The average American salary for a full-time worker is about $65,000 a year in 2026. That’s based on median weekly earnings of $1,251 in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Across all jobs, including part-time work, the mean annual wage is $69,770.
What Is the Average Salary in the US?
There’s no single official “average salary.” The government publishes several measures, and each answers a slightly different question.
| Measure | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time earnings (Q2 2026) | $1,251 a week, about $65,050 a year | BLS Usual Weekly Earnings |
| Mean annual wage, all jobs (May 2025) | $69,770 | BLS Occupational Employment and Wages |
| Median annual wage, all jobs (May 2025) | About $50,980 ($24.51 an hour) | BLS Occupational Employment and Wages |
The median is the middle point: half of workers earn more and half earn less. The mean, or average, adds up all wages and divides by the number of workers, so a small number of very high earners pull it up.
The “all jobs” median is lower again because it includes part-time workers. For most people asking what a normal US salary is, the median full-time figure of about $65,000 is the most useful benchmark.
Is the Average Salary in the US Going Up?
Yes, and faster than prices. Median weekly earnings for full-time workers rose 4.6% over the year to Q2 2026, while consumer prices rose 3.9%. That means the typical full-time worker’s pay bought slightly more than a year earlier.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, median weekly earnings were $1,258 in Q2 2026, up from $1,233 in the first quarter. About 120.9 million Americans work full-time for a wage or salary.
Average Annual Salary in the US by Age
Pay rises quickly through the 20s and early 30s, peaks between 35 and 54, and dips slightly after that.
| Age | Median weekly earnings | About per year |
|---|---|---|
| 16 to 19 | $678 | $35,260 |
| 20 to 24 | $831 | $43,210 |
| 25 to 34 | $1,160 | $60,320 |
| 35 to 44 | $1,436 | $74,670 |
| 45 to 54 | $1,421 | $73,890 |
| 55 to 64 | $1,367 | $71,080 |
| 65 and over | $1,233 | $64,120 |
Full-time wage and salary workers, Q2 2026. Annual figures are weekly earnings × 52.
The biggest jump comes between the early 20s and the late 30s, when most people move from entry-level jobs into experienced and management roles. Someone aged 35 to 44 earns about 73% more than someone aged 20 to 24.
Average Salary in the US by Education
Education makes the biggest difference of any factor in the BLS data. Full-time workers aged 25 and over with a bachelor’s degree earn more than twice as much as those without a high school diploma.
| Education | Median weekly earnings | About per year |
|---|---|---|
| Less than high school | $803 | $41,760 |
| High school diploma | $994 | $51,690 |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | $1,768 | $91,940 |
At the top end, the gap is wider still. Among workers with advanced degrees, the highest-paid 10% of men earn at least $5,363 a week, and the highest-paid 10% of women at least $3,676.
Average Salary for Men and Women
Women working full-time earned a median of $1,131 a week in Q2 2026, compared with $1,380 for men. That’s 82.0% of men’s earnings, or about $58,810 a year compared with $71,760.
The gap is smallest for young workers. Among those aged 16 to 24, women earn 91.1% of what men earn. It widens with age: for workers 55 and over, women earn 78.5% of what men earn.
Average Salary by Job
Pay varies more by occupation than by any other single factor. These are the annual mean wages for some of the largest jobs in the US:
| Occupation | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|
| General and operations managers | $134,940 |
| Registered nurses | $101,420 |
| All occupations | $69,770 |
| Customer service representatives | $46,590 |
| Office clerks | $46,420 |
| Retail salespersons | $37,310 |
| Cashiers | $33,180 |
| Fast food and counter workers | $32,150 |
At the top end, pediatric surgeons ($502,050) and cardiologists ($454,940) are the highest-paid occupations in the country. Many of the largest occupations, such as retail and food service, pay well below the national average. That’s one reason the all-jobs median is so much lower than the mean.
Average Salary in the US by State
Where you live changes what counts as a normal salary. These are median annual wages for all jobs in May 2025:
| State | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $91,540 |
| Massachusetts | $63,590 |
| Washington | $62,990 |
| Alaska | $61,000 |
| Colorado | $59,800 |
| New York | $59,670 |
| California | $58,240 |
| West Virginia | $45,300 |
| Arkansas | $43,630 |
| Mississippi | $40,120 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, as compiled by Wagedex
Higher-paying states usually have higher housing and living costs too, so the difference in spending power is smaller than these numbers suggest.
Average Salary vs. Average Household Income
A salary is what one person earns from their job. Household income adds up everyone in a household, plus other income such as Social Security, pensions and investments. That’s why the US median household income, $87,460 in 2025 according to the Census Bureau, is well above the median salary. See our full guide to [average household income in the US](link to household income blog).
Why Employers Shouldn’t Set Pay From the National Average
A national average mixes every job, level and location into one number. A $65,000 median tells you nothing about what a senior data engineer in Austin or a nurse manager in Boston should earn.
Companies that pay competitively work from market data for each role, level and location. They match each job to salary survey data, choose a target percentile, and build salary ranges from there. Stello AI’s market pricing module does this with AI. It matches every job to paid survey data from its data provider partners, explains each match, and builds location-based ranges at your chosen percentile.
[Price your roles against the market, not the national average](link to Compensation Benchmarking page)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in the US?
The median salary for full-time US workers is about $65,000 a year, based on BLS data for Q2 2026. The mean annual wage across all jobs, including part-time, is $69,770.
What is a normal salary in America?
About $65,000 a year for a full-time worker. Half of full-time workers earn more and half earn less.
Is $65,000 a good salary in the US?
It’s right at the national median for full-time workers, so it’s a typical salary. How far it goes depends heavily on where you live and your household size.
What is the average annual salary in the US by age?
It peaks between ages 35 and 44, at about $74,670 a year for full-time workers. Workers aged 25 to 34 earn about $60,320.
Which state has the highest average salary?
Washington, D.C. has the highest median wage at $91,540 a year, followed by Massachusetts ($63,590) and Washington State ($62,990).
What is the average hourly wage in the US?
The median hourly wage across all jobs was $24.51 in May 2025, which works out to about $50,980 a year for full-time hours.
