# What is your estimate of an "ordinary" salary in the U.S. today



## DaveA (Oct 18, 2019)

Eliminating business owners, doctors, lawyers, etc., obviously high end jobs, what is considered an ordinary annual salary.  I've been retired for 27 years now and am probably out of touch with what folks earn. Town, city employees, bus/truck drivers, laborers, restaurant employees, etc.  I realize pays are all over the place and I'm not asking anyone to state what they earn (or have earned). Just the amount that one would considered average when engaged in a discussion regarding retirement.

I sometimes feel that the range must be enormous, high to low,  when listening to folks discussing how to go about a successful savings program.


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## Trade (Oct 18, 2019)

https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/AWI.html
*



			Latest index
		
Click to expand...

*


> The national average wage index for 2018 is 52,145.80. The index is 3.62 percent higher than the index for 2017.
> 
> However the median wage is much less at $32,838.50
> 
> https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/central.html


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## hollydolly (Oct 18, 2019)

National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage per hour in the UK   is:



25 and over: £8.21
21-24: £7.70
18-20: £6.15
Under 18: £4.35
Apprentice: £3.90
Now according to statistics and govt figures the Average salary in the uk is
the average full-time salary is *£36,611* and average part-time salary is* £12,495*.

Now my maths may not be the greatest, but if I work out  an average of 40 hours @ £8.21 that's approx   £328 .00 ..then 52 x £328 is £17.056 approx.. nowhere near the gvt figures of  £36,611  in fact almost half!!..

Just appalling actually!!


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## Lethe200 (Oct 18, 2019)

I live in a HCOL region. An "ordinary" salary would be a minimum of $65K. A middle-class salary/income would start at $100K/yr. A "comfortable middle-class" (meaning a $5K emergency wouldn't wipe out your emergency nest egg or impact your total _annual _expenditures) is estimated at $150K.

We have friends who have more and a few who have less than the average "ordinary". For the latter, it's a rough and uncertain life.

One issue with looking at averages - usually it's assumed that is per household or per person. However, having children complicates the mix. People with kids in our area have much higher expenses than we do, as we are/were DINKies (double income no kids).


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## mathjak107 (Oct 18, 2019)

Without taking the location in to the equation who cares what some average number is ...all that matters is the purchasing power your income buys where you live  and the lifestyle it gets you ...


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## Keesha (Oct 18, 2019)

Average Canadian salary $26.83 an hour or $55, 806.40 based on a 40 hour work week.


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## JustBonee (Oct 18, 2019)

mathjak107 said:


> Without taking the location in to the equation who cares what some average number is ...all that matters is the purchasing power your income buys where you live  and the lifestyle it gets you ...



Exactly.


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## Don M. (Oct 19, 2019)

mathjak107 said:


> Without taking the location in to the equation who cares what some average number is ...all that matters is the purchasing power your income buys where you live  and the lifestyle it gets you ...



Exactly...."Location" is the biggest single determination.  In some of the major coastal cities, 100K/yr. barely allows a family to scrape by, while in places like the Midwest, half that amount lets people live quite well.


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## mathjak107 (Oct 19, 2019)

you see these kinds of posts all the time on forums .usually in the form of a question like how much do I need to retire ....it is like asking how long is a rope .....we all earn different amounts when working , live in different areas and live different lifestyles ....i always find these kinds of questions silly


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## JB in SC (Oct 20, 2019)

mathjak107 said:


> you see these kinds of posts all the time on forums .usually in the form of a question like how much do I need to retire ....it is like asking how long is a rope .....we all earn different amounts when working , live in different areas and live different lifestyles ....i always find these kinds of questions silly



I agree, to a point. I found many folks have no inkling how incredibly inexpensive it can be to live in certain areas in the Midwest and South, compared to the northeast and coastal west. It doesn’t hurt to ask.


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## Manatee (Oct 20, 2019)

Way more than I get.


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## Knight (Oct 20, 2019)

In an open forum asking questions can be interesting, no one is forced to read or answer. Like the op being out of the work force for 27 years wondering what wages are paid as an average seems like a reasonable question. I wondered what the average was 27 years ago when the op left the work force


The chart in this site shows the average.

Measures Of Central Tendency For Wage Data
Office of the Chief Actuary
For more detailed information on the average wage data for any year, including a distribution by wage level, select a year and click "Go."

As indicated in the explanation of the determination of the national average wage index (AWI), the latest annual change in the "raw" average wages is applied to the last AWI to obtain the next one. Such raw average wages are the average amounts of net compensation (as distinct from total employee compensation) listed in the table below.

An average is just one measure of central tendency for any set of data. Another measure is a median. For our wage data, the median wage (or net compensation) is the wage "in the middle." That is, half of the workers earned below this level. The table below shows that the median wage is substantially less than the average wage. The reason for the difference is that the distribution of workers by wage level is highly skewed.

https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/central.html

Does the average translate to being able to set aside a portion for retirement? Do people even think about retirement and the prospect of trying to live on Soc. Sec. or the equivlent in other countries?


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## MarciKS (Jun 10, 2020)

This was from this year...

"Salaries in Kansas range from 12,300 USD per year (minimum salary) to 401,000 USD per year (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher). Median Salary The median salary is *85,100 USD per year*, which means that half (50%) of the population are earning less than 85,100 USD while the other half are earning more than 85,100 USD. "

I make *WAY* less than $85,000.


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## Aunt Bea (Jun 10, 2020)

The median income in my zip code is estimated at $28,218.00 and the median home price is $79,600.00.

This link will allow you to see what best places think the numbers look like in your area.

https://www.bestplaces.net/find/


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## Lizzie00 (Jun 10, 2020)

Aunt Bea said:


> The median income in my zip code is estimated at $28,218.00 and the median home price is $79,600.00.
> This link will allow you to see what best places think the numbers look like in your area.
> https://www.bestplaces.net/find/


Very cool link, thx!
Median income in my zip reads as $43,248.
Median home price - $204,700.
Population - 35,314


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## hellomimi (Jun 10, 2020)

I lived in lcol state for several years where professionals earning $100k++ enjoyed a lot of disposable income. Now that I'm in hcol county/state, income may be higher but with sky rocketing cost of everything, there's  lesser disposable income after taxes and everything. IME, there's a premium to pay for living in areas that provide unlimited opportunities for career growth and advancement.

If, and when I decide to quit working, I may consider living overseas where I can live comfortably with what I have. Hopefully, I'd still be in good shape to enjoy paradise.


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## Aunt Marg (Jun 10, 2020)

The *average salary in British Columbia (Canada),* is $48,692 per year, or $24.97 per hour. Entry level positions start at $23,400 per year, while most experienced workers make up to $82,776 per year.

The *average house price in British Columbia (Canada)*... $730,000


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## Manatee (Jun 10, 2020)

My mid 20s grandson is making more than 3 times what I made when I was working.


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## Lizzie00 (Jun 10, 2020)

Manatee said:


> My mid 20s grandson is making more than 3 times what I made when I was working.



What year did you stop working?


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## Em in Ohio (Jun 10, 2020)

Hmph!  The numbers must be skewed by the rich folks.  I never broke $20k a year and only know a few that came anywhere near this median income.   /-;   

Unemployment Rate
4.7%
Median Income
$55,497
Median Home Price
$151,200


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## mathjak107 (Jun 11, 2020)

income in my zip , bay terrace queens ny :


*Average Household Income*$78,505.65*Median Household Income*$86,174.00


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## OneEyedDiva (Jun 11, 2020)

Aunt Bea said:


> The median income in my zip code is estimated at $28,218.00 and the median home price is $79,600.00.
> This link will allow you to see what best places think the numbers look like in your area.
> https://www.bestplaces.net/find/


Very cool link Aunt Bea.

@mathjak107  "we all earn different amounts when working , live in different areas and live different lifestyles ....i always find these kinds of questions silly". 
Geesh MJ....what's wrong with "just wondering"?!


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## LindaB (Jun 11, 2020)

Everything is relative, I think. I have friends who are perfectly content living their retirement lifestyle on very little money and those who wouldn't be happy with any amount! There are so many factors including monthly debt/outlay, medical/pharmaceutical requirements, etc.


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## Keesha (Jun 11, 2020)

Average home price in Ontario is $594,000


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## Lizzie00 (Jun 11, 2020)

Keesha said:


> Average home price in Ontario is $594,000



Holy moly - i’d have to pitch a tent!


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## Aneeda72 (Jun 14, 2020)

JB in SC said:


> I agree, to a point. I found many folks have no inkling how incredibly inexpensive it can be to live in certain areas in the Midwest and South, compared to the northeast and coastal west. It doesn’t hurt to ask.


Yup, it’s expensive where I live.


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## Pinky (Jun 14, 2020)

The *average price* of a detached home sold in *Toronto* last month was $1.04 million, versus $617,658 for condominiums. The *average price* of a home in *Toronto* and its suburbs rose 7.1 per cent from a year earlier to $843,637 in November 2019.

It is getting impossible to afford a detached home in the city. Lots of townhouses being built, and they range between $800,000 to $1 million depending on location.

I don't know what the current market is.


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## Aneeda72 (Jun 14, 2020)

Pinky said:


> The *average price* of a detached home sold in *Toronto* last month was $1.04 million, versus $617,658 for condominiums. The *average price* of a home in *Toronto* and its suburbs rose 7.1 per cent from a year earlier to $843,637 in November 2019.
> 
> It is getting impossible to afford a detached home in the city. Lots of townhouses being built, and they range between $800,000 to $1 million depending on location.
> 
> I don't know what the current market is.


How much for space under a bridge if you bring your own blanket?


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## Pinky (Jun 14, 2020)

Younger couples in their 30's are living at home longer these days. It's no wonder they're having children in their late 30's/early 40's. 

Vancouver real estate is higher. The bigger cities here are getting to be like NYC.


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