U.S. Wage growth: 3% (September 2026) – latest figures and trend
Is pay still rising?
Yes. In September 2026, average pay in the U.S. was 3% higher than a year earlier. That is a smaller rise than 3.1% in August 2026. A lower rate means average pay is rising more slowly, not that it has fallen.
The latest wage growth for U.S. is 3% (2026-09), according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The table below lists every value we have collected, newest first.
Latest value3% Reference period: 2026-09
Previous (2026-08): 3.1% · -0.1 percentage points
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Sources · Last checked with the source
About this indicator
- Official series
- average hourly earnings, private employees (12-month change)
- Unit
- %
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Sources
- Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — license
- The 12-month change is calculated by Vernumo from the official index; it is not a figure published by the source.
- We record revisions when the source changes a value we already collected.
- We do not receive a provisional/final flag from the source, so recent values may still be revised.
| Period | Value | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-09 | 3% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2026-08 | 3.1% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2026-07 | 3.2% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2026-06 | 3.4% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2026-05 | 3.3% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2026-04 | 3.6% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2026-03 | 3.4% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2026-02 | 3.7% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2026-01 | 3.7% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2025-12 | 3.7% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2025-11 | 3.9% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2025-10 | 3.9% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2025-09 | 3.8% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2025-08 | 4% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2025-07 | 4% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2025-06 | 3.9% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2025-05 | 4% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2025-04 | 3.9% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2025-03 | 4.2% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2025-02 | 4.1% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 2025-01 | 4% | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |