50 percent of workers made less than $26,364 last year

[jeffrey]

The SSA said 50 percent of workers made less than $26,364 last year — and most Americans have fewer job opportunities available to them. But the wealthiest Americans are relatively unscathed, with those earning $1 million or more jumping 18 percent from 2009...

The average income for Americans was $39,959 last year, but the median wage was just $26,364. The SSA wrote that this shows “the distribution of workers by wage level is highly skewed,” the AP reported...

Report: Rich-poor gap growing - Mackenzie Weinger - POLITICO.com

[disneysteve]

the median wage was just $26,364.

This is not true. I have no idea where this came from. Median income in the US is right around the $50,000 mark. Here's a report from Moneywatch from just a few days ago that pegged it right at the 50K level and various other sources report the same thing.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Without looking at either article, perhaps the difference is because the first article speaks of the median wage, which to me implies hourly earnings. Perhaps that excludes salaried and self-employed incomes.

Update. Social Security:
Wage Statistics for 2009
50 percent of wage earners had net compensation less than or equal to the median wage, which is estimated to be $26,261.29 for 2009.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Oh sorry, here is 2010 info from Social Security:
Wage Statistics for 2010
50 percent of wage earners had net compensation less than or equal to the median wage, which is estimated to be $26,363.55 for 2010.

That $50,000 median would be household median, often requiring 2 or even three workers in the household to reach that level.