Description

INCWAGE reports each respondent's total pre-tax wage and salary income - that is, money received as an employee - for the previous year. The censuses collected information on income received from these sources during the previous calendar year; for the ACS and the PRCS, the reference period was the past 12 months. Sources of income in INCWAGE include wages, salaries, commissions, cash bonuses, tips, and other money income received from an employer. Payments-in-kind or reimbursements for business expenses are not included. See the comparability discussion below for further information.

Amounts are expressed in contemporary dollars, and users studying change over time must adjust for inflation (See INCTOT for Consumer Price Index adjustment factors). The exception is the ACS/PRCS multi-year files, where all dollar amounts have been standardized to dollars as valued in the final year of data included in the file (e.g., 2007 dollars for the 2005-2007 3-year file). Additionally, more detail may be available than exists in the original ACS samples.

User Note: ACS respondents are surveyed throughout the year, and amounts do not reflect calendar year dollars. While the Census Bureau provides an adjustment factor (available in ADJUST), this is an imperfect solution. See the ACS income variables note for further details.

INCWAGE is a 7-digit numeric code reporting each respondent's total pre-tax wage and salary income - that is, money received as an employee - for the previous year. INCWAGE specific variable codes for missing, edited, or unidentified observations, observations not applicable (N/A), observations not in universe (NIU), top and bottom value coding, etc. are provided below by Census year (and data sample if specified).

User Note: Amounts are expressed in contemporary dollars, and users studying change over time must adjust for inflation (See Description).

INCWAGE Specific Variable Codes
999999 = N/A
999998 = Missing

* Higher amounts are expressed as the state medians of values above the listed Top Code value for that specific Census year (i.e. For Census Year 1990, any observed value greater than the Top Code value of $140,000 was coded as the median value greater than $140,000 within that observation's state.).
** Higher amounts are coded as the state means of values above the listed Top Code value for that specific Census year.

Values Exceeding Top codes, by State: 1990 - onward

Comparability

This variable is largely comparable across years, if users take into account the effects of inflation and different topcodes.

The Census Bureau always intended respondents to report all monetary compensation received as payment for work done as an employee, though its specific instructions as to what should be included became more precise in later years. All years specifically included wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, piece-rate payments, and tips; all years specifically excluded payments-in-kind and reimbursements for business expenses. From 1960 on, sick-leave pay was specifically included. In 1950, 1960, and 1970, military bonuses (not regular pay) were specifically excluded.

As noted above, all amounts are expressed in contemporary dollars. The codes for most years represent midpoints of intervals instead of exact dollar amounts. For 1950 and 1970, the codes represent the midpoints of hundred-dollar intervals. For 1960, the codes 50 to 9950 represent the midpoints of hundred-dollar intervals, and 10500 to 24500 represent the midpoints of thousand-dollar intervals. For 1980, the codes represent the midpoints of ten-dollar intervals. The 1940 and 1990 codes are expressed in exact dollar amounts instead of intervals.

The 2000 census, the ACS and the PRCS codes are amounts rounded as follows:

The variables INCBUS, INCFARM, INCBUSFM, and INCBUS00 give self-employment income. See also the INCTOT variable description.

Universe

Availability

• 2022: All samples
• 2021: All samples
• 2020: All samples
• 2019: All samples
• 2018: All samples
• 2017: All samples
• 2016: All samples
• 2015: All samples
• 2014: All samples
• 2013: All samples
• 2012: All samples
• 2011: All samples
• 2010: ACS; ACS 3yr; ACS 5yr
• 2009: All samples
• 2008: All samples
• 2007: All samples
• 2006: All samples
• 2005: All samples
• 2004: All samples
• 2003: All samples
• 2002: All samples
• 2001: All samples
• 2000: All samples
• 1990: All samples
• 1980: All samples
• 1970: All samples
• 1960: All samples
• 1950: All samples
• 1940: All samples
• 1930: --
• 1920: --
• 1910: --
• 1900: --
• 1880: --
• 1870: --
• 1860: --
• 1850: --

• 2022: All samples
• 2021: All samples
• 2020: All samples
• 2019: All samples
• 2018: All samples
• 2017: All samples
• 2016: All samples
• 2015: All samples
• 2014: All samples
• 2013: All samples
• 2012: All samples
• 2011: All samples
• 2010: PRCS; PRCS 3yr; PRCS 5yr
• 2009: All samples
• 2008: All samples
• 2007: All samples
• 2006: All samples
• 2005: All samples
• 2000: All samples
• 1990: All samples
• 1980: All samples
• 1970: All samples
• 1930: --
• 1920: --
• 1910: --

Flags

Editing Procedure

INCWAGE (Wage and salary income)
INCBUS00 (Business and farm income)
INCINVST (Interest, dividend, and rental income)
INCSS (Social Security income)
INCRETIR (Retirement income)
INCWELFR (Welfare or public assistance income)
INCSUPP (Supplementary Security Income)
INCOTHER (Other income)
INCEARN (Total personal earned income)
INCTOT (Total person income)
Years: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
ACS editing procedure:
Note: The editing procedures for economic variables are complex and intertwined. This document describes the editing and allocation procedures that affect multiple income variables, but these procedures also affect other work-related variables.
Top codes
The income variables for wage/salary, business and farm, interest, Social Security, retirement, public assistance, Supplemental Social Security, and other income are all top coded at $99,999. If anyone reports a value greater than $99,999, it will be changed to $99,999.
Allocation
In the cases described below, the flag variables will indicate when a value if allocated (for income variables: QINCWAGE, QINCSS, QINCINVS, QINCRETI, QINCWELF, QINCSUPP, QINCOTHE). To receive an allocated value or be a donor for someone who needs an allocated value, the person must be in universe of the variable (e.g., be the appropriate age for the variable).
For some people, if many economic variables are missing, they will all be jointly allocated. For example, if a person is missing a value for at least one variable in each of the following four categories, the variables will be jointly allocated:

• When last worked, weeks worked past 12 months, hours worked per week (WORKEDYR, WKSWORK2, UHRSWORK)

• Wage/salary income or self-employment income (INCWAGE, INCBUS00)

• Interest income, social security income, retirement income, public assistance income, supplemental social security income or other income (INCINVST, INCSS, INCRETIR, INCWELFR, INCSUPP, INCOTHER)

• Industry or occupations (IND, OCC)

The allocated value is drawn from someone else with a similar value for SEX, AGE, SCHOOL, RELATE, MARST, EMPSTAT, VALUE, and RENT. If that does not result in an allocated value, the allocation will be drawn from someone with a similar sex, age, and employment status.
For those people who were missing at least one variable in each of the four categories, if they report that they last worked more than 12 months ago or never worked (WORKEDYR), WKSWORK2, UHRSWORK will both be replaced with "Not in universe."
If a person has a missing value for WORKEDYR, the values for WKSWORK2, UHRSWORK, and WORKEDYR will all be jointly allocated. The allocated value is drawn from another person with similar values for sex, age, school enrollment, RELATE, marital status, and employment status. If that does not result in an allocated value, the allocated value will be drawn from someone with a similar sex, age, and school enrollment status. If other information suggests that they have not worked in the past 12 months, their ability to work will also be taken into account (DISABWRK for 2005 to 2007).
If a person reports they last worked over 5 years ago, but has a valid response for class of worker (CLASSWKR), occupation (OCC) and industry (IND), WORKEDYR will be replaced with "Within the past 12 months."
If hours worked per week is missing and weeks worked last year is not, UHRSWORK will be allocated from another person with a similar value for sex, age, school enrollment, employment status, class of worker, and weeks worked last year. If that does not result in an allocated value, the allocated value will be drawn from someone with a similar sex, age, school enrollment, class of worker, and weeks worked last year.
If weeks worked last year is missing and all the earnings variables are not missing, WKSWORK2 will be allocated. If UHRSWORK is also missing, they will be allocated jointly. The allocated values are drawn from another person with a similar sex, age, school enrollment, RELATE, marital status, employment status, class of worker, hours worked per week (if reported), and earnings. If that does not result in an allocated value, the allocated value will be drawn from someone with a similar sex, age, hours worked per week (if reported), and earnings. If earnings are not reported, the allocated value of WKSWORK2 is drawn from someone with a similar value for sex and age. The jointly allocated values are drawn from someone with a similar value for sex, age, school enrollment, RELATE, marital status, and employment status.
If class of worker is missing, CLASSWKR will be allocated from another person with similar value for sex and industry (IND). If industry is missing, IND will be allocated from another person with a similar value for sex, OCC, age, class of worker, and EDUC. If that does not result in an allocated value, the allocated value will be drawn from someone with similar sex and occupation.
If IND, OCC, and CLASSWKR are all missing, they will be jointly allocated from someone with a similar value for sex, age, EDUC, WORKEDYR, LABFORCE, INCWAGE, hours worked per week, and weeks worked in the past year. If that does not result in allocated values, the allocated values will be drawn from someone with similar sex, age, education, and employment status.
If any earnings variables (INCWAGE, INCBUS00) are missing, they will be jointly allocated. The allocated value is drawn from someone with a similar value for sex, occupation, class of worker, weeks worked last year, hours worked per week, and age. If that does not result in allocated values, the allocated values will be drawn from someone with similar sex, age, and class of worker.
If interest earnings (INCINVST) is missing, it will be allocated from someone in a similar state and has a similar value for sex, METRO, VALUE, age, RELATE, and then they last worked. If that does not result in allocated values, the allocated values will be drawn from someone with similar sex and age.
If social security earnings (INCSS) is missing, it will be allocated from someone with a similar value for RACE, age, RELATE, if they worked last year, and if the reference person in their house received social security income. If that does not result in allocated values, the allocated values will be drawn from someone with similar sex and age. If retirement earnings (INCRETIR) is missing, it will be allocated from someone with a similar value for race, age, marital status, if they worked last year, and if they received social security income. If that does not result in allocated values, the allocated values will be drawn from someone with similar sex and age.
If earnings from public assistance or supplemental social security (INCWELFR, INCSUPP) is missing, it will be allocated from someone in a similar state and has a similar value for sex, metropolitan status, VALUE, age, RELATE, if they received social security income, if they are disabled, and FOODSTMP. If that does not result in allocated values, the allocated values will be drawn from someone with similar sex and age.
If earnings from other sources (INCOTHER) is missing, it will be allocated from someone in a similar state and has a similar value for sex, metropolitan status, VALUE, age, RELATE, marital status, VETSTAT, and if they are disabled. If that does not result in allocated values, the allocated values will be drawn from someone with similar sex and age.
If multiple earnings variables are missing, they will be jointly allocated.
Not in universe and other corrections
If someone reports not having worked within the past 5 years (WORKEDYR), IND, OCC, and CLASSWKR will all be set to a missing value. If a person reports not working in the past year, WKSWORK2, UHRSWORK will both be set to a missing value.
If someone reports not having worked in the past 12 months and has a missing value for INCWAGE, it will be replaced with a 0.
Census variable: WAG SEM INT SS SSI PA RET OI TI