FAQs
Nationally, the middle class in 2022 included households with incomes between $50,100 and $150,300. A decade earlier, the middle class included household incomes between about $35,400 and $106,100.
What income is considered middle class in 2024? ›
What is the average middle class income? In 2024, a large U.S. city's middle-class income averages between $52,000 and $155,000, with the median household income across all 345 cities at $77,345, making middle-class income limits fall between $51,558 and $154,590, SmartAsset noted.
What percentage of US citizens are middle class? ›
-- Fifty-four percent of Americans identify as part of the middle class, including 39% who say they are “middle class” and 15% “upper-middle class.” Another 31% consider themselves “working class” and 12% “lower class.”
How much does a household need to make to be considered middle class? ›
In California, the middle-class household income ranges between $ 61,270 to $183,810, a nearly 50% increase from where it stood in 2012 when it was $40,933 to $122,800.
What does it mean to be middle class in the US today? ›
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.
Is 150k a year upper middle class? ›
There are three U.S. cities where people making a $150,000 income qualify as lower middle class and two of them are in California, according to recent research from GOBankingRates.
What are the five income classes? ›
Where you rank by income
- 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.
The most common professions of the upper-middle class tend to center on conceptualizing, consulting, and instruction. They include such occupations as lawyer, physician, dentist, engineer, professor, architect, civil service executive, and civilian contractor.
What salary is upper-middle class? ›
Many have graduate degrees with educational attainment serving as the main distinguishing feature of this class. Household incomes commonly exceed $100,000, with some smaller one-income earners household having incomes in the high 5-figure range. "The upper middle class has grown...and its composition has changed.
What salary is upper class? ›
In 2021, the median household income is roughly $68,000. An upper class income is usually considered at least 50% higher than the median household income. Therefore, an upper class income in America is $100,000 and higher. However, an upper class income also depends on where you live.
Decent Salary
| Annual Salary | Monthly Pay |
|---|
| Top Earners | $86,000 | $7,166 |
| 75th Percentile | $68,500 | $5,708 |
| Average | $44,910 | $3,742 |
| 25th Percentile | $24,500 | $2,041 |
In 2018, the national middle-income range was about $48,500 to $145,500 annually for a household of three. Lower-income households had incomes less than $48,500 and upper-income households had incomes greater than $145,500 (incomes in 2018 dollars).
What income is considered wealthy? ›
According to IRS standards, a monthly income of approximately $45,000 qualifies someone as wealthy. However, if you're aiming for the top 1% as measured by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), you'd need to earn about $68,277 monthly.
What is considered middle class for a married couple? ›
Put another way, if you're making less than $47,190 in your household, you are probably considered a low-income family. If you're making between $47,190 and $141,568, you're considered middle class. If you're earning $141,568 and above, you're likely considered upper class.
What salary is considered lower class? ›
| Persons in Household | Household Income |
|---|
| Lower Class | Middle Class |
|---|
| 1 | Up to $39,483 | $39,484 to $118,450 |
| 2 | Up to $55,837 | $55,838 to $167,513 |
| 3 | Up to $68,386 | $68,387 to $205,160 |
3 more rowsBy those metrics, American households earning between $47,189 and $141,568 would be considered middle class.
What is the upper class income in 2024? ›
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $108,000 and as low as $20,000, the majority of salaries within the Upper Class jobs category currently range between $39,000 (25th percentile) to $68,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $86,000 annually across the United States.
Is $30000 a year considered middle class? ›
You also need an annual household salary of at least $50,000 to be considered middle class in 17 other states, including California, New York, Oregon, Washington, Utah and Hawaii. In California, the difference is $122,000, from a salary of $61,028 on the lower end to $183,102 on the upper end.
Are you considered middle class if you make $50000 a year? ›
Based on that number, if you earn between $50,000 and $150,000 a year, you qualify as middle class. Around half of Americans fall into the middle-class category as of 2021, according to the Pew Research Center, but the numbers have been shrinking over time, down from 61% in 1971.
Is $52 000 a year middle class? ›
“If you make between about $50,000 to $150,000, you are considered to be in the middle class as of 2024,” said Kullberg. “However, it may not always feel that way to those higher income earners if they live somewhere with a high cost of living, have a lot of debt or have many dependents.”
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