This statistic shows the median household income in the United States from 1990 to 2023 in 2023 U.S. dollars. The median household income was 80,610 U.S. dollars in 2023, an increase from the previous year. Household incomeThe median household income depicts the income of households, including the income of the householder and all other individuals aged 15 years or over living in the household. Income includes wages and salaries, unemployment insurance, disability payments, child support payments received, regular rental receipts, as well as any personal business, investment, or other kinds of income received routinely. The median household income in the United States varies from state to state. In 2020, the median household income was 86,725 U.S. dollars in Massachusetts, while the median household income in Mississippi was approximately 44,966 U.S. dollars at that time. Household income is also used to determine the poverty line in the United States. In 2021, about 11.6 percent of the U.S. population was living in poverty. The child poverty rate, which represents people under the age of 18 living in poverty, has been growing steadily over the first decade since the turn of the century, from 16.2 percent of the children living below the poverty line in year 2000 to 22 percent in 2010. In 2021, it had lowered to 15.3 percent. The state with the widest gap between the rich and the poor was New York, with a Gini coefficient score of 0.51 in 2019. The Gini coefficient is calculated by looking at average income rates. A score of zero would reflect perfect income equality and a score of one indicates a society where one person would have all the money and all other people have nothing.

In 2023, the real median household income in the state of Alabama was 60,660 U.S. dollars. The state with the highest median household income was Massachusetts, which was 106,500 U.S. dollars in 2023. The average median household income in the United States was at 80,610 U.S. dollars.

As of 2023, the median wage for employees in healthcare support occupations was about 36,140 U.S. dollars. The occupational group with the highest annual median wage was management occupations. Mean wages for the same occupational groups can be accessed here.

In 2023, the average wage and salary per full-time equivalent employee in the United States was at 81,359 U.S. dollars. Wage and salary accruals include executives' compensation, bonuses, tips, and payments-in-kind. Wage and salary accruals by industry data may be accessed here.

In 2023, the real median household income for householders aged 15 to 24 was at 54,930 U.S. dollars. The highest median household income was found amongst those aged between 45 and 54. Household median income for the United States since 1990 can be accessed here.

In 2023, the median annual earnings of full-time male workers in the United States stood at 66,790 U.S. dollars after being adjusted for inflation, which was significantly higher than the median earnings of full-time women at 52,850. For further reading, see the female to male earnings ratio.

In 2023, just over 50 percent of Americans had an annual household income that was less than 75,000 U.S. dollars. The median household income was 80,610 U.S. dollars in 2023. Income and wealth in the United States After the economic recession in 2009, income inequality in the U.S. is more prominent across many metropolitan areas. The Northeast region is regarded as one of the wealthiest in the country. Maryland, New Jersey, and Massachusetts were among the states with the highest median household income in 2020. In terms of income by race and ethnicity, the average income of Asian households was 94,903 U.S. dollars in 2020, while the median income for Black households was around half of that figure. What is the U.S. poverty threshold? The U.S. Census Bureau annually updates its list of poverty levels. Preliminary estimates show that the average poverty threshold for a family of four people was 26,500 U.S. dollars in 2021, which is around 100 U.S. dollars less than the previous year. There were an estimated 37.9 million people in poverty across the United States in 2021, which was around 11.6 percent of the population. Approximately 19.5 percent of those in poverty were Black, while 8.2 percent were white.

In 2023, the average wage and salary per full-time equivalent employee in the mining industry in the United States was at 126,707 U.S. dollars. The highest wage and salary per FTE was found in the information industry, at 164,400 U.S. dollars.

U.S. citizens with a professional degree had the highest median household income in 2023, at 172,100 U.S. dollars. In comparison, those with less than a 9th grade education made significantly less money, at 35,690 U.S. dollars. Household income The median household income in the United States has fluctuated since 1990, but rose to around 70,000 U.S. dollars in 2021. Maryland had the highest median household income in the United States in 2021. Maryland’s high levels of wealth is due to several reasons, and includes the state's proximity to the nation's capital. Household income and ethnicity The median income of white non-Hispanic households in the United States had been on the rise since 1990, but declining since 2019. While income has also been on the rise, the median income of Hispanic households was much lower than those of white, non-Hispanic private households. However, the median income of Black households is even lower than Hispanic households. Income inequality is a problem without an easy solution in the United States, especially since ethnicity is a contributing factor. Systemic racism contributes to the non-White population suffering from income inequality, which causes the opportunity for growth to stagnate.

This statistic shows the median household income in the United States from 1970 to 2020, by income tier. In 2020, the median household income for the middle class stood at 90,131 U.S. dollars, which was approximately a 50 percent increase from 1970. However, the median income of upper income households in the U.S. increased by almost 70 percent compared to 1970.

In 2023, the average annual real wages in the United States amounted to 80,115 U.S. dollars. This shows the average annual wages in the United States from 2000 to 2023 in constant 2023 PPP-adjusted U.S. dollars.

In the United States, the median salary for people with a disability was considerably lower throughout the years under consideration. In 2022, the median salary for people with a disability was 46,887 U.S. dollars. Conversely, the median salary for people without a disability in the same year was 55,208 U.S. dollars. This statistic presents the median annual salary of people with and without disabilities in the U.S. from 2008 to 2022.

The median family income in the United States grew to 100,800 U.S. dollars in 2023, an increase on the previous year. Family income is the total income earned by all family members who have been living in the household for at least one year and are at least 14 years old.

In 2023, the median hourly earnings of wage and salary workers in the United States was 19.24 U.S. dollars. This is an increase from 1979, when median hourly earnings were at 4.44 U.S. dollars. Hourly Workers The United States national minimum wage is 7.25 U.S. dollars per hour, which has been the minimum wage since 2009. However, each state has the agency to set their state minimum wage. Furthermore, some cities are able to create their minimum wage. Many argue that the minimum wage is too low and should be raised, because it is not considered a living wage. There has been a movement to raise the minimum wage to 15 U.S. dollars per hour, called “Fight for 15” which began in the early 2010s. While there has been no movement at the federal level, some states have moved to increase their minimum wages, with at least three states and the District of Columbia setting minimum wage rates at or above 15 dollars per hour. More recently, some proponents of increasing the minimum wage say that 15 dollars is too low, and lawmakers should strive toward a higher goal, especially given that a 2021 analysis found that the minimum wage in the U.S. should be 22.88 U.S. dollars if it grew at the same rate as economic productivity. Salary Workers On the other hand, salary workers in the United States do not get paid on an hourly basis. The median weekly earnings of salary workers have significantly increased since 1979. Asian salary workers had the highest hourly earnings in the U.S. in 2021. Among female salary workers, those ages 45 to 54 years old had the highest median hourly earnings in 2021, likewise for male salary workers.

In 2023, the median annual family income in the District of Columbia was 157,210 U.S. dollars, the highest of any state. Comparatively, the median family income for Mississippi was 72,259 U.S. dollars. For the United States as a whole, the median annual family income was 96,401 U.S. dollars.

In 2022, the average annual income of a high school graduate in the United States was around 34,320 U.S. dollars. This is an increase from the previous year, when the median income for high school grads was about 32,398 U.S. dollars, but an overall decline from 1990 when the median earnings of a high school graduate was around 38,073 U.S. dollars.

In 2023, the gross median household income for Asian households in the United States stood at 112,800 U.S. dollars. Median household income in the United States, of all racial and ethnic groups, came out to 80,610 U.S. dollars in 2023. Asian and Caucasian (white not Hispanic) households had relatively high median incomes, while the median income of Hispanic, Black, American Indian, and Alaskan Native households all came in lower than the national median. A number of related statistics illustrate further the current state of racial inequality in the United States. Unemployment is highest among Black or African American individuals in the U.S. with 8.6 percent unemployed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2021. Hispanic individuals (of any race) were most likely to go without health insurance as of 2021, with 22.8 percent uninsured.

In the United States, the median earnings of female workers in 1990 amounted to 26,110 U.S. dollars. In 2023, the earnings of the average female worker had increased to approximately 42,110 U.S. dollars. These earnings are adjusted to 2023 CPI-U-RS dollars.

This statistic shows the average annual total money earnings of individuals in the United States in 2023, by age group. In 2023, the average worker in the United States aged 45 to 54 earned an average of 84,320 U.S. dollars per year. That made 45 to 54-year-olds the highest earning age group, on average, in 2023.

In 2024, it was projected that people in the United States with a Master’s degree in Computer Science would have the highest average starting salary, at 85,403 U.S. dollars. People who held a Master’s degree in Engineering were projected to have the second-highest starting salary, at 83,628 U.S. dollars. An abundance of Masters As higher education in the United States has become more common, and even expected, the number of Master’s degrees awarded has increased. During the 1949-50 academic year, about 58,180 Master’s degrees were awarded to students, with the vast majority being earned by male students. In the 2018-19 academic year, this figure increased to about 833,710 Master’s degrees awarded, with the majority being earned by female students. The right career While Engineering might have the highest starting pay for Master’s degree holders, those with a Master’s degree as a Physician Assistant had the highest mid-career median pay in 2021. Engineering continues to be one of the most popular fields for those seeking their Master’s degree, and STEM fields continue to dominate the field in number of Master’s degrees awarded.