Just 11% of women make $100,000 or more on a national level, whereas 21% of men do.
Men tend to have more money stashed away than women, in large part due to the gender pay gap. Looking at the gap differently, 16% of male workers earn at least six figures, compared with 7% of female workers. And 4% of men land above the $200,000 income threshold, compared with 1% of women.
5. How Common Is a 6 Figure Salary? According to the latest data available, around 5.4% of the American population makes 6 figures, but most of them earn in the lower range. For example, approximately 15.5% of 6-figure earners in the US make between $100,000 and $149,999.
Only 6% of women said they earned $100,000 or more, compared to 13% of men surveyed by YouGov. This disparity in pay is evident in median weekly earnings, according to the BLS.
Basically, any career that earns more than $100,000 in a year but not over a million dollars is considered a six-figure salary. As you see the range is quite wide when you consider what a 6 figure income is. That said, a 6 figure income is considered a high income.
It's important to note that while a low six-figure salary might not go as far as it used to, it's still much more than the U.S. household median income of $67,521. If you're feeling stretched on a six-figure income, here are some tips for making it work: Live a frugal lifestyle.
Approximately 33.6% of Americans make over $100,000 per year. 15.3% of that number are those who make between $100,000-$150,000, and only 0.1% make over a million per year. What percentage of Americans live below the poverty line?
The minimum net worth of the top 1% is roughly $11.1 million. A person would need to earn an average of $823,763 per year in order to join the top 1%. The widening gaps in wealth and income stem from a variety of factors, including the wealthiest's increasing dominance of public and private equity, and tax breaks.
From the top 5% to the top 1%
Salaries start to jump significantly the closer you get to the top 1%. You'll start to see dramatic shifts in the top 5%, where the EPI found the average earners significantly increased to $343,000 in 2020, up from $324,000 the year before.
According to the IRS, a $400,000 or more annual household income represents America's top 1.8% income-earners.
A 2014 study by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that people generally need to work for an average of around 10 years before they've reached a six-figure income. If you want to reach six figures, it will likely take you several years of hard work.
Adjusting for inflation, that threshold is closer to $100,000 today. To play it safe, to be considered upper class, your household should make at least a six-figure household income.
Many set their sights even higher. An annual income of $1 million or more was the most popular answer, with 22% of respondents saying they need to rake in seven figures to feel rich.
According to the IRS, any household who makes over $500,000 a year in 2022 is considered a top 1% income earner.
Top 10% income
Landing in the top 10% is a fairly attainable goal for upwardly mobile Americans. A study by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), found that the average earnings of those in the top 10% were roughly $173,000 in 2020.
Employee earnings. Median employee earnings was $1,250 per week, up $50 (4.2%) since August 2021. Median hourly earnings was $37 per hour, up $1 since August 2021.
Based on Pew's analysis, a household of three needs an income of $156,600 to meet the definition of upper class, which amounts to more than double the national median.
The average person does not start making a six-figure salary until they are in their 30s. While there is no specific average age to make six figures, Americans over 30 are generally more likely to make a six-figure salary due to their experience.
How much money do you need to be considered rich? According to Schwab's 2022 Modern Wealth Survey (opens in new tab), Americans believe it takes an average net worth of $2.2 million to qualify a person as being wealthy. (Net worth is the sum of your assets minus your liabilities.)
How much does a Six Figures make? As of Jan 1, 2023, the average annual pay for a Six Figures in the United States is $98,219 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $47.22 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,888/week or $8,184/month.
As living costs surpass income increases, a six-figure salary is no longer what it used to be. In today's economy, $100,000 is considered middle class in the US.
The difference between perception and facts is even more pronounced when looking at households with an annual income of more than $500,000. While the median weighted responses from survey participants suggest that one-fifth of U.S. households belong to that bracket, it's actually the oft-cited top 1%.