Income in the United States


Overall median household income by state in 2018[1]

Income in the United States is measured by the various federal agencies including the Internal Revenue Service, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Commerce, and the US Census Bureau. Additionally, various agencies, including the Congressional Budget Office compile reports on income statistics. The primary classifications are by household or individual. The top quintile in personal income in 2019 was $103,012[2] (included in the chart below). The differences between household and personal income are considerable, since 61% of households now have two or more income earners.[3]

2020 median personal income, ages 15 years or older[4]
  All workers Full-time workers
All
41,535
56,287
Men
49,389
61,417
Women
35,838
50,982

Median personal income in 2020 was $56,287 for full-time workers.[4]

This difference becomes very apparent when comparing the percentage of households with six figure incomes to that of individuals. Overall, including all households/individuals regardless of employment status, the median household income was $67,521 in 2020 while the median personal income (including individuals aged 15 and over) was $35,805.[5][6]

While wages for women have increased greatly, median earnings of male wage earners have remained stagnant since the late 1970s.[7][8] Household income, however, has risen due to the increasing number of households with more than one income earner and women's increased presence in the labor force.[9]

  1. ^ "CENSUS.GOV".
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference IRS SOI was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "CENSUS.GOV". CENSUS.GOV. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Income Reports". CENSUS.GOV. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Census Bureau Data Aggregation at Federal Reserve Webpage Household". Federal Reserve St. Louis. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Census Bureau Data Aggregation at Federal Reserve Webpage Personal Income". Federal Reserve St. Louis. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  7. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau. (1991). Table P-17. Years of School Completed--People 25 Years Old and Over by Median Income and Sex: 1958 to 1990". Archived from the original on 2007-11-02. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  8. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau. (2006). Table P-16. Educational Attainment--People 25 Years Old and Over by Median Income and Sex: 1991 to 2005". Archived from the original on 2007-11-02. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  9. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau. (2005). Table H-17. Households by Total Money Income, Race, and Hispanic Origin of Householder: 1967 to 2004". Archived from the original on 2007-11-15. Retrieved 2007-11-24.