Yahoo Finance The Salary Needed To Crack the Top 5% in America’s 50 Largest Cities
In the richest major cities in America, you need to earn a minimum of nearly $270,000 to be considered part of the top 5% of earners. But in some major cities, you can earn under $200,000 and still be considered part of the top 5%.
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To determine what it takes to be in the top 5% of earners in major cities across the country, GOBankingRates used the latest U.S. Census Bureau income data for the 50 biggest cities in terms of total population and calculated both the top 5% income lower limit and the top 5% income average. All salary figures are adjusted to 2024 dollars.
Here’s a look at what it takes to be in the top 5% of earners in America’s 50 most-populated cities.
1. San Francisco
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $1,007,363
Average household income: $212,115
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2. Atlanta
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $820,758
Average household income: $138,573
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3. San Jose, California
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $775,803
Average household income: $193,252
4. Seattle
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $773,332
Average household income: $173,740
5. Washington
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $772,837
Average household income: $161,489
6. New York
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $746,353
Average household income: $131,806
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7. Boston
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $727,746
Average household income: $142,381
8. Oakland, California
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $691,594
Average household income: $149,858
9. Los Angeles
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $667,861
Average household income: $125,675
10. Charlotte, North Carolina
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $644,063
Average household income: $122,077
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11. Denver
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $625,097
Average household income: $131,917
12. San Diego
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $614,755
Average household income: $142,407
13. Dallas
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $614,090
Average household income: $109,624
14. Austin, Texas
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $607,976
Average household income: $131,598
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15. Chicago
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $606,052
Average household income: $116,418
16. Houston
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $577,812
Average household income: $104,719
17. Raleigh, North Carolina
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $565,658
Average household income: $120,462
18. Miami
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $563,805
Average household income: $96,889
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19. Minneapolis
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $552,377
Average household income: $117,099
20. Portland, Oregon
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $550,487
Average household income: $126,455
21. Nashville, Tennessee
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $535,176
Average household income: $109,876
22. Virginia Beach, Virginia
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $502,395
Average household income: $121,835
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23. Omaha, Nebraska
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $501,628
Average household income: $105,044
24. Tulsa, Oklahoma
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $266,010
Top 5% average income: $487,642
Average household income: $93,044
25. Phoenix
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $486,335
Average household income: $107,302
26. Las Vegas
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $265,424
Top 5% average income: $481,810
Average household income: $100,482
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27. Long Beach, California
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $457,729
Average household income: $112,084
28. Bakersfield, California
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $453,412
Average household income: $106,666
29. Philadelphia
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $257,073
Top 5% average income: $449,726
Average household income: $90,725
30. Baltimore
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $259,773
Top 5% average income: $449,370
Average household income: $92,253
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31. Louisville, Kentucky
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $252,960
Top 5% average income: $443,524
Average household income: $95,149
32. Colorado Springs, Colorado
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $442,133
Average household income: $109,748
33. Sacramento, California
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,622+
Top 5% average income: $439,505
Average household income: $109,876
34. Fort Worth, Texas
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $268,413
Top 5% average income: $436,906
Average household income: $104,469
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35. Memphis, Tennessee
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $225,844
Top 5% average income: $431,508
Average household income: $79,702
36. Wichita, Kansas
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $229,303
Top 5% average income: $426,971
Average household income: $90,768
37. Jacksonville, Florida
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $242,207
Top 5% average income: $425,024
Average household income: $93,888
38. Oklahoma City
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $253,883
Top 5% average income: $424,418
Average household income: $95,269
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39. Indianapolis
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $236,126
Top 5% average income: $411,336
Average household income: $88,858
40. Fresno, California
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $243,296
Top 5% average income: $408,157
Average household income: $92,269
41. Mesa, Arizona
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $253,799
Top 5% average income: $408,068
Average household income: $102,506
42. Kansas City, Missouri
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $242,102
Top 5% average income: $406,950
Average household income: $94,201
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43. Arlington, Texas
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $249,607
Top 5% average income: $385,600
Average household income: $99,480
44. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $241,576
Top 5% average income: $381,936
Average household income: $89,913
45. San Antonio
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $225,530
Top 5% average income: $369,789
Average household income: $86,296
46. Columbus, Ohio
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $223,479
Top 5% average income: $354,930
Average household income: $88,412
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47. El Paso, Texas
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $213,298
Top 5% average income: $350,558
Average household income: $80,963
48. Milwaukee
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $185,248
Top 5% average income: $311,015
Average household income: $72,041
49. Tucson, Arizona
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $196,676
Top 5% average income: $304,703
Average household income: $74,735
50. Detroit
Income needed to be in the top 5%: $161,449
Top 5% average income: $272,681
Average household income: $58,081
Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates used the 2022 American Community Survey as conducted by the US Census Bureau to find the following for the 50 biggest cities in terms of total population: (1) population; (2) top 5% income lower limit; (3) top 5% income average; (4) share of household income by the top 5%; (5) median household income; and (6) average household income. All data was collected and up to date as of July 2, 2024.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Salary Needed To Crack the Top 5% in America’s 50 Largest Cities
