March 21, 2025 | 08:16 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United States is undoubtedly a powerful nation, earning a nod from thousands of experts worldwide. Benefiting from the U.S dollars’ enduring status as the world’s reserve currency, many residents have tasted the true meaning of wealth. Despite it seemingly being a common ground, not all well-off Americans stand out.
So, how much salary one should earn to occupy the top 1 percent base? Depending on the states, there are multiple thresholds to determine an individual’s wealth level, as such the local wage trends. Drawing insights from various sources, let’s gear up for a full length discussion of the criteria here.
Annual Salary for the Top 1 Percent in the United States
A constitution-based federal republic, America, consists of 50 states, each with distinctive monetary circumstances. Determining individuals’ places within the national threshold requires a more complex pathway. Meaning, the wealth status heavily relies on the state you are currently living in.
In a recent report published by GOBankingRates, the salary base for the top 1 percent in the United States is anywhere from US$785,968 annually. This eye-opening figure, drawn from the Social Security Administration’s official records for 2022, sheds light on the vast wage gap separating the nation’s wealthiest from the majority of working Americans.
On average, U.S. workers took home around $61,136 in 2022, a stark contrast to the sky-high earnings of the elite. Yet, the real jaw-dropper comes when looking at the top 0.1 percent, whose annual incomes soar past US$2.8 million. This remarkable divide highlights just how far apart the financial realities are between everyday citizens and the country’s ultra-wealthy.
Base Salary for the Top 1 Percent on States Threshold
Some states of America have very different standards of living driven by several factors including population and domestic income tax. It’s an easy feat to tell apart the top 1 percent earners from Massachusetts and West Virginia.
When it comes to salary for the top 1 percent, the data below shows some of the wealthiest states of the country, according to the USA Today,
Connecticut: $1.15 million
Massachusetts: $1.11 million
California: $1.04 million
Washington State: $990,000
New Jersey: $976,000
On the other hand, individuals living in the low-income states below have a pretty massive disparity in terms of their top 1 percent earners.
West Virginia: $420,000
Mississippi: $441,000 minimum
New Mexico: $476,000
Kentucky: $514,000
Arkansas: $532,000
Wealth Disparity of Working Americans
While there is a vast range of income standards in American households, it shouldn’t be confused with wealth. While every working individual receives monthly income, not all Americans are accounted for remarkable wealth encompassing investments, assets, and savings.
If you think the rich are getting richer, they probably are. According to The Federal Reserve, the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans controlled 23.3% of the nation’s total wealth in 2024.
According to Investopedia, this shows just how unequal the wealth distribution is, with most of the country’s money held by a small, wealthy few while the middle class manages with less than 30% of the nation’s wealth. It’s a clear sign of the growing divide between the ultra-rich and ordinary Americans.
The ever-widening wealth gap in the United States continues to spark conversations about financial inequality. While the salary for the top 1 percent experiences a constant surge, millions of hardworking Americans grapple with modest earnings and limited economic power. To gain more financial freedom, let’s take a look at the high-income skills to learn in 2025.
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