Editing Upper middle class (section)

==American upper middle class==
{{main|Upper middle class in the United States}}
The [[American middle class]] (and its subdivisions) is not a strictly defined concept across disciplines, as [[economist]]s and [[sociologist]]s do not agree on defining the term.<ref name="Drum Major">{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/now/politics/middleclassoverview.html|title=Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy|website=[[PBS]]|access-date=25 July 2006}}</ref>  In academic models, the term "upper middle class" applies to highly [[education in the United States|educated]], [[salary|salaried]] professionals whose work is largely [[autonomy|self-directed]]. Many have [[postgraduate degree]]s, with educational attainment serving as the main distinguishing feature of this class. Household [[income]]s commonly exceed $100,000 ({{Inflation|US|100,000|2005|fmt=eq}}).{{sfnm |1a1=Gilbert |1y=1998 |2a1=Thompson |2a2=Hickey |2y=2005}} Typical professions for this class include [[lawyer]]s, [[physicians]], [[military officers]], [[psychologists]], [[certified public accountants]], [[pharmacists]], [[optometrists]], [[financial planner]]s, [[dentists]], [[engineer]]s, [[scientist]]s, [[professors]], [[architect]]s, [[urban planners]], civil service executives, and civilian contractors.{{sfn|Ehrenreich|1989}}<ref name="Professional Occupations according to the US Department of Labor">{{cite web|url=http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco1002.htm|title=Professional Occupations according to the US Department of Labor|access-date=26 July 2006}}</ref>

{{quote|The upper middle class has grown ... and its composition has changed. Increasingly salaried managers and professionals have replaced individual business owners and independent professionals. The key to the success of the upper middle class is the growing importance of educational certification ... its lifestyles and opinions are becoming increasingly normative for the whole society. It is in fact a porous class, open to people ... who earn the right credentials.|[[Dennis Gilbert (sociologist)|Dennis Gilbert]], ''The American Class Structure'', 1998{{sfn|Gilbert|1998}}
}}

In addition to having autonomy in their work, above-average incomes, and advanced educations, the upper middle class also tends to be influential, setting trends and largely shaping public opinion.{{sfnm |1a1=Ehrenreich |1y=1989 |2a1=Gilbert |2y=1998}} Overall, members of this class are also secure from economic down-turns and, unlike their counterparts in the [[Income quintiles|statistical middle class]], do not need to fear downsizing, corporate cost-cutting, or outsourcing—an economic benefit largely attributable to their postgraduate degrees and [[Household income in the United States|comfortable incomes]], likely in the [[Income quintiles|top income quintile]] or [[Household income in the United States|top third]].{{sfn|Thompson|Hickey|2005}}

===Income===
{{Further|Affluence in the United States|Household income in the United States|Personal income in the United States}}
While many Americans cite [[Income in the United States|income]] as the prime determinant of class, occupational status, [[Educational attainment in the United States|educational attainment]], and value systems are equally important variables. Income is in part determined by the scarcity of certain skill sets.{{sfn|Thompson|Hickey|2005}} An occupation that requires a scarce skill set which is attained through higher [[Educational attainment in the United States|educational degree]], and which involves higher autonomy, responsibility and influence, will usually offer higher economic compensation. Qualifying for such higher [[Income in the United States|income]] often requires that individuals obtain the necessary skills (e.g., by attending law, medical, or [[postgraduate school]]) and demonstrate the necessary competencies.{{sfn|Levine|1998}} There are also differences between [[Household income in the United States|household]] and [[Personal income in the United States|individual income]]. In 2005, 42% of US households (76% among the [[Income quintiles|top quintile]]) had two or more [[income earner]]s; as a result, 18% of households but only 5% of individuals had [[six-figure income]]s.<ref name="US Census Bureau, shuuush income quintile and top 5% household income distribution and demographic characteristics, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new05_000.htm|title=US Census Bureau, income quintile and top 5% household income distribution and demographic characteristics, 2006|access-date=28 December 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104041618/http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new05_000.htm|archive-date=4 January 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref> To illustrate, two nurses each making $55,000 per year can out-earn, in a household sense, a single attorney who makes a median of $95,000 annually.<ref name="US Department of Labor, median income of registered nurses">{{cite web|url=http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos083.htm#earnings|title=US Department of Labor, median income of registered nurses|access-date=2 January 2007}}</ref><ref name="Bureau of Labor statistics data published by Monster.com, 20 highest paying jobs">{{cite web|url=http://content.salary.monster.com/articles/salary/highestpay/|title=Bureau of Labor statistics data published by Monster.com, 20 highest paying jobs|access-date=27 December 2006|archive-date=27 December 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061227085649/http://content.salary.monster.com/articles/salary/highestpay/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Sociologists Dennis Gilbert, William Thompson and Joseph Hickey estimate the upper middle class to constitute roughly 15% of the population. Using the 15% figure one may conclude that the American upper middle class consists, strictly in an income sense, of professionals with [[Personal income in the United States|personal incomes]] in excess of $62,500 ($101,000 in 2024 dollars), who commonly reside in households with six-figure incomes.{{sfnm |1a1=Gilbert |1y=1998 |2a1=Thompson |2a2=Hickey |2y=2005}}<ref name="US Census Bureau, shuuush income quintile and top 5% household income distribution and demographic characteristics, 2006" /><ref name="US Census Bureau, distribution of personal income, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new01_001.htm|title=US Census Bureau, distribution of personal income, 2006|access-date=9 December 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061223153830/http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new01_001.htm|archive-date=23 December 2006|df=dmy-all}}</ref>  The difference between personal and household income can be explained by considering that 76% of households with incomes exceeding $90,000 (the top 20%, $170,000 to cross this threshold in 2020 dollars) had two or more income earners.<ref name="US Census Bureau, shuuush income quintile and top 5% household income distribution and demographic characteristics, 2006" /> In 2024, the threshold for entering the top 15% of American household incomes is $202,000 <ref name="Household Income Percentile Calculator for the United States in 2020">{{cite web|url= https://dqydj.com/household-income-percentile-calculator/ |title= Household Income Percentile Calculator for the United States in 2020 |access-date=8 February 2020}}</ref>

{| class=wikitable
|+ Income statistics (2006)<ref name="US Census Bureau, overall household income distribution, 2006"/><ref name="US Census Bureau, personal income distribution, age 25+, 2006"/>
!Data
!Top third
!Top quarter
!Top quintile
!Top 15%
!Top 10%
!Top 5%
|-
!colspan=10|[[Household income in the United States|Household income]]<ref name="US Census Bureau, overall household income distribution, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new06_000.htm|title=US Census Bureau, overall household income distribution, 2006|access-date=28 December 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104041530/http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new06_000.htm|archive-date=4 January 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
|-
|Lower threshold (annual gross income)||$65,000||$80,000||$91,705||$100,000||$118,200||$166,200
|-
|Exact percentage of households ||34.72%||25.60%||20.00%||17.80%||10.00%||5.00%
|-
!colspan=10|[[Personal income in the United States|Personal income]] (age 25+)<ref name="US Census Bureau, personal income distribution, age 25+, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_001.htm|title=US Census Bureau, personal income distribution, age 25+, 2006|access-date=28 December 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070319232115/http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_001.htm|archive-date=19 March 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
|-
|Lower threshold (annual gross income)||$37,500||$47,500||$52,500||$62,500||$75,000||$100,000
|-
|Exact percentage of individuals||33.55%||24.03%||19.74%||14.47%||10.29%||5.63%
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+
Income statistics (2024) (source from 2006, inflation adjusted)<ref name="US Census Bureau, overall household income distribution, 2006" /><ref name="US Census Bureau, personal income distribution, age 25+, 2006" />
!Data
!Top third
!Top quarter
!Top quintile
!Top 15%
!Top 10%
!Top 5%
|-
! colspan="10" |[[Household income in the United States|Household income]]<ref name="US Census Bureau, overall household income distribution, 2006" />
|-
|Lower threshold (annual gross income)||$103,000||$127,000||$145,000||$158,618||$187,000||$263,000
|-
|Exact percentage of households ||34.72%||25.60%||20.00%||17.80%||10.00%||5.00%
|-
! colspan="10" |[[Personal income in the United States|Personal income]] (age 25+)<ref name="US Census Bureau, personal income distribution, age 25+, 2006" />
|-
|Lower threshold (annual gross income)||$59,000||$75,000||$83,000||$99,000||$119,000||$159,000
|-
|Exact percentage of individuals||33.55%||24.03%||19.74%||14.47%||10.29%||5.63%
|-
|}


The above income thresholds may vary greatly based on region due to significant differences in average income based on region and urban, suburban, or rural development. In more expensive suburbs, the threshold for the top 15% of income earners may be much higher. For example, in 2006 the [[Highest-income counties in the United States|ten highest income counties]] had median household incomes of $85,000 compared to a national average of about $50,000. The top 15% of all US income earners nationally tend to be more concentrated in these richer suburban counties where the [[cost of living]] is also higher. If middle-class households earning between the 50th percentile ($46,000) and the 85th percentile ($62,500) tend to live in lower cost of living areas, then their difference in ''[[real income]]'' may be [[Real versus nominal value (economics)|smaller than what the differences in nominal income suggest]].

===Values===
Political ideology is not found to be correlated with [[social class]]; however, a statistical relationship is seen between the level of one's educational attainment and one's likelihood of subscribing to a particular political ideology. In terms of income, liberals tend to be tied with pro-business conservatives.<ref name="Pew Research Center. (10 May 2005). Beyond Red vs. Blue.">{{cite web|url=http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?PageID=945|title=Pew Research Center. (10 May 2005). Beyond Red vs. Blue.|access-date=12 July 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070502060658/http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?PageID=945|archive-date=2 May 2007|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Most [[mass affluent]] households tend to be more [[right-wing politics|right]]-leaning on fiscal issues but more [[left-wing politics|left]]-leaning on social issues.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Arora |first1=Raksha |last2=Saad |first2=Lydia |date=9 December 2004 |title=Marketing to the Mass Affluent |url=http://gmj.gallup.com/content/14293/Marketing-Mass-Affluent.aspx |work=Gallup Management Journal |publisher=Gallup Press |access-date=19 July 2007}}</ref> The majority, between 50% and 60%, of households with incomes above $50,000 overall, not all of whom are upper middle class,{{sfn|Gilbert|1998}} supported the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] in the 2000, 2004, and 2006 elections.<ref name="CNN. (2000). Exit Poll.">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/results/index.epolls.html|title=CNN. (2000). Exit Poll.|access-date=27 May 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080522172142/http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/results/index.epolls.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 22 May 2008}}</ref><ref name="CNN. (2004). Exit Poll.">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/US/P/00/epolls.0.html|title=CNN. (2004). Exit Poll.|access-date=27 May 2008}}</ref> Those with postgraduate degrees who work in academia statistically favor the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]].<ref name="CNN. (2004). Exit Poll." /><ref>[http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/polls/#val=USP00p1 "Exit Polls"], CNN.com, 2008.</ref><ref name="CNN. (2006). Exit Poll.">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/states/US/H/00/epolls.0.html|title=CNN. (2006). Exit Poll.|access-date=11 July 2007}}</ref> For example, in 2005, 72% of surveyed full-time faculty members at four-year institutions, the majority of whom would be considered upper middle class,{{sfn|Thompson|Hickey|2005}} identified themselves as liberal.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kurtz |first=Howard |author-link=Howard Kurtz |date=29 March 2005 |title=College Faculties a Most Liberal Lot, Study Finds |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8427-2005Mar28.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=2 July 2007}}</ref>

The upper middle class is often the dominant group to shape society and bring [[social movements]] to the forefront. Movements such as the [[peace movement]], the [[anti-nuclear movement]], [[environmentalism]], the [[anti-smoking movement]], and even in the past with [[blue law]]s and the [[temperance movement]] have been in large part (although not solely), products of the upper middle class. Some claim this is because this is the largest class (and the lowest class) with any true political power for change, while others claim some of the more restrictive social movements (such as with smoking and drinking) are based upon "saving people from themselves."{{sfn|Ehrenreich|1989}}