National income
A good salary in America depends on whether you are talking about one paycheck or a whole household, and on where you live. Here are the real national cutoffs, plus every state side by side.
The short answer
The typical U.S. household earns $80,734 a year. A household income around $101,000 beats 60% of American households, and $162,200 puts you in the top 20%. For one person working full time, the typical paycheck is $61,657.
U.S. median household income
$80,734
Half of households earn more, half earn less
Top 20% starts at
$162,235
Household income, all earners combined
Full-time worker median
$61,657
One person, full time, year round
The Census Bureau splits all U.S. households into five equal groups. These are the national cutoffs, before taxes.
| Group | Household income |
|---|---|
| Bottom 20% | Under $33,040 |
| 20% to 40% | $33,040 to $63,330 |
| 40% to 60% | $63,330 to $101,088 |
| 60% to 80% | $101,088 to $162,235 |
| Top 20% | $162,235 and up |
About 13% of U.S. households earn $200,000 or more. Source: Census tables B19080 and B19001.
| Household income | Earns more than |
|---|---|
| $50,000 | About 31% of U.S. households |
| $75,000 | About 47% |
| $100,000 | About 59% |
| $150,000 | About 77% |
| $200,000 | About 87% |
The median American who works full time, year round earns $61,657. Counting part-time and seasonal workers, the median is $46,151. A single salary above about $62,000 out-earns most full-time workers in the country.
Incomes vary widely by state. Here is every state, sorted by median household income, with the typical full-time paycheck and the income needed to reach the top 20%.
| State | Median household income | Full-time worker median | Top 20% starts at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, D.C. | $109,870 | $103,686 | $242,931 |
| Massachusetts | $103,960 | $80,500 | $212,184 |
| Maryland | $103,678 | $75,407 | $201,435 |
| New Jersey | $103,556 | $75,841 | $208,809 |
| Hawaii | $100,389 | $61,851 | $191,371 |
| California | $99,122 | $69,478 | $202,683 |
| New Hampshire | $99,031 | $70,094 | $184,293 |
| Washington | $98,141 | $75,004 | $191,595 |
| Connecticut | $95,781 | $74,775 | $194,995 |
| Colorado | $95,470 | $70,047 | $184,293 |
| Utah | $95,166 | $62,276 | $170,149 |
| Virginia | $93,170 | $67,876 | $187,330 |
| Alaska | $92,788 | $68,208 | $174,027 |
| Minnesota | $89,062 | $67,459 | $168,458 |
| Rhode Island | $87,796 | $66,923 | $167,412 |
| New York | $85,974 | $70,770 | $182,655 |
| Delaware | $84,954 | $62,163 | $161,962 |
| Illinois | $83,390 | $65,289 | $166,035 |
| Oregon | $83,011 | $64,012 | $160,719 |
| Vermont | $81,203 | $62,452 | $155,516 |
| Arizona | $79,964 | $58,841 | $153,607 |
| Texas | $78,476 | $58,497 | $157,770 |
| Nevada | $78,260 | $55,464 | $150,854 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,971 | $62,529 | $154,678 |
| Idaho | $77,800 | $55,370 | $142,518 |
| Wisconsin | $77,485 | $60,563 | $144,753 |
| Georgia | $77,353 | $57,564 | $154,052 |
| North Dakota | $76,657 | $59,549 | $145,245 |
| Nebraska | $76,475 | $57,968 | $144,056 |
| Wyoming | $76,176 | $59,373 | $142,509 |
| South Dakota | $75,081 | $55,006 | $137,651 |
| Iowa | $75,059 | $58,344 | $140,325 |
| Maine | $74,733 | $59,490 | $144,261 |
| Florida | $74,568 | $53,766 | $147,327 |
| Kansas | $74,275 | $56,525 | $143,399 |
| Michigan | $72,875 | $60,750 | $142,884 |
| Montana | $72,509 | $55,708 | $139,681 |
| North Carolina | $72,388 | $56,091 | $144,687 |
| Indiana | $71,957 | $56,685 | $136,508 |
| Ohio | $71,389 | $59,646 | $139,936 |
| Missouri | $70,702 | $55,920 | $137,691 |
| Tennessee | $69,595 | $54,207 | $136,546 |
| South Carolina | $69,324 | $53,794 | $137,096 |
| Oklahoma | $65,039 | $51,405 | $127,824 |
| New Mexico | $64,059 | $53,328 | $131,239 |
| Alabama | $63,999 | $53,026 | $130,459 |
| Kentucky | $63,726 | $53,230 | $127,452 |
| Arkansas | $60,773 | $50,075 | $120,698 |
| Louisiana | $60,756 | $53,477 | $129,381 |
| West Virginia | $59,608 | $52,506 | $119,794 |
| Mississippi | $56,447 | $48,373 | $117,348 |
Sources: Census tables B19013, B19080, and S2001.
Go deeper: every zip code, every state
Pick a state to see the median household income for every zip code in it.
Browse income by stateIs $100,000 a good salary in the U.S.?
Yes. As a household income it beats about 59% of American households, and as a single salary it is about 1.6 times what the typical full-time worker earns.
What is the average salary in America?
The median full-time, year-round worker earns $61,657. The median household earns $80,734.