Local Salaries · United States
What is a good salary in 🇺🇸 United States (New York)?
The median is about $5,087/month; top-10% earners clear $13,795/month.
The local wage ladder
| Band | Monthly | Annual | Local currency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survival floorsingle-person essentials | $2,410 | $28,920 | — |
| Statutory minimumILOSTAT statutory monthly minimum wage, 2025 (USD). | $1,257 | $15,084 | — |
| Median (p50)typical earner | $5,087 | $61,044 | — |
| Comfortable (p75)upper-middle | $8,600 | $103,200 | — |
| Top 10% (p90)high earner | $13,795 | $165,540 | — |
| Top 1% (p99)elite | $31,115 | $373,380 | — |
Modeled from World Bank GNI $88,810 (2025) and Gini 41.8. Check where you stand in the interactive benchmarker.
Countries with similar median pay
- 🇩🇰 Denmark — median $4,980/mo
- 🇮🇪 Ireland — median $5,642/mo
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands — median $4,367/mo
- 🇸🇬 Singapore — median $4,329/mo
See also: what everyday life costs in United States · a fair US → United States salary
Frequently asked questions
- What is a good salary in United States?
- The median wage is about $5,087/month ($61,044/year). A "comfortable" p75 salary is around $8,600/month, and you'd be a top-10% earner above $13,795/month.
- What is a top 10% salary in United States?
- Roughly $13,795/month ($165,540/year) puts you in the top 10%; the top 1% starts near $31,115/month.
- What is the minimum wage in United States?
- About $1,257/month. ILOSTAT statutory monthly minimum wage, 2025 (USD).
- How are these United States salary figures calculated?
- A log-normal wage model calibrated from World Bank GNI per capita ($88,810, 2025) and the Gini index (41.8). Estimates for benchmarking, not payroll data.