Figuring out a good salary in 2025 — or in any year — isn’t easy.
The exact number depends on a range of factors, including location, industry, experience level and even remote status.
Is Your Salary ‘Good’ Compared to Others?
One way to try to determine if your salary is considered good is to benchmark it against the salaries — or even household incomes — of other Americans in comparable situations.
According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data, real median household income in the U.S. was $80,610 in 2023, the most recent data available.
For a more individualized snapshot, an income calculator can help you drill down on where you rank among other adults based on income level.
For example, Pew Research Center’s income calculator (from September 2024) uses data to compare your salary or household income with those of other adults in your metropolitan area; U.S. adults overall; and U.S. adults who have a similar age, education level, race or ethnicity, and marital status.
The income calculator determines your income tier based on your size-adjusted household income paired with your location’s cost of living. Middle-income households are generally considered to have “good” incomes, as they are two-thirds to double the median income in the U.S.
Pew Research Center pinned these middle incomes as ranging from $56,600 to $169,800 at last measurement.
This is a wide range — spanning from five-figure salaries to six figures — and largely traces back to which part of the country you live in, showing the difficulty people may face in trying to gauge what a good salary is and isn’t.
[SEE: 25 Best Jobs That Pay $80K or More]
Other Factors to Consider: Location, Location, Location
What qualifies as a healthy salary in a major metropolitan area can differ greatly from the salary you need to feel well-compensated in a smaller town. In some larger cities — particular those with a major tech industry like San Francisco and Seattle — a six-figure salary may be the starting point for mid-level roles in some industries since the cost of living is higher.
“In 2025, a good salary depends on how far your income stretches where you live,” Chris Heerlein, an Austin, Texas-based CEO at investment advisory firm REAP Financial, said in an email. “A $90,000 paycheck feels tight in San Francisco but goes much further in cities like Raleigh or Tulsa.”
Heerlein said one of his clients kept his $110,000 tech-industry salary when he moved from Los Angeles to Raleigh, North Carolina. His cost of living dropped by nearly 40%, which gave him funds to buy a home, build savings, and invest aggressively — steps that were more difficult to take in Los Angeles due to its higher cost of living. “The number didn’t change, but what he could do with it did,” Heerlein said.
But remote work doesn’t always mean keeping a tech hub salary in a low-cost area. Christian Britton, principal of PRM Consulting Group based in the District of Columbia, who previously served in management roles at global consulting firms Deloitte and Korn Ferry, said many firms apply geographic differentials to base salary, even if the job can be done remotely.
“The same role can pay approximately 30% above or below the U.S. midpoint — for example, around 25% to 40% more in San Francisco and around 10% to 20% less in Birmingham, Alabama,” Britton said in an email.
[READ: 7 Benefits of Working From Home (and 7 Drawbacks)]
Tech, Finance and Health Care Still Lead With 6-Figure Salaries
Of course, work experience and industry are significant factors in determining salary.
“Salary rises with each job level because every step up carries broader responsibility, more complex decision-making and greater accountability for outcomes, necessitating a pay premium to attract and motivate talent capable of delivering that heightened value,” Britton said. He added that each additional year of work experience deepens your expertise and gives employers greater confidence in your ability to deliver results — making you a more valuable and reliable employee, which helps justify higher pay.
Heerlein, who helps clients in different industries evaluate job offers and long-term earning potential, said that when it comes to defining a good salary, industry matters. “Tech, finance and health care still lead with six-figure salaries, while education and service roles haven’t caught up with inflation,” he said. “Experience counts, but specialized certifications and results-driven roles carry more weight than just tenure.”
Britton notes that industry sectors with greater profit margins, capital intensity and talent scarcity such as tech or finance usually offer higher salaries than lower-margin, more labor-intensive industries like hospitality or retail.
Remote Status and Other Benefits Count, Too
In 2025, the definition of a “good salary” has grown more complex influenced not just by location or industry but also by remote status. As many companies adapt to hybrid and remote structures, salary expectations shift accordingly.
With flexibility a stronger bargaining chip than in previous decades, some job seekers are prioritizing comprehensive benefits over base pay.
“Remote-work flexibility and robust noncash benefits reframe compensation as a total-rewards equation, enabling employers either to moderate base salary — when candidates willingly trade cash for lifestyle value or where perks widen the talent pool and drive higher productivity to justify a premium — whichever best aligns with market competition and the organization’s compensation philosophy,” Britton said.
[See: Best Jobs for Work-Life Balance]
Bottom Line
All in all, what’s a good salary to you in 2025 might not be the same as a good salary to others you work with or anyone else you know. A “good” salary is highly subjective, according to Philadelphia-based Anna Papalia, author of “Interviewology: The New Science of Interviewing” and former director of talent acquisition at Conner Strong & Buckelew, an insurance brokerage, employee benefits and risk management consulting firm.
“Each industry has different standards and salary bands, and every person has different beliefs about what makes them feel well compensated,” Papalia said in an email. “A ‘good’ salary has more to do with what makes you feel valued for the work that you offer.”
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What Is a Good Salary in 2025? originally appeared on usnews.com
