Benchmarks · Income · 50 and over

Income for people aged 50 and over in the U.S.

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

Modeled estimate · federal survey data

Median

$134K

Upper quarter

$202K

Top 10%

$324K

Half of people aged 50 and over in the U.S. have a annual income above $134,400. Reaching the upper quarter takes about $201,600, and the top 10% starts at $324,000 — roughly 2.4× the median. The lower quarter sits below $91,200, and the bottom 10% is under $64,800.

The full distribution

Percentile	Income	What it means
Bottom 10%	$64,800	9 in 10 are above this
Lower quarter	$91,200	25th percentile
Median	$134,400	half above, half below
Upper quarter	$201,600	75th percentile
Top 10%	$324,000	only 1 in 10 is above this
Average (mean)	$147,840	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 50 and over 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 50 and over by city

Metro	Lower quarter	Median income	Upper quarter	Top 10%
New York City →	$115K	$172K	$261K	$428K
San Francisco →	$128K	$191K	$291K	$480K
Los Angeles →	$107K	$159K	$240K	$391K
Chicago →	$98K	$145K	$219K	$354K
Boston →	$105K	$156K	$235K	$384K
Washington, DC →	$107K	$159K	$240K	$391K
Seattle →	$112K	$167K	$252K	$413K
Austin →	$100K	$148K	$223K	$361K

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

More for people aged 50 and over in the U.S.

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

Common questions

What is the median annual income for people aged 50 and over in the U.S.?

The median annual income for people aged 50 and over in the U.S. is $134,400. Half of this group is above that figure and half below.

What annual income puts you in the top 10% of people aged 50 and over in the U.S.?

About $324,000. The 90th percentile is the level only one in ten people in this group exceeds — roughly 2.4× 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 50 and over in the U.S.. Model sample basis: 500.