Wages for the median workers at the majority of big American companies are higher than they were before the pandemic, with the tight job market helping to lift paydays for many bank tellers, factory workers and software programmers.

Compensation in 2021 for the median worker at 275 companies in the S&P 500 index was higher than in 2019, including 150 companies where it increased 10% or more from 2019, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. Half as many firms reported their median worker’s 2021 compensation decreased by 10% or more.

…The Journal analyzed annual disclosures by nearly 450 companies using data from securities filings provided by MyLogIQ. Since about 2018, U.S. publicly traded companies have been required to identify the median worker from their global workforce and disclose that person’s compensation, including overtime and benefits, in the same way that they calculate total compensation for chief executive officers and other top executives.