AnswerAt age 25 with $25k income, the median US net worth is $1,500. The 75th percentile is $14,000. You can see where you rank below.
Median: $1,500 · 75th percentile: $14,000
Source: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, 2022 data (released Sept 2023)
Am I behind at age 25 on $25k?
Median net worth for US households age 25 earning $25k is $1,500; top 10% starts at $52,000. Sourced from the Federal Reserve's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances.
At 25 earning $25K, the SCF places median net worth at about $1,500, with the 25th percentile slightly negative at -$2,000. Most peers here are in service, gig, or grad-school roles, and student debt commonly outweighs any savings cushion built so far.
Your numbers
Used to pick your SCF age bracket (Under 35).
Your SCF income tier: $25,000 – $50,000. Use gross household income, not take-home.
Total assets minus total liabilities. Negative values are allowed.
- 25th percentile
- $500
- Median (50th)
- $13,000
- 75th percentile
- $58,000
- Top 10% (90th)
- $175,000
- Top 1% (99th)
- $720,000
Your ranking
How this number is calculated
We look up your age and income in the Federal Reserve's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances (the most recent SCF, released Sept 2023), then interpolate your position between published 25th/50th/75th/90th/99th percentile breakpoints for that age×income cell. Figures are nominal 2022 USD. Households with similar age and income show meaningful net-worth variance — the percentile reflects how your balance sheet compares to theirs, not to the full US population.
What these numbers mean for age 25, $25k
A $25K income at 25 typically reflects retail, food service, hourly gig work, a stipend during graduate study, or a transitional year between jobs. The SCF "under-35, under-$25K" cell reports a median net worth of just $1,500, meaning half of households at this combination own essentially nothing once debts are netted against assets. Negative figures at the 25th percentile are normal and largely driven by student loan balances that have not yet been chipped down.
The 75th percentile at $14,000 hints at the households that escape the negative-equity trap early, often because they avoided student debt, lived with family, or received a small inheritance or gift. The 90th percentile of $52,000 generally represents someone with an unusual asset, such as a paid-off used car, a starter Roth IRA opened in high school, or a modest brokerage account funded during a side hustle.
The wide gap between the 90th and 99th percentile ($52K vs $310K) at this income tier is almost always inheritance or family transfer, not earned wealth — a 25-year-old earning $25K cannot save $310K from wages alone. For most people in this cell, simply reaching a positive net worth within two or three years is a meaningful milestone, and the math improves substantially once income clears $40K.
Benchmarks for age 25, $25k
Source: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, 2022 (released September 2023). Figures in 2022 USD. Your seeded percentile if net worth equals the median for this cell: 27th.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a negative net worth at 25 with $25K income something to worry about?
Not on its own. The SCF shows the 25th percentile here is -$2,000, which usually reflects unpaid student loans rather than overspending. A negative balance at this stage is statistically normal, especially within the first few years after graduation.
What kinds of jobs typically pay around $25K at age 25?
Common roles include barista, server, retail associate, home health aide, hourly tutor, rideshare driver, and entry-level admin work. Graduate students on stipends, AmeriCorps participants, and people working part-time while job-hunting also cluster in this band.
How do student loans factor into the SCF net worth figures?
The SCF treats student loans like any other liability — they reduce reported net worth dollar-for-dollar. A graduate with $20K in loans and $5K in checking shows -$15K, even if their long-term earning trajectory is strong.
Could the 99th percentile of $310K really come from working a $25K job?
Almost never. At this income, top-1% net worth at age 25 nearly always reflects a family trust, a paid-off home transferred from parents, or a sizable gift. It is not a target reachable through earned savings on a $25K salary.
What is a realistic two-year savings goal from this starting point?
Building a $1,000 emergency buffer and reaching a non-negative net worth within 24 months is a common, achievable target. From there, capturing any 401(k) match if available tends to be the next step before aggressive debt paydown.
Does this percentile data include people still in graduate school?
Yes. The SCF surveys all US households regardless of student status, so a 25-year-old in a PhD program with a stipend is counted in the same cell as a full-time service worker. This pulls the median down compared to working-only samples.
Methodology & data sources
Calculations on this page use published benchmarks from US federal statistical agencies. Percentile breakpoints are interpolated linearly between published cells. Figures are in current-year USD unless noted. Numbers are educational estimates, not personalized financial advice.