Baltimore City vs. Maryland
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Average Earnings Per Job Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Baltimore City vs. Maryland
Baltimore City:
2022 Avg. Earnings = $89,296
2022 Percent of State = 120.55%
Maryland:
2022 Avg. Earnings = $74,076
The United States economy has generated an impressive number of jobs since the 1970s. The contrast between the nation's vigorous employment growth and the modest performance of other major industrial countries is striking. Despite this rosy track record, the real (inflation adjusted) wages and salaries of many workers have stagnated or slipped in recent years. This development has provoked concerns about the quality of new jobs. Structural shifts in the composition of employment--from high-wage goods-producing to low-wage services-related sectors--is the culprit most often cited for the deteriorating quality of jobs.
Regions vary greatly in the make-up of their labor force, in their industry composition of employment, and their economic experience. Reviewing and examining recent developments in average earnings per job in Baltimore City with comparisons to Maryland and the nation is an important first step in understanding the economic forces at play in Baltimore City.
Discussion: Average Annual Earnings Per Job are computed by dividing BEA total industry earnings estimates by the BEA total full- and part-time jobs estimates. No convenient or adequate means exist at the county or regional level for converting the job estimates to a full-time equivalent measure. So, interpret the average earnings per job estimates with caution in consideration of the following issues:
Average earnings per job within industries involving more part-time work is lower than industries involving more full-time work, although there could be little difference in the underlying wage of full-time workers. Such differences could also prevail between counties and regions. An increase in the proportion of part-time jobs over time may erode average earnings per job estimates, although full-time earnings per worker may have remained unchanged.
As with per capita income, average earnings per job may be subject to extreme short-run variation, especially in smaller counties. Major construction projects relating to building dams, nuclear power plants, and private plant construction projects have caused extreme fluctuations in many smaller counties. Such changes typify both small and large agriculture-dependent counties owing to the extreme annual variations in farm incomes. Also, Since average earnings per job are just a simple average, it does not account for variations in the distribution of earnings among high- vs. low-wage jobs.
Baltimore City Average Earnings Per Job, 1970-2022
Current vs. Constant Dollars
Baltimore City Average Earnings Per Job, 1970-2022
Current vs. Constant Dollars
Figure 1.
Figure 1 depicts Baltimore City's annual average earnings per job over 1970-2022 in current and constant (2017) dollars. Constant dollar measurements remove the effects of inflation. They allow for comparison of changes in the real purchasing power of Baltimore City over time.
When measured in current dollars, Baltimore City's average earnings per job increased 1,062.13%, from $7,684 in 1970 to $89,296 in 2022. When measured in constant 2017 dollars to adjust for inflation, it advanced 97.95%, from $38,874 in 1970 to $76,951 in 2022.
Real Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
Real Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 tracks Baltimore City's and Maryland's annual real average earnings per job for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate real average earnings per job patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Baltimore City's real average earnings per job rose from $37,966 in 1969 to $76,951 in 2022, for a net gain of $38,985, or 102.68%. In comparison, Maryland's real average earnings per job increased from $38,649 in 1969 to $63,835 in 2022, for a net advance of $25,185, or 65.16%.
Real Average Earnings Per Job Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Real Average Earnings Per Job Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Figure 3 shows Baltimore City's real average earnings per job growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with Maryland, the United States. The growth indices shown here express each region's real average earnings per job in 1969 as a base figure of 100, and the real average earnings per jobs in later years as a percentage of the 1969 base figure. This method allows for more direct comparison of differences in real average earnings per job growth between regions that may differ vastly in size.
Baltimore City's overall real average earnings per job growth was 102.68% over 1969-2022 outpaced Maryland's increase of 65.16%, and topped the United States' increase of 62.26%.
Average Earnings Per Job as a Percent of the U.S. Average: 1969-2022
Average Earnings Per Job as a Percent of the U.S. Average: 1969-2022
Figure 4.
Figure 4 displays the trends for average earnings per job relative to the national average by tracing Baltimore City and Maryland average earnings per job as a percent of the national average over 1969-2022.
In 1969, Baltimore City's average earnings per job amounted to 99.86% of the national average; in 2022, it approximated 124.74%. Similarly, in 1969, Maryland's average earnings per job totaled 101.66% of the national average; in 2022, it consisted of 103.48%.
Baltimore City Real Average Earnings Per Job:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Baltimore City Real Average Earnings Per Job:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Figure 5 shows the short-run pattern of Baltimore City's real average earnings per job growth by tracking the year-to-year percent change over 1970-2022. The average annual percent change for the entire 53-year period is also traced on this chart to provide a benchmark for gauging periods of relative high--and relative low--growth against the backdrop of the long-term average.
On average, Baltimore City's real average earnings per job grew at an annual rate of 1.36% over 1970-2022. The independent city recorded its highest growth in 1998 (4.94%) and recorded its lowest growth in 1980 (-2.47%). In 2022, Baltimore City's real average earnings per job declined by -1.03%
Baltimore City Real Average Earnings Per Job:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Baltimore City Real Average Earnings Per Job:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Figure 6.
Over the past five decades some independent cities have experienced extreme swings in growth, and often such swings have tended to coincide with the decades themselves. Figure 6 again shows the annual percent change in Baltimore City's real average earnings per job since 1970, but this time they are overlayed with average growth rates for the decade of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020-2022.
During the 1970s, Baltimore City's annual real average earnings per job growth rate averaged 1.10%. It averaged 1.63% in the 1980s, 2.39% throughout the 1990s, 1.19% throughout the 2000s, 0.83% during the 2010s, 0.19% thus far this decade (2020-2022).
Real Average Earnings Per Job Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Real Average Earnings Per Job Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Figure 7.
Figure 7 compares the decade average growth rates for Baltimore City noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for Maryland and the nation. As the chart reveals, Baltimore City's average annual real average earnings per job growth outpaced Maryland's average throughout the 1970s (1.10% vs. 0.68%), outpaced Maryland's average throughout the 1980s (1.63% vs. 0.97%), surpassed Maryland's average during the 1990s (2.39% vs. 1.79%), fell below Maryland's average throughout the 2000s (1.19% vs. 1.59%), topped Maryland's average in the 2010s (0.83% vs. 0.47%), and outperformed Maryland's average over the 3 year period of the current decade, 2020-2022 (0.19% vs. -1.21%).
Finally, relative to nationwide real average earnings per job growth trends, Baltimore City topped the nation over the 1970s (1.10% vs. 0.89%), exceeded the nation over the 1980s (1.63% vs. 0.71%), led the nation during the 1990s (2.39% vs. 1.68%), surpassed the nation during the 2000s (1.19% vs. 0.72%), fell below the nation during the 2010s (0.83% vs. 1.01%), and recorded above the nation over 2020-2022 (0.19% vs. -0.24%).
   
 
Real* Average Earnings Per Job Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
1.36
1.10
1.63
2.39
1.19
0.83
0.19
-1.03
 
0.97
0.68
0.97
1.79
1.59
0.47
-1.21
-4.80
 
0.93
0.89
0.71
1.68
0.72
1.01
-0.24
-4.51
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Baltimore City:
Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
7,169
0.189
37,966
100.0
N
98.23
99.86
1970
 
7,684
0.198
38,874
102.4
2.39
98.07
101.16
1971
 
8,272
0.206
40,148
105.7
3.28
98.56
102.09
1972
 
8,922
0.213
41,872
110.3
4.30
99.55
102.66
1973
 
9,554
0.225
42,549
112.1
1.62
99.28
102.33
1974
 
10,315
0.248
41,606
109.6
-2.22
99.85
103.90
1975
 
11,220
0.269
41,772
110.0
0.40
101.21
104.74
1976
 
12,222
0.283
43,136
113.6
3.26
101.59
105.82
1977
 
12,960
0.302
42,947
113.1
-0.44
102.20
104.41
1978
 
13,972
0.323
43,289
114.0
0.80
103.19
103.82
1979
 
14,855
0.351
42,269
111.3
-2.36
102.38
101.97
1980
 
16,048
0.389
41,226
108.6
-2.47
102.13
102.50
1981
 
17,433
0.424
41,101
108.3
-0.30
102.04
102.15
1982
 
18,614
0.448
41,576
109.5
1.16
102.97
103.47
1983
 
19,937
0.467
42,714
112.5
2.74
104.82
105.38
1984
 
21,250
0.484
43,870
115.6
2.71
104.42
105.30
1985
 
22,562
0.501
45,009
118.5
2.59
105.52
106.78
1986
 
23,887
0.512
46,638
122.8
3.62
106.55
108.20
1987
 
25,263
0.528
47,845
126.0
2.59
108.31
109.24
1988
 
27,021
0.549
49,251
129.7
2.94
108.66
110.71
1989
 
28,394
0.573
49,587
130.6
0.68
109.18
111.53
1990
 
30,126
0.598
50,399
132.7
1.64
110.67
113.26
1991
 
32,332
0.618
52,340
137.9
3.85
112.96
117.41
1992
 
34,381
0.634
54,212
142.8
3.58
113.78
117.03
1993
 
35,208
0.650
54,166
142.7
-0.08
112.99
116.97
1994
 
35,602
0.664
53,653
141.3
-0.95
110.98
115.18
1995
 
36,774
0.678
54,276
143.0
1.16
112.55
116.36
1996
 
38,209
0.692
55,213
145.4
1.73
113.72
116.45
1997
 
40,214
0.704
57,116
150.4
3.45
114.77
117.52
1998
 
42,534
0.710
59,935
157.9
4.94
114.25
118.12
1999
 
45,136
0.720
62,687
165.1
4.59
115.77
119.56
2000
 
46,581
0.738
63,099
166.2
0.66
113.25
116.74
2001
 
46,901
0.753
62,284
164.1
-1.29
108.22
113.08
2002
 
48,120
0.763
63,075
166.1
1.27
106.67
113.48
2003
 
50,108
0.779
64,329
169.4
1.99
107.09
114.78
2004
 
52,937
0.798
66,315
174.7
3.09
107.58
116.46
2005
 
55,968
0.821
68,148
179.5
2.76
110.07
119.98
2006
 
58,107
0.844
68,815
181.3
0.98
111.22
119.95
2007
 
60,166
0.866
69,470
183.0
0.95
114.04
121.84
2008
 
62,931
0.892
70,574
185.9
1.59
114.56
125.12
2009
 
62,719
0.889
70,533
185.8
-0.06
111.35
125.34
2010
 
64,731
0.905
71,515
188.4
1.39
110.01
124.03
2011
 
65,774
0.928
70,874
186.7
-0.90
108.30
122.64
2012
 
67,092
0.945
70,971
186.9
0.14
109.17
121.85
2013
 
67,986
0.958
70,981
187.0
0.01
111.46
121.76
2014
 
70,173
0.971
72,253
190.3
1.79
113.59
123.13
2015
 
73,082
0.973
75,111
197.8
3.96
115.21
125.99
2016
 
75,194
0.983
76,507
201.5
1.86
115.96
128.58
2017
 
76,648
1.000
76,648
201.9
0.18
115.90
127.05
2018
 
77,932
1.020
76,369
201.1
-0.36
116.59
125.49
2019
 
79,231
1.035
76,542
201.6
0.23
115.44
122.99
2020
 
81,691
1.046
78,072
205.6
2.00
114.57
121.24
2021
 
84,750
1.090
77,752
204.8
-0.41
115.96
120.35
2022
 
89,296
1.160
76,951
202.7
-1.03
120.55
124.74
Source: Calculations by the Maryland Regional Economic Analysis Project (MD-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1400_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Maryland:
Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
7,298
0.189
38,649
100.0
N
101.66
1970
 
7,835
0.198
39,640
102.6
2.56
103.15
1971
 
8,393
0.206
40,734
105.4
2.76
103.58
1972
 
8,962
0.213
42,061
108.8
3.26
103.13
1973
 
9,624
0.225
42,858
110.9
1.89
103.08
1974
 
10,331
0.248
41,668
107.8
-2.78
104.06
1975
 
11,086
0.269
41,274
106.8
-0.94
103.49
1976
 
12,030
0.283
42,460
109.9
2.87
104.17
1977
 
12,680
0.302
42,021
108.7
-1.04
102.16
1978
 
13,540
0.323
41,950
108.5
-0.17
100.61
1979
 
14,509
0.351
41,286
106.8
-1.58
99.59
1980
 
15,714
0.389
40,366
104.4
-2.23
100.36
1981
 
17,085
0.424
40,280
104.2
-0.21
100.11
1982
 
18,077
0.448
40,376
104.5
0.24
100.48
1983
 
19,020
0.467
40,749
105.4
0.92
100.53
1984
 
20,352
0.484
42,015
108.7
3.11
100.84
1985
 
21,381
0.501
42,653
110.4
1.52
101.19
1986
 
22,419
0.512
43,771
113.3
2.62
101.55
1987
 
23,325
0.528
44,174
114.3
0.92
100.86
1988
 
24,868
0.549
45,325
117.3
2.61
101.88
1989
 
26,006
0.573
45,416
117.5
0.20
102.14
1990
 
27,221
0.598
45,540
117.8
0.27
102.34
1991
 
28,624
0.618
46,336
119.9
1.75
103.95
1992
 
30,217
0.634
47,646
123.3
2.83
102.86
1993
 
31,161
0.650
47,939
124.0
0.61
103.52
1994
 
32,081
0.664
48,346
125.1
0.85
103.79
1995
 
32,673
0.678
48,223
124.8
-0.26
103.38
1996
 
33,600
0.692
48,552
125.6
0.68
102.41
1997
 
35,039
0.704
49,766
128.8
2.50
102.40
1998
 
37,229
0.710
52,460
135.7
5.41
103.38
1999
 
38,986
0.720
54,147
140.1
3.22
103.27
2000
 
41,129
0.738
55,714
144.2
2.89
103.07
2001
 
43,340
0.753
57,555
148.9
3.30
104.49
2002
 
45,112
0.763
59,132
153.0
2.74
106.38
2003
 
46,790
0.779
60,069
155.4
1.58
107.18
2004
 
49,208
0.798
61,643
159.5
2.62
108.25
2005
 
50,847
0.821
61,912
160.2
0.44
109.00
2006
 
52,245
0.844
61,872
160.1
-0.06
107.85
2007
 
52,758
0.866
60,916
157.6
-1.55
106.84
2008
 
54,934
0.892
61,606
159.4
1.13
109.22
2009
 
56,324
0.889
63,341
163.9
2.82
112.56
2010
 
58,840
0.905
65,007
168.2
2.63
112.74
2011
 
60,736
0.928
65,445
169.3
0.67
113.24
2012
 
61,454
0.945
65,007
168.2
-0.67
111.61
2013
 
60,997
0.958
63,683
164.8
-2.04
109.24
2014
 
61,775
0.971
63,607
164.6
-0.12
108.40
2015
 
63,434
0.973
65,195
168.7
2.50
109.36
2016
 
64,847
0.983
65,980
170.7
1.20
110.89
2017
 
66,135
1.000
66,135
171.1
0.24
109.62
2018
 
66,845
1.020
65,504
169.5
-0.95
107.64
2019
 
68,632
1.035
66,303
171.6
1.22
106.54
2020
 
71,304
1.046
68,146
176.3
2.78
105.83
2021
 
73,086
1.090
67,050
173.5
-1.61
103.78
2022
 
74,076
1.160
63,835
165.2
-4.80
103.48
Source: Calculations by the Maryland Regional Economic Analysis Project (MD-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1400_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
United States:
Average Earnings Per Job, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
7,179
0.189
38,018
100.0
N
1970
 
7,596
0.198
38,430
101.1
1.08
1971
 
8,103
0.206
39,326
103.4
2.33
1972
 
8,691
0.213
40,786
107.3
3.71
1973
 
9,336
0.225
41,579
109.4
1.94
1974
 
9,928
0.248
40,044
105.3
-3.69
1975
 
10,713
0.269
39,883
104.9
-0.40
1976
 
11,549
0.283
40,761
107.2
2.20
1977
 
12,412
0.302
41,131
108.2
0.91
1978
 
13,457
0.323
41,694
109.7
1.37
1979
 
14,568
0.351
41,454
109.0
-0.58
1980
 
15,657
0.389
40,220
105.8
-2.98
1981
 
17,066
0.424
40,237
105.8
0.04
1982
 
17,989
0.448
40,181
105.7
-0.14
1983
 
18,920
0.467
40,535
106.6
0.88
1984
 
20,181
0.484
41,663
109.6
2.78
1985
 
21,130
0.501
42,152
110.9
1.17
1986
 
22,078
0.512
43,104
113.4
2.26
1987
 
23,126
0.528
43,799
115.2
1.61
1988
 
24,408
0.549
44,487
117.0
1.57
1989
 
25,460
0.573
44,462
117.0
-0.05
1990
 
26,599
0.598
44,498
117.0
0.08
1991
 
27,537
0.618
44,577
117.3
0.18
1992
 
29,378
0.634
46,323
121.8
3.92
1993
 
30,101
0.650
46,309
121.8
-0.03
1994
 
30,909
0.664
46,580
122.5
0.59
1995
 
31,605
0.678
46,646
122.7
0.14
1996
 
32,810
0.692
47,411
124.7
1.64
1997
 
34,218
0.704
48,600
127.8
2.51
1998
 
36,011
0.710
50,743
133.5
4.41
1999
 
37,751
0.720
52,432
137.9
3.33
2000
 
39,903
0.738
54,053
142.2
3.09
2001
 
41,477
0.753
55,080
144.9
1.90
2002
 
42,406
0.763
55,584
146.2
0.92
2003
 
43,655
0.779
56,045
147.4
0.83
2004
 
45,456
0.798
56,943
149.8
1.60
2005
 
46,648
0.821
56,800
149.4
-0.25
2006
 
48,442
0.844
57,368
150.9
1.00
2007
 
49,382
0.866
57,019
150.0
-0.61
2008
 
50,298
0.892
56,407
148.4
-1.07
2009
 
50,041
0.889
56,276
148.0
-0.23
2010
 
52,191
0.905
57,661
151.7
2.46
2011
 
53,633
0.928
57,792
152.0
0.23
2012
 
55,061
0.945
58,245
153.2
0.78
2013
 
55,837
0.958
58,296
153.3
0.09
2014
 
56,990
0.971
58,680
154.3
0.66
2015
 
58,005
0.973
59,615
156.8
1.59
2016
 
58,480
0.983
59,501
156.5
-0.19
2017
 
60,329
1.000
60,329
158.7
1.39
2018
 
62,102
1.020
60,856
160.1
0.87
2019
 
64,419
1.035
62,233
163.7
2.26
2020
 
67,378
1.046
64,393
169.4
3.47
2021
 
70,421
1.090
64,606
169.9
0.33
2022
 
71,586
1.160
61,690
162.3
-4.51
Source: Calculations by the Maryland Regional Economic Analysis Project (MD-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1400_PN
 
   
Copyright © 2023. Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Analysis Project (PNREAP). All Rights Reserved.

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To offer the most comprehensive set of interactive options in support of your research, MD-REAP calculates and crunches most of the data and generates the narrative and graphic analysis on demand in response to your request.
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