View source for Social class in the United States

{{Short description|Grouping Americans by some measure of social status}}
[[File:A monument of working class.JPG|thumb|[[Douglas Tilden]]'s [[Mechanics Monument|monument]] to the working and supporting classes along [[Market Street (San Francisco)|Market Street]] in the heart of [[Financial District, San Francisco|San Francisco's Financial District]]]]
{{US Income}}

'''Social class in the United States ''' refers to the idea of grouping Americans by some measure of social status, typically by economic status. However, it could also refer to social status and/or location.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is social class?|url=http://udel.edu/~cmarks/What%20is%20social%20class.htm |publisher=[[University of Delaware]] |access-date=10 June 2019}}</ref> There are many competing class systems and models.<ref name="Occupation and Class Consciousness in America">{{cite book | last = Eichar | first = Douglas | year = 1989 | title = Occupation and Class Consciousness in America | publisher = Greenwood Press | location = Westport, Connecticut | isbn = 0-313-26111-3 | url = https://archive.org/details/occupationclassc00eich }}</ref>

Many Americans believe in a social class system that has three different groups or classes: the [[Affluence in the United States#Extreme affluence|American rich]] (upper class), the [[American middle class]], and the [[Poverty in the United States|American poor]]. More complex models propose as many as a dozen class levels, including levels such as high upper class, upper class, upper middle class, middle class, lower middle class, working class, and lower class,<ref name="The American Class Structure">{{cite book|last=Gilbert|first=Dennis|year=1998|title=The American Class Structure|publisher=Wadsworth Publishing|location=New York, NY|isbn=0-534-50520-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/americanclassstr0000gilb_c7f2}}</ref><ref name="Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy">{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/now/politics/middleclassoverview.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040401220408/http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/middleclassoverview.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 1, 2004|title=Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy|website=[[PBS]] |access-date=July 25, 2006}}</ref> while others disagree with the American construct of [[social class]] completely.<ref name="What is Social Class in America Lloyd Warner">{{cite book|last=Warner|first=Lloyd|author2=Marchia Meeker |author3=Kenneth Eells |year=1949|title=What is Social Class in America, Lloyd Warner|publisher=Irvington Publishers|location=New York, NY}}</ref> Most definitions of a class structure group its members according to [[Wealth in the United States|wealth]], [[Income in the United States|income]], [[Educational attainment in the United States|education]], type of [[Employment|occupation]], and membership within a hierarchy, specific subculture, or social network. Most concepts of American social class do not focus on race or ethnicity as a characteristic within the stratification system, although these factors are closely related.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2018/race-economics-and-social-status/pdf/race-economics-and-social-status.pdf|title=Race, Economics, and Social Status|last=Noeel|first=Reginald|date=2018|website=BLS}}</ref>

Sociologists [[Dennis Gilbert (sociologist)|Dennis Gilbert]], William Thompson, Joseph Hickey, and James Henslin have proposed class systems with six distinct social classes. These class models feature an [[American upper class|upper or capitalist class]] consisting of the [[Affluence in the United States#Extreme affluence|rich]] and powerful, an [[Professional–managerial class|upper middle class]] consisting of highly educated and [[Affluence in the United States|affluent]] professionals, a [[American middle class#middle class|middle class]] consisting of college-educated individuals employed in [[White-collar worker|white-collar]] industries, a lower middle class composed of semi-professionals with typically some college education, a working class constituted by [[Clerk (position)|clerical]] and [[blue collar]] workers, whose work is highly routinized, and a lower class, divided between the [[working poor]] and the unemployed underclass.<ref name="The American Class Structure"/><ref name="Society in Focus">{{Cite book|last=Thompson|first=William|title=Society in Focus : An Introduction to Sociology|date=2005|publisher=Pearson/Allyn and Bacon|others=Hickey, Joseph V.|isbn=0-205-41365-X|edition=5th|location=Boston [Mass.]|oclc=56200299|ref=pearson2005}}</ref><ref name="Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships">{{cite book | last = Williams | first = Brian |author2=Stacey C. Sawyer |author3=Carl M. Wahlstrom  | year = 2005 | title = Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships | publisher = Pearson | location = Boston, MA | isbn = 0-205-36674-0}}</ref>

==Markers==
{{ multiple image | total_width=450
| image1= 2021 Household wealth by percentile - United States.svg |caption1= Though the 10th percentile of American households have zero net worth, the 90th percentile has $1.8 million of household wealth.<ref>Fig. 2 of {{cite web |last1=Sullivan |first1=Briana |title=Wealth of Households: 2023 (P70BR-211) |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2025/demo/p70br-211.pdf |publisher=US Census Bureau |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250726021914/https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2025/demo/p70br-211.pdf |archive-date=July 26, 2025 |date=July 2025 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|image2= 2021 Median wealth by marital status - US.svg |caption2= The median wealth of married couples exceeds that of single individuals, regardless of gender and across all age categories.<ref name=WealthMaritalStatus_2021>{{cite web |title=The Wealth of Households: 2021 / Current Population Reports / P70BR-183 |url=https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2023/demo/p70br-183.pdf |last1=Sullivan |first1=Brianna |last2=Hays |first2=Donald |last3=Bennett |first3=Neil |page=5 (Figure 2) |publisher=United States Census Bureau |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240524023705/https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2023/demo/p70br-183.pdf |archive-date=May 24, 2024 |date=June 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}
{{ multiple image | title= Income and wealth, by educational level (US) |total_width=450
| image1= 2024 Median salary by education level, US.svg |caption1= Median annual salaries across educational levels varied by a factor of about 3.<ref name=salary>{{cite web |last1=Conte |first1=Niccolo |title=Charted: Salary by Education Level in the United States |url=https://www.visualcapitalist.com/charted-us-salary-by-education-level/ |publisher=Visual Capitalist |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250924183655/https://www.visualcapitalist.com/charted-us-salary-by-education-level/ |archive-date=September 24, 2025 |date=September 15, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| image2= 2021 Median household wealth, by highest educational attainment - US.svg |caption2= Median accumulated household wealth across educational levels varied by a factor of over 50.<ref name=wealth>Fig. 2 of {{cite web |last1=Sullivan |first1=Briana |title=Wealth of Households: 2023 (P70BR-211) |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2025/demo/p70br-211.pdf |publisher=US Census Bureau |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250726021914/https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2025/demo/p70br-211.pdf |archive-date=July 26, 2025 |date=July 2025 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}

Some definitions of class look only at numerical measures, such as wealth or income. Others take into account qualitative factors, such as education, culture, and social status. There is no consensus on which of these variables is essential and which are merely common correlates.

Social class is sometimes presented as a description of how members of the [[American society|society]] have sorted themselves along a continuum of positions varying in importance, influence, prestige, and compensation. It is disputed whether sharp lines can be drawn for social classes. One point of view in the debate is:

{{blockquote|A stratified society is one marked by inequality, by differences among people that are regarded as being higher or lower…it is logically possible for a society to be stratified in a continuous gradation between high and low without any sharp lines…in reality…there is only a limited number of types of occupations…People in similar positions…grow similar in their thinking and lifestyle…they form a pattern, and this pattern creates social class.|Dennis Gilbert|''The American Class Structure'', 1998<ref name="The American Class Structure"/>}}

===Social status===
{{cquote
| 1 = It is impossible to understand people's behavior…without the concept of social stratification, because class position has a pervasive influence on almost everything…the clothes we wear…the television shows we watch…the colors we paint our homes in and the names we give our pets…Our position in the social hierarchy affects our health, happiness, and even how long we will live.
| author = William Thompson and Joseph Hickey
| source = ''Society in Focus'', 2005<ref name="Society in Focus" />
}}

In some models, certain occupations are considered to be desirable and influential, while others are considered to be menial, repetitive, and unpleasant. (In some cases, non-occupational roles such as a parent or volunteer mentor, are also considered.<ref name="Society in Focus"/>) Generally, the higher the ranking on such a scale, the higher the skill and education levels required to perform it.

Some sociologists consider the higher income and prestige of higher ranked jobs to simply be incentives to encourage members of society to obtain the skills necessary to perform important work.<ref name="Social Class and Stratification">{{cite book|last=Levine|first=Rhonda|year=1998|title=Social Class and Stratification|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|location=Lanham, MD|isbn=0-8476-8543-8|url=https://archive.org/details/socialclassstrat00levi}}</ref> This is an important mechanism in the economic theory of capitalism and is compatible with the notion that class is mutable and determined by a combination of choices and opportunities.

In other cases, class or status is inherited. For example, being the son or daughter of a [[Affluence in the United States|wealthy individual]], may carry a higher status and different cultural connotations than being a member of [[nouveau riche]] ("new money") or have a planned path of positive freedom.<ref name=":0" /> Those taking the [[Structural functionalism|functionalist]] approach to sociology and economics view social classes as components essential for the survival of complex societies, such as American society.<ref name="Society in Focus"/>

[[Assortative mating]] in humans has been widely observed and studied. It includes the tendency of humans to prefer to mate within their socio-economic peers, that is, those with similar social standing, job prestige, educational attainment, or economic background as they themselves. This tendency has always been present in society: there was no historical area when most of the individuals preferred to sort, and had actually sorted, negatively into couples or matched, randomly, along these traits.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Mare|first=Robert D.|date=1991-01-01|title=Five Decades of Educational Assortative Mating|jstor=2095670|journal=American Sociological Review|volume=56|issue=1|pages=15–32|doi=10.2307/2095670}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Naszodi |first1=A. |last2=Mendonca |first2=F. |year=2021 |title=A new method for identifying the role of marital preferences at shaping marriage patterns |journal=[[Journal of Demographic Economics]] |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=1–27 |doi=10.1017/dem.2021.1 |doi-access=free}}</ref> This  trend is evidenced by the search criteria of [[online dating]] site users.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Naszodi |first1=A. |last2=Mendonca |first2=F. |year=2022 |title=Changing educational homogamy: Shifting preferences or evolving educational distribution? |journal=[[Journal of Demographic Economics]] |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=1–29 |doi=10.1017/dem.2022.21 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

A 2022 study suggested that factors that contribute to low levels of intergenerational mobility in the United States include a disparity in returns to [[human capital]], low levels of public investment in the human capital of low-income children, high levels of socioeconomic [[Residential segregation in the United States|residential segregation]], and low levels of progressiveness in the tax-and-transfer system.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mitnik |first1=Pablo A. |last2=Bryant |first2=Victoria L. |last3=Grusky |first3=David B. |date=2024 |title=A Very Uneven Playing Field: Economic Mobility in the United States |url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/728737 |journal=American Journal of Sociology |language=en |volume=129 |issue=4 |pages=1216–1276 |doi=10.1086/728737 |issn=0002-9602 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319144413/https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/728737 |archive-date=19 March 2024 |access-date=26 May 2024 |url-status=bot: unknown |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===Income===
{{Main|Personal income in the United States|Household income in the United States}}
{{Income in the US}}
[[Income in the United States]] is most commonly measured by [[United States Census Bureau]] in terms of either household or individual and remains one of the most prominent indicators of class status. As 82% of all households, 16% of those in the top [[Income quintiles|quintiles]], had two income earners the discrepancy between household and personal income is quite considerable.<ref name="United States Census Bureau household income 2006">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new02_001.htm |title=United States Census Bureau, household income, 2006 |access-date=February 8, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061230144047/http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new02_001.htm |archive-date=December 30, 2006 |df=mdy }}</ref> while the median personal income (including only those above the age of 25) was $32,140.<ref name="United States Census Bureau median income of persons age or older">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_001.htm |title=United States Census Bureau, median income of persons, age 25 or older |access-date=December 9, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070319232115/http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_001.htm |archive-date=March 19, 2007 |df=mdy }}</ref>

Per capita household income, the income a household is able to allocate to each member of the household is also an important variable in determining a given household's [[standard of living]]. A high household income may be offset by a large household size; thus, resulting in a low per capita household income.<ref name="The American Class Structure"/>

{{cquote
| 1 = It should be stressed...that a position does not bring power and prestige ''because'' it draws a high income. Rather, it draws a high income because it is functionally important and the available personnel are for one reason or another scarce. It is therefore superficial and erroneous to regard high income as the cause of a man's power and prestige, just as it is erroneous to think that a man's fever is the cause of his disease...The economic source of power and prestige is not income primarily, but the ownership of capital goods (including patents, good will, and professional reputation). Such ownership should be distinguished from the possession of consumers' goods, which is an index rather than a cause of social standing.
| author = Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore
| source = ''Some Principles of Stratification'', 1945<ref name="DavisMoore1945">{{cite journal|last1=Davis|first1=Kingsley|last2=Moore|first2=Wilbert E.|title=Some Principles of Stratification|journal=American Sociological Review|volume=10|issue=2|year=1945|pages=242|issn=0003-1224|doi=10.2307/2085643|jstor=2085643}}</ref>
}}

In the passage above, Davis and Moore argue that income is one of the most prominent features of social class; it is not one of its causes. In other words, income does not determine the status of an individual or household but rather reflects on that status. Some say that income and prestige are the incentives provided by society in order to fill needed positions with the most qualified and motivated personnel possible.<ref name="Social Class and Stratification"/>

''[[The New York Times]]'' has used income quintiles to define class. It has assigned the quintiles from lowest to highest as [[American lower class|lower class]], [[lower middle class]], middle class, [[upper middle class]], and upper class.<ref name="New York Times definition of class according to the quintiles">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/national/20050515_CLASS_GRAPHIC/index_01.html|title=New York Times definition of class according to the quintiles|access-date=July 8, 2006|work=The New York Times|date=May 15, 2005}}</ref> These definitions equate class with income, permitting people to move from class to class as their income changes.

====Dual income controversy====
[[File:Two or more income earners.svg|thumb|Percentage of 2+ income households in each of the quintiles (1/5 of the population)<ref name="United States Census Bureau Income earners by quintile">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032005/hhinc/new05_000.htm |title=United States Census Bureau, Income earners by quintile |access-date=October 25, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060720005000/http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032005/hhinc/new05_000.htm |archive-date=July 20, 2006 |df=mdy }}</ref>]]

[[Household income in the United States|Income]] is one of the most commonly used attributes of a household to determine its class status. The relationship between income, which mostly arises from the scarcity of a certain skill, may however, prove to be more complex than initially perceived.<ref name="Social Class and Stratification"/> While the idea is that income reflects status, household income may just be the product of two or more incomes.

In 2005, 42% of American households had two or more income earners.<ref name="United States Census Bureau Income earners by quintile"/> The vast majority (77%) of households in the top [[Income quintiles|quintile]] had two or more income earners. This means that the majority of household income in the top quintile are the result of two income earners pooling their resources, establishing a close link between perceived [[Affluence in the United States|affluence]] and the number of income earners in a given household.<ref name="Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships"/><ref name="United States Census Bureau Income earners by quintile"/> This raises the question of whether or not the combination of incomes results in higher social status. Of course, there is no definite answer as class is a vague sociological concept.<ref name="Society in Focus"/>

{{cquote
| 1 = The parade of income earners with height representing income suggest that the relationship between the distribution of income and the class structure is...blurred in the middle...we saw dual-income working class marchers looking down on single-income upper-middle class marchers. In sum, the class structure as we have defined it...does not exactly match the distribution of household income.
| author = Dennis Gilbert
| source = ''The American Class Structure'', 1998<ref name="The American Class Structure"/>
}}

Sociologist Dennis Gilbert states that it is possible for households to out-earn other households over higher class standing through increasing their number of income earners. He furthermore states that household size also played an essential role, as the standard of living for two persons living off one upper middle class personal income may very well be higher than that of a household with four members living off two working class personal incomes.<ref name="The American Class Structure"/>

The combination of two or more incomes allows for households to increase their income substantially without moving higher on the occupational ladder or attaining higher [[Educational attainment in the United States|educational degrees]]. The favorable economic position of households in the top two quintiles is in some cases the result of combined income, rather than demand for a single worker.<ref name="United States Census Bureau Income earners by quintile"/>

===Education===
{{Main|Educational attainment in the United States}}
[[File:2021 Median household wealth, by highest educational attainment - US.svg |thumb|right|250px|Higher educational attainment in the US corresponds with median household wealth.<ref name=WealthEducation_2021>{{cite web |title=The Wealth of Households: 2021 / Current Population Reports / P70BR-183 |url=https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2023/demo/p70br-183.pdf |last1=Sullivan |first1=Brianna |last2=Hays |first2=Donald |last3=Bennett |first3=Neil |page=5 (Figure 2) |publisher=United States Census Bureau |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240524023705/https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2023/demo/p70br-183.pdf |archive-date=May 24, 2024 |date=June 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
[[File:Rising inequality and unequal access to education in the United States.pdf|250px|thumb|right|College attendance rates by parental income in the United States as of 2015]]

[[Higher education in the United States|Tertiary education]] (or "higher education") is required for many middle-class professions, depending on how the term middle class is to be defined. Tertiary education is rarely free, but the costs vary, widely.  Tuition at elite private colleges often exceeds $200,000 for a four-year program, although financial aid may be significant. On the other hand, public colleges and universities typically charge much less, particularly for state residents.

Also, scholarships offered by universities and government do exist, and low-interest loans are available. Still, the average cost of education, by all accounts, is increasing. The [[Educational attainment in the United States|attainment of post-secondary and graduate degrees]] is,  perhaps, the most important feature of a [[American middle class|middle and upper middle class]] person, with the university being regarded as the most essential institution and gatekeeper of the [[Managerial Class|professional middle class]].<ref name="Society in Focus"/><ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class">{{cite book|last=Ehrenreich|first=Barbara|year=1989|title=Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class|publisher=Harper Collins|location=New York, NY|isbn=0-06-097333-1|url=https://archive.org/details/fearoffallinginn00ehre}}</ref> [[Educational attainment in the United States|Educational attainment]] is also directly linked to income.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/education-inequality-economic-opportunities-college/675536/|title=Nothing Defines America’s Social Divide Like a College Education|date=October 4, 2023|first1=Yascha|last1=Mounk|access-date=October 4, 2024|website=The Atlantic}}</ref>

Per the table below in this section, as of 2018 less than 40% of American adults over the age of 25 had a Bachelor's degree or higher. Although 90% of the population has graduated from high school, the [[Average Joe|average American]] does not have a college degree but has likely attended college for some time. Overall, educational attainment serves as an essential class feature of most Americans, being directly linked to [[Personal income in the United States|income]] and occupation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-summary.htm|title=Table 5.2 Employment, wages, and projected change in employment by typical entry-level education (Employment in thousands)|website=Bureau of Labor Statistics|access-date=December 26, 2024|date=August 29, 2024}}</ref>

According to a 2024 Pew Research Center study, 47% of women and 37% men aged 25-34 had at least a [[bachelor's degree]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/11/18/us-women-are-outpacing-men-in-college-completion-including-in-every-major-racial-and-ethnic-group/|title=U.S. women are outpacing men in college completion, including in every major racial and ethnic group|date=November 18, 2024|access-date=September 26, 2025|website=Pew Research Center|first1=Kiley|last1=Hurst}}</ref> In 2025, ''[[Axios (website)|Axios]]'' reported that “The class divide among women in the workplace is widening.” It said that college-educated women triumphed in the work force in recent years. For women without a degree, the story was less rosy.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.axios.com/2025/08/03/women-college-degree-jobs|title=The class divide among women in the workplace is widening|website=Axios|first1=Emily|last1=Peck|date=August 3, 2025|access-date=August 8, 2025}}</ref>

{| class=wikitable
|+Educational attainment in the United States (2018)<ref>Note that these add up to more than 100% because they are cumulative; e.g. it is assumed that all people with doctorates also have undergraduate and high school degrees, and are thus counted twice in the "lower" categories. Age 25 is used rather than age 18 because there are few people aged 18 or over with advanced degrees. {{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2018/demo/education-attainment/cps-detailed-tables.html|title=Educational Attainment in the United States: 2018|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=June 23, 2018}} Percentages are calculated based on census data by counting people that had attained that level or higher.</ref>
! Education
! Age 25 and over
! Age 25-30
|-
| High school diploma or [[General Educational Development|GED]]
| align=right| 89.80%
| align=right| 92.95%
|-
| Some college
| align=right| 61.28%
| align=right| 66.34%
|-
| Associate degree
| align=right| 45.16%
| align=right| 46.72%
|-
| Bachelor's degree
| align=right| 34.98%
| align=right| 36.98%
|-
| Master's degree
| align=right| 13.04%
| align=right| 9.01%
|-
| Professional degree
| align=right| 3.47%
| align=right| 2.02%
|-
| Doctorate
| align=right| 2.03%
| align=right| 1.12%
|}

==Culture==
{{See also|Socioeconomic mobility in the United States|Working class in the United States}}
[[File:20220801 Economic stratification - cross-class friendships - bar chart.svg|thumb|upright=1.5| Social connectedness to people of higher income levels is a strong predictor of upward income mobility.<ref name=EconomicStratification/> However, data shows substantial social segregation correlating with economic income groups.<ref name=EconomicStratification>Data from {{cite journal |last1=Chetty |first1=Raj |last2=Jackson |first2=Matthew O. |last3=Kuchler |first3=Theresa |last4=Stroebel |first4=Johannes |last5=Hendren |first5=Nathaniel |last6=Fluegge |first6=Robert B. |last7=Gong |first7=Sara |last8=Gonzalez |first8=Frederico |last9=Grondin |first9=Armelle |last10=Jacob |first10=Matthew |display-authors=4 |title=Social capital I: measurement and associations with economic mobility |journal=Nature |date=August 1, 2022 |volume=608 |issue=7921 |pages=108–121 |doi=10.1038/s41586-022-04996-4 |pmid=35915342 |pmc=9352590 |bibcode=2022Natur.608..108C }} Charted in {{cite news |last1=Leonhardt |first1=David |title='Friending Bias' / A large new study offers clues about how lower-income children can rise up the economic ladder. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/01/briefing/economic-ladder-rich-poor-americans.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801104004/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/01/briefing/economic-ladder-rich-poor-americans.html |archive-date=August 1, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>]]

Broadly speaking, the United States aspires to be an [[egalitarian]] country with [[social mobility]]; the [[American Dream]] includes the idea from the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]] that "[[all men are created equal]]" and have the "[[unalienable right]]" to "[[Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness]]". The phrase "[[second-class citizen]]" has a strong negative connotation in national politics.

In practice, [[socioeconomic mobility in the United States]] is relatively low, compared to Nordic countries and Canada, and [[income inequality in the United States]] is relatively high.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gould |first=Elise |date=10 October 2012 |title=U.S. lags behind peer countries in mobility |url=https://www.epi.org/publication/usa-lags-peer-countries-mobility/ |website=[[Economic Policy Institute]]}}</ref> Educational attainment and income are [[Educational attainment in the United States#Income|strongly correlated]], but relatively low funding for [[K-12]] schools in poor neighborhoods raises concerns about a [[cycle of poverty]]. These apparent contradictions lead to divergent views on whether American society is divided into distinct classes or should be analyzed that way.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Corak |first=Miles |date=May 2016 |title=Inequality from Generation to Generation: The United States in Comparison |url=https://docs.iza.org/dp9929.pdf |website=[[IZA Institute of Labor Economics]]}}</ref>

According to a 2021 study, in the United States, 50% of a father's income position is inherited by his son. In contrast, the amount in Norway and Canada is less than 20%. Moreover, in the U.S. 8% of children raised in the bottom 20% of the income distribution are able to climb to the top 20% as adults, while the figure in Denmark is nearly double at 15%.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=The American Dream of upward mobility is broken. Look at the numbers|last1=Rank|first1=Mark R|last2=Eppard|first2=Lawrence M|journal=The Guardian|date=13 March 2021 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/13/american-dream-broken-upward-mobility-us?CMP=GTUS_email}}</ref> According to an academic study on why Americans overestimate class mobility, "research indicates that errors in social perception are driven by both informational factors—such as the lack of awareness of statistical information relevant to actual mobility trends—and motivational factors—the desire to believe that society is meritocratic."<ref name=":4" /> Americans are more inclined to believe in meritocracy out of the prospect that they will one day join the elite or upper class. Scholars have paralleled this belief to [[John Steinbeck]]'s notable quote that "the poor see themselves not as an exploited [[proletariat]] but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.”<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Alesina |first1=Alberto |last2=Stantcheva |first2=Stefanie |last3=Teso |first3=Edoardo |date=2018 |title=Intergenerational Mobility and Preferences for Redistribution |journal=[[American Economic Review]] |volume=108 |issue=2 |pages=521–554|doi=10.1257/aer.20162015 |s2cid=33408213 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Explanations for the relatively low level of social mobility in the US include: the better access of [[affluence in the United States|affluent]] children to superior schools and preparation for schools, which is important in an economy where pay is tilted toward educated workers; high levels of [[immigration in the United States|immigration]] of unskilled laborers and low rate of [[labor unions in the United States|unionization]], which leads to lower wages among the least skilled;  public health problems, such as [[obesity in the United States|obesity]] and diabetes, which can limit education and employment;<ref name="DeParle">[https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/us/harder-for-americans-to-rise-from-lower-rungs.html?sq=mobility&st=cse&scp=1&pagewanted=all Harder for Americans to Rise From Lower Rungs] | By JASON DePARLE | January 4, 2012]</ref> the sheer size of the income gap between the rich which makes it harder to climb the proverbial income ladder when the rungs are farther apart;<ref name=Noah>[[Timothy Noah|Noah, Timothy]] (January 13, 2012) [http://www.tnr.com/blog/timothy-noah/99651/white-house-heres-why-you-have-care-about-inequality "White House: Here's Why You Have To Care About Inequality"] ''[[The New Republic]]''</ref> and poverty, since those with low income have significantly lower rates of mobility than middle and higher income individuals.<ref name=Drum>Kevin Drum (January 5, 2011). [http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/01/social-mobility-america "Social Mobility in America: It's All About the Poor"] motherjones.com</ref>

===Studies===
[[File:Top1percentIncomePiketty.png|thumb|Income inequality as measured by the income of the top 1% in several countries. Inequality tended to drop in the middle of the 20th century but has increased in the past several decades.<ref name="cooper">{{cite news |author=Ryan Cooper |title=Why everyone is talking about Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century |url=http://theweek.com/article/index/258666/why-everyone-is-talking-about-thomas-pikettys-capital-in-the-twenty-first-century |newspaper=[[The Week]] |date=March 25, 2014 }}</ref>]]
In 2012, [[Charles Murray (political scientist)|Charles Murray]] described what he saw as the economic divide and social bifurcation of Americans that has occurred since 1960 in his book, ''[[Coming Apart (book)|Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960–2010]]''. Murray described diverging trends between upper and lower class white Americans in the half century, after the death of [[John F. Kennedy]]. He focused on white Americans to argue that economic decline in that period was not experienced solely by [[race and ethnicity in the United States|minorities]], whom he brings into his argument in the last few chapters of the book. He argued that class strain had cleaved white Americans into two distinct, highly segregated strata: "an upper class, defined by educational attainment, and a new lower class, characterized by the lack of it." Much of his argument is centered on a notion of self-selective sorting that began in the 1960s and 1970s, when people overwhelmingly began [[Homogamy (sociology)|marrying]] and [[Residential segregation in the United States|living in areas]] surrounded largely by people of similar socioeconomic characteristics, leading to not only an exacerbation of existing economic divides, but an unprecedented socio-cultural divide that had not existed before in America.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2012/02/06/146463384/is-white-working-class-america-coming-apart|title=Is White, Working Class America 'Coming Apart'?|website=NPR.org|date=6 February 2012 |language=en|access-date=2019-11-13}}</ref>

French economist [[Thomas Piketty]] specializes in [[economic inequality]] by taking a historic and statistical approach. Piketty's 2019 book ''[[Capital and Ideology]]'' argues that inequality is a social phenomenon, driven by human institutions. Institutional change, in turn, reflects the ideology that dominates society: "Inequality is neither economic nor technological; it is ideological and political." In one example, Piketty highlights how during the [[Belle Époque]] (1871-1914) in the [[French Third Republic]], economic inequality was just as high as during the [[Ancien régime]] before the [[French Revolution]], despite the monarchy being abolished and France industrializing. It was only after the world wars that France adopted a [[welfare state]].<ref name=Krugman>{{Cite news|last=Krugman|first=Paul|date=2020-03-08|title=Thomas Piketty Turns Marx on His Head|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/08/books/review/capital-and-ideology-thomas-piketty.html|access-date=2020-07-29|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In 2019, [[Daniel Markovits]] published the book ''[[Meritocracy#The Meritocracy Trap|The Meritocracy Trap]]'', in which he argued that meritocracy was the center of rising [[economic inequality]] and social and political dysfunction.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MGDKDQN/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1|title=The Meritocracy Trap|access-date=July 15, 2020|via=www.amazon.com|date=September 10, 2019 |publisher=Penguin Books }}</ref><ref name="Myth">{{Cite web |last=Francis |first=Lizzy |date=20 September 2019 |title=The Myth of Meritocracy Is The Real Criminal In The College Admissions Scandal |url=https://www.fatherly.com/love-money/myth-of-meritocracy-middle-class-families/ |website=[[Fatherly]]}}</ref> Markovits argued that "meritocracy excludes people outside of the elite, excludes middle class people and working class people from schooling, from good jobs, and from status and income, and then insults them by saying that the reason they’re excluded is that they don’t measure up, rather than that there’s a structural block to their inclusion."<ref name="Myth" /> Furthermore, Markovits explicitly denounces the myth of the purported "American meritocracy", which for him "has become precisely what it was invented to combat: a mechanism for the dynastic transmission of wealth and privilege across generations."<ref>Cited in: {{Cite journal|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/oct/19/the-myth-of-meritocracy-who-really-gets-what-they-deserve|title=The myth of meritocracy: who really gets what they deserve?|last=Appiah|first=Kwame Anthony|date=19 October 2018|journal=The Guardian|access-date=22 July 2021}}</ref> The minority of individuals who manage to overcome structural conditions and achieve upward class mobility are used as examples to support the idea that meritocracy exists, which is an example of [[Survivorship bias|survival bias]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last1=Kraus |first1=Michael W. |last2=Tan |first2=Jacinth J.X. |date=May 2015 |title=Americans overestimate social class mobility |journal=[[Journal of Experimental Social Psychology]] |volume=58 |pages=101–111 |doi=10.1016/j.jesp.2015.01.005 |s2cid=145796186 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

===Social norms===
Once defined, social classes can be considered to feature their own sub-cultures, including different ways of socializing children.<ref name="Society in Focus"/> Social classes form [[social group]]s so large that they feature considerable diversity within and any statement regarding a given social class' culture needs to be seen as a broad generalization. Parental views are, perhaps, the most essential factor in determining the socialization process which shapes new members of society.<ref name="Society in Focus"/> The values and standards used in child rearing are commonly closely related to the parent's occupational status.<ref name="The American Class Structure"/>

The strongest cultural differences seem to run along the [[Class conflict|professional middle class-working class divide]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classmatters.org/2005_07/class-cultures.php|title=Are There Class Cultures?|website=ClassMatters|last=Leondar-Wright|first=Betsy|author-link=Betsy Leondar-Wright|at=§Differences between activists steadily employed and not|date=2005|access-date=August 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051216092641/http://www.classmatters.org/2005_07/class-cultures.php|archive-date=December 16, 2005|url-status=live}} → Clearest examples of a '''Class Culture: Families w/ 3 or more generations in the same class in the U.S.''' → Recent class mobility, recent immigration, & living in the "gray area" between 2 classes all muddy the waters. '''Many people's experience is of a mixed class culture'''. Differences of experience socialize most American people. Make visible some class-culture-based coalition behaviours & dynamics that are too often invisible. '''Steady Work for Low-Income''': Impossible &/or Not Expected. '''Steady Work for Working-Class & Middle-Class''': Inevitable & Necessary. '''Steady Work for Owning-Class''': Optional
*{{cite web |title=Class Matters Workshops |type=Brochure |url=http://classmatters.org/materials/class-matters-workshops.pdf |website=ClassMatters }}</ref> A recent increase in residential class segregation and the overall tendency of individual to associate mostly with those of equal standing as themselves has further strengthened class differences.<ref name="The American Class Structure"/><ref name="What's Class Got To Do With It, American Society in the Twenty-First Century">{{cite book|last=Zweig|first=Michael|year=2004|title=What's Class Got To Do With It, American Society in the Twenty-First Century|publisher=Cornell University Press|location=New York, NY|isbn=0-8014-8899-0}}</ref>

Parents from the [[Managerial Class|professional class]] tend to raise their children to become curious, independent thinkers, while working-class parents raise their children to have a more communal perspective, with a strong respect for authority.<ref name="The American Class Structure"/> Middle-class parents tend to emphasize internal standards and values, while working-class parents emphasize external values.<ref name="The American Class Structure"/>

Sociologist [[Dennis Gilbert (sociologist)|Dennis Gilbert]] uses a list of values identified by [[Melvin L. Kohn|Melvin Kohn]] to be typical of the [[Managerial Class|professional middle]] and working class. Middle-class parents' values for their children and themselves included: "Consideration of Others, Self-Control, Curiosity, Happiness, Honesty, Tolerance of [[wikt:Special:Search/nonconformity|Nonconformity]], Open to Innovation, Self-Direction." This contrasted with surveyed working class individuals, who reported: "Manners, Obedience, Neatness, Cleanliness, Strong Punishment of Deviant Behavior, Stock to Old Ways, People not Trustworthy, Strict Leadership" as values for themselves and their children. There is a strong correlation between these values and the occupational activities of the respondents. The job characteristics of middle class respondents included: ''"Work Independently, Varied Tasks, Work with People or Data,"'' versus working-class parents of reported ''"Close Supervision and Repetitive Work."''<ref name="The American Class Structure"/>

{{cquote|Not once in a professional middle-class home did I see a young boy shake his father's hand in a well-taught ''manly'' gesture...Not once did I hear a middle-class parent scornfully-or even sympathetically-call a crying boy a sissy or in any way reprimand him for his tears...even as young as six or seven, the working-class boys seemed more emotionally controlled-more like miniature men-than those in the middle-class families.
| author = [[Lillian Rubin]]
| source = ''Worlds of Pain'', 1976<ref name="rubin1976">{{cite book | last=Rubin | first=Lillian | title=Worlds of pain : life in the working-class family | publisher=Basic Books | location=New York | year=1976 | isbn=0-465-09245-4 | oclc=2332040 | page=126}}</ref>
}}

[[Gender roles]] are also viewed differently by those in the higher and lower social classes. [[American middle class|Middle class]] individuals, who were more open towards "nonconformity" and emphasized individual self-direction as well as critical thinking, were also less stringent in their application of gender roles. Working class individuals, on the other hand, emphasized gender roles. While working-class people have more and more assimilated to middle class culture regarding their view and application of gender roles, differences remain. Professional class people are more likely to have an [[Egalitarianism|egalitarian]] distribution of work in their household with both spouses being equals in heterosexual marriages. According to Dennis Gilbert, "College life, generally a prologue to upper-middle class careers, delays marriage and encourages informal, relatively egalitarian association between men and women."<ref name="The American Class Structure"/><ref name="Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships"/>

==Academic models==
In a 2018 [[Gallup, Inc.|Gallup]] poll, 2% of Americans self-identified as upper class, 16% as upper-middle class, 43% as middle class, 30% as working class, and 9% as lower class.<ref name="Gallup">{{Cite web|url=https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/239195/looking-americans-mean-working-class.aspx|title=Looking Into What Americans Mean by "Working Class"|last=Newport|first=Frank|website=Gallup.com|date=3 August 2018|language=en-us|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref> According to ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', the top 10% of earners were responsible for half of all spending in 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/economy/consumers/us-economy-strength-rich-spending-2c34a571?mod=hp_lead_pos7|title=The U.S. Economy Depends More Than Ever on Rich People|date=February 23, 2025|access-date=February 25, 2025|website=The Wall Street Journal|first1=Rachel Louise|last1=Ensign}}</ref>

===Gilbert model (2018)===
{{main|Gilbert model}}
The six [[social classes]] that provide the basis for the [[Gilbert model]] are determined based on the assumption of how [[class structure]] develops out of the economic system. They are delineated by household income, and characterized by factors such as [[Job control (workplace)|workplace autonomy]] and educational attainment.<ref name="American Class Structure">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UaCmHfXfABMC&q=The+American+Class+Structure:+In+An+Age+of+Growing+Inequality&pg=PA228|title=The American Class Structure: In An Age of Growing Inequality|author=Dennis Gilbert|year=2018|publisher=Sage Press|isbn=978-1-5063-4596-3|access-date=27 October 2018}}</ref> Although the [[social hierarchy]] is most obvious at the extremes, the differences between classes begin to become blurred when moving away from one of the extremes and towards the centre to where the lower middle and working classes are. Gilbert instead argues that the cleavage of the top two "privileged classes" from the bottom four classes is the most important division.

====Capitalist class (Top 1%)====
{{See also|High-net-worth individual}}
[[File:1970- Relative income growth by percentiles - US logarithmic.png|thumb|right|300px|Income inequality, by percentile class, logarithmic scale]]

''(Typical income: $1.5 million, mostly from assets)''
These include [[Inheritance|heirs]], [[Corporate title|top executives of large corporations]], and owners of large, [[privately held companies]]. They primarily earn income from [[assets]] that they directly control, such as by being on the [[board of directors]] of their businesses.

Even though the capitalist class is a very small class of super-rich capitalists at the top of the hierarchy, its impact on the economy and society is far beyond their numbers. These people contribute their money to political parties and are often owners of newspapers or television stations. They have investments that affect millions of people in the [[labour force]]. They tend to only associate with other people from their own class, rarely interacting with people with below-average incomes. Even their children are usually [[Residential segregation|segregated]], attending only the most elite preparatory schools and universities.

====Upper middle class (Next 14%)====
{{Main|Upper middle class in the United States}}
[[File:2021 Median household wealth, by highest educational attainment - US.svg|thumb|right|300px|Higher educational attainment in the US corresponds with median household wealth.<ref name=WealthEducation_2021>{{cite web |title=The Wealth of Households: 2021 / Current Population Reports / P70BR-183 |url=https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2023/demo/p70br-183.pdf |last1=Sullivan |first1=Brianna |last2=Hays |first2=Donald |last3=Bennett |first3=Neil |page=5 (Figure 2) |publisher=United States Census Bureau |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240524023705/https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2023/demo/p70br-183.pdf |archive-date=May 24, 2024 |date=June 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>]]

''(Typical income $200,000; for Working rich $500,000)''
Gilbert describes the growing segment of the "[[Nouveau riche|working rich]]" as still part of the upper middle class, consisting of affluent professionals (i.e. law and medicine) and highly successful [[small business]] owners. These are the next 14%, and are not considered part of the capitalist class because they still primarily earn income from employment in their jobs, or [[Partner (business rank)|partnership]] and [[self-employment]] in their businesses, not asset ownership.

The [[upper middle class]] is the group in society most shaped by [[Higher education in the United States|higher education]]. A [[bachelor's degree]] is usually required, and [[Postgraduate education|graduate studies]] and [[professional degree]]s are becoming increasingly required. People in this class include [[professionals]], [[Middle management|managers]], [[officials]], and small business owners. Children in high school strive to prepare themselves for upper-middle-class jobs because these types of jobs are symbols of success. Upper-middle-class people are able to purchase status symbols such as spacious homes. They are convinced that they deserve what they have achieved and are mostly satisfied that they have achieved a proper share of the [[American Dream|American dream]].

{{blockquote|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|''The American Class Structure'', 1998.<ref>{{cite book|last=Gilbert|first=Dennis|year=1998|title=The American Class Structure|publisher=Wadsworth Publishing|location=New York|isbn=0-534-50520-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/americanclassstr0000gilb_c7f2}}</ref>}}

====Lower middle class (Next 30%)====
''(Typical income $85,000)''
Almost all in the middle class have attended an institute of [[tertiary education]], though some didn't graduate with degrees. The most educated will become semi-professionals (i.e. [[teachers]]), or have [[Supervisor|low-level managerial]] jobs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/college-degree-jobs-unused-440b2abd?mod=hp_featst_pos4|title=Half of College Grads Are Working Jobs That Don't Use Their Degrees|website=The Wall Street Journal|date=February 22, 2024|first1=Vanessa|last1=Fuhrmans|first2=Lindsay|last2=Ellis}}</ref> Skilled [[technician]]s and [[Tradesperson|tradespeople]] are also included in this [[social class]]. Their jobs require significant skill, are somewhat supervised, and are fairly well paid. Gilbert estimates that about a third of the population is lower middle class.

====Working class (Next 25%)====
''(Typical income $40,000)''
The core of the [[working class]] is made up of semi-skilled machine operators, low-paid craftsmen, clerical workers, and retail salespeople. These include both [[blue-collar worker|blue-collar]] and [[pink-collar worker|pink-collar]] jobs. A high school diploma is usually required, and some attended but did not graduate from college. Their tasks are habitual and mechanized, with brief on-the-job training, and are closely supervised. It is estimated that this class includes roughly one-fourth of the population.

====Working-poor class (Next 15%)====
''(Typical Income: $25,000)''
The [[working poor]] class includes unskilled labourers, many [[Pink-collar worker|pink-collar jobs]], and lower-paid factory workers. Income depends on the number of workers in the family and the number of weeks that they work. Some have not finished high school. Unable to save money and when retired the working poor depend heavily on their [[social security]] pensions to live.

====Underclass (Bottom 15%)====
''(Typical Income $15,000)''
These people are under-employed. They suffer from low education, low [[employability]], and/or low income. Some can not work because of their age or disability. Hard times might be magnified because they belong to a [[minority group]] who suffers [[discrimination]] in the workforce.

===Older models (2000s)===
The following are reported income-, education-, and occupation-based terms for specific classes commonly used by sociologists. Note that income levels are from the 2000s, and not adjusted for inflation.
{{Social class in the US}}

<gallery widths="300px" heights="200">
File:US counties by percentage BAs.png|Counties in the United States by the percentage of the over 25-year-old population with [[bachelor's degree]]s according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2013–2017 5-Year Estimates.<ref name="S1501 ACS 2013–17 5Y Estimate">{{cite web |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_17_5YR_S1501&prodType=table |title=S1501 – Educational Attainment |website=[[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]] |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190122055625/https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_17_5YR_S1501&prodType=table |archive-date=January 22, 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Counties with higher percentages of bachelor's degrees than the United States as a whole are in full orange.
File:US states by percentage BAs.png|States in the United States by the percentage of the over 25-year-old population with bachelor's degrees according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2013–2017 5-Year Estimates.<ref name="S1501 ACS 2013–17 5Y Estimate" /> States with higher percentages of bachelor's degrees than the United States as a whole are in full orange.
</gallery>
<gallery widths="300px" heights="200">
File:US counties by per capita income.png|Counties in the United States by per capita income according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2013–2017 5-Year Estimates.<ref name="DP03 ACS 2013–17 5Y Estimate">{{cite web |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_17_5YR_DP03&prodType=table |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200214010758/https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_17_5YR_DP03&prodType=table |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 14, 2020 |title=DP03 – Selected Economic Characteristics |website=[[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]] |access-date=October 17, 2019}}</ref> Counties with per capita incomes higher than the United States as a whole are in full green.
File:US states by per capita income.png|States in the United States by per capita income according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2013–2017 5-Year Estimates.<ref name="DP03 ACS 2013–17 5Y Estimate" /> States with per capita incomes higher than the United States as a whole are in full green.
</gallery>
<gallery widths="300px" heights="200">
File:US counties by median nonfamily income.png|Counties in the United States by median nonfamily household income according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2013–2017 5-Year Estimates.<ref name="DP03 ACS 2013–17 5Y Estimate" /> Counties with median nonfamily household incomes higher than the United States as a whole are in full green.
File:US states by median nonfamily income.png|States in the United States by median nonfamily household income according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2013–2017 5-Year Estimates.<ref name="DP03 ACS 2013–17 5Y Estimate" /> States with median nonfamily household incomes higher than the United States as a whole are in full green.
</gallery>
<gallery widths="300px" heights="200">
File:US counties by median family income.png|Counties in the United States by median family household income according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2013–2017 5-Year Estimates.<ref name="DP03 ACS 2013–17 5Y Estimate" /> Counties with median family household incomes higher than the United States as a whole are in full green.
File:US states by median family income.png|States in the United States by median family household income according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2013–2017 5-Year Estimates.<ref name="DP03 ACS 2013–17 5Y Estimate" /> States with median family household incomes higher than the United States as a whole are in full green.
</gallery>

==Upper class==
{{Main|American upper class}}
{{multiple image | total_width = 550
| image1    = 1970- Relative income growth by percentiles - US.png
| caption1  = Both income growth and the decline in the progressivity of the tax code for the wealthy affect income, with the wealthiest earners seeing their ''effective'' tax rates decline.<ref name=WashPost_20191209>{{cite news |last1=Sargent |first1=Greg |title=The massive triumph of the rich, illustrated by stunning new data |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/12/09/massive-triumph-rich-illustrated-by-stunning-new-data/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209180702/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/12/09/massive-triumph-rich-illustrated-by-stunning-new-data/ |archive-date=December 9, 2019 |url-status=live }} — Original data and analysis: Zucman, Gabriel and Saez, Emmanuel, ''The Triumph of Injustice: How the Rich Dodge Taxes and How to Make Them Pay,'' W. W. Norton & Company. October 15, 2019.</ref>
| image2    = 1970- Relative income growth by percentiles - US logarithmic.png
| caption2  = Same data<ref name=WashPost_20191209/> as adjacent chart, but plotted on [[logarithmic scale]] to show absolute dollar amounts.
}}

The term upper class is applied to a wide array of elite groups existing in the United States of America. Because there is no defined lower threshold for the upper class it is difficult, if not outright impossible, to determine the exact number or percentage of American households that could be identified as being members of the upper-class(es). Most sociologists use the richest 1% of the population, but others use different benchmarks and characteristics.

[[Household income in the United States|Income]] and [[Wealth in the United States|wealth]] statistics may serve as a helpful guideline as they can be measured in a more objective manner. Members of the upper class control and own significant portions of corporate America, and may exercise indirect power through the investment of capital. The high salaries and the potential for amassing great wealth through [[stock options]] have greatly increased the power and visibility of the "corporate elite".

===Sources of wealth===
{{See also|Affluence in the United States}}

====Inherited wealth====
Yet another important feature of the upper class is that of inherited privilege. While most Americans, including those in the upper-middle class, need to actively maintain their status, some upper class persons do not need to work in order to maintain their status. Status tends to be passed on from generation to generation without each generation having to re-certify its status.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class"/> Overall, the upper class is financially the best compensated and one of the most influential socio-economic classes in American society.

====Private companies====
The upper class also includes owners of large [[privately held company|private companies]], including [[Private equity firm|private equity]] companies. Privately held companies generally have fewer or less comprehensive reporting requirements and obligations for [[transparency (humanities)|transparency]] than publicly traded companies do, thus making information about the income and wealth of their owners less well-known.<ref name=":0">{{cite news | editor=Reifman, Shlomo | editor2=Murphy, Andrea D. | url=https://www.forbes.com/2008/11/03/largest-private-companies-biz-privates08-cx_sr_1103private_land.html | title=America's Largest Private Companies | work=[[Forbes (magazine)|Forbes]] | date=6 November 2008 | access-date=30 January 2018 | archive-date=20 March 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320062353/https://www.forbes.com/2008/11/03/largest-private-companies-biz-privates08-cx_sr_1103private_land.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

====Corporate elite====
The high salaries and, especially, the potential wealth through [[stock option]]s, has supported the term ''corporate elite'' or corporate class. [[Executive pay in the United States|Top executives]], including Chief Executive Officers, are among the financially best compensated occupations in the United States.

Top corporate executives of publicly traded companies receive most of their compensation by owning [[Share (finance)|shares]] and [[Option (finance)|stock options]] in their companies, on top of their substantial salaries. They are also on the [[board of directors]] with [[Corporate governance|direct influence]] over their companies, not merely [[Investor|retail investors]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.investopedia.com/managing-wealth/guide-ceo-compensation/|title=A Guide to CEO Compensation|website=Investopedia|first1=Ben|last1=Mcclure|access-date=July 10, 2024}}</ref>

===Categories of wealth===
{{ multiple image |total_width=450 |title=Net personal wealth in the U.S. since 1962
| image1= 1962- Net personal wealth - average in percentile ranges - linear scale - US.svg | caption1= The average personal wealth of people in the top 1% is more than a thousand times that of people in bottom 50%.<ref name=WID_through_2021/>
| image2= 1962- Net personal wealth - average in percentile ranges - logarithmic scale - US.svg | caption2= The logarithmic scale shows how wealth has increased for all percentile groups, though moreso for wealthier people.<ref name=WID_through_2021>{{cite web |title=Evolution of wealth indicators, USA, 1913-2019 |url=https://wid.world/country/usa/ |website=WID.world |publisher=World Inequality Database |access-date=September 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705011218/https://wid.world/country/usa/ |archive-date=July 5, 2023 |date=2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

Wealth  is commonly measured in terms of [[net worth]], which is the sum of all [[asset]]s minus all [[Liability (accounting)|liabilities]]. [[Homeownership in the United States|Homeownership]] can contribute to wealth,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagofed.org/digital_assets/publications/working_papers/1999/wp99_23.pdf|title=''A Note on the Benefits of Homeownership'', Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago|website=Chicagofed.org|access-date=14 October 2017}}</ref> but high-net worth individuals have their net worth primarily concentrated in [[Market liquidity|illiquid]] assets such as [[Bond (finance)|bonds]], [[real estate]], and [[Share (finance)|shares]] of [[corporation]]s whose [[Valuation (finance)|valuations]] are estimates.<ref name="investopedia.com">{{cite web|author=Investopedia Staff|date=19 April 2020|title=High-Net-Worth Individual (HNWI)|url=http://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/hnwi.asp|access-date=2020-11-10|website=Investopedia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visualcapitalist.com/chart-assets-make-wealth/|title=What Assets Make Up Wealth?|access-date=June 7, 2024|date=January 19, 2018|first1=Jeff|last1=Desjardins|website=Visual Capitalist}}</ref>

Individuals with considerable net worth are described in the [[financial services]] industry as [[high-net-worth individual]]s, very-high-net-worth individuals, and ultra high-net-worth individuals:
*High-net-worth individuals (HNWI) are defined as holding financial assets (excluding their [[primary residence]]) valued [[Millionaire|over US$1 million]].<ref name="investopedia.com"/>
* A very-high-net-worth individual (VHNWI) refers to someone with a net worth of at least US$5 million.<ref name="investopedia.com" /> 
* An ultra-high-net-worth individual (UHNWI), holds US$30 million in investible assets.<ref name="investopedia.com"/>

The two charts in this section show the average net worth of individuals in the top 1%, top 10%, 50th to 90th percentile, and bottom half of the population from 1962 to 2021. As of 2021, the average person in the top 10% is a HNWI, while the average person in the top 1% is a VHNWI.

===Upper class versus rich===
In some academic models, the rich are considered to constitute 5% of U.S. households, and their wealth is largely in the form of financial assets, such as stocks, bonds, [[real estate]], and [[Privately held company|private businesses]].<ref name="The Upper Class">{{Cite web |date=2022-01-02 |title=9.3B: The Upper Class |url=https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Courses/Collin_College/SOCI_1306%3A_Social_Problems/09%3A_Stratification_Inequality_and_Social_Class_in_the_U.S./9.03%3A_The_Class_Structure_in_the_U.S./9.3B%3A_The_Upper_Class |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=Social Sci LibreTexts |language=en}}</ref> Sociologist [[Dennis Gilbert (sociologist)|Dennis Gilbert]] calls them the "working rich", and argues that this group is not part of the upper class but rather part of the upper middle class, as its standard of living is largely derived from occupation-generated income and its affluence falls far short of that attained by the top 1%.<ref name="American Class Structure"/>

Sociologist [[Leonard Beeghley]] considers total wealth to be the only significant distinguishing feature of this class and refers to the upper class simply as "the rich."<ref name=Beeghley2004>{{cite book |last=Beeghley|first=Leonard |year=2004 |title=The Structure of Social Stratification in the United States |publisher=Allyn and Bacon |location=Boston, MA |isbn=0-205-37558-8}}</ref> Beeghley divides the rich into two sub-groups: the rich and the [[High-net-worth individual|super-rich]]. The super-rich, according to Beeghley, are those able to live off their wealth without depending on occupation-derived income. This demographic constitutes roughly 1% of American households. Beeghley's definition of the super-rich is congruent with the definition of upper class used by most other sociologists.<ref>"The Richest of the Rich, Proud of a New Gilded Age", article by [[Louis Uchitelle]], ''[[The New York Times]]'', July 15, 2007.</ref>

==Main classes==
===Upper middle class===
{{Further|American middle class#The Professional/Managerial middle class}}
[[File:Median_Household_Income_per_County_as_of_2021_according_to_the_USDA_Economic_Research_Service_(3).png|thumb|upright=1.4|Median U.S. household income per County in 2021, showing the distribution of income geographically in the United States]]

The upper middle class consists of highly educated salaried professionals and small business owners whose work is largely self-directed. Many have advanced graduate degrees, and members of this class commonly value higher education. They are often involved with personal and professional networks, including [[professional organization]]s. The upper middle class tends to have great influence over the course of society.<ref name="The American Class Structure"/>

Occupations which require high educational attainment are usually well compensated and held in high public esteem. Physicians, lawyers, accountants, engineers, scientists and professors are largely considered to be upper middle class.<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class"/> The very well educated are seen as trendsetters; the anti-smoking, pro-fitness, and organic food movements, as well as environmentalism, are largely indigenous to this socio-economic grouping. Education serves as perhaps the most important value and also the most dominant entry barrier of the upper middle class.<ref name="Society in Focus"/><ref name="What's Class Got To Do With It, American Society in the Twenty-First Century"/>

Sociologists Dennis Gilbert, Willam Thompson, and Joseph Hickey estimate the upper middle class to constitute roughly 15% of the population (or roughly three in every twenty persons). The hallmark of this class is its high educational attainment.

===Middle class===
{{Main|American middle class}}
[[File:Middle class shrinkage.png|right|350px|The middle class shrinkage]]

The [[American middle class|middle class]] is perhaps the most vaguely defined of the social classes.<ref name="Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy"/> The term can be used either to describe a relative elite of professionals and managers<ref name="The Inner Life of the Middle Class"/> – also called the upper middle class – or it can be used to describe those in-between the extremes of wealth, disregarding considerable differences in income, culture, [[Educational attainment in the United States|educational attainment]], influence, and occupation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://resourcegeneration.org/breakdown-of-class-characteristics-income-brackets/|title=CLASS DISTINCTIONS & INCOME BRACKETS|access-date=July 9, 2024|website=Resource Generation|date=9 October 2018 }}</ref>

As with all social classes in the United States, there are no definite answers as to what is and what is not middle class. Sociologists such as Dennis Gilbert, James Henslin, William Thompson, and Joseph Hickey have brought forth class models in which the middle class is divided into two sections that combined constitute 47% to 49% of the population.<ref name=Beeghley2004 /><ref name="Society in Focus"/><ref name="The American Class Structure"/> The upper middle or professional class constitutes the upper end of the middle class which consists of highly educated, well-paid professionals with considerable [[work autonomy]]. The lower end of the middle class – called either lower middle class or just middle class – consists of semi-professionals, craftsmen, office staff, and sales employees who often have college degrees and are very loosely supervised.<ref name="The American Class Structure"/><ref name="Society in Focus"/><ref name="Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships"/>

<blockquote>
Everyone wants to believe they are middle class. For people on the bottom and the top of the wage scale the phrase connotes a certain Regular Joe cachet. But this eagerness to be part of the group has led the definition to be stretched like a bungee cord.

— Dante Chinni, the ''[[Christian Science Monitor]]''<ref name="The Christian Science Monitor, What is middle class?">{{cite journal|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0510/p09s01-codc.html|title=The Christian Science Monitor, What is middle class?|journal=Christian Science Monitor |date=10 May 2005 |access-date=August 28, 2006}}</ref>
</blockquote>

====Traditional middle class====
{{Further|Average Joe|American middle class#Statistical middle class}}
[[File:Kindergarten or Special Education teacher - US Census Bureau.jpg|thumb|200px|Many primary and secondary level teachers in the United States are in the [[American middle class|middle class]].]]

Those households more or less at the center of society may be referred to as being part of the American middle or middle-middle class in vernacular language use. In the academic models featured in this article, however, the middle class does not constitute a strong majority of the population. Those in the middle of the socio-economic strata—the proverbial [[Average Joe]]—are commonly in the area where the working and lower middle class overlap.

The most prominent academic models split the middle class into two sections. Yet, it remains common for the term middle class to be applied for anyone in between either extreme of the socio-economic strata. The middle class is then often sub-divided into an upper-middle, middle-middle, and lower-middle class. In colloquial descriptions of the class system the middle-middle class may be described as consisting of those in the middle of the social strata.

Politicians and television personalities such as [[Lou Dobbs]] have used the term middle class in this manner, especially when discussing the [[middle-class squeeze]].<ref name="Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy"/><ref name="Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle">{{cite web|url=http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2003/10.30/19-bankruptcy.html |title=Middle income can't buy Middle class lifestyle |access-date=July 25, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051230195611/http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2003/10.30/19-bankruptcy.html |archive-date=December 30, 2005 |df=mdy }}</ref> The wide discrepancy between the academic models and public opinions that lump highly educated professionals together in the same class with secretaries may lead to the conclusion that public opinion on the subject has become largely ambiguous.<ref name="The American Class Structure"/>

====Lower middle class====
{{See also|Tradesperson}}
[[File:AlfredPalmerwelder1.jpg|250px|right|thumb|A [[welder]] is a skilled tradesperson.]]
The lower middle class is, as the name implies, generally defined as those who occupy the lower portion of the middle class. People in this class commonly work in supporting occupations that are closely supervised but require significant training, such as [[Tradesperson|tradespeople]], [[Sales#Sales agents|sales agents]], and [[semiprofession]]als.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Social Organization of Work|author1-first=Randy|author1-last=Hodson|author2-first=Teresa A.|author2-last=Sullivan|year=2007|isbn=9780495003717|pages=278–279|publisher=Cengage Learning }}</ref>  
:The terms "skilled worker," "craftsman," "artisan," and "tradesman" were used in senses that overlap. All describe people with specialized training in the skills needed for a particular kind of work. ... Skilled workers in the building trades (e.g. [[Carpentry|carpenters]], masons, [[plumber]]s, painters, plasterers, glaziers) were also referred to by one or another of these terms.<ref>Sally Mitchell, ''Daily Life in Victorian England'' (Greenwood: 1996), p. 60.</ref>

Sociologists Dennis Gilbert, William Thompson, and Joseph Hickey, however, only divide the middle class into two groups. In their class modes the middle class only consists of an upper and lower middle class. The upper middle class, as described above, constitutes roughly 15% of the population with highly educated [[White-collar worker|white collar]] professionals. Semi-professionals and [[Tradesperson|tradespeople]] with some college degrees constitute the lower middle class. Their class models show the lower middle class positioned slightly above the middle of the socio-economic strata.<ref name="The American Class Structure"/><ref name="Society in Focus"/>

===Working class and lower class===
Definitions of the term "working class" vary greatly. Michael Zweig, an economist for [[Stony Brook University]], argued in 2001 that the working class constitutes the majority of the population.<ref name="The Working Class Majority: America's Best Kept Secret">{{cite book|last=Zweig|first=Michael|year=2001|title=The Working Class Majority: America's Best Kept Secret|publisher=IRL Press|location=New York, NY|isbn=0-8014-8727-7}}</ref>  Economists and pollsters in the United States generally define working class adults as those lacking [[tertiary education]] degrees.<ref name="packer-31-10-2016">{{cite magazine|last1=Packer|first1=George|title=Hillary Clinton and the Populist Revolt|magazine=The New Yorker|date=October 31, 2016|url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/31/hillary-clinton-and-the-populist-revolt|access-date=25 October 2016}}</ref> This is an [[oxymoron]] when applied to those lacking degrees but are unemployed or retired, and therefore not working. According to Frank Newport, "for some, working class is a more literal label; namely, an indication that one is working."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/239195/looking-americans-mean-working-class.aspx|title=Looking Into What Americans Mean by "Working Class"|last=Newport|first=Frank|website=Gallup.com|date=3 August 2018|language=en-us|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref>  Generally, those in [[blue-collar]] and [[Pink-collar worker|pink-collar]] occupations are referred to as working class in the class models referred to in this article.

Dennis Gilbert places 13% of households among the "[[working poor]]" with 12% being in the "underclass". Thompson & Hickey place roughly 17% to 20% of households in the lower classes. The lower classes constituting roughly a fifth to a quarter of American society consists mainly of low-rung retail and service workers as well as the frequently unemployed and those not able to work.<ref name="The American Class Structure"/><ref name="Society in Focus"/><ref name="Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships" /> Overall, 13% of the population fall below the [[poverty threshold]]. [[Hunger in the United States|Hunger and food insecurity]] were present in the lives of 3.9% of American households, while roughly twenty-five million Americans (ca. 9%) participated in the [[Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program|food stamp]] program.<ref name="Results, Center on Hunger and Poverty, hunger and poverty statistics for the United States">{{cite web|url=http://www.results.org/website/article.asp?id=350|title=Results, Center on Hunger and Poverty, hunger and poverty statistics for the United States|access-date=August 29, 2006}}</ref>

==Occupations==
Some sociologists attempt to draw a distinction between [[laborer]]s, [[tradesperson|tradespeople]], and [[professional]]s, when creating class systems.
* ''Laborers'' such as bus drivers, truck drivers, cleaning laborers, and landscapers  "rely heavily on physical exertion," while those in the skilled trades rely on and are known for "specific knowledge, skills, and abilities."<ref name="CampbellRamos">Wanda J. Campbell & Robert A. Ramos, "Blue-collar Selection in Private Sector Organizations" in ''Handbook of Employee Selection'' (eds. James L. Farr, Nancy T. Tippins: Taylor & Francis 2010), p. 741.</ref> 
* ''[[Tradespeople]]'' usually gain their [[skill]]s through [[work experience]], [[on-the-job training]], an [[apprenticeship]] program, and [[Professional certification|certification]].<ref>Whitney, William D., ed.. "Trade." Def, 7. ''The Century Dictionary: An Encyclopedic Lexicon of the English Language'' vol. 8. New York. The Century Co. 1895. 6,415.</ref> 
* ''[[Professional]]s'' require substantial education, typically at least a [[bachelor's degree]] and often [[Postgraduate education|graduate degrees]], and have a higher [[duty of care]].<ref>Robert D. Sprauge, "Liability for System and Data Quality" in ''Social, Ethical and Policy Implications of Information Technology'' (eds. Linda L. Brennan & Victoria Elizabeth Johnson: Idea Group: 2004), p. 194)</ref> They routinely make decisions "on the basis of expertise and ability in complex situations, where there may be no, or little, previous history."<ref>Christopher Lawless, ''Forensic Science: A Sociological Introduction'' (Routledge, 2016), p. 62.</ref>

===Examples of laborers===
Unskilled blue-collar labor includes [[Warehouse|warehousing]], [[mining]], [[Digging|excavation]], [[Janitor|custodial work]], [[agriculture|farming]], [[commercial fishing|fishing]], [[logging]], [[landscaping]], [[pest control]], [[food processing]], [[roughneck|oil field]] work, [[Sanitation worker|waste collection and disposal]], [[recycling]], [[construction worker|construction]], [[Maintenance (technical)|maintenance]], [[shipping]], [[driving]], and [[Truck driver|trucking]].

Unskilled pink-collar labor includes the [[hairstylist]]s, [[cosmetology]], [[waiting staff]], [[domestic workers]], [[receptionist]], [[social work]], [[secretarial work]], and [[child care]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://iusbpreface.net/2023/03/02/pink-collar-jobs-are-disproportionately-underpaid/ | title ="Pink collar" jobs are disproportionately underpaid | publisher=Indiana University Sourh Bend Student Newspaper | date=2023-03-02 | access-date=13 February 2024 | first=Ashley | last=Rose | archive-date=3 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230303014305/https://iusbpreface.net/2023/03/02/pink-collar-jobs-are-disproportionately-underpaid/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Examples of trades===
{{See also|Technician}}

* [[Carpentry]] - [[woodworking]], [[Framing (construction)|framing]], [[door]]s/[[window]]s, [[drywall]], [[Building insulation|insulation]], [[flooring]], [[Siding (construction)|siding]], finishing work, [[cabinetry]], [[furniture]].
* [[Plumbing]] - [[plumbing fixture]]s, [[piping and plumbing fitting]], [[water heating|water heater]], [[steamfitter]], [[GreenPlumbers]], and [[drain cleaner]].
* [[Electrician]] - [[wiring]], [[light fixture]]/[[major appliance]], [[solar power]] installation, [[electric motor]]/[[Electric generator|generator]] technician, [[electronics technician]].
* [[Welding]] - [[Gas metal arc welding|MIG]], [[Gas tungsten arc welding|TIG]], [[Shielded metal arc welding|stick]], [[welding joint]]s, [[Symbols and conventions used in welding documentation|welding symbols]], and [[metalworking]].
* [[Masonry]] - [[concrete]] work, [[brick]]s/[[Concrete block|blocks]]/[[Stonemasonry|stones]], [[Power trowel|troweling]], and [[Tile|tiling]].
* [[Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning|HVAC]] - [[Central heating|heating]], [[Ventilation (architecture)#Mechanical ventilation|ventilation]], [[air conditioning]], and [[Duct (flow)|duct work]].
* [[Painting]] - [[staining]], [[wallpaper]], [[paint mixing]], [[plasterwork]], and [[spackling paste]].
* [[List of commercially available roofing materials|Roofing]] - [[Roof shingle|shingles]], [[Metal roof#Standing seam metal roof|standing seam metal roof]], [[Metal roof#Corrugated metal roof|corrugated metal roof]], [[Metal roof#Thin-film solar on metal roofs|solar roofs]], [[Roof shingle#Rubber shingles|rubber shingles]], [[rain gutter]]s.
* [[Mechanic]] - [[auto mechanic]]/[[Conservation and restoration of road vehicles|restoration]]/[[Vehicle recycling|scrapping]], [[Refrigerator|refrigeration]]/[[air conditioning]], [[boiler]], [[Millwright|millwright/industrial mechanic]].
* [[Metal fabrication]] - [[machinist]], [[Metal lathe|lathes]], [[Milling (machining)|milling]], [[drill]]ing, [[Grinding machine|grinding]], and [[Numerical control|CNC machining]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/learn-trades|title=72 Trades To Learn for a Successful Trade Career &#124; Indeed.com}}</ref>
* [[Sewing]] - [[Sewing machine|machine sewing]], [[List of sewing stitches#Types of hand stitches|hand stitching]], [[embroidery]], [[tailor]], [[quilting]], [[fashion design]], [[Costume designer|costume design]], [[3D modeling#3D clothing|3D clothes modeling]], [[upholstery]], [[knitting]], [[tapestry]], [[crochet]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://seamwhisperer.com/sewing-a-trade/|title=Is Sewing a Trade? + Sewing Jobs & Titles|date=15 August 2022}}</ref>
* [[Culinary arts|Culinary]] [[chef]] - [[baker]], [[Meat market|meat cutter]]\[[fishmonger]], [[Delicatessen#United States|deli]], [[cheesemonger]], [[sushi]] [[itamae]], and [[Cook (profession)#United States|cook]].

===Examples of professions===
Highly educated white collar [[professional class|professionals]] include [[physicians]],<!-- "Physicians" includes Optometry and the like, no need to add all specialties --> [[dentists]], [[lawyers]], [[accountants]], [[engineers]], [[military officers]], [[economists]], [[business analysis]], [[urban planners]], [[university professor]]s, [[architects]], [[stockbrokers]], [[psychologists]], [[scientists]], [[actuaries]], [[optometrists]], [[statistician]], [[speech-language pathologist]], [[occupational therapist]], [[physical therapists]], [[pharmacists]], [[veterinarians]], high-level [[civil servants]], and the [[intelligentsia]].

==Class and health==
{{Further|Rural health|Poverty and health in the United States}}

[[Income in the United States|Income]] also has a significant impact on health as those with higher [[Income in the United States|incomes]] have better access to healthcare facilities, higher [[life expectancy]], lower [[infant mortality rate]] and increased health consciousness. In 2006, Harvard researchers divided the United States into "eight Americas."<ref name="8Americas">{{cite journal|vauthors=Murray CJ, Kulkarni SC, Michaud C, etal|title=Eight Americas: investigating mortality disparities across races, counties, and race-counties in the United States|journal=PLOS Medicine|volume=3|issue=9|page=e260|year=2006|pmid=16968116|pmc=1564165|doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0030260|doi-access=free}} {{lay source|template=cite magazine|author=Linda Keslar|title=The Eight Americas: Universal medical insurance isn't the golden ticket to universally improved health, warn researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health|date=Spring 2008|url=http://protomag.com/assets/the-eight-americas|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212174112/http://protomag.com/assets/the-eight-americas|archive-date=2009-02-12|magazine=Proto}}</ref> A 2024 study from [[University of Washington]] researchers added two more segments to make it "ten Americas".<ref name="Dwyer-Lindgren et al 2024">{{cite journal |last1=Dwyer-Lindgren |first1=Laura |last2=Baumann |first2=Mathew M |last3=Li |first3=Zhuochen |last4=Kelly |first4=Yekaterina O |last5=Schmidt |first5=Chris |last6=Searchinger |first6=Chloe |last7=La Motte-Kerr |first7=Wichada |last8=Bollyky |first8=Thomas J |last9=Mokdad |first9=Ali H |last10=Murray |first10=Christopher JL |display-authors=4 |title=Ten Americas: a systematic analysis of life expectancy disparities in the USA |journal=The Lancet |publisher=Elsevier BV |volume=404 |issue=10469 |year=2024 |issn=0140-6736 |doi=10.1016/s0140-6736(24)01495-8 |doi-access=free |pages=2299–2313|pmid=39581204 |pmc=11694013 }}</ref>

[[Life expectancy]] ranges from 84.9 years for Asian Americans who had an average per capita income of $21,566, to 71.1 years for urban African-Americans with an average per capita income of $14,800.<ref name=8Americas/>

Furthermore, like other [[post-industrial society|post-industrial nations]], the United States saw increased health consciousness among persons of higher social status. Persons of higher status are less likely to smoke, more likely to exercise regularly, and be more conscious of their diet.<ref name="Health and social class">{{cite journal|url=http://jech.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/57/6/440|title=Health and social class|year=2003 |pmid=12775791 |access-date=December 13, 2006|last1=Wardle |first1=J. |last2=Steptoe |first2=A. |journal=Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health |volume=57 |issue=6 |pages=440–443 |doi=10.1136/jech.57.6.440 |pmc=1732468 }}</ref> Additionally, poorer Americans are [[Food desert|more likely to consume lower quality, processed foods]]. One can therefore conclude that low socio-economic status contributes to a person's likelihood of being obese.<ref name="Bad diet and income">{{cite web|url=http://www.frac.org/html/hunger_in_the_us/hunger&obesity.htm|title=Bad diet and income|access-date=December 14, 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061129201734/http://www.frac.org/html/hunger_in_the_us/hunger%26obesity.htm|archive-date=November 29, 2006|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="Socioeconomic status and obesity">{{cite web|url=http://www.cherp.research.med.va.gov/cherpdocs/issuebriefs/Policy%20Brief_Fall2005.pdf|title=Socioeconomic status and obesity|access-date=December 14, 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923152603/http://www.cherp.research.med.va.gov/cherpdocs/issuebriefs/Policy%20Brief_Fall2005.pdf|archive-date=September 23, 2006|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

==Class and politics==
{{Further|Household income in the United States|Personal income in the United States|Educational attainment in the United States|Investment theory of politics}}
[[Image:Senate Income Votes.SVG|thumb|280px|A study by [[Larry Bartels]] found a positive correlation between Senate votes and opinions of high income people, conversely, low income people had a negative correlation with Senate votes.<ref>Based on [[Larry Bartels]]'s study ''[http://www.princeton.edu/~bartels/economic.pdf Economic Inequality and Political Representation] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110915194622/http://www.princeton.edu/~bartels/economic.pdf |date=September 15, 2011 }}'', Table 1: Differential Responsiveness of Senators to Constituency Opinion.</ref>]]
[[File:Kamala Harris Vice Presidential Portrait (cropped).jpg|200px|thumb|right|Democratic nominee [[Kamala Harris]] won the highest-income voters in the [[2024 United States presidential election]], despite losing the presidential election. <ref name="Well-to-Do">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/opinion/democrats-rich-poor.html|quote=By 2024, the realignment of income and political party was complete. Americans with more money voted for Kamala Harris while Donald Trump won among the working class.|date=October 23, 2025|access-date=October 23, 2025|title=How Democrats Became the Party of the Well-to-Do|website=The New York Times|first1=Brody|last1=Williams}}</ref>]]

Many politically powerful people make money before coming to office, but in general the political power elite have official incomes in the $150,000 to $185,000 range; members of Congress are paid $174,000, and are effectively required to have a residence in their district as well as one in Washington.<ref name="Economic statutes pertaining to congressmen">{{cite web|url=http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/ooh9899/116.htm|title=Economic statutes pertaining to congressmen|access-date=February 15, 2007}}</ref>

The relationship between class and politics is less about partisan affiliation and more about the level of political influence. Those in the upper class and upper middle class have the greatest influence.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UaCmHfXfABMC&q=The+American+Class+Structure:+In+An+Age+of+Growing+Inequality&pg=PA228|title=The American Class Structure: In An Age of Growing Inequality|author=Dennis Gilbert|year=2018|publisher=Sage Press|isbn=978-1-5063-4596-3|access-date=27 October 2018}}</ref> According to Pew Research, nearly all members of the [[118th Congress]] had a Bachelor's degree, specifically 94% in the [[United States House of Representatives|House]] and 99% in the [[United States Senate|Senate]]. This was far higher than the 38% of American adults age 25+ with a Bachelor's degree in 2023. Using the Gilbert Model described earlier, as well as the fact the [[Salaries of members of the United States Congress|congressional salary]] is $174,000 a year, members of the [[United States Congress]] can classified as members of the upper middle class and upper class.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/02/02/nearly-all-members-of-the-118th-congress-have-a-bachelors-degree-and-most-have-a-graduate-degree-too/|title=Nearly all members of the 118th Congress have a bachelor's degree – and most have a graduate degree, too|date=May 28, 2024|website=Pew Research Center|first1=Katherine|last1=Schaeffer}}</ref>

In the [[2024 United States presidential election]], Democratic nominee [[Kamala Harris]] won voters making over $100,000 and $200,000 a year, despite losing the presidential election. This was the first time the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] won the highest-income voters while losing the presidential election.<ref name="Well-to-Do"/> Harris in particular did very well among White women with college degrees and voters with [[Postgraduate education|graduate degrees]], winning them 58-41% and 59-38%, respectively. Harris's strongest income demographic consisted of voters making over $200,000 a year, winning 52-46%. Harris is a [[Black women in American politics|Black woman]] with a [[Juris Doctor]].<ref>{{cite news|date=November 6, 2024|title=Exit poll results 2024|url=https://www.cnn.com/election/2024/exit-polls/national-results/general/president/0|access-date=November 6, 2024|publisher=CNN|archive-date=November 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241105154934/https://www.cnn.com/election/2024/exit-polls/national-results/general/president/0|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Existence of distinct class groupings==
Some academics consider American society sociologically and economically fragmented in such a manner that no clear class distinctions can be made. This means that there are no pronounced breaks in socioeconomic strata, which makes [[class division]] highly subjective and disputable.<ref name="Occupation and Class Consciousness in America"/> Others, such as sociologist Dennis Gilbert, dispute the concept of a well-mixed society, and claim that distinct social networks can be identified for each class. W. Lloyd Warner also asserts the existence of class markers:

{{Blockquote|text=We are proud of those facts of American life that fit the pattern we are taught but somehow we are often ashamed of those equally important social facts which demonstrate the presence of social class. Consequently, we tend to deny them, or worse, denounce them and by doing so we tend to deny their existence and magically make them disappear from consciousness.|author=[[W. Lloyd Warner]]|title=|source=''What is Social Class in America'', 1949<ref name="What is Social Class in America Lloyd Warner"/>}}

Warner asserts that social class is as old as civilization itself and has been present in nearly every society from before the [[Roman Empire]], through medieval times, and to the modern-day United States. He believes that complex societies such as the United States need an equally complex social hierarchy.<ref name="What is Social Class in America Lloyd Warner"/>

==See also==
{{Portal|United States|Society|Politics|Economy}}
{{Div col}}
* [[American gentry]]
* ''[[Class: A Guide Through the American Status System]]''
* [[Caste system in India]] 
** [[Caste-related violence in India]] 
* [[Global elite]]
* [[Income inequality in the United States]]
* [[Racial inequality in the United States]]
* [[Social class in American history]]
* [[Social stratification]]
{{Div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Leonard Beeghley; ''The Structure of Social Stratification in the United States'' Pearson, 2004
* Dennis Gilbert; ''The American Class Structure'' Wadsworth, 2002
* Rhonda Levine; ''Social Class and Stratification'' Rowman & Littlefield, 1998
* [[Paul Fussell]] ''Class: A Guide Through the American Status System'' [[Simon & Schuster]], 1992 

* Oestreicher. Richard. "Urban Working-Class Political Behavior and Theories of American Electoral Politics, 1870-1940" ''Journal of American History'' 74#4 (1988), pp. 1257-1286 [https://www.jstor.org/stable/1894410Acce  online]

* Michael Zweig; ''What's Class Got To Do With It?'' Cornell University Press, 2003
* Christopher Beach; ''Class, Language, and American Film Comedy'' Cambridge University Press, 2002
* Harold J. Bershady ed; ''Social Class and Democratic Leadership: Essays in Honor of E. Digby Baltzell'' 1989
* Daniel Bertaux, and Paul Thompson; ''Pathways to Social Class: A Qualitative Approach to Social Mobility'' Clarendon Press, 1997
* Barbara Ehrenreich. ''Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America'' (2002), author disguises herself as working class
* David B. Grusky (Editor) ''Social Stratification: Class, Race, and Gender in Sociological Perspective'' (2000)
* Alan C. Kerckhoff; ''Socialization and Social Class'' 1972, textbook
* Jim Lardner, James Lardner, David A. Smith, editors, ''Inequality Matters: The Growing Economic Divide In America And Its Poisonous Consequences'', WW Norton (January 2006), hardcover, 224 pages, {{ISBN|1-56584-995-7}}
* Erik Olin Wright. ''Classe'' (1997) – a detailed Marxian guide to define working class/middle class etc.
* David Popenoe, ''Sociology'', (ninth edition, Prentice Hall, 1993 {{ISBN|0-13-819798-9}} ) pb. pp.&nbsp;232–236,
* [http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html Wealth, Income, and Power] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020134522/http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html |date=2011-10-20 }} – wealth distribution in the United States from a Power Structure Research perspective
* {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001030115540/http://www.korpios.org/resurgent/L-mobility.htm|title=Myth: Income mobility makes up for income inequality|date=2000-10-30}} – analysis from Liberal point of view
* Kalra, Paul (1996). ''The American Class System: Divide and Rule''. {{ISBN|0-9647173-5-2}}.
* Kay Hymowitz / ''Marriage and Caste in America: Separate and Unequal Families in a Post-Marital Age'' (2006) {{ISBN|1-56663-709-0}}
* [[G. William Domhoff]] (1967). ''Who Rules America?'', Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall
* Lee D. Baker (2004). [https://books.google.com/books?id=--9FhG69PP0C ''Life in America: Identity and Everyday Experience''], Blackwell Publishing, {{ISBN|1-4051-0564-X}}

==External links==
* {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050604235235/http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/incomestats.html|title=United States Census Bureau's official online income statistics forum|date=2005-06-04}}
* {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104041530/http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new06_000.htm|title=Income distribution and income by race, United States Census Bureau 2005|date=2007-01-04}}
* {{webarchive|url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20011118150952/http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/histinc/h13.html|title=Household income by educational attainment, United States Census Bureau|date=2001-11-18}}
* {{webarchive|url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20011118164230/http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/histinc/p16.html|title=Personal income in 2004, United States Census Bureau|date=2001-11-18}}
* {{webarchive|url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20090710063839/http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/medincsizeandstate.html|title=Median Family Income by Family Size (in 2004 inflation-adjusted dollars) from Census.gov|date=2009-07-10}}
* {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051031054255/http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/medincearnersandstate.html|title=Median Family Income by Number of Earners in Family (in 2004 inflation-adjusted dollars) from Census.gov|date=2005-10-31}}
* [http://www.classmatters.org/working_definitions.php Working Definitions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414211854/http://www.classmatters.org/working_definitions.php|date=2021-04-14}} ClassMatters.com
* [https://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/national/20050515_CLASS_GRAPHIC/index_01.html How Class Works], The New York Times

{{Social class}}
{{Demographics of the United States}}
{{United States topics}}
{{North America in topic|Social class in}}

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[[Category:Social class in the United States| ]]
[[Category:Social status]]
[[Category:Social history of the United States|*]]