US Data · 2026
Average Salary by Age in the US —
Median Earnings by Age Band
What does the typical American earn at 25, 35, 45, 55? Median earnings for full-time workers from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data, plus the men/women split and the peak earning years.
Published 2026-07-25 · Updated 2026-07-25 · Reading time ~7 min
Average (median) salary by age in the US (BLS): the combined median for full-time workers rises from about $40,700 at 20–24 to a peak near $70,800 at 45–54, then eases toward retirement. These are median usual weekly earnings for full-time wage and salary workers, annualized (×52), from the BLS Current Population Survey (Q2 2025). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Short answer
Median annual earnings for US full-time workers by age (BLS, Q2 2025 × 52): ~$59K at 25–34, ~$70K at 35–44, ~$71K at 45–54 (peak), ~$67K at 55–64, ~$62K at 65+. Half of full-time workers in each band earn more, half less. Men's median is consistently higher than women's — the gap widens from the late 20s and is largest at 35–54 (about $16K/year in absolute dollars). Compare against your net worth by age for the full picture.
Median earnings by age band — United States
BLS median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers, annualized (× 52). Median = mid-point of the distribution (half earn more, half less). Covers full-time wage and salary workers only — excludes part-time workers, the self-employed, and non-wage income.
| Age band | Men | Women | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16–19 | $36,400 | $30,888 | $33,280 |
| 20–24 | $42,432 | $38,376 | $40,664 |
| 25–34 | $62,296 | $54,860 | $59,228 |
| 35–44 | $78,104 | $61,880 | $70,252 |
| 45–54peak | $79,040 | $61,828 | $70,824 |
| 55–64 | $73,684 | $58,968 | $67,392 |
| 65+ | $72,436 | $53,612 | $62,296 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey — median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age and sex, Q2 2025 (combined weekly medians: 25–34 $1,139 · 35–44 $1,351 · 45–54 $1,362 · 55–64 $1,296). Annual = weekly × 52. Updated quarterly — verify the latest at bls.gov.
What the curve looks like at each age
The minority of teens working full-time rather than studying — mostly entry-level retail, food service and trades. The gender gap is smallest here.
Early-career workers and recent graduates entering full-time roles. Pay is still close to the minimum for many, and men and women earn within ~10% of each other.
Career foundations: first promotions, licenses and skilled roles. The full-time median crosses ~$59K, and the men-women gap starts to widen.
Fast growth into senior and management roles. Men's earnings accelerate hardest here, so the dollar gender gap is among the widest — about $16K/year on the median.
Peak earning years. The combined median tops out near $71K as careers reach seniority; men peak here at ~$79K, women essentially plateau from 35 on.
A gradual downshift. Some move to part-time work or self-employment (both excluded here), and full-time medians ease back from the 45–54 peak.
The minority still in full-time wage work. Medians dip as higher earners retire and remaining roles skew toward part-time (not counted here) and lower-paid work.
The gender pay gap in the US earnings data
Among full-time wage and salary workers in Q2 2025, women's median weekly earnings ($1,078) were about 81% of men's ($1,330) — a gap that widens from the late 20s and is largest in dollar terms at 35–54. Three structural factors drive it:
- Occupational segregation — women are over-represented in lower-paid fields and under-represented in the highest-paid ones (tech, finance, engineering, medicine sub-specialties).
- Hours and career continuity — even within full-time work, men average more paid hours and fewer career breaks; caregiving falls disproportionately on women in their 30s and 40s.
- A residual within-role gap — a difference that remains after controlling for occupation, hours and experience.
The Census Bureau's annual measure for full-time, year-round workers puts the ratio closer to 83–84 cents on the dollar. Both measures have narrowed slowly over the past two decades.
Sources: BLS Usual Weekly Earnings (Q2 2025); U.S. Census Bureau, Income in the United States.
Compare against the full picture
Income is one side of the ledger — net worth is the other. Free tools and data, no signup.
- Average net worth by age in the US — median net worth by age band from the Fed's Survey of Consumer Finances. Accumulated wealth, not annual cash flow.
- Net worth percentile calculator — enter your age and net worth to see exactly what percentile you're in.
- What net worth is the top 10% / top 1%? — the SCF thresholds to reach the top decile and top percentile of US household wealth.
- Net worth calculator — add up assets and liabilities and benchmark against your age group.
- 401(k) calculator — project your retirement balance from your salary, contribution rate and employer match.
- Coast FIRE calculator — find the number where your invested savings coast to retirement without another contribution.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary by age in the US?+
Approximate median annual earnings for full-time workers by age (BLS median usual weekly earnings × 52, Q2 2025): age 20–24 ~$40,700; age 25–34 ~$59,200; age 35–44 ~$70,300; age 45–54 ~$70,800 (peak); age 55–64 ~$67,400; age 65+ ~$62,300. These are MEDIANS (half of full-time workers in the band earn more, half less). The mean is meaningfully higher because high earners pull the average up.
What is the difference between median and average (mean) salary?+
The median is the middle of the distribution — half of workers earn more, half less. The mean (average) is the total of all salaries divided by the number of workers, and it is consistently higher because a relatively small number of very-high earners pull it upward. For a personal benchmark the median is the better reference, which is why the BLS earnings series above is reported as a median. Depending on the age band the US mean is roughly 20–40% above the median.
What is a good salary in the US?+
It depends on age, location, and household size, but as a rough framework anchored to full-time BLS medians: at 30, earning above ~$59,000 puts you in the top half for your age; six figures ($100,000+) is roughly the top 20–25% of individual full-time earners in most age bands; and $150,000+ is comfortably top 10% for an individual. High-cost metros (San Francisco, New York, Boston) shift the cost-of-living-adjusted threshold up by tens of thousands versus lower-cost states. Income is only half the picture — compare against net worth for your age too.
Why is there a gender pay gap in the US earnings data?+
Among full-time wage and salary workers in Q2 2025, women's median weekly earnings ($1,078) were about 81% of men's ($1,330) — a gap that widens from the late 20s and is largest in dollar terms at 35–54. Three structural factors drive it: (1) occupational segregation — women are over-represented in lower-paid fields and under-represented in the highest-paid ones; (2) hours and career continuity — even within full-time work, men average more paid hours and fewer career breaks, and caregiving falls disproportionately on women in the 30s–40s; (3) a residual within-role gap after controlling for occupation and hours. Census annual figures for full-time, year-round workers put the ratio closer to 83–84 cents on the dollar.
When are the peak earning years in the US?+
For full-time workers the combined median peaks at 45–54 (~$70,800/year, ~$1,362/week), with 35–44 just behind (~$70,300). Men peak at 45–54 (~$79,000); women's full-time median is essentially flat from 35 onward (~$61,800–$61,900 at 35–54) before easing after 55. After the mid-50s, medians decline gradually as workers shift to part-time or self-employment (both excluded from this series) and as higher earners retire.
Does this include part-time workers, bonuses, or self-employment?+
No. The BLS 'usual weekly earnings' series covers FULL-TIME wage and salary workers only. It excludes part-time workers, the self-employed, and business owners, and it measures usual earnings from a main job — so irregular bonuses, overtime spikes, and investment or government-transfer income are not captured the way an annual tax figure would be. That is why these are cleaner 'salary' benchmarks than total-income measures, but they understate total compensation for people with large bonuses, equity, or self-employment income. For total household resources, see net worth by age.
How does my income compare to my net worth by age?+
Income and net worth tell different stories. Income measures annual cash flow; net worth measures accumulated wealth (assets minus debts). The two often diverge — high earners with big mortgages and student loans can have low net worth, while modest earners with paid-off homes can have high net worth. The Fed's Survey of Consumer Finances tracks net worth by age; the BLS tracks earnings. See /us/data/average-net-worth-by-age for the accumulated-wealth side by age band.
Where does this data come from?+
Primary source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey — 'Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers', Table 3 (median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age and sex), Q2 2025. Annual figures here are the published weekly medians multiplied by 52. BLS updates this series quarterly. For total personal income (including part-time, self-employment and non-wage income) the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement is the standard reference. All sources are publicly available.
