Is 120k a good household income?
Your income puts you in the upper half of American earners, well above the median household income of $74,580, per Census data.
The Pew Research Center defines the middle class as households that earn between two-thirds and double the median U.S. household income, which was $65,000 in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 21 Using Pew's yardstick, middle income is made up of people who make between $43,350 and $130,000.
Annual Income | Share of Americans |
---|---|
Less than $100k | 65.6% |
$100k-$149.9k | 15.5% |
$150k-$199.9k | 8.3% |
$200k+ | 10.3% |
For most individuals and small families, the answer to “Is $100,000 a good salary?” is a resounding “yes.” Cost of living and family size can affect how far $100,000 will go, but generally speaking, you can live comfortably on $100,000 a year.
So, if you have a salary of $125,000, you have a salary that is in the top 50 percent of all earners in the United States. With a salary of over $100,000, you are doing very well and in the top echelon of earners in the United States.
Earning more than $100,000 per year would put you well ahead of the median American household, which brings in $74,784 as of 2021. Assuming you're an individual without dependents, that salary would qualify you as upper class, according to three different definitions (Brookings, Urban Institute and Pew Research).
The upper middle class is often defined as the top 15% to 20% of earners. According to the Social Security Administration's 2022 wage data, the average upper-middle-class income was roughly between $80,000 and $100,000.
What do studies say about money and happiness? Purdue University found the ideal average income for people worldwide is $95,000 and $105,000 in the U.S. Beyond that, satisfaction with life deteriorates, it said.
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.
Based on that figure, an annual income of $500,000 or more would make you rich. The Economic Policy Institute uses a different baseline to determine who constitutes the top 1% and the top 5%. For 2021, you're in the top 1% if you earn $819,324 or more each year. The top 5% of income earners make $335,891 per year.
Can a family of 4 live on 100k a year?
On the other side of that, the states where you need the most money to earn a living wage for four people all require an income of more than $100,000. These are all coastal states known for high real estate prices, including Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, New York and Alaska.
The 30% rule for home buyers
If your annual salary is $100,000, the 30% rule means you should spend around $2,500 per month on your house payment. With a 10% down payment and a 6% fixed interest rate, you could likely afford a home worth around $350,000 to $400,000 (depending on the cost of taxes and home insurance).
RANK | STATE | LIVING WAGE |
---|---|---|
45 | Maryland | $110,244 |
46 | Alaska | $113,079 |
47 | New York | $118,127 |
48 | California | $130,239 |
Lower-income households have incomes lower than two-thirds of the median, and upper-income households have incomes that are more than double the median. In 2018, the national middle-income range was about $48,500 to $145,500 annually for a household of three.
Using NAR's 25 percent metric, at the current mortgage rate (6.66 percent in late March), “buyers earning $125,000 a year can purchase a home up to $510,000 if they put 20 percent down,” Evangelou says. “However, if they put 10 percent down, they can afford to purchase a home for up to $450,000.”
They also like to see total housing costs of less than 30%. Therefore, he advises using the 28/36 rule, which allocates 28% of your gross monthly income for your mortgage payment and 36% for your non-housing debt. 28% of $125,000 is $35,000. Divided by 12, that's $2,916 per month for your mortgage.
Income Bracket* | Percentage of Americans |
---|---|
$75,000-$99,999 | 12.3% |
$100,000-$149,999 | 16.4% |
$150,000-$199,999 | 9.2% |
Over $200,000 | 11.9% |
An annual salary of $130,000 puts you far above the national median household income, which according to the most recent Census data is $74,580.
Age Range | 75th Percentile Net Worth |
---|---|
Under 35 | $153,000 |
35-44 | $415,000 |
45-54 | $800,000 |
55-64 | $1.122 million |
Using the BLS study of household earnings from 2021-2022, we found that an average household of 4 people spends approximately $97,000 per year. With a $150,000 salary, this would be sufficient to cover all your expenses and save $15,000 annually.
What are the 5 income classes?
- Lower class: less than or equal to $30,000.
- Lower-middle class: $30,001 – $58,020.
- Middle class: $58,021 – $94,000.
- Upper-middle class: $94,001 – $153,000.
- Upper class: greater than $153,000.
San Jose, California
While a $150,000 salary would provide a comfortable living in most parts of the country, in San Jose it may only qualify as lower middle class. That's because the cost of living in the Silicon Valley city is 49% higher than the national average.
A 2021 study by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) found that the top 10% of earners nationally received an average income of $167,639 in 2020.
According to the latest figures by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average salary in USA per month is $5,677 or $68,124 per year. As of 2023, the gross minimum salary in the USA is $32.75 per hour. Salaries range from $32,916 to $112,268 per year and include housing, transport, and other benefits.
On average, an individual needs $96,500 for sustainable comfort in a major U.S. city. This includes being able to pay off debt and invest for the future.
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