US Individual Income Percentile Calculator

Compare your gross annual individual money income with all US earners age 15+ based on weighted 2026 CPS ASEC microdata.

Linear interpolation between weighted quantile thresholds

P(x) ≈ p₍L₎ + ((x - x₍L₎) / (x₍U₎ - x₍L₎)) (p₍U₎ - p₍L₎)

Weighted percentile boundaries are computed using the complex survey sample design weights. Amounts falling between benchmark quantiles are linearly interpolated.

SymbolVariableDescription
xPersonal income inputGross annual money income earned individually before taxes.
x_L, x_UAdjacent dollar thresholdsWeighted quantiles from the CPS ASEC microdata.
p_L, p_UBenchmark percentilesQuantile coordinates bounding the user input.

Input scope and steps

  1. 1

    Choose the comparison unit

    Use one person’s total money income on individual pages; use household totals on the household page, not just a couple’s salaries.

  2. 2

    Enter a consistent amount

    Use actual 2025 pretax annual money income: wages, net self-employment income and qualifying interest, pension and transfer income. Exclude unrealized capital gains. A new job’s annualized salary is not the same as completed-year income.

  3. 3

    Interpret the estimate and gaps

    Percentiles depend on cohort, year, weights and interpolation; they do not measure financial security or predict future income.

US Individual Income Percentile & Wage Earner Distribution Matrix (2025/2026 CPS ASEC)

National individual money income distribution for Americans age 15+ with positive earnings, derived from the US Census Bureau CPS ASEC. Covers approximately 180 million working-age income recipients.

Individual PercentileMinimum Annual Income (USD)Worker Tier ClassificationTop National ShareTypical Career & Occupational Profile
10th Percentile (P10)$9,000Part-Time / Student EarnerTop 90.0%Part-time retail, campus work-study, or seasonal gig work
20th Percentile (P20)$17,730Entry-Level Hourly WageTop 80.0%Federal/state minimum wage baseline; hospitality, food service, or retail staff
25th Percentile (P25)$21,672Lower Quartile (P25)Top 75.0%First quartile boundary; early entry-level support roles
35th Percentile (P35)$30,064Full-Time AssociateTop 65.0%Full-time administrative assistant, warehouse associate, childcare worker
50th Percentile (P50)$46,560National Individual MedianTop 50.0%The exact statistical midpoint of all American individual income earners
65th Percentile (P65)$65,281Skilled Technical / TradeTop 35.0%Experienced electricians, plumbers, staff accountants, public school teachers
75th Percentile (P75)$85,010Top Quartile Earner (P75)Top 25.0%Registered nurses, mid-level software developers, project managers, sales leads
85th Percentile (P85)$118,000Six-Figure Earner ThresholdTop 15.0%Senior software engineers, finance managers, engineering directors
90th Percentile (P90)$149,719Top Decile (Top 10%)Top 10.0%Senior corporate managers, medical pharmacists, specialized corporate attorneys
95th Percentile (P95)$202,600Top 5% Individual EarnerTop 5.0%Physicians, dentist practice owners, big-tech staff engineers, VP-level executives
98th Percentile (P98)$306,011Top 2% Individual EarnerTop 2.0%Specialized surgeons, investment banking directors, equity law partners
99th Percentile (P99)$437,468Top 1% Individual TierTop 1.0%Top 1 in 100 American wage earners; corporate C-suite, hedge fund executives

A reproducible median example

Choose Age 15+ with nonzero money income — 2025 and enter $46,560: the estimate is the 50th percentile. The gap to the 90th-percentile threshold of $149,719 is $103,159.

Data version and calculation method

U.S. Census Bureau — 2026 CPS ASEC public-use files (2025 income). Individuals: PTOTVAL, MARSUPWT and A_AGE; age 15+ with nonzero total money income. Households: HTOTVAL and HSUP_WGT; interviewed households, excluding group quarters.

  • Income refers to 2025; the survey is 2026 CPS ASEC and age is measured at survey time.
  • Sort values and accumulate survey weights; select the first value reaching the target probability. Zero-income individuals are excluded and losses are retained.
  • These are site-derived public-use microdata estimates. Confidentiality treatment, cohorts and quantile algorithms can produce differences from agency summary tables.
  • Updated October 2026. Sampling confidence intervals have not been estimated; extreme-tail thresholds need particular caution.

What this comparison cannot tell you

This is not a full-time wage distribution or an occupational pay benchmark. National money income is not adjusted for family size, living costs, occupation or region. Age differences are not one person’s career trajectory.

References and model notes

Individual Income Percentile FAQ

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