Average American Salary 2026: Median Income by Age, Gender & State
The official median annual wage for all U.S. workers is $50,980 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), but that number is almost useless on its own. It blends part-time baristas with full-time surgeons. Here is what the data actually shows when you break it down by who you are and where you live.
Last reviewed September 17, 2026, figures checked against BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS CPS Q2 2026, Census P60-289 and 2026 IRS/SSA limits.
Quick answer
The median U.S. wage across all occupations is $50,980 a year ($24.51 an hour) and the mean is $69,770 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Counting only full-time workers, median usual weekly earnings were $1,251 in Q2 2026, about $65,052 a year (BLS Current Population Survey). Median household income, which pools every earner under one roof, reached a record $87,460 in 2025 (Census Bureau, P60-289, released September 2026). A single filer at the full-time median keeps roughly $54,450 after federal income tax and FICA, before state tax.
Key Takeaways
- →BLS OEWS May 2025 data: national mean annual wage $69,770; national median across all workers (including part-time) $50,980 ($24.51/hour)
- →Full-time workers median: $65,052/year ($1,251/week) per BLS Current Population Survey Q2 2026, the most relevant benchmark for a typical career employee
- →Women working full-time earn about 82 cents per dollar men earn (BLS CPS, Q2 2026); Census reported the annual full-time, year-round ratio rose to 83.9% in 2025 from 80.6% in 2024 (P60-289)
- →Education is the strongest individual predictor of salary: bachelor's degree holders earn 63% more per week than high school graduates (BLS, 2025)
- →Real wages rose 1.4% year-over-year (Feb 2026, BLS Real Earnings), but CPI-U inflation was back up to 3.4% year-over-year by August 2026, the real-wage margin is narrowing
Why "The Average American Salary" Is a Misleading Number
Every year, headlines announce "the average American salary" as if it were a single clean figure. It is not. Three separate government agencies produce three different numbers: and all of them are technically correct, just measuring different things.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, the gold standard for employer-reported wage data, covering 1.1 million establishments, reported a national median annual wage of $50,980 and a mean annual wage of $69,770 for May 2025 (the latest release, published in 2026). The median covers all workers including part-time. The mean is skewed by top earners: a handful of executives and physicians making $300K–$500K lifts the average well above what most people actually see.
For career planning purposes, the most useful benchmark is the BLS Current Population Survey (CPS) figure: full-time wage and salary workers had median usual weekly earnings of $1,251 in the second quarter of 2026, which annualizes to $65,052. This excludes part-time workers and captures only people who work at least 35 hours per week, a much closer proxy for a "normal" full-time job.
Then there is the Census Bureau's median household income of $87,460 for 2025 (report P60-289, released September 15, 2026; up 2.6% in real terms from $85,210 in 2024, measured in 2025 dollars): but this combines everyone working in the household, not a single earner. A household with two full-time workers at $44K each shows up as $88K in Census data. Use the right number for the right question: individual wage data (BLS) for compensation benchmarking, household data (Census) for cost-of-living and financial planning.
What the 15 Largest Occupations Actually Pay
The national median is an average of very different jobs. The table below lists the 15 highest-employment occupations among the BLS-mapped occupations Salario tracks, with their May 2025 medians. The single largest occupation in the country, home health and personal care aides, 4.3 million workers, pays about 30% below the $50,980 national median, which drags the median down even as managers, nurses and software developers earn double it.
| Occupation (SOC) | Employment | Median Annual | Mean Annual | vs. $50,980 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides (31-1120) | 4,305,810 | $35,800 | $36,120 | -30% |
| General and Operations Managers (11-1021) | 3,503,020 | $105,770 | $134,940 | +107% |
| Registered Nurses (29-1141) | 3,379,720 | $97,550 | $101,420 | +91% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | 2,062,040 | $58,640 | $59,710 | +15% |
| Software Developers (15-1252) | 1,687,890 | $135,980 | $148,100 | +167% |
| Accountants and Auditors (13-2011) | 1,449,500 | $83,680 | $94,750 | +64% |
| Elementary School Teachers (25-2021) | 1,388,390 | $63,970 | $72,650 | +25% |
| Construction Laborers (47-2061) | 1,096,780 | $47,120 | $52,030 | -8% |
| Project Management Specialists (13-1082) | 1,066,670 | $102,320 | $110,740 | +101% |
| Secondary School Teachers (25-2031) | 1,065,210 | $72,040 | $76,320 | +41% |
| Management Analysts (13-1111) | 898,280 | $101,860 | $113,790 | +100% |
| Financial Managers (11-3031) | 841,710 | $166,570 | $186,910 | +227% |
| Medical Assistants (31-9092) | 817,870 | $45,690 | $46,120 | -10% |
| Electricians (47-2111) | 757,220 | $63,190 | $71,490 | +24% |
| Lawyers (23-1011) | 754,500 | $159,670 | $185,840 | +213% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national estimates (bls.gov/oes). Ranked by employment among the BLS-mapped occupations Salario tracks; "vs. $50,980" computed by Salario against the all-occupations median.
The 10 Highest-Paying Metro Areas (All Occupations)
Where you work moves the median as much as what you do. These are the metropolitan areas with the highest all-occupation median wage in May 2025, with Salario's estimated 2026 take-home for a single filer at that median (federal income tax, FICA and state income tax; no pre-tax benefits or local taxes).
| # | Metro Area | Median Annual | Hourly | Est. 2026 Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $84,050 | $40.41 | $64,235 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $74,260 | $35.70 | $58,204 |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $72,610 | $34.91 | $59,911 |
| 4 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $71,060 | $34.16 | $55,648 |
| 5 | Boulder, CO | $69,580 | $33.45 | $55,426 |
| 6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $66,620 | $32.03 | $52,366 |
| 7 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $63,490 | $30.52 | $51,179 |
| 8 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $63,200 | $30.38 | $52,961 |
| 9 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $62,320 | $29.96 | $50,220 |
| 10 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $61,960 | $29.79 | $51,965 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area estimates, all occupations. Take-home computed by Salario for a single filer using 2026 federal brackets ($16,100 standard deduction), FICA and the state income tax of the metro's first-listed state (DC for the Washington metro); estimate only. The full ranking of all 340 published metros is in our highest-paying metros guide; compare living costs with the cost of living calculator.
Average American Salary by Age Group
Earnings follow a predictable arc: they rise steeply through the late 20s and 30s as workers gain experience and move into management, plateau in the 45–54 bracket, then soften as some workers transition to part-time or early retirement. The data below is from the BLS Current Population Survey for the second quarter of 2026, full-time workers only.
| Age Group | Median Weekly Earnings | Annualized | vs. Overall Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16–24 | $806 | $41,912 | −35.6% |
| 25–34 | $1,160 | $60,320 | −7.3% |
| 35–44 (peak) | $1,436 | $74,672 | +14.8% |
| 45–54 | $1,421 | $73,892 | +13.6% |
| 55–64 | $1,367 | $71,084 | +9.3% |
| 65+ | $1,233 | $64,116 | −1.4% |
| All full-time workers | $1,251 | $65,052 | , |
Source: BLS Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers, Q2 2026, Table 3 (not seasonally adjusted). Full-time wage and salary workers only. Annualized = weekly × 52; "vs. overall median" computed by Salario.
The jump from the 25–34 bracket to the 35–44 bracket, $60,320 to $74,672, represents roughly $14,350 in median earnings difference over a decade of career advancement. That is not a guaranteed raise; it is the median trajectory across all occupations. High-growth fields like software engineering or financial analysis show steeper curves, while fields with compressed pay scales (teaching, social work) show flatter ones.
One underappreciated finding: in the Census Bureau's CPS ASEC tables for 2024 income (as originally cited on this page; the 2025 breakdown by householder age is in the P60-289 detailed tables), households headed by 45–54 year-olds reached median income of $116,800, the highest of any age group. This reflects dual-income dynamics: people in their late 40s and early 50s are more likely to have spouses also at peak earnings, which dramatically raises household income even if individual wages have plateaued.
The Gender Pay Gap: What the Numbers Actually Show in 2026
Bureau of Labor Statistics data for the second quarter of 2026 shows women working full-time earn a median of $1,131 per week versus $1,380 per week for men. That puts women at about 82 cents for every dollar men earn. Separately, the Census Bureau's September 2026 income report (P60-289) put the annual female-to-male earnings ratio for full-time, year-round workers at 83.9% in 2025, up from 80.6% in 2024, women's median earnings rose 3.2% in real terms while men's did not change significantly.
The raw gap of roughly 18% overstates discrimination and understates structural issues at the same time. A significant portion reflects occupational sorting: women are overrepresented in lower-paying service and education jobs, underrepresented in higher-paying engineering and finance roles. But even within the same occupation and experience level, research consistently finds a 5–8% unexplained gap that persists after controlling for all measurable factors.
| Occupation Group | Women (Median/Week) | Men (Median/Week) | Women's Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management & Professional | $1,443 | $1,903 | 75.8¢ |
| Service occupations | $732 | $891 | 82.2¢ |
| All full-time workers | $1,089 | $1,326 | 82.1¢ |
Source: BLS Current Population Survey, median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, 2025 annual averages.
For employees benchmarking their own compensation, the relevant question is not the national gender gap, it is the gap within their occupation and metro area. Use our Salary Calculator alongside BLS metro-level OEWS data to see what workers in your specific role and location actually earn, broken down by experience level.
Median Salary by Race and Ethnicity
The BLS Usual Weekly Earnings report for Q2 2026 shows substantial earnings variation by racial and ethnic group among full-time wage and salary workers. Asian workers lead all groups at a median of $1,713 per week ($89,076 annualized), reflecting high representation in high-wage technology, healthcare, and finance occupations.
| Group | Median Weekly Earnings | Annualized | vs. White Workers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian | $1,713 | $89,076 | +35.1% |
| White | $1,268 | $65,936 | , |
| Black / African American | $1,029 | $53,508 | −18.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | $997 | $51,844 | −21.4% |
Source: BLS Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers, Q2 2026 (not seasonally adjusted), full-time workers.
The racial earnings gap partly reflects differences in educational attainment, occupational distribution, and geographic concentration in lower-wage labor markets. In Q2 2026, Black men earned about 77.8% of White men's median weekly earnings, and Hispanic men earned about 77.1%.
How Much Education Affects Your Salary: The BLS Education Pays Data
No individual factor predicts salary more reliably than educational attainment. BLS "Education Pays" data for 2025 makes this starkly clear. A worker with a doctoral degree earns $2,307 per week, about three times what a worker without a high school diploma earns ($770/week).
| Education Level | Median Weekly Earnings | Annualized | Premium over HS Diploma |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than high school | $770 | $40,040 | −20.3% |
| High school diploma | $966 | $50,232 | baseline |
| Some college / no degree | $1,062 | $55,224 | +9.9% |
| Associate's degree | $1,135 | $59,020 | +17.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | $1,578 | $82,056 | +63.4% |
| Master's degree | $1,876 | $97,552 | +94.2% |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, etc.) | $2,294 | $119,288 | +137.5% |
| Doctoral degree | $2,307 | $119,964 | +138.8% |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, Education Pays table (2025 data, 11-month average excluding October). Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers 25 and older.
The jump from high school diploma to bachelor's degree is the single largest earnings step: a 63% weekly earnings premium. But the return on investment varies enormously by field. A bachelor's in computer science or nursing produces a very different ROI than a bachelor's in fine arts.
Highest and Lowest Paying Occupations vs. the Median
Understanding the national median is more useful when you know the range around it. The BLS OEWS May 2025 data reveals a staggering spread between the top and bottom of the occupational wage distribution, a gap of more than $350,000 per year between anesthesiologists and the lowest-paid food-service occupations.
Highest-Paying Occupations
Lowest-Paying Occupations
Sources: highest-paying list, BLS OEWS May 2025 national medians (Anesthesiologists 29-1211, Surgeons 29-1240, Physicians All Other 29-1229, Chief Executives 11-1011, Financial Managers 11-3031). Lowest-paying list, BLS OEWS May 2024 medians as originally cited; not yet refreshed to May 2025.
Note that OEWS measures wages and salaries only, physician partnership income, call pay and executive bonuses or equity are not captured, so real top-end earnings run well above the survey medians. The real range in American earnings is wider than any government dataset can fully capture. Wondering where your occupation sits? Our Highest Paying Jobs guide covers the top 30 occupations with full BLS data.
Average American Salary by State: The $33,000 Geographic Gap
Where you live is nearly as predictive of your salary as what you do. BLS OEWS state wage data shows a $32,760 gap between the highest-paying state (Massachusetts, $80,330 mean annual wage) and the lowest-paying state (Mississippi, $47,570). That is not a cost-of-living adjusted figure, that is raw gross pay before any state taxes.
| State | Mean Annual Wage | State Income Tax | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $80,330 | 5.0% | Highest state |
| New York | $78,620 | 10.9% | |
| Washington | $78,130 | 0% | No income tax |
| California | $76,960 | 13.3% | Highest tax |
| New Jersey | $73,980 | 10.75% | |
| Oklahoma | $53,450 | 4.75% | |
| Louisiana | $53,440 | 3.0% | |
| West Virginia | $52,200 | 5.12% | |
| Arkansas | $51,250 | 3.9% | |
| Mississippi | $47,570 | 4.0% | Lowest state |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024 state mean wages, as originally cited (state-level figures on this page have not yet been refreshed to the May 2025 release). State income tax column shows the top marginal rate. District of Columbia (not a state) would top all jurisdictions at ~$119,080/year.
The raw wage gap is deceptive. California earns $76,960 but pays up to 13.3% state income tax. Washington earns nearly as much ($78,130) with zero state income tax, making it the better deal in gross-to-net terms for most income levels. Meanwhile, Mississippi's low wages are offset by a cost of living roughly 13% below the national average, closing some of the gap in purchasing power. See our full 50-state salary breakdown for a complete ranked table.
Are American Wages Keeping Up With Inflation in 2026?
Mostly, but the margin is shrinking. After a period in 2021–2022 when inflation outpaced wage growth, the BLS Real Earnings Summary for February 2026 showed that real average hourly earnings rose 1.4% year-over-year: nominal average hourly earnings grew 3.8% while the Consumer Price Index rose 2.4%. Since then inflation has re-accelerated, the BLS reported CPI-U up 3.4% year-over-year in August 2026, with private-sector average hourly earnings at $37.75 (BLS Current Employment Statistics, August 2026) and unemployment at 4.1%. Whether wages are still beating prices depends on the latest monthly release, so treat the 1.4% figure as a February snapshot rather than a standing fact.
ADP Research's January 2026 Pay Insights report adds important texture for employees thinking about job changes. Workers who stayed in their current jobs saw median pay growth of +4.5% year-over-year. Workers who changed jobs saw +6.4% growth, a meaningful premium, though smaller than the 8–10% job-changer advantage seen during the 2022 labor market peak. For most white-collar workers, strategic job changes still outperform loyalty-based raises.
Payscale's 2025 Pay Trends Report found that the average base pay increase companies actually gave employees in 2024 was 3.8%, with plans to average 3.5% in 2025. Given 2.4% inflation, a 3.5% nominal raise represents a real gain of about 1.1%, positive, but modest. Workers who received no raise in 2024 effectively took a 2.4% real pay cut.
What This Means for Salary Negotiation
- →A raise below the inflation rate (CPI-U rose 3.4% in the year to August 2026, per BLS) is a real pay cut, negotiate above inflation to gain purchasing power
- →Job changers still earn 1.9 percentage points more than stayers, the premium is narrowing but hasn't disappeared
- →Real wage growth of 1.4% (February 2026) was the national tailwind, and it has narrowed as inflation rose, local wage growth varies, so check your state and occupation specifically
What the Median American Worker Actually Takes Home After Taxes
Understanding gross salary is only half the story. Here is what a single filer earning the full-time median of $65,052 (BLS CPS Q2 2026, annualized) actually pays in federal taxes in 2026, using the IRS's published 2026 tax brackets.
Federal Tax Calculation: $65,052 Gross, Single Filer (2026)
Excludes state income tax, pre-tax deductions (401k, health insurance), and other withholdings. Source: IRS 2026 Tax Brackets (post-One Big Beautiful Bill adjustments).
A critical misconception: the 22% marginal tax bracket starts at $50,400 of taxable income for single filers in 2026, not at $50,400 of gross pay. A worker earning $65,052 has $48,952 of taxable income after the standard deduction, so none of it is taxed at 22%. Their effective federal income tax rate is just 8.6%. Use our Paycheck Calculator to model your exact take-home in any state with any deduction scenario, or our Take-Home Pay Calculator for a complete net pay breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average American salary in 2026?
The BLS OEWS program reported a national mean annual wage of $69,770 and a median of $50,980 (May 2025 data, the most recent published). For full-time workers only, the BLS CPS puts median usual weekly earnings at $1,251 ($65,052 annualized) in Q2 2026, the most useful benchmark for benchmarking a full-time job offer.
Is $60,000 a good salary in America?
It depends heavily on where you live. $60,000 is a little under the national full-time median ($65,052 annualized, BLS CPS Q2 2026) and above the all-workers median of $50,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025), average by national standards. In Mississippi or Arkansas it provides genuine middle-class purchasing power. In San Francisco or Manhattan it falls well below what a comfortable single-person budget requires. Use our cost-of-living calculators to adjust for your specific city.
How does the gender pay gap affect average salaries?
Significantly. BLS data for Q2 2026 shows women earn about 82 cents per dollar men earn among full-time workers ($1,131 vs. $1,380 per week), and the Census Bureau reported the annual full-time, year-round ratio rose to 83.9% in 2025 from 80.6% in 2024 (P60-289). In management and professional occupations, women earned about 75.8 cents per dollar in 2025 annual BLS data, a larger gap than in service occupations (82.2¢).
What salary puts you in the top 10% of American earners?
Salario's estimate, based on the wage distribution in BLS and Social Security Administration wage statistics, is that roughly $135,000–$145,000 in annual wages places an individual earner around the top 10% nationally, with the top 5% threshold near $200,000. Treat these as approximate, the SSA publishes the exact net-compensation distribution each year. The thresholds also vary by age: the top 10% cutoff for workers aged 35–44 is higher than for workers aged 25–34.
Are wages rising faster than inflation in 2026?
They were as of early 2026, but the gap has narrowed. The BLS Real Earnings Summary for February 2026 showed real average hourly earnings up 1.4% year-over-year (nominal +3.8% vs. 2.4% CPI-U). By August 2026 CPI-U inflation had climbed to 3.4% year-over-year (BLS), with private-sector average hourly earnings at $37.75, so check the latest Real Earnings release before assuming a real gain.
How much does a college degree raise your salary?
BLS 2025 education data shows full-time workers aged 25+ with a bachelor's degree earn a median of $1,578/week versus $966/week for high school graduates, a 63% premium. But the return varies by field: computer science and nursing degrees far outperform fine arts or philosophy. The Census Bureau finds bachelor's degree households earn 2.3x more than high school graduate households.
What is the average American salary by age?
According to BLS Current Population Survey data, median weekly earnings for full-time workers in the second quarter of 2026 peaked in the 35–44 age bracket at $1,436/week ($74,672 annualized). Workers aged 25–34 earned a median of $1,160/week ($60,320/year). The 45–54 bracket was close behind at $1,421/week, and 55–64 year-olds earned $1,367/week.
Which occupations pay above the average American salary?
According to BLS OEWS May 2025 data, occupations well above the $50,980 national median include software developers ($135,980), financial and investment analysts ($102,740), registered nurses ($97,550), accountants and auditors ($83,680), and teachers ($63,970 elementary, $72,040 secondary). The highest-paid occupations are anesthesiologists ($391,490 median), surgeons ($369,540), and other physicians ($265,930), with chief executives at a $213,990 median.
What is the median household income in the United States?
The Census Bureau's "Income in the United States: 2025" report (P60-289, released September 15, 2026) put real median household income at $87,460 in 2025, a record high and a statistically significant 2.6% increase from the 2024 estimate of $85,210 in 2025 dollars. Post-tax median household income was $76,060. Household income pools every earner in the home, so it runs well above the $50,980 median individual wage from BLS OEWS May 2025.
What are the most common jobs in America and what do they pay?
Among the occupations Salario tracks in BLS OEWS May 2025 data, the largest by employment are home health and personal care aides (4.3 million workers, $35,800 median), general and operations managers (3.5 million, $105,770), registered nurses (3.4 million, $97,550), heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (2.1 million, $58,640), software developers (1.7 million, $135,980) and accountants and auditors (1.4 million, $83,680). The biggest single occupation pays about 30% below the national median wage, which is one reason the median sits at $50,980 while the mean is $69,770.
Which metro areas have the highest median wages?
BLS OEWS May 2025 all-occupation medians are highest in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($84,050), San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($74,260), Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($72,610), Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($71,060) and Boulder, CO ($69,580), all 36% or more above the $50,980 national median. Higher local wages are partly offset by housing costs and, in California, state income tax; Seattle and Washington State have no state income tax.
How much is the median American wage per hour and per month?
The BLS OEWS May 2025 national median of $50,980 a year equals $24.51 an hour, about $980 a week and roughly $4,248 a month before taxes, assuming a 2,080-hour full-time year. Full-time workers specifically had median usual weekly earnings of $1,251 in Q2 2026 (BLS CPS), or about $5,421 a month gross. Use a paycheck calculator to see the net figure for your state.
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