A decent or "comfortable" income for a single person in the U.S. generally ranges from $75,000 to over $100,000 annually. While average salaries are around $59,000,, living comfortably in major cities often requires significantly more, such as upwards of $138,000 in New York City or $89,000+ in California, to cover necessities, discretionary spending, and savings.
While no definitive figure universally defines a good salary, a commonly cited range is between $75,000 and $100,000 annually for individuals.
In 2025, we have updated budgets for all households based largely on price changes as captured through the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). A single person needs to earn £30,500 a year to reach a minimum acceptable standard of living in 2025. A couple with 2 children needs to earn £74,000 a year between them.
In California, a household can be considered middle class if it makes between $63,674 and $191,042. However, that range can change at the city level. SmartAsset used U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey 1-year data and analyzed the median household income in 100 of the largest U.S. cities and all states.
Do you think you can guess how much money middle-class Arizonans make per year? Well, you might have to think again, because the numbers are rising. GOBankingRates found that Arizonans had to make between $48,387 to $145,162 to be considered middle-class in 2022.
Can I live comfortably making 60K a year? A single person can usually live well on a $60,000 annual salary. However, if you have expensive tastes, are carrying a lot of debt, live in an area with a high cost of living, or are supporting multiple people, you may find it more challenging to get by on $60,000 a year.
Income distribution in the United States
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau (2025). Forty-five percent of American households earn less than $75,000 per year. Forty-three percent earn $100,000 or more.
Basic Lifestyle: $4,000–$6,000/month
Covers essentials like housing, food, healthcare, insurance, and taxes. This is the minimum needed to maintain a modest lifestyle in most parts of the U.S.
Key statistics
The average income for single people living alone in the U.S. is $56,065. Married couples earn an average of $146,000 per year.
Generally speaking, yes. An annual salary of $50,000 is considered a middle-class income, and can be a comfortable wage for a recent graduate or a person starting a new career. A single person may not be able to live large in some areas of the country, but that doesn't mean they can't live comfortably elsewhere.
While $55,000 a year is lower than the national average salary, it may be enough for a single person to support themselves. However, cost of living, financial obligations, personal spending habits, inflation, and other factors can impact how far the money goes.
Middle-income households – those with an income that is two-thirds to double the U.S. median household income – had incomes ranging from about $56,600 to $169,800 in 2022. Lower-income households had incomes less than $56,600, and upper-income households had incomes greater than $169,800.
In Arizona, the median income is $48,810, but salaries across the state can differ greatly. In cities like Phoenix and Tucson, the cost of living is notably higher, which is reflected in median salaries reaching $60,000 in Phoenix, with 80% of salaries falling between $40,000 and $85,000.
There's no single definition of “middle class.” According to the Pew Research Center, middle class households have an income that's between two-thirds and twice the U.S. median household income of $70,784. (A $75,000 salary falls easily within this range.)
Five common income classes, often based on income distribution like quintiles (fifths) of the population, are Lower Class, Lower-Middle Class, Middle Class, Upper-Middle Class, and Upper Class, with specific income thresholds varying by source but generally defining the middle class as earning around two-thirds to double the national median income, adjusted for household size and cost of living.