in 1975.
- What is the lowest wage gap by age — senior to prime-age wage gap recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was -16.65 Percentage of prime-age employees wage in 2013.
- How does United States rank for wage gap by age — senior to prime-age wage gap?
- United States ranks 10th out of 36 countries with data for 2025.
- Is wage gap by age — senior to prime-age wage gap rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 88.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Wage gap by age — Senior to prime-age wage gap. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This dataset contains age wage gaps defined as the difference between mean (median) earnings of 25-54 year-olds and that of 15-24 year-olds (respectively 55-64 year-olds) relative to mean (median) earnings of 25-54 year-olds. Earnings refer to gross earnings of full-time dependent employees unless otherwise indicated.