What is the median income in the US?
Half of adults with income in the US made less than $42,600 in 2024, and half made more. For full-time, year-round workers, median earnings were $60,900.
Income percentiles by age in the US
Each row shows the income at that percentile for one age group. To be in the top 10% of people with income aged 35 to 44 in the US, for example, takes $152,000.
| Age | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Top 1% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18–24 | $2,030 | $6,090 | $16,200 | $32,500 | $50,800 | $102,000 |
| 25–34 | $10,600 | $26,000 | $45,700 | $73,100 | $109,000 | $269,000 |
| 35–44 | $12,200 | $30,500 | $57,900 | $96,400 | $152,000 | $530,000 |
| 45–54 | $12,700 | $30,500 | $59,900 | $102,000 | $168,000 | $598,000 |
| 55–64 | $10,600 | $24,300 | $50,800 | $91,400 | $152,000 | $565,000 |
| 65 and over | $9,640 | $16,300 | $32,500 | $61,900 | $108,000 | $407,000 |
| All ages 18+ | $8,530 | $20,300 | $42,600 | $77,200 | $130,000 | $447,000 |
Full-time workers
Comparing full-time, year-round workers only leaves out students, part-time workers and retirees, so the figures run higher.
| Age | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Top 1% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18–24 | $15,200 | $25,400 | $35,500 | $48,700 | $66,000 | $122,000 |
| 25–34 | $26,800 | $39,000 | $55,800 | $81,200 | $122,000 | $294,000 |
| 35–44 | $30,500 | $44,700 | $69,000 | $106,000 | $168,000 | $579,000 |
| 45–54 | $30,500 | $45,700 | $71,100 | $112,000 | $183,000 | $610,000 |
| 55–64 | $30,500 | $42,600 | $68,000 | $107,000 | $177,000 | $598,000 |
| 65 and over | $24,400 | $38,600 | $60,900 | $102,000 | $178,000 | $610,000 |
| All ages 18+ | $26,400 | $40,600 | $60,900 | $99,500 | $152,000 | $559,000 |
What income is top 10% in the US?
An income of $130,000 or more put an adult in the top 10% of people with income in the US in 2024. Among full-time, year-round workers, the top 10% earned $152,000 or more.
What income is top 1% in the US?
About $447,000 or more put an adult in the top 1% of people with income in the US in 2024. The Census Bureau caps the very highest incomes in its public files to protect privacy, so treat the top 1% line as approximate.
What is a good income for my age in the US?
Compared with others your age, median income for people with income in the US is $45,700 at 25–34, $57,900 at 35–44, $59,900 at 45–54 and $50,800 at 55–64. Reaching the top 25% takes $73,100 at 25–34, $96,400 at 35–44, $102,000 at 45–54 and $91,400 at 55–64.
At what age do people earn the most in the US?
Full-time workers in the US earn the most at ages 45–54, with median earnings of $71,100 in 2024. Pay usually rises quickly through the 20s and 30s, then levels off.
How this income percentile calculator works
- Everyone with income: Total personal income before taxes: wages, self-employment, investments, Social Security, pensions and other sources, for people aged 18 and over with income above $0.
- Full-time workers: Earnings from work before taxes for full-time, year-round workers: usually 35 or more hours a week for 50 or more weeks of the year.
- Data: the US Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-year Public Use Microdata Sample, weighted to represent every adult in the US.
- Your percentile is interpolated between the published 1st to 99th percentiles of your age group, so it is precise to within about a point. Groups built on few survey responses, mostly young full-time workers in small states, are flagged.