Tools Income Percentile Calculator
Where does my income rank in the U.S.?
Enter your household’s yearly income before taxes to see where it ranks among all U.S. households, and add your age to compare with households like yours. The ranking comes from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances, restated in today’s dollars.
Your result
What to focus on next
Where the top 10% and top 1% start
Yearly household income before taxes at each percentile, by age of the household head, in today’s dollars (rounded). Incomes peak for households headed by someone 45 to 64 and fall in retirement.
| Age of head | Median | Top 25% | Top 10% | Top 1% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All households | $80,500 | $148,500 | $284,600 | $1.4 million |
| Under 35 | $69,200 | $120,000 | $167,000 | $532,000 |
| 35 to 44 | $99,000 | $167,000 | $284,600 | $1.2 million |
| 45 to 54 | $105,200 | $193,000 | $355,100 | $1.6 million |
| 55 to 64 | $94,000 | $179,400 | $361,200 | $1.7 million |
| 65 to 74 | $69,200 | $143,500 | $290,700 | $1.8 million |
| 75 and over | $56,200 | $100,300 | $194,200 | $929,200 |
How this calculator works
Percentile = share of U.S. households with a lower income than yours
The Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances asks thousands of families about their income, assets and debts every three years, and weights the answers to represent all U.S. households. It includes more high-income families than a random sample would, so it measures the top 1% far better than most surveys. We ranked households in the Fed’s public 2022 data by their total income before taxes, using the survey’s weights, to find the cut-off for every percentile, for all households and for six age groups. Our overall median matches the Fed’s published $70,260.
The 2022 survey asked about income in 2021, and the Fed reports it in 2022 dollars. The calculator raises those cut-offs by consumer price inflation since then (the CPI-U from the Bureau of Labor Statistics), so they buy the same today. It doesn’t add real pay growth since 2021, so if incomes have outpaced prices, your true percentile may be a little lower. Between two cut-offs, your percentile is interpolated.
Income here is before taxes and includes every source, not just wages. The Census Bureau publishes its own household income figures from a different survey, which counts income a little differently and doesn’t cover the very top as well, so its numbers won’t match exactly.
Words you’ll see
- Household income
- The combined yearly income, before taxes, of a single person or couple and anyone who shares their finances, from every source.
- Percentile
- The share of households below you. At the 90th percentile, 90% of households earn less and you are in the top 10%.
- Median
- The middle household: half earn more, half earn less. Unlike the average, it isn’t pulled up by the highest earners.
- Pre-tax income
- Income before federal, state and payroll taxes are taken out. Your take-home pay is lower.
- Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF)
- The Federal Reserve’s survey of U.S. household finances, run every three years. The 2022 survey is the latest published.
Common questions
What income is top 10% in the U.S.?
A household income of about $285,000 a year before taxes puts you in the top 10% of U.S. households, in today's dollars. The top 5% starts at about $447,000 and the top 1% at about $1.37 million. These come from the Federal Reserve's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, restated for inflation since.
What is the median household income in the U.S.?
The median U.S. household income in the Federal Reserve's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances was $70,260 (income for 2021, in 2022 dollars). That is about $80,500 in today's dollars. Half of households earn more and half earn less.
Is $100,000 a good household income?
A household income of $100,000 a year is higher than about 59% of U.S. households, a little above the median of about $80,500. Whether it is comfortable depends on where you live, how many people it supports and how much of it you save.
What income is top 1% in the U.S.?
The top 1% of U.S. households earn about $1.37 million a year or more before taxes, in today's dollars. Much of the income at the very top comes from businesses and investments rather than wages.
Does this calculator use household or individual income?
It uses household income: the total pre-tax income of you, your spouse or partner, and anyone who shares your finances, including wages, business income, interest and dividends, capital gains, Social Security and pensions. Leave out roommates and adult relatives who support themselves, because the Federal Reserve's survey counts them as separate households. Your rank as an individual earner would be different.
Sources
- Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) — Federal Reserve Board
- Changes in U.S. Family Finances from 2019 to 2022: Evidence from the Survey of Consumer Finances — Federal Reserve Board, 2023
- Consumer Price Index (CPI) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
This tool is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.