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.
Key Findings. 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.
USD 5000 per month is decent or good income. At USD 60000 a year it is below the median US family income but sufficient for most non-urban areas. In most US cities and towns you can live comfortably but not extravagantly at that income level.
“Retiring on $2,000 per month is very possible,” said Gary Knode, president at Safe Harbor Financial. “In my practice, I've seen it work. The key is reducing expenses and eliminating any market risk that could impact your savings if there were a major market downturn.
Average Salary in California by Age in 2024
For instance, workers age 24 and younger earn an average of $44,205 a year, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Pay jumps up to an average of $90,138 a year for workers aged 25 to 44, and $98,785 a year for those age 45 to 64.
Only 18% of individual Americans make more than $100,000 a year, according to 2023 data from careers website Zippia. About 34% of U.S. households earn more than $100,000 a year, according to Zippia.
$25,500 is the 25th percentile. Salaries below this are outliers. $40,000 is the 75th percentile.
Bottom Line. 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.
The Economic Policy Institute though, believes that to be in the top 1% of earners you need to earn $819,324 a year. That means you need to earn either $45,000 or $68,277 per month, depending on whose metric you use. It's a lot, regardless.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the mean annual wage across all occupations in 2023 was $65,470 [1]. For a person living in Phoenix, Arizona, where the mean wage is $64,890, earning around the national average may be considered good [2].
For some people, $3,000 a month may be more than enough to cover their living expenses and even have some left over for savings and leisure activities. However, for others living in cities with a high cost of living, $3,000 a month may not be enough to cover basic expenses like rent, utilities, and groceries.
The median salary of 35- to 44-year-olds is $1,197 per week or $62,244 per year. That said, the number conceals considerable variation by gender. For example, male 35- to 44-year-olds earn a median salary of $1,299 per week, whereas women in the same age bracket earn a median of $1,086 per week.
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.
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. (Incomes are calculated in 2022 dollars.)
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.
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.
Depending on the size of your family or household, an $80,000 salary may comfortably cover your living expenses. If other people in your household, such as children, depend on your income, consider how much it costs to pay for their living expenses in addition to your own.