The median US worker with earnings made $50,000 in 2024. Work full-time, year-round, and the median is $63,360. If you earn $100,000, you are around the top 25% of individual earners. At $200,000, top 5%.
Most salary percentile tools mix up salary with total income. Salary is your paycheck, your W-2 wages. Income includes everything: investments, rental properties, side businesses. This page focuses on salary only and compares it by age group, so a $75,000 salary at 25 is measured differently than $75,000 at 50.
Salary vs. Income: Why It Matters
These terms get used interchangeably, but they measure different things:
Salary (wages): What your employer pays you. Your W-2 income. This is what most people think of as “how much I make.”
Income (total): Everything — salary plus investment dividends, rental income, business income, Social Security, capital gains, and more. For high earners, total income can be significantly higher than salary alone.
Household income: Combined total income of everyone in your household. Dual-income households look very different from single-earner households.
When you Google “what percentile is my salary,” you want the salary comparison. That’s what this page gives you. For total income (all sources, individual or household), use our income percentile calculator.
Calculate Your Salary Percentile
Enter your age and individual income below. For the most accurate salary comparison, use your annual gross salary (before taxes, excluding bonuses and investment income). Select “Individual” mode.
Note: This calculator uses Census Bureau CPS data for individual earnings. For the most precise salary-only comparison, enter your W-2 wages and select “Individual” mode.
Salary Percentile Thresholds (2024)
Here’s what each salary threshold looks like for individual workers:
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 99th | $410,000 | Top 1% |
| 95th | $190,000 | Top 5% |
| 90th | $140,000 | Top 10% |
| 80th | $100,000 | Top 20% |
| 50th | $50,000 | Median |
| 25th | $28,000 | Bottom 25% |
| 10th | $11,200 | Bottom 10% |
Source: US Census Bureau, CPS ASEC, income year 2024. Auto-updated.
Salary Percentile by Age Group
Your salary percentile is much more meaningful when compared against your age group. A $75,000 salary at 25 is impressive (top 15%). At 50, it’s closer to median.
| Age Group | 25th Percentile | Median Salary | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-24 | $18,000 | $32,000 | $45,000 | $60,000 |
| 25-34 | $30,000 | $51,420 | $78,000 | $110,000 |
| 35-44 | $35,000 | $61,550 | $95,000 | $145,000 |
| 45-54 | $33,000 | $63,230 | $98,000 | $155,000 |
| 55-64 | $28,000 | $60,040 | $90,000 | $140,000 |
Median column: official 2024 Census figures for all workers with earnings (P60-286, Table A-6). Full-time workers earn more — e.g., the 35–44 full-time median is $70,980. The 25th/75th/90th columns are rounded CPS microdata estimates pending the 2024 refresh.
Source: US Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS) 2024. Individual earnings (wages and salary only).
Peak earning years are 35-54. After 55, median salary declines as some workers shift to part-time, semi-retirement, or lower-paying roles by choice.
How to Increase Your Salary Percentile
The fastest ways to move up, ranked by impact:
1. Switch jobs. The average raise from an internal promotion is 3-5%. The average raise from switching companies is 10-20%. If you’ve been at the same company for 3+ years without a significant raise, you’re almost certainly underpaid relative to market.
2. Negotiate. Only 37% of workers negotiate their salary. Those who do earn an average of $5,000-$10,000 more. That compounds over a career.
3. Build scarce skills. Percentile jumps come from moving into roles with higher pay ceilings, not from incremental raises in the same role. The difference between a 50th-percentile role and a 75th-percentile role is often one strategic skill addition (management, specialized technical skills, sales ability).
4. Consider your total compensation. Salary is one number. Equity, bonuses, 401k match, and benefits can add 20-40% on top. A $120,000 salary with $30,000 in equity is a $150,000 total comp package — that changes your percentile significantly. Check how your total compensation translates to net worth percentile.
Frequently Asked Questions
What salary is considered upper middle class?
There’s no official definition, but the 75th-90th percentile range ($100,000-$150,000 for individuals) is commonly considered upper middle class. For households, the range is roughly $150,000-$250,000.
What salary puts you in the top 5%?
An individual salary of approximately $200,000 or higher puts you in the top 5% of wage earners nationally. This varies significantly by location — $200,000 in Manhattan is more common than $200,000 in rural Texas.
Is $100K a good salary?
A $100,000 salary puts you at roughly the 75th percentile nationally — better than 3 out of 4 workers. However, the experience of $100K varies dramatically by location. It’s solidly upper-middle-class in most of the US, but can feel tight in high-cost cities like New York or San Francisco.
What is the difference between salary percentile and income percentile?
Salary percentile compares your wages (W-2 earnings from your employer) against other workers. Income percentile includes all sources: salary plus investments, rental income, business income, Social Security, etc. High earners often have significant non-salary income, making their income percentile higher than their salary percentile. Calculate your full income percentile here.
Does salary percentile account for cost of living?
No. National salary percentiles don’t adjust for location. A $100,000 salary in Boise, Idaho provides a very different lifestyle than $100,000 in San Francisco. For a location-adjusted comparison, consider looking at Bureau of Labor Statistics regional wage data for your specific occupation.
Related Tools
- Household Income Percentile by Age – Compare combined household earnings
- Income Percentile Calculator – Individual income ranking by age
- Net Worth Percentile by Age – See where your wealth ranks
- Spending Percentile Calculator – How your spending compares
Methodology
Salary data is derived from the US Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS), which surveys approximately 60,000 households monthly. Individual wage and salary data represents earnings from employment only, excluding self-employment income, investment income, and government transfers. Age-specific breakdowns use the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC). All figures are in 2024 nominal dollars.
Data through: income year 2024, published September 2025 (Census P60-286, Tables A-6/A-7). Last updated: July 2026.