Income Percentile Calculator
The median U.S. household earned $87,460 in the latest Census release; the median individual worker about $53,010. Enter a number and see exactly where it lands on the national curve — the answer is a distribution, not an average.
A $100,000 household income is roughly the 56th percentile — The percentile is interpolated between published household-income thresholds. Top 10% starts near $261,248; top 1% near $704,999 (household).
- Median household$87,460
- Top 25% (household)~$159,510
- Top 10%~$261,248
- Top 5%~$354,000
- Top 1%~$704,999
Census P60-289 (Sept 2026, income year 2025); percentile curve: Household percentile curve computed by DQYDJ from CPS/IPUMS microdata for income year 2025 (median $87,288). The official Census median is $87,460; these distinct estimates are not combined. Individual-worker thresholds retain income year 2024.
U.S. household income percentiles
| Percentile | Household income |
|---|---|
| 10th | $20,005 |
| 20th | $35,740 |
| 25th | $43,708 |
| 40th | $68,553 |
| 50th | $87,288 |
| 60th | $110,220 |
| 75th | $159,510 |
| 80th | $182,372 |
| 90th | $261,248 |
| 95th | $354,000 |
| 99th | $704,999 |
Household income year 2025, from DQYDJ CPS/IPUMS microdata (median $87,288), distinct from the official Census median of $87,460. Mean household income is $126,664 — pulled far above the median by the top of the distribution, which is the whole reason percentiles beat averages here.
Individual worker milestones (income year 2024)
| Milestone | Individual income |
|---|---|
| Median, all workers | $53,010 |
| Median, full-time (40+ hrs) | $65,000 |
| Top 25% (full-time) | $106,045 |
| Top 10% | $155,042 |
| Top 5% | $210,351 |
| Top 1% | $450,100 |
Household vs. individual matters: two median workers married to each other form a ~75th-percentile household. Compare like with like — and note these are pre-tax incomes; the Census 2025 post-tax median is $76,060.
Frequently asked questions
What income is the top 10% in the U.S.?
About $261,248 for households and $155,042 for individual workers (households: income year 2025; individual workers: income year 2024).
Is $100,000 a good household income?
It's around the 56th percentile — better than a majority, but no longer rare: The household curve uses income earned in 2025. Location changes the feel more than the rank.
What is the median household income?
$87,460 (Census, income year 2025). Post-tax, the 2025 median is $76,060.
Household or individual — which should I use?
Applications and Census statistics usually mean household (everyone under one roof). For salary benchmarking, use individual full-time figures — the median full-time worker earns about $65,000.
Sources & methodology
Sources: Census P60-289 (income year 2025) · DQYDJ percentile curves (IPUMS CPS; household income year 2025).
Percentile curve from CPS ASEC microdata (third-party computation, labeled), kept distinct from Census-official medians; between-anchor values interpolated. Individual-worker curve uses published milestone thresholds.