United States | News & Politics

Here's the survey

The more money Americans make, the higher the income they report needing to earn — both for feeling financially comfortable and rich.

Why do Americans have a higher bar for comfortability, the more money they make? One reason: They may be adjusting their standard of living along with their salary.

And MarketWatch pointed out an interesting statistic

Americans have a long way to go to meet either of those goals. Full-time workers earned on average $75,203 in 2021. The median salary — the midpoint between the highest and lowest — was $53,888, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Taken together, a bunch of people who make very little money want to make a lot of money for a higher standard of living. I suspect that if these Americans ended up earning $233K, they'd still financially insecure because their lifestyle would inflate with their incomes. That's why it's so high in the first place, not because $233K per year will lead to financial security. You could, and I do, feel secure with much less.