Income Percentile by Age Calculator
See where your annual income ranks against other Americans your age. Based on the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey figures for income in 2025. Use this to benchmark salary growth vs your cohort.
Reviewed & updated for 2026 by Rakesh Choudhary, PhDMethodology & sources · How we calculate
US individual income by age group (2025)
| Age | Median (50th) | Top 25% (75th) | Earning $100K+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15-24 | $17,420 | $36,336 | 2.0% |
| 25-34 | $52,130 | $82,813 | 18.0% |
| 35-44 | $62,720 | Over $100,000 | 29.5% |
| 45-54 | $63,540 | Over $100,000 | 30.4% |
| 55-64 | $54,220 | Over $100,000 | 25.6% |
| 65+ | $34,610 | $67,695 | 14.2% |
Source: US Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2026 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, table PINC-01 (income in 2025, people with income). The table's top band is $100,000 and over. Individual earners only (not household). Income peaks in the 45-54 cohort and declines after retirement age.
Why income peaks in your 40s and 50s
US wage data consistently shows individual income peaking between ages 45-54. Reasons:
- Career tenure: Senior roles, management, accumulated skills
- Years of compounded raises: Even modest annual raises compound substantially over 20-25 years
- Peak earning years for professionals: Doctors, lawyers, executives reach highest pay around this age
- Reduced caretaking demand: Children often grown, less career limit
Income then declines slightly in late 50s through 60s as people retire, downshift, or transition to part-time work.
Why your percentile might lie to you
National percentiles are useful as a rough benchmark, but they're often misleading without three crucial adjustments. The same $100,000 income can put you in the top 10% in rural Mississippi or near median in Manhattan or San Francisco.
- Adjust for cost of living. The Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes regional price parities (RPPs). For 2024 BEA puts Mississippi at 87.0 and the New York metro at 112.6, so $60,000 in Mississippi buys about what $77,672 does in the New York metro. For honest comparisons, divide your salary by your area's RPP × 100.
- Adjust for occupation. National percentiles include retirees, students, and part-time workers. Within full-time, year-round workers, the median jumps from $46,960 to $70,970. Within full-time workers with a bachelor's degree or more, it's $100,800. Pick the right reference population.
- Adjust for benefits. A $70K salary with employer-paid health insurance, 401(k) match, pension, and 5 weeks PTO can equal $90K cash compensation. Federal employees and unionized workers often look low on income but high on total compensation.
A useful mental model: most people who feel "middle class" are actually in the 60th-80th percentile nationally — and most feel that way because their friends, neighbors, and social media feeds skew toward people earning similar amounts. The 90th percentile feels normal to people who hang out with 90th-percentile earners.
How to move up percentiles over time
Income percentiles aren't fixed for life. The largest factor in moving up over a 20-30 year career isn't job-hopping or negotiation — it's the type of work you do. Bureau of Labor Statistics longitudinal data shows the percentile distribution of typical career paths:
| Career path | Typical percentile by age 30 | Peak percentile reached |
|---|---|---|
| Software engineering | 85-95th | 95-99th by mid-40s |
| Medicine | 60-75th (still in training) | 95-99th by late-40s |
| Law (firm partner track) | 85-90th | 95-99th if making partner |
| Engineering (non-software) | 75-85th | 90-95th by 50s |
| Skilled trades | 55-70th | 75-85th (owner/operator higher) |
| Teaching (K-12 public) | 35-50th | 55-70th with seniority |
| Sales (commission) | Highly variable: 20-90th | 80-99th (top performers) |
Career field selection during your 20s and early 30s tends to lock in your percentile trajectory more than later effort can override. That said, two career moves consistently move people up significantly: starting a business that generates equity, and shifting from individual contributor to manager (managers earn 20-50% more in most fields).
FAQs
How do I know my income percentile?
Enter your annual income and age. The calculator compares your income with the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey figures for people your age. If your percentile is 80, you have more income than 80% of Americans your age who have any income. Note this is INDIVIDUAL income (one person), not household income.
What is the average income by age in the US?
The Census Bureau's figures for 2025: median individual income peaks at $63,540 for ages 45-54, with $62,720 at 35-44. Ages 15-24 have a median of $17,420 (many in school or entry-level jobs), and 65+ drops to $34,610 as people retire.
Is this household income or individual income?
Individual income only, wages, salary, business income, retirement income for one person. For household income (combined earnings of all adults living together), use a household percentile calculator. Married couples filing jointly typically have higher household percentiles than individual percentiles.
How accurate are these income percentiles?
They come from the Census Bureau's 2026 Current Population Survey supplement, covering income in 2025, the latest release. The published table groups income in $2,500 bands up to $100,000 and one open band above it, so above $100,000 the calculator gives the share of your age group earning that much rather than an exact percentile. These are national figures; regional and occupational differences are large.
What percentile is 100,000 dollars at age 30?
At ages 25-34, an individual income of 100,000 dollars or more puts you in the top 18% of people your age with income, according to the Census Bureau. For young workers, 100K is exceptional.
Is 75,000 dollars a good salary?
It depends heavily on age and location. At ages 25-34, 75K is about the 70th percentile nationally. At 45-54 it is about the 57th, above the median but not high. Cost of living also matters: 75K in rural Alabama goes much further than 75K in San Francisco or NYC.
What is considered upper class income?
Common framework: upper-middle class is 100K-200K, upper class starts around 250K-400K (top 5%), and 'wealthy' is typically 500K+ (top 1%). These thresholds vary by source (Pew, Brookings, IRS). Top 0.1% earners make 3 million plus annually.