Many companies featured on Money advertise with us. Opinions are our own, but compensation and in-depth research determine where and how companies may appear. Learn more about how we make money.
More Americans Earning Over $100K Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck
Sarah Hansen is a senior writer at Money covering all things personal finance. Previously, she covered economic policy and capital markets on the breaking news desk at Forbes.
As inflation and a possible recession continue to squeeze household budgets, the share of Americans who say they live paycheck to paycheck — meaning that they use all or most of their income to pay for expenses each month, without saving — is growing, especially among higher earners.
Ads by Money. We may be compensated if you click this ad.Ad
Having an emergency fund is now more important than ever
By setting some money aside in a Savings Account, you will be prepared to face any emergency that could arise. Click on your state and get started.
Roughly 64% of U.S. consumers lived paycheck to paycheck in December, according to the results of a new survey of nearly 4,000 people from financial publication PYMNTS.com and online lender Lending Club.
That suggests an increase of 9.3 million Americans compared to a year ago, when 61% of people reported living paycheck to paycheck.
Go deeper
Of that additional 9.3 million people, PYMNTS found that 8 million are folks who earn more than $100,000 per year. That means that much of the increase in the share of consumers living paycheck to paycheck is being driven by those on the higher end of the income spectrum:
In December, 51% of those earning more than $100,000 per year said they lived paycheck to paycheck, up from 42% a year earlier.
The survey results also show that it’s getting harder for this group to cover their expenses:
16% said it was difficult to pay their bills each month in December 2022, compared to 11% in December 2021.
Ads by Money. We may be compensated if you click this ad.Ad
An emergency fund is an essential part of everyone's financial plan
Opening a Savings Account to start an emergency fund makes a lot of sense for moments like these. Click below to open an account and start saving!
As prices keep rising, those having trouble with essential bills every month shouldn't hesitate to seek assistance — whether from a trusted financial expert, government program or local food bank.
And even on a very tight budget, financial experts generally recommend putting aside anything you can each month — even if it's only $5 — to build an emergency fund and help reinforce the habit of saving automatically.
Newsletter
Dollar Scholar
Still learning the basics of personal finance? Let us teach you the major money lessons you NEED to know. Get useful tips, expert advice and cute animals in your inbox every week.
Newsletter
Subscribe successful!
You will now receive Money's Dollar Scholar newsletter at
Reply anytime to let us know how we can improve. Enjoy!
Make sure we land in your inbox, not your spam folder. We just sent you a welcome email. Sometimes email clients send our first email to a spam or promotions folder. If you don't see us in your inbox, check these folders, then drag and drop the welcome email into your inbox.