Average Salary & Job Opportunities in USA | Wages in USA 2024 (2024)

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Average Salary & Job Opportunities in USA | Wages in USA 2024? ›

Average Annual Salary Across the U.S.

An individual must earn $96,500 a year before taxes to afford housing, groceries, transportation and entertainment, while also paying off debt and putting some money into savings, according to personal finance website SmartAsset.

How much do you need to earn to be in the top 10% income bracket? A 2022 study by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) found that the top 10% of earners nationally received an average income of $167,639 in 2021.

Only 15.5% of Americans earn between $100,000 and $149,999 per year. Although, this does make up the largest percentage of Americans who do make over $100k, which only 8.3% earning between $150,000-$199,999, and 10.3% earning over $200k.

As of Apr 26, 2024, the average annual pay for the Upper Class jobs category in the United States is $59,699 a year.

To live "comfortably" as a single person in 99 of the largest U.S. metro areas, you'll need a median income of $93,933, according to a recent SmartAsset analysis.

According to the US Census Bureau, the majority of Americans (54.98%) make $50,000 per year or less, while only 18% of individual Americans make $100,000 per year or more. This means that over 80% of Americans make less than $100,000 per year.

Living on $1,000 per month is a challenge. From the high costs of housing, transportation and food, plus trying to keep your bills to a minimum, it would be difficult for anyone living alone to make this work. But with some creativity, roommates and strategy, you might be able to pull it off.

What job makes the most money without a degree? ›

Physicians and surgeons report the highest salaries in the U.S., with pediatric surgeons earning the highest mean wage at nearly $450,000 per year, the BLS reports. Cardiologists, orthopedic surgeons, radiologists and surgeons also rank among the highest-paid occupations in the country.

Upper middle class: Anyone with earnings in the 60th to 80th percentile would be considered upper middle class. Those in the upper middle class have incomes between $89,745 and $149,131. Upper class: Finally, the upper class is the top 20% of earners and they have incomes of $149,132 or higher.

According to the U.S. Census, only 15.3% of American households make more than $100,000 annually. A $100,000 salary can yield a monthly income of $8,333.33, a biweekly paycheck of $3,846.15, a weekly income of $1,923.08, and a daily income of $384.62 based on 260 working days per year.

One commonly used definition from the Pew Research Center sets a middle-class income between two-thirds and twice the national median income, or $67,819 to $203,458 for a family of four in 2022. Most Americans consider the lower end of that range, $75,000 and $100,000, to be middle class, according to the Post poll.

While people have different qualifications and different ideas of what constitutes a good salary, most would consider $75,000 per year to be good pay.

Fifty percent of American households earn less than $75,000 per year. Just 37% of American households earn more than $100,000.