In 2023, households earning at least $844,266 per year are considered among California's top 1%. On average, these high earners are taxed at a rate of 26.95%. In the Garden State, you'll need an annual household income of $817,346 to be in the top 1%.
While there's no definitive line, households in the top 20% of earners are generally considered upper class. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income in 2022 was $74,580. To reach the upper class in 2024, you'd typically need an income exceeding $153,000 – more than double the national median.
The gap between the top 1% of earners and average Americans is stark. In fact, the average American household earns a median income of under $70,000, but in some places, the top 1% can earn as much as $955,000.
Being in the top 20% of earners in California means making at least $171,387 a year. The Golden State, known for its pricey real estate and high cost of living, particularly in cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, demands a substantial income to be considered wealthy.
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.
While an income of $106,000 to $150,000 lands you in the upper middle class based on national averages, this isn't the case if you live somewhere with a much higher cost of living or need to adjust for household size, cost and property taxes. California, for example, has a threshold of $159,302 to be considered upper ...
The same study also reveals that Americans feel that being wealthy in the U.S. means having an average of $2.5 million, an increase on $2.2 million from 2023 and 2022.
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.
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.
Key Takeaways. The lower class has a median net worth of about $3,500, while the upper class has one of about $7.81 million. The middle class has a median net worth that ranges from $93,300 to $1.04 million.
Rich retirees: In the 90th percentile, with net worth starting at $1.9 million, this group has much more financial freedom and is able to afford luxuries and legacy planning.
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.
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.)
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In 2024, Americans stated that the average net worth they consider “wealthy” is $2.5 million.
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.
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.
Here's a look at the five most-costly states for single workers, based on how much money residents would need to earn each year to live comfortably. Massachusetts: $116,022. Hawaii: $113,693. California: $113,651. New York: $111,738.
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.
Your net worth is what you own minus what you owe. It's the total value of all your assets—including your house, cars, investments and cash—minus your liabilities (things like credit card debt, student loans, and what you still owe on your mortgage).
That's not chump change, but it's also not the $5-$10 million range some financial gurus – like Suze Orman – insist you must live comfortably. If you're dreaming of $3 million or more, though, you're officially aiming for a financial VIP club that represents less than 1% of retirees.
If you're in the upper class, you're sitting pretty. The top 10% of earners have an average net worth of $2.65 million. Even if you're squeaking into the upper class (the 80-90% range), you're looking at about $793,000. Moving down to the middle class, things get a bit more varied.
Is $150,000 a Year Considered Rich? An annual salary of $150K won't get you into the upper 1% — that requires an annual wage of at least $785,968, according to the Economic Policy Institute. But a $150,000 annual income will place you just above the 90th to 95th percentile among U.S. earners.
The middle class could use some rebranding considering that people who earn a very wide range of income, from around $50,000 to $150,000, are often all lumped into the same category. A general rule of thumb is that being middle class means to earn two-thirds to double the average income of a region or city.