I found an interesting article through my local Buffalo Business First that states that a $100,000 salary is no longer considered successful. Based on the study of the article, the following is what is deemed successful by different generations.
A survey by Empower research from 2024 and updated in 2025 found the average salary Americans consider to be successful is $270,000. But that varied widely by generation, with Baby Boomers saying $100,000 a year in salary was financially successful, while Gen X said $212,000, millennials said $181,000 and Gen Z said $270,000 a year.
Younger workers are also aiming higher. A Ziprecruiter survey of new college graduates in 2025 found that they expected an average starting salary of about $101,500 - although the average starting salary for grads who had already found work was about $68,400.
Curious on what everyone's thoughts are on the results of these studies and what you consider to be a "successful" salary?
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Lexi Weber
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