"And this measly 10% increase in gross pre-tax pay over the past five decades happened during a time the workforce became much better educated; the percentage of working age people with high school degrees increased from 60% to more than 90%, and those with college degrees has more than tripled since 1971 from 11% to 37%. You’d think that would be represented with higher median income levels, but you’d be wrong. The past five decades have also been a time of rapid increase in two-income households since the 1970s, when only the father generally worked outside of the home. Here also you’d be mistaken to think that more of both parents working have increased middle income earners’ take-home pay."