Money is weird. We talk about it constantly, yet almost nobody seems to agree on what "normal" actually looks like. If you've ever felt like your bank account is lagging behind the rest of the country, you aren't alone. Honestly, the average income of the united states is one of those statistics that looks simple on a bar chart but feels incredibly messy in real life.
The numbers change depending on who you ask and how they're counting. Are we talking about a single person working at a coffee shop in Ohio? Or a married couple with two kids in a San Francisco suburb?
The Real Numbers vs. The Noise
Let’s get the big numbers out of the way first. According to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for 2025, the median household income sits at approximately $83,730.
Wait.
There's a huge difference between "average" and "median." Most economists prefer the median because it represents the person right in the middle of the line. If Jeff Bezos walks into a dive bar, the average income of everyone in that room shoots into the billions. The median stays exactly the same.
For individual workers, the situation is a bit tighter. The BLS reported that in the third quarter of 2025, median weekly earnings for full-time workers were $1,214. If you do the math, that’s about $63,128 per year.
It sounds decent. But then you realize that $63k in Jackson, Mississippi, buys a whole lot more house than it does in Boston.
Why Your Geography Changes Everything
You've probably noticed that some states just feel "richer" than others. It isn't an illusion. Where you park your car at night is arguably the biggest factor in your earning potential.
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Take Washington, D.C., for example. Workers there pull in a median of over $119,000 annually. Compare that to Mississippi, where the median is closer to $49,920. That is a massive gap.
Here is how a few heavy hitters stacked up in late 2024 and throughout 2025:
- Massachusetts: $90,272 (median annual)
- California: $88,088
- New York: $87,568
- Texas: $72,592
- Florida: $66,352
Basically, if you live in a coastal tech hub or a political powerhouse, your income is likely higher. But your rent is also probably three times higher than your cousin's in the Midwest.
The Education Gap is Still Real
It’s fashionable to say college isn’t worth it anymore. Honestly, the data begs to differ. While the "student debt crisis" is a very real nightmare, the income ceiling for those without a degree remains significantly lower.
In 2025, a worker with a Bachelor’s degree earned a median of $1,747 per week. Someone with only a high school diploma? They brought home roughly $980.
That is a difference of nearly $40,000 a year.
Professional degrees—think doctors and lawyers—push that number even higher, often crossing the $122,000 mark. It’s not just about the starting salary, either. It’s about the trajectory. Those with advanced degrees tend to see more aggressive raises as they hit their 40s and 50s.
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Age and the "Peak" Earning Years
You don't start at the top. Most 18-year-olds are lucky to clear $33,000.
Earnings usually peak between the ages of 35 and 54. This is when you’ve presumably stopped making "entry-level" mistakes and started managing people or specialized systems. Men in this age bracket currently see median earnings around $1,500 a week, while women earn about $1,190.
The gender gap is still a stubborn reality. Women’s earnings currently hover at about 81% of what men make, a figure that actually saw a slight decrease in 2024 for the second year in a row.
Is Your Raise Getting Eaten by Inflation?
This is the question everyone is asking at the grocery store.
The good news? For the past year, wages have finally started to outpace inflation. Between December 2024 and December 2025, nominal wages grew by 3.8%, while inflation was at 2.7%.
You're making more, and that money is actually worth a little bit more than it was last year. It’s a slow crawl, though. "Real" wage growth—the stuff you actually feel in your wallet after paying for eggs and gas—was only about 0.92%.
It’s better than nothing. But it’s not exactly "buy a yacht" money.
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The Middle Class Squeeze
There’s a lot of frustration out there. Heather Long, a chief economist, recently noted that a "frozen" job market and various economic pressures are putting a serious squeeze on middle-class households.
Even though the average income of the united states looks higher on paper, the distribution is lopsided. The top 10% of households saw their incomes rise by 4.2% to over $251,000. The bottom 10% only saw a 2.2% bump, landing them around $19,900.
When the top moves faster than the bottom, the "average" feels like a lie to the person in the middle.
What This Means for You
If you’re looking at these numbers and feeling behind, remember that these are just benchmarks. Your "real" income is tied to your local cost of living. A $70,000 salary in San Antonio is a victory; in Manhattan, it’s a struggle.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your "Real" Wage: Use the Bureau of Labor Statistics' CPI Inflation Calculator to see if your last raise actually covered the rise in local prices.
- Geographic Arbitrage: If you work remotely, consider moving from a high-tax, high-cost state to one with lower overhead. You keep the high-income "average" of your industry while paying "average" mid-market rent.
- Skill Stacking: Since the gap between a high school diploma and a Bachelor's is $40k, and the gap between a Bachelor's and a Professional degree is even wider, look into certifications that bridge that gap without the cost of a full degree.
- Negotiate Based on Data: Don't ask for a raise because "everything is expensive." Use the 2025 median weekly data for your specific age group and education level to show your employer where the market actually sits.
Understanding the average income of the united states isn't just about trivia. It is about knowing your value in a market that is constantly shifting under your feet.