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Here's how much American men earn at every age

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Here's how much Americans make each year based on age and gender
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Here's how much Americans make each year based on age and gender

The median household income in the United States is $59,039, according to new data from the U.S. Census. But that number doesn't provide a clear or accurate picture for everyone, as earnings fluctuate depending on factors such as age, race and gender.

In fact, American men tend to earn close to the median income for the country as a whole, while their female counterparts fall far below it.

Here's the median income American men are earning at every age, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the second quarter of 2017:

  • 16 to 19 years: $440 weekly/$22,880 annually
  • 20 to 24 years: $549 weekly/$28,548 annually
  • 25 to 34 years: $828 weekly/$43,056 annually
  • 35 to 44 years: $1,065 weekly/$55,380 annually
  • 45 to 54 years: $1,094 weekly/$56,888 annually
  • 55 to 64 years: $1,058 weekly/$55,016 annually
  • 65 years and older: $1,005 weekly/$52,260 annually
Jake Johnson, Lamorne Morris and Max Greenfield in Fox's "New Girl."
FOX | Getty Images

Men are not only earning higher wages than women in general, but their peak earning age comes significantly later. While women reach their height around age 40, men continue to see salary increases for 10 more years, until they're about 50.

For comparison, here's the median income American women are earning at every age, according to BLS data:

  • 16 to 19 years: $404 weekly/$21,008 annually
  • 20 to 24 years: $508 weekly/$26,416 annually
  • 25 to 34 years: $727 weekly/$37,804 annually
  • 35 to 44 years: $877 weekly/$45,604 annually
  • 45 to 54 years: $851 weekly/$44,252 annually
  • 55 to 64 years: $869 weekly/$45,188 annually
  • 65 years and older: $800 weekly/$41,600 annually
Here's what the average American woman makes
VIDEO0:5900:59
Here's what the average American woman makes

This is partially because male college graduates earn more from the get-go. They bring home a median salary of $50,200 at age 22 while their female counterparts earn $39,800 per year, a difference of $10,400.

"Whenever you're talking about the differences in earnings between men and women, it often ties back to the jobs that they're actually holding," PayScale's vice president of data analytics Katie Bardaro tells CNBC Make It.

While more women hold common jobs as nurses, teachers and social workers, men are more concentrated in high-paying jobs that also feature higher earnings over time, like software developer and engineer, Bardaro says.

Data from tech and other industries have also shown, however, that women are still, on average, paid less even for the same job at the same company — and so are people of color.

Women are pushing to catch up. Some predict they definitely will, and soon.

"Millennial women are so outpacing men in higher education that it's inevitable they will become their generation's top earners," reports Fast Company, using data from a Pew Research study. "With greater education comes greater wealth."

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