Benchmarks · Income · 38–41

Income for people aged 38–41 in the U.S.

Gross annual income from salary, bonus and other regular deposits.

Modeled estimate · federal survey data

Median

$130K

Upper quarter

$186K

Top 10%

$288K

Half of people aged 38–41 in the U.S. have a annual income above $129,600. Reaching the upper quarter takes about $186,000, and the top 10% starts at $288,000 — roughly 2.2× the median. The lower quarter sits below $88,800, and the bottom 10% is under $62,400.

The full distribution

Percentile	Income	What it means
Bottom 10%	$62,400	9 in 10 are above this
Lower quarter	$88,800	25th percentile
Median	$129,600	half above, half below
Upper quarter	$186,000	75th percentile
Top 10%	$288,000	only 1 in 10 is above this
Average (mean)	$142,560	pulled up by the top end — the median is the better "typical"

Where do you stand?

Connect your accounts and Keeping Up shows your exact percentile against people aged 38–41 in the U.S. — plus savings rate, spending by category and net worth over time. Read-only bank access via Plaid; your numbers are never shown to anyone.

See where you stand →Free to start · no card required

Income by age

Age	Lower quarter	Median income	Upper quarter	Top 10%
22–25 →	$43K	$58K	$77K	$108K
26–29 →	$60K	$82K	$110K	$162K
30–33 →	$72K	$102K	$144K	$216K
34–37 →	$82K	$118K	$168K	$252K
38–41	$89K	$130K	$186K	$288K
42–45 →	$94K	$138K	$198K	$312K
46–50 →	$96K	$144K	$210K	$336K
50 and over →	$91K	$134K	$202K	$324K

Income at 38–41 by city

Metro	Lower quarter	Median income	Upper quarter	Top 10%
New York City →	$112K	$166K	$241K	$381K
San Francisco →	$124K	$184K	$268K	$427K
Los Angeles →	$104K	$153K	$221K	$348K
Chicago →	$96K	$140K	$202K	$314K
Boston →	$102K	$150K	$217K	$341K
Washington, DC →	$104K	$153K	$221K	$348K
Seattle →	$109K	$161K	$233K	$367K
Austin →	$97K	$143K	$206K	$321K

National figures above; metro pages adjust for local incomes and housing costs.

More for people aged 38–41 in the U.S.

Net worth →Retirement savings →Investments →Savings rate →Monthly spending →

Common questions

What is the median annual income for people aged 38–41 in the U.S.?

The median annual income for people aged 38–41 in the U.S. is $129,600. Half of this group is above that figure and half below.

What annual income puts you in the top 10% of people aged 38–41 in the U.S.?

About $288,000. The 90th percentile is the level only one in ten people in this group exceeds — roughly 2.2× the median.

Where do these numbers come from?

They are modeled percentile distributions fitted to this cohort from federal survey microdata — the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances, the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, Census ACS and BLS wage data — and they blend toward anonymized, aggregated data from Keeping Up members as each cohort grows. Full methodology at keepingup.com/methodology.

How this is built. Percentiles are modeled for this cohort from federal survey microdata — Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, Census American Community Survey and BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics — with metro cost-of-living and wage adjustments. As Keeping Up members in this cohort grow, the band blends toward anonymized, aggregated live data (minimum cohort sizes apply; no individual is ever identifiable). Amounts are in current dollars. Read the full methodology.

Last updated June 2026. Cohort: people aged 38–41 in the U.S.. Model sample basis: 500.