Americans feel financial security with this salary

To feel financially healthy, you need a six-figure salary, according to a survey by Personal Capital and the Harris Poll.

The average amount American adults said they would need to earn to feel financially fit was $128,000, according to the survey. This figure is far from the US median household income in 2020 of $67,521, according to the US Census Bureau.

The survey of more than 2,000 people found “a diminished sense of financial confidence” in the Americans. In the last quarter of 2021, 34% of respondents said they felt financially healthy, compared to 48% at the beginning of 2021.

Pandemic relief programs that ended last year likely took away some financial comfort, but rising prices are also playing a role.

“Rising inflation eats away at some of the reported wage gains in 2021 and Americans also say the top barriers to financial health are not enough wages and constantly rising expenses“, according to the survey.

Of those surveyed, 30% agreed that “expenses are constantly piling up”, an increase from the 23% who agreed with this in the first quarter of 2021.

Nearly half of those surveyed said their debt is “unmanageable”, and 37% said an unbudgeted expense of $100 would make them anxious.