What is the 1% salary?

Asked by: Jake Bergnaum  |  Last update: October 5, 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (31 votes)

Nationwide, it takes an income of $787,712 to be in the top 1% of earners. The median U.S. income is approximately $75,000, with half of Americans earning less. Earning over $1 million annually is required to join the top 1% in three states.

What salary is top 1 percent?

In the United States as a whole, you'd need to earn nearly $788,000 to be in the top 1% of earners, SmartAsset reports. To crack the top 5%, you'd have to take in at least $290,000. The figures are estimates, drawn from IRS data for individual filers in 2021 and adjusted to 2024 dollars.

What is the top 1% in gross income?

Adjusted gross income needed to be in the top 1%

The national figure is $797,760.07. D.C. Americans need to make nearly $800,000 to be in the top 1% of households nationally — but the bar varies considerably by state.

What is the top 1% wealth?

Key Takeaways
  • The minimum net worth of the top 1% of households is roughly $13.7 million. ...
  • An individual would have to earn an average of $407,500 per year to join the top 1%. ...
  • The median household income in the U.S. was $74,580 in 2022.

What percent of Americans make over 100k?

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.

Net Worth and Income of Top 1%, 5%, 10% and 20% in America 🇺🇸

19 related questions found

What salary is 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. Don't Miss: Are you rich?

What salary is considered rich for a single person?

Based on that figure, an annual income of roughly $800,000 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%. In 2021, it reported that you're in the top 1% if you earned $819,324 or more each year.

What revenue is top 1%?

Key Takeaways
  • Nationwide, it takes an income of $787,712 to be in the top 1% of earners.
  • The median U.S. income is approximately $75,000, with half of Americans earning less.
  • Earning over $1 million annually is required to join the top 1% in three states.

How many people are in the 1%?

How Many People Are in the 1%? As of the latest numbers, there are around 1.3 million households and about 1.8 million individual workers who fall into the top 1% in the U.S. That's a small slice of the population but represents a significant share of the country's wealth and income.

Does the top 1% pay the most taxes?

According to the latest IRS data, the top 1% of earners paid 40.4% of all federal income taxes in 2022. This underscores the extent to which the burden of the income tax system falls on taxpayers from the highest income groups. For historical information: Who Pays Income Taxes TY2022.

What salary is a 1%?

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.

What is considered wealthy in America?

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. Baby boomers believe this figure should be slightly higher at $2.8 million, but Gen Z and Millennials believe they could feel wealthy at a lower figure.

Is a 200k salary considered rich?

Is $200,000 a Year Considered Rich? There's no standard definition of “rich,” though most people would certainly consider a single person making $200,000 to be well-off. But again, where you live — and the cost of living there — play a role. Another way to think about what “rich” means is to calculate your net worth.

What is the top 10% salary?

According to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the national threshold for being in the top 10% of household incomes in 2021 was $191,406 per year. However, this single number doesn't tell the full story. The income needed to be a top 10% earner varies considerably based on age and geographic location.

Is $300,000 a good salary?

Given that the average salary in the U.S. is about 21% of $300,000, yes, many would consider someone earning $300,000 per year by themselves to be rich. However, in most states, you'd need to make substantially more than $300,000 per year to be in the top 1% of earners.

What salary is middle class?

The Pew Research Center defines the middle class as households that earn between two-thirds and double the median U.S. household income, which was $80,610 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 22 Using Pew's yardstick, middle income is made up of people who make between $43,350 and $130,000.

What is considered wealthy in retirement?

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.

How rare is a 100k salary?

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.

What is the 1% income in the US?

Nationwide, it takes $787,712 to be in the top 1% of earners. 1.49 million tax returns in the U.S. met this criteria in 2021. To be in the top 5% of American earners, you'll need to earn at least $290,185 annually.