PayScale Index
| The PayScale Index uses 2006 average total cash compensation as a baseline. |
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Compensation Data Provided by PayScale, Inc.
The PayScale Index follows the change in wages of employed US workers, revealing trends in compensation over time. It specifically measures the quarterly change in the total cash compensation of full-time private industry employees nationally, with additional detail on the 20 largest metropolitan areas, 15 industries, and three company sizes.
From 2006 to 2008, wages grew 5.4 percent. As the recession worsened at the end of 2008, wages dropped dramatically, reaching their lowest point in Q3 2009. Since then, national average wages have remained relatively flat, though the cost of goods has increased, causing an overall depression in consumer buying power.