What is considered a high income earner?
A high-income earner is an individual or household that earns a substantial amount of money compared to the average income in the country. High-income earners in the United States make over $500,000, putting themselves in the top 1% of the wealthiest households in the country.
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%.
High Earners, Not Rich Yet (HENRYs) is a term to describe people who earn high incomes, usually between $250,000 to $500,000, but have not saved or invested enough to be considered rich. Most of HENRYs' incomes are consumed by consumer spending, educational costs, and housing.
2022 AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGES | |
---|---|
Top 1% | $350,000+ |
Top 5% | $170,000 to $174,999 |
Top 10% | $120,000 to $124,999 |
Top 15% | $95,000 to $99,999 |
Middle class: Those in the 40th to 60th percentile of household income, ranging from $55,001 to $89,744. Upper middle class: Households in the 60th to 80th percentile, with incomes between $89,745 and $149,131. Upper class: The top 20% of earners, with household incomes of $149,132 or more.
How much do you need to earn to be in the top 5% income bracket? For those in the top 5%, the figure rises even more. According to the same research, those in the top 5% earned an average of $335,891 in 2021. This is an increase of around $19,000 from the previous year.
If you had an income of $200,000, that would put you in the top 12% of household incomes or the top 5% of individual incomes in 2022. Though I prefer household income over individual income, no matter how you cut it, $200k a year puts you on the higher end of the income spectrum.
The term 'high earner not rich yet' refers to individuals who earn substantial salaries but aren't actively leveraging it to build wealth. HENRYs are typically younger people who may be just getting started in their careers but are already earning six-figure salaries.
- Lower class: less than or equal to $30,000.
- Lower-middle class: $30,001 – $58,020.
- Middle class: $58,021 – $94,000.
- Upper-middle class: $94,001 – $153,000.
- Upper class: greater than $153,000.
In 2022, about 14.88 million households in the United States had an income of 200,000 U.S. dollars or more a year.
What percentage of Americans make over 100k?
According to the US Census Bureau, the majority of Americans (54.98%) make $50,000 per year or less, while only 18% of individual Americans make $100,000 per year or more. This means that over 80% of Americans make less than $100,000 per year.
What percentage of Americans make over $150,000 per year? Research from Statista indicates that 21.1% of workers in the U.S. make over $150,000 per year.
![What is considered a high income earner? (2024)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_vknHA8BPjo/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEcCNAFEJQDSFXyq4qpAw4IARUAAIhCGAFwAcABBg==&rs=AOn4CLA84aVSpxtZfNDd4MhLH_LKyjojCA)
According to Schwab's 2023 Modern Wealth Survey, Americans perceive an average net worth of $2.2 million as wealthy. Knight Frank's research indicates that a net worth of $4.4 million is required to be in the top 1% in America, a figure much higher than in countries like Japan, the U.K. and Australia.
“While $150,000 may be a comfortable salary in some places, high demand from many people with comparative salaries can create an increased cost of living.” In Arlington and similar high-cost cities, Griffin believes $150,000 a year puts a household firmly in the lower-middle-class range when accounting for expenses.
Pew defines the upper class as adults whose annual household income is more than double the national median. In 2022, the national median household income is around $75,000, up from $68,000 in 2021.
With a $500,000+ income, you are considered rich, wherever you live! According to the IRS, any household who makes over $500,000 a year in 2023 is considered a top 1% income earner. Of course, some parts of the country require a higher income level to be in the top 1% income, e.g. Connecticut at $580,000.
The real median household income in the U.S. is around $71,000, according to the latest Census Bureau data. In order to be in the top 20% of income, you'd need to earn nearly double that amount or an average of $130,545 per year.
General $100k Income Statistics
Consider the following: Only 15.5% of Americans earn between $100,000 and $149,999 per year. Although, this does make up the largest percentage of Americans who do make over $100k, which only 8.3% earning between $150,000-$199,999, and 10.3% earning over $200k.
A $200,000 household income is more than most people earn across the U.S. In fact, just 12% of U.S. households earn $200,000 or more annually, according to Census Bureau data.
The median salary for Americans is around $70,000 a year, according to the most recent census data from 2021. A salary of $100,000 a year, with the assumption that you are an individual without dependents, would classify an individual as upper-class — but many of these people don't feel rich.
How comfortable is a 100K salary?
Most people can live comfortably on $100K a year. If you live in an area with a high cost of living and/or have a large family or very high expenses and/or debt, it may be more difficult to live comfortably on $100K a year. In either case, it is usually not challenging to afford basic living expenses.
How much house can I afford if I make $200K per year? A mortgage on 200k salary, using the 2.5 rule, means you could afford $500,000 ($200,00 x 2.5). With a 4.5 percent interest rate and a 30-year term, your monthly payment would be $2533 and you'd pay $912,034 over the life of the mortgage due to interest.
Billionaire investor Leon Cooperman said he doesn't consider someone earning $400,000 a year rich after that figure was proposed by President Joe Biden and House Democrats in plans to raise taxes on wealthy households.
Middle-class income currently ranges from a little under $40,000 to a little over $119,000. The definition of middle class extends beyond income to factors like education, location and marital status.
But while everyone in this group is rich, it does not mean they are wealthy. To be considered wealthy, your assets must be more substantial than your liabilities, with them generating an income large enough to cover your fixed expenses (such as rent or mortgage payments, car payments and insurance premiums).
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