The U.S. Census Bureau asked around - how much money is everyone REALLY making?

Answer: $63,360

Questions:

• Why do you think the income of “family households” is so much higher than “nonfamily households”?
• Which variable shown has the biggest impact on income?
• What other factors might impact how much someone earns (besides the ones in the chart)?
• This data shows pre-tax income. Imagine you earn $75,000 and pay an effective income tax rate of 15%. What is your take-home pay after taxes are taken out?

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (Census Bureau):

"In 2024, median earnings were $51,370 for all workers and $63,360 for full-time, year-round workers. The changes in median earnings between 2023 and 2024 for both all workers and full-time, year-round workers were not statistically significant (Table A-6)."

About the Author

Dave Martin

Dave joins NGPF with 15 years of teaching experience in math and computer science. After joining the New York City Teaching Fellows program and earning a Master's degree in Education from Pace University, his teaching career has taken him to New York, New Jersey and a summer in the north of Ghana. Dave firmly believes that financial literacy is vital to creating well-rounded students that are prepared for a complex and highly competitive world. During what free time two young daughters will allow, Dave enjoys video games, Dungeons & Dragons, cooking, gardening, and taking naps.

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