AnswerAt age 30 with $250k income, the median US net worth is $470,000. The 75th percentile is $1,050,000. You can see where you rank below.
Median: $470,000 · 75th percentile: $1,050,000
Source: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, 2022 data (released Sept 2023)
Am I behind at age 30 on $250k?
Median net worth for US households age 30 earning $250k is $470,000; top 10% starts at $2,100,000. Sourced from the Federal Reserve's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances.
Top-bracket earners reaching $250,000 by thirty are statistically rare, populating roughly the top three percent of their age cohort. Median net worth in this tier sits at $470,000, with the 90th percentile reaching $2.1 million, typically driven by tech principals, finance VPs, dual-physician couples crossing into attendinghood, or founder-CEOs holding equity.
Your numbers
Used to pick your SCF age bracket (Under 35).
Your SCF income tier: Over $200,000. Use gross household income, not take-home.
Total assets minus total liabilities. Negative values are allowed.
- 25th percentile
- $125,000
- Median (50th)
- $470,000
- 75th percentile
- $1,050,000
- Top 10% (90th)
- $2,100,000
- Top 1% (99th)
- $6,500,000
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 30, $250k
Households at $250,000 by age thirty fall into a small set of well-defined paths: senior software engineers at top-paying public tech firms, investment-banking associates and private-equity associates, dual-physician couples where both partners just exited residency, second-time founders with priced-round salaries, or specialized quants and traders. Each path carries distinct wealth dynamics that calculators built on income alone obscure.
The $470,000 median masks two very different financial profiles. Dual-physician couples often hold negative or near-zero net worth at thirty due to combined student debt of $400,000 to $600,000, despite the high income. Tech principals with eight years of RSU grants from a high-flying employer commonly hold $800,000 to $1.5 million already, placing them above the 75th percentile of $1.05 million.
Tax planning becomes a primary wealth lever at this band. With marginal federal rates at 32 percent or higher, plus state taxes in the 5 to 13 percent range, the spread between traditional and Roth contributions can amount to $8,000 to $12,000 of present tax savings on a maxed 401(k). Backdoor Roth, megabackdoor Roth, and HSA stacking together create roughly $80,000 of tax-advantaged space annually for couples.
Benchmarks for age 30, $250k
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: 50th.
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Frequently asked questions
Are physicians at thirty really worth less than schoolteachers at thirty?
On a snapshot basis, often yes. Physicians typically finish residency between 29 and 32 with $250,000 to $400,000 in education debt, while teachers have been earning and contributing to pensions for eight years. The trajectory inverts sharply by age forty.
Should founders take RSU offers seriously versus equity in their own company?
Public-company RSUs are liquid and predictable, while founder equity is illiquid and probability-weighted. Most second-time founders model their own equity at a 70 to 90 percent haircut for comparison purposes when evaluating the opportunity cost of staying versus joining a larger employer.
How does the AMT affect ISO exercises at this income?
Exercising incentive stock options creates a paper gain that can trigger Alternative Minimum Tax even without a sale. At $250,000 ordinary income, the AMT exemption phases out, making early-exercise or same-day-sale strategies common to avoid AMT carryforward complications.
Is a deferred-compensation plan worth the credit risk?
Non-qualified deferred comp sits as an unsecured creditor claim against the employer, which became publicly costly during 2008 and 2022 layoff waves. Most participants cap deferral at 20 to 30 percent of bonus and restrict it to investment-grade public-company employers.
Should dual physicians refinance student loans or pursue PSLF?
If both work at non-profit hospitals, Public Service Loan Forgiveness can erase $400,000 to $600,000 in combined debt after 120 qualifying payments. Private-practice or for-profit hospital tracks usually favor refinancing to 5 to 6 percent fixed and aggressive payoff over five to seven years.
What allocation makes sense with $1 million already invested?
Most fee-only advisors suggest 80 to 90 percent equities at age thirty given the multi-decade horizon, with international exposure of 25 to 40 percent of equity. Bond allocations begin gradually rising in the late thirties as the fixed-income drag becomes worth the volatility reduction.
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.