What Percentage of Americans Make Over $100K? Income Reality
Quick Answer: About 11% of US adults earn $100,000 or more annually, per Census Bureau data. Among full-time male workers, it’s about 26%. The median full-time male salary is ~$62,000.
“Must make six figures” has become one of the most common requirements on dating profiles. But how realistic is that expectation?
According to the US Census Bureau data (2023 ACS), only about 16% of men and 8% of women earn $100,000 or more per year. That means the six-figure income bar eliminates 84% of all men from your dating pool — before you even consider height, looks, or personality.
Let’s dive into the real income data and see what it means for modern dating expectations.
US Income Distribution: Where Does Everyone Fall?
Here’s the breakdown of individual income (not household) for American adults, based on Census Bureau ACS 2023 data:
|
Annual Income
|
% of All Workers
|
% of Men
|
% of Women
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Under $25,000
|
34%
|
28%
|
41%
|
|
$25,000 – $49,999
|
28%
|
26%
|
30%
|
|
$50,000 – $74,999
|
17%
|
19%
|
15%
|
|
$75,000 – $99,999
|
10%
|
11%
|
6%
|
|
$100,000 – $149,999
|
7%
|
10%
|
5%
|
|
$150,000 – $199,999
|
2.5%
|
3.5%
|
1.5%
|
|
$200,000+
|
2%
|
3.5%
|
1%
|
The median individual income in the US is approximately $41,000 for all workers, $50,000 for men, and $35,000 for women. That means half of all working Americans make less than $41K per year.
The Age Factor: Income Increases With Age
One of the biggest misconceptions in dating is expecting a 25-year-old to have a six-figure income. Income is strongly correlated with age and career progression:
|
Age Group
|
% of Men Earning $100K+
|
Median Male Income
|
|---|---|---|
|
18-24
|
2%
|
$24,000
|
|
25-34
|
12%
|
$48,000
|
|
35-44
|
22%
|
$60,000
|
|
45-54
|
24%
|
$62,000
|
|
55-64
|
20%
|
$56,000
|
If you’re looking for a man under 30 who makes six figures, you’re looking at roughly 2-12% of men in that age range. Peak earning years are typically 35-54, where about 1 in 4 men crosses the $100K threshold.
Income Varies Dramatically By Location
$100,000 means very different things depending on where you live. In San Francisco, it’s barely middle class. In rural Mississippi, it puts you in the top 5%.
- San Francisco, CA: ~28% of workers earn $100K+ (but median rent is $3,500/month)
- New York City: ~24% earn $100K+
- Austin, TX: ~18% earn $100K+
- National average: ~11% of all workers earn $100K+
- Rural areas: ~4-6% earn $100K+
A man earning $70,000 in Memphis has more purchasing power than someone making $120,000 in Manhattan. When setting income standards for dating, the cost of living matters more than the raw number.
The Dating Pool Math: Stacking Income With Other Preferences
Just like with height preferences, income requirements compound with other filters. Here’s what happens when you stack common dating criteria:
|
Criteria (cumulative)
|
% of Men Who Qualify
|
|---|---|
|
Earns $100K+
|
16%
|
|
+ Age 25-40
|
5.6%
|
|
+ 5’10” or taller
|
2.8%
|
|
+ Bachelor’s degree
|
1.0%
|
|
+ Not married
|
0.52%
|
Only 0.52% of men meet all five of these fairly common dating preferences. That’s roughly 850,000 men in the entire US. Want to calculate your exact probability? Use our Female Delusion Calculator.
What About Household Income?
It’s worth distinguishing between individual and household income, since many people confuse the two:
- Median household income (2023): $80,610 — this includes ALL earners in a household
- Median individual income: $41,000 — this is what one person earns
- Households earning $100K+: about 37% (often dual-income couples)
- Individuals earning $100K+: about 11% of all workers
When someone says “I want a partner who makes six figures,” they typically mean individual income. But many $100K+ households achieve that number through two people earning $50K each — not one high earner.
Industries Where Six Figures Are Common
If you’re specifically seeking a high earner, certain industries have significantly higher rates of six-figure salaries:
- Tech/Software Engineering: ~45% earn $100K+
- Finance/Investment Banking: ~40% earn $100K+
- Medicine/Healthcare (MDs): ~65% earn $100K+
- Law: ~35% earn $100K+
- Engineering: ~30% earn $100K+
- Management/Executive: ~35% earn $100K+
However, these industries represent a relatively small slice of the total workforce. Most Americans work in retail, food service, healthcare support, education, and administrative roles — where six-figure salaries are rare.
Does Income Predict Relationship Happiness?
Research on income and relationship satisfaction tells an interesting story:
- A study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that emotional well-being rises with income but plateaus around $75,000-$100,000
- Research from the University of Virginia found that financial compatibility (similar spending habits) matters more than absolute income for relationship satisfaction.
- Couples where one partner earns significantly more report higher rates of power imbalance issues
In other words, above a certain threshold, more money doesn’t equal more happiness in relationships. Shared financial values matter more than the paycheck size.
The Bottom Line
Requiring a six-figure income from a partner eliminates 84% of men and 92% of women from your dating pool. For young adults under 30, it eliminates over 90% of men. Combined with other common preferences like height, education, and marital status, you could easily be looking at less than 1% of the population.
Understanding these numbers isn’t about lowering your standards — it’s about making informed choices about which standards are deal-breakers and which have flexibility. Try the Male Delusion Calculator or Female Delusion Calculator to see how your specific combination of preferences affects your actual dating pool.
Household Income vs. Individual Income: A Critical Distinction
When evaluating dating standards around income, it is crucial to understand the difference between household income and individual income. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and American Community Survey (ACS) data, about 41.9% of US households earn over $100,000 — but that often includes two earners. For individual earners, only about 18% cross the $100K threshold.
The gender pay gap makes this even more relevant for dating: 23.4% of working men earn over $100K compared to just 11.1% of working women. This means that when women set a $100K income filter for male partners, they are selecting from a larger pool than when men do.
The $100K Illusion: High Earners Living Paycheck to Paycheck
Here is a statistic that might surprise you: according to LendingClub research, 48% of Americans earning over $100,000 report living paycheck to paycheck. The average consumer debt in the US is $93,000, and for the top 10% of earners, the median debt reaches $222,200. A six-figure salary does not automatically mean financial stability — a reality that dating filters cannot capture.
Income by Race and Ethnicity
Income distribution varies significantly across demographics. US Census Bureau data show median household income by race: Asian households lead at $94,903, followed by White non-Hispanic households at $74,912, Hispanic households at $55,321, and Black households at $45,870.
These disparities mean that income-based dating filters disproportionately exclude certain racial groups, compounded by other filters like height and education.
FAQ
What percentage of Americans make over $100K a year?
Approximately 11% of all US workers earn $100,000 or more per year. Broken down by gender, about 16% of men and 8% of women reach this threshold.
What percentage of men in their 20s make over $100K?
Only about 2-12%, depending on exact age. For men 18-24, it’s around 2%. For men 25-29, it rises to about 10-12%, primarily in tech, finance, and engineering.
Is $100K a good salary in 2026?
It depends on the location. In high-cost cities like San Francisco or New York, $100K is considered middle class. In most of the country, it places you well above the median and provides a comfortable lifestyle.
What is the average salary in the US?
The median individual income is approximately $41,000 per year. The mean (average) is higher at about $63,000, pulled up by very high earners at the top.
