- 1983 median wage: $26,104*
- 2012 median wage: $98,124
- Increase: 276%
The medical profession has many factors that economists say are responsible for pushing up wages over the past 30 years: It's a fast growing field, it requires lots of new skills and demand exceeds supply.
As a result, the pay growth for doctors far exceeds the growth in overall inflation since 1983 -- which was 131%.
Jobs in fields that are slow growing, don't require fresh skills, and are subject to automation have seen the smallest wage growth. Butchers, bakers and factory workers have seen steep declines in inflation-adjusted wages since the early 1980s.