# What is the variable name for experience? **URL:** \ **Category:** USA\ **Created:** [November 13, 2014, 12:40am UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/what-is-the-variable-name-for-experience/711 "2014-11-13T00:40:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hmary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@hmary](https://forum.ipums.org/u/hmary)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 12:40am UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/what-is-the-variable-name-for-experience/711/1 "2014-11-13T00:40:00Z")
I have searched in IPUMS-USA for a long time, however, I cannot find a variable for experience. For example, for the regression model ln(wage) = b0 + b1 educ + b2 exper + b3 exper^2 + … + u, I can easily find a variable for wage and education in IPUMS, but I cannot find the variable for experience. Can someone tell me how to find it? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_Moreland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f1d935/32.png) [@Tim\_Moreland](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Tim_Moreland)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 5:00pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/what-is-the-variable-name-for-experience/711/2 "2014-11-13T17:00:00Z")
IPUMS does not have a variable for experience. However, many researchers choose to proxy for experience using age ([AGE](https://usa.ipums.org/usa-action/variables/AGE#description_section)) and education ([EDUC](https://usa.ipums.org/usa-action/variables/EDUC#description_section)). In other words, you can make an assumption of the age at which a respondent finished her education and then subtract it from the respondent’s current age. Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![hmary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@hmary](https://forum.ipums.org/u/hmary)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/what-is-the-variable-name-for-experience/711/3 "2014-11-13T17:08:00Z")
Thanks.