Average Income in America
Average, median, and the full distribution of U.S. income — both for individuals and entire households. The number you should actually compare yourself to.
Household income
U.S. household average (mean)
$114,500
Skewed by top earners.
U.S. household median
$80,610
The household exactly in the middle.
Individual income
U.S. individual average (mean)
$72,500
All workers age 15+.
U.S. individual median
$48,000
Half earn more, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (ASEC), 2023 income year (Report P60-282, released September 2024).
"Average income" overstates the typical paycheck.
The mean U.S. household income is about 42% higher than the median. That gap exists because high earners stretch the average upward. When you read "the average American household earns $X," that figure usually exceeds what 60% of households actually bring in.
How household income is distributed
The 2023 Census release puts the cut-offs for the major U.S. household income percentiles as follows:
| Percentile | Household income |
|---|---|
| 10th | $18,980 |
| 20th | $32,520 |
| 50th | $80,610 |
| 80th | $169,910 |
| 90th | $234,900 |
| 95th | $316,000 |
| 99th | $787,000 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey 2024 ASEC, Table A-2. Figures approximate.
How individual income is distributed
For individual earners (workers age 15+), the distribution is wider — many part-time and early-career workers cluster toward the bottom, and a small group of high earners stretch the top end.
| Percentile | Individual income |
|---|---|
| 10th | $14,000 |
| 25th | $30,000 |
| 50th | $48,000 |
| 75th | $85,000 |
| 90th | $135,000 |
| 95th | $180,000 |
| 99th | $400,000 |
Source: Census PINC-05 / BLS quarterly wage tables, most recent year. Figures approximate.
Household income by age bracket
Income peaks for the 45–54 age group, then drops sharply at retirement. Within every bracket the mean exceeds the median because of the same top-end skew.
| Age | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Under 25 | $52,800 | $68,900 |
| 25–34 | $85,780 | $109,400 |
| 35–44 | $103,260 | $137,800 |
| 45–54 | $110,700 | $152,400 |
| 55–64 | $90,640 | $132,000 |
| 65 or more | $54,710 | $85,700 |
Want a deeper breakdown? See income by age in detail →
What to do with this number
- Compare to the median for your age, not the national average.A 30-year-old at $90K is doing exceptionally well; a 50-year-old at $90K is below median for their bracket.
- Decide individual vs household first.Dual-income households naturally place higher in the household distribution. Use the comparison that matches how you actually budget.
- Income is the input, not the outcome.High earners can still finish broke. The number that determines retirement is what you keep — your savings rate, applied across decades.
Skip the percentile chase. Build a real plan.
PeakWorth turns income into a year-by-year projection of net worth, FI age, and the decisions that move both.
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