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.
$520,000. That's how much income Americans think they would need, on average, to feel rich, according to Bankrate's Financial Freedom Survey published in July. That salary would put you comfortably among the top 2% of American earners, according to Census data.
Middle class is defined as income that is two-thirds to double the national median income, or $47,189 and $141,568. By that definition, $100,000 is considered middle class. Keep in mind that those figures are for the nation. Each state has a different range of numbers to be considered middle class.
In 2022, the national middle-income range was about $56,600 to $169,800 annually for a household of three. Lower-income households had incomes less than $56,600, and upper-income households had incomes greater than $169,800.
For the purposes of this article, those with an income in the bottom 20 percentile will be identified as lower class, followed by lower-middle class (up to 40th percentile), middle class (up to 60th percentile), upper-middle class (up to 80th percentile) with the remainder considered upper class.
It's important to remember that the definition of what it means to be rich is subjective. Someone who makes $250,000 a year, for example, could be considered rich if they're saving and investing in order to accumulate wealth and live in an area with a low cost of living.
A $100,000 salary is considered good in most parts of the country, and can cover typical expenses, pay down debt, build savings, and allow for entertainment and hobbies. According to the U.S. Census, only 15.3% of American households make more than $100,000 annually.
Key takeaways
If you're earning $200,000 per year, you've reached elite status in this country. That's more than double the median income of American households, which per the latest U.S. Census data is $80,610.
But how much does it take to be considered wealthy? A net worth of $2.5 million is what Americans think it takes to earn the wealthy moniker, according to Charles Schwab's annual Modern Wealth survey. That seven-figure sum is up 14% from a year ago, when survey respondents thought amassing $2.2 million was enough.
How much money does it take to truly feel successful? According to a survey by financial services firm Empower, Americans have set a price tag: an annual salary of about $270,000 and a net worth of $5.3 million.
According to Schwab's 2024 Modern Wealth Survey, Americans said that it takes an average net worth of $2.5 million to qualify a person as being wealthy, a bit of an uptick from $2.2 million in the surveys from 2022 and 2023. (Net worth is the sum of your assets minus your liabilities.)
Americans say you need a net worth of at least $2.5 million to feel wealthy, according to Charles Schwab's annual Modern Wealth Survey, which surveyed 1,000 Americans ages 21 to 75 in March 2024. That's up slightly from $2.2 million, compared with last year's survey results.
How much do you need to earn to be in the top 1% income bracket? To be in the top 1% of earners, you're looking at an average annual income of $819,324. The top 0.1% of Americans earn an average of $3,312,693.
The Minimum Salary To Be Upper-Middle Class
To be part of the top 20% of the middle class, you need to earn $106,092 and $149,160, — depending on your geographic location — according to a recent study by GOBankingRates.
In California, close to 12 percent of households make over $200,000 per year.
With a $200,000 annual salary, you could potentially afford a house priced between $600,000 to $1,000,000 or even more, depending on your financial situation, credit score, and current market conditions. However, this is a broad range, and your specific circumstances will determine where you fall within it.
It may surprise you to know that making 6 figures is hardly the norm in the US—even on the lower end of the range. According to the US Census, about 16% of American households make between $100,000 and $149,999, 9% of households make between $150,000 and $199,999, and another 12% earn $200,000 or more.
If you're raising a family of four in 2024, you'll need a six-figure income in 26 U.S. states. That's more than half of America where you'll need to earn $100,000 or more annually to budget for and comfortably raise a family.
For purposes of the NIIT and the Additional Medicare Tax, single taxpayers earning over $200,000 and married taxpayers earning over $250,000 are considered high-income.
With a $250k annual salary, you could potentially afford a house priced between $750,000 to $1,500,000 or more, depending on your financial situation, credit score, and current market conditions. You'll need to consider a jumbo loan for homes priced above $766,550 (the 2024 conforming loan limit).