Average Salary in the US (2026)
Bureau of Labor Statistics data puts median full-time earnings at about $1,200 a week, or roughly $62,000 a year. Here is what that means after federal tax, how the other averages differ and why your pay may not match.
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What is the average salary in the US?
The average salary in the US is about $62,000 a year for full-time wage and salary workers, based on BLS median usual weekly earnings of roughly $1,200 in 2025. Across all jobs, including part-time, the BLS mean wage was about $67,900 and the median about $49,500 in May 2024. Pay varies widely by state, occupation and education.
What is the average salary in the US in 2026?
The average salary in the US for a full-time worker is about $62,000 a year. That figure comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' quarterly report on usual weekly earnings, which put the median for full-time wage and salary workers at roughly $1,200 a week during 2025. Multiply by 52 and you get about $62,000.
Earnings have been rising a few percent a year, so 2026 figures are likely to be somewhat higher. Treat any 2026 number as an estimate until BLS publishes it, and check the latest quarterly release for the current median.
The median is the middle value: half of full-time workers earn more and half earn less. It is usually the fairest benchmark for judging an offer, because the mean is pulled up by a small number of very high earners.
Mean vs median salary in the US
Different government surveys answer slightly different questions, which is why you see several "average salary" figures quoted. The table below shows the main ones and what each measures.
| Measure | Figure | What it covers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median usual weekly earnings | about $1,200 a week (2025) | Full-time wage and salary workers | BLS Current Population Survey |
| Mean annual wage | about $67,900 (May 2024) | All jobs, full- and part-time | BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics |
| Median annual wage | about $49,500 (May 2024) | All jobs, full- and part-time | BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics |
| Median household income | about $83,700 (2024) | All income of everyone in a household | US Census Bureau |
Household income is higher than individual pay because many households have two earners and income from sources other than wages. Compare your own salary with individual measures, and your household total with the Census figure.
Average salary in US take-home pay
Take-home pay depends on federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare (together called FICA), state and local income tax, and deductions such as a 401(k) or health insurance premiums. The estimates below use 2025 federal brackets for a single filer with the $15,750 standard deduction, Social Security at 6.2% up to $176,100 and Medicare at 1.45%. They exclude state tax and benefits.
| Gross salary | Federal income tax | FICA | Take-home per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,672 | $3,060 | $34,268 | $2,856 |
| $50,000 | $3,872 | $3,825 | $42,304 | $3,525 |
| $62,000 | $5,312 | $4,743 | $51,946 | $4,329 |
| $80,000 | $9,049 | $6,120 | $64,831 | $5,403 |
| $100,000 | $13,449 | $7,650 | $78,901 | $6,575 |
| $150,000 | $25,067 | $11,475 | $113,458 | $9,455 |
State income tax ranges from zero in states such as Texas, Florida and Washington to several percent in states such as California and New York, so the same salary can leave a noticeably different amount in your account. Brackets and the standard deduction are adjusted each year; check the IRS for 2026 amounts.
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How does salary vary by state and occupation?
Where you work matters. BLS data consistently shows higher typical pay in Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Washington State, California and New York, and lower pay in much of the South and parts of the Mountain West. Housing costs tend to follow the same pattern, so a higher salary does not always mean more money left over.
Occupation and education matter even more. Management, legal, computer, engineering and healthcare practitioner jobs pay the most, while food preparation, personal care and many retail roles pay the least. BLS reports that workers with a bachelor's degree earn considerably more per week than those with only a high school diploma.
What is the minimum wage in the US?
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, unchanged since 2009. At 40 hours a week that is about $15,080 a year. Many states and cities set higher minimums, and a large share of workers live somewhere with a minimum well above the federal rate. Check your state labour department for the current figure.
To convert an hourly rate into an annual salary, or the reverse, use our hourly to salary calculator.
Making an average salary go further
- Budget from monthly take-home pay after tax, benefits and retirement contributions.
- Keep housing near or below 30% of gross income where you can.
- Build an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses before investing heavily.
- Track spending for a full month to find the categories that leak.
- Recheck the budget after every raise. Our raise calculator shows what an increase is worth.
EMOH Pay is free on iPhone, Android and the web and works in US dollars. Bank sync is only available for Canadian banks, so US users add transactions manually or from receipts, and budgets with overspend alerts track the rest. See our US budgeting app page and budgeting worldwide for more. For comparison with other countries, read about the average salary in Canada and the average salary in the UK.
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Get started free➜Average Salary in the US (2026): frequently asked questions
What is a good salary in the US?
Anything above the full-time median of about $62,000 a year is above average. Whether it feels comfortable depends on your state, city and household. In high-cost cities such as New York or San Francisco, you may need well above the median to live without strain.
Is the US average salary mean or median?
Both are published. The BLS usual weekly earnings figure is a median for full-time workers, and the OEWS survey publishes both a mean and a median for all jobs. The median is the better guide to typical pay.
How much is $62,000 a year after taxes?
About $52,000 a year, or roughly $4,300 a month, after 2025 federal income tax and FICA for a single filer. State and local taxes and deductions such as a 401(k) reduce it further.
What is the average household income in the US?
The US Census Bureau put median household income at about $83,700 in 2024. It is higher than individual pay because many households have more than one earner.
Can EMOH Pay connect to US bank accounts?
No. Automatic bank sync is only available for Canadian banks. US users can still track spending in dollars by entering transactions manually or scanning receipts.
Sources and further reading
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