Is $60,000 A Year A Good Salary? (Can You Survive On It?)

Is 60000 A Year A Good Salary For A Single Person Family Of 3- 60000 A Year Is How Much Biweekly Monthly Weekly Hourly

Is earning $60,000 per year good?

In this article, you’ll learn about:

  • how $60,000 compares to the average cost of living and income
  • if it’s good for a single person or a family
  • how much you’ll earn per month, bi-weekly, weekly, and hourly
  • how much you’ll bring home after taxes
  • how much house or rent you can afford

Let’s dig in.

Table of Contents

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Key Statistics For What A Good Salary Is

  • The median annual income in the US is $41,000.
  • The median salary in the US is $1,041 per week.
  • The average weekly pay for men is $1,144 and $943 for women.
  • The median household income is decreasing by 2.9% per year due to inflation.
  • The median household income in the US is $70,784 (Census Bureau)
  • Bachelor’s Degrees earn 24% more than those with non-college graduates.
  • Master’s Degrees earn 29% more than Bachelor’s Degrees.
  • PhD grads earn 23% more than Master’s Degrees.
  • 30.7% of U.S. households make over $100k a year.
  • The average person earns $1.7M in their lifetime.
  • Healthcare jobs earn up to 638% more than the average annual income in the US (Payscale).
  • The areas with the highest average annual salary are Massachusetts and Washington D.C.
  • Maryland, New Jersey, and Massachusetts are the highest median household income states.
  • New York City, San Francisco, Hawaii, and Massachusetts have the highest housing costs.
  • 2.3% of individual income earners make over $300k a year.

Is $60,000 A Year A Good Salary?

Yes, $60,000 is a good salary.

The average salary in the US is $58,260.

You are earning 2% more than the average annual salary working full-time.

Which is $1,740 more per year than the average salary in the US.

Salaries For Different Family Sizes

Let’s look at how earning a yearly salary of $60,000 works out for different family sizes.

Your cost of living varies depending on whether you’re single or a family of 3.

Is $60,000 A Year Good For A Single Person?

Yes, $60,000 a year is good for a single person.

The median living wage for a single person is $17.74 per hour.

This comes out to be $35,480 per year.

After taxes, making $60,000 a year leaves a single person with a take home pay of $45,600.

The average single person would have $10,120 left over after taxes and living expenses.

A single person earning $60k a year should have an extra $845 left over each month.

If your spending habits are not good, then it’ll be hard to live on $60,000 a year.

What Is A Good Salary For A Single Person?

A good annual salary for a single person is anything above $41,500.

The median annual expenses for a single person is $32,352.

With a 22% income tax bracket, the net income for a single person is $32,350.

Just being able to pay for your expenses isn’t “a good salary” for a single person.

A good salary for a single person would be $80,000 or more.

With a 22% income tax bracket, the net income for a single person is $62,400.

This would leave them with $30,050 in extra money each year.

Is $60,000 A Year Good For A Family Of 3?

Yes, $60,000 a year is good for a family of 3.

The median living wage for a family of 3 is $19.20 per hour.

This comes out to be $38,400 per year.

After taxes, making $60,000 a year leaves a family of 3 with $52,800.

The average family of 3 would have $14,400 left over after taxes and living expenses.

A family of 3 earning $60k a year should have an extra $1,200 left over each month.

What Is A Good Salary For A Family?

A comfortable salary for a family is about $116,000.

The median annual expenses for a family is $90,100.

A comfortable salary for a family is $116,000 before taxes.

With a 22% income tax bracket, this income will cover the average expenses of $90,100.

Note that the average household income in America is $70,784.

Earning $116,000 is 63.9% higher than the average household income in the US.

What Are Living Wages?

A living wage is an hourly wage needed to cover your living expenses.

The average living wage is 245% of the minimum wage in America.

Those who earn less than the living wage need to:

  • get a new job that pays more
  • get a side hustle or part-time job (i.e., Amazon Associates) to earn more income
  • get a degree higher than high school (i.e., college or trade school)

If possible, change jobs to become a higher earner.

Most people become stagnant at their jobs and could increase their income by changing jobs.

When you can earn more by switching jobs, side hustles are not worth it.

This is especially true if you have a family to take care of as well.

How Much You’ll Bring Home

Let’s look at how much you’ll bring home if you make $60,000 a year.

We’re also going to look at the different tax rates between single and married people.

These different tax rates determine the amount of money you’ll bring home.

$60,000 A Year Is How Much A Month?

Making $60,000 a year is $5,000 per month.

A single person would bring home $3,800 per month after taxes.

A family would bring home $4,400 per month after taxes.

$60,000 A Year Is How Much Biweekly?

Making $60,000 a year is $2,308 biweekly.

A single person would bring home $1,754 biweekly after taxes.

A family would bring home $2,031 biweekly after taxes.

$60,000 A Year Is How Much Weekly?

Making $60,000 a year is $1,154 weekly.

A single person would bring home $877 weekly after taxes.

A family would bring home $1,015 weekly after taxes.

$60,000 A Year Is How Much An Hour?

Making $60,000 a year is an hourly rate of $30 per hour.

A single person would bring home $22.80 per hour after taxes.

A family would bring home $26.40 per hour after taxes.

How Much You Can Afford

Let’s look at how much you can afford to pay for a house and a car on $60,000 a year.

You’ll need to take your own personal finances and financial goals into account.

Your spending habits can determine how much you spend on things like:

  • a cell phone
  • student loans
  • health insurance
  • credit cards
  • going out
  • vacations

A lot of people overspend in these areas, making it harder to afford a house.

People also buy too much car, trapping themselves into debt.

And spending a lot of money unnecessarily leads them to living paycheck to paycheck.

How Much Rent Can I Afford On $60,000?

You can afford $1,250 in rent if you’re making $60,000 a year.

Your rent payment should not exceed 28% of your gross monthly income.

How Much House Can I Afford Making $60,000?

You can afford a $1,250 mortgage payment on a house making $60,000 a year.

You can afford a $177,000 house if you’re:

  • putting down 5% ($8,850)
  • using 25% of your monthly income for a mortgage payment
  • accounting for housing costs like property taxes and insurance

Your mortgage payment should not exceed 28% of your gross monthly income.

I Make $60,000 A Year What Car Can I Afford?

You should only be spending 10%-15% of your monthly budget on a car.

With this, you can afford a $500-$750 a month car payment.

You can afford a $27,000 – $40,500 car if you make $60,000 per year.

What Taxes Look Like

Let’s look at the different taxes and how much you’ll bring home when you make $60,000 a year. 

What Are The Taxes On $60,000 Income?

Your state income tax varies from 2.9% to 13.3%.

But the average state income tax is 5.99%.

On $60,000, the average state income tax you’ll pay is $3,594.

Federal taxes on $60,000 per year are:

  • 24% ($14,400) for a single person
  • 12% ($7,200) for a married couple

Social Security

You’re also going to have to pay social security taxes, which are 6.2%.

If you earn $60,000, you’re paying $3,720 in social security per year.

What Is $60,000 After Taxes?

So, how much will you bring home after all of the taxes and social security?

If you’re single, you’ll take home $38,286.

If you’re a married couple, you’ll take home $45,486.

This assumes you’re:

  • paying the average state income tax of 5.99% (you’re likely not)
  • paying 6.2% in social security tax

$60,000 A Year Is How Much A Month After Taxes?

$60,000 a year is $38,286 for a single person after taxes.

$60,000 a year is $45,486 for a married couple after taxes.

This takes into account:

  • federal taxes
  • the average state income taxes
  • social security taxes

Living in states with a low cost of living can help you bring more money home.

It can reduce the cost of real estate, property taxes, cost of living, and state income taxes.

The following states do not collect state income tax:

  • Florida
  • South Dakota
  • Texas
  • Alaska
  • Washington
  • Wyoming

Combine this with a great salary and you’ll be taking home quite a bit of money.

What Is $60,000 After Taxes In California?

In California, $60,000 a year is $33,900 for a single person after taxes.

In California, $60,000 a year is $41,100 for a married couple after taxes.

This takes into account:

  • federal taxes
  • California’s state income taxes
  • social security taxes

What Is $60,000 After Taxes In New York?

In New York, $60,000 a year is $35,340 for a single person after taxes.

In New York, $60,000 a year is $42,540 for a married couple after taxes.

This takes into account:

  • federal taxes
  • New York’s state income taxes
  • social security taxes

Frequently Asked Questions

These are the most common questions about earning this amount of money.

What Is Considered A Good Salary?

In the US, a good salary is $78,700 before taxes.

The average monthly expenses per household are $5,111 per month or $61,332 per year.

To cover the average expenses, a good salary is going to be $78,700 per year.

Earning $78,700 places you in the 22% tax bracket.

After taxes, $78,700 turns into $61,386 and lands you in the middle class.

A good salary in the US to break even on average expenses is $78,700 per year.

What Is A Comfortable Salary For A Family Of 4?

A comfortable salary for a family of 4 is about $116,000.

The median annual expenses for a family of four is $90,100.

A comfortable salary for a family of 4 is $116,000 before taxes.

With a 22% income tax bracket, this income will cover the average expenses of $90,100.

Note that the average household income in America is $70,784.

Earning $116,000 is 63.9% higher than the average household income in the US.

Is $100,000 A Good Salary For A Single Person?

Yes, $100,000 a year is a good salary for a single person.

The median annual expenses for a single person is $32,352.

With a 22% income tax bracket, this income will cover the average expenses of $78,000.

This would leave a single person with $45,650 after expenses and taxes each year.

A single person making $100,000 a year is good because it allows them to:

  • pay down debts
  • build their savings
  • invest for retirement
  • do vacations

Is $40k A Good Salary?

No, $40,000 is not a good salary.

The average salary in the US is $58,260.

You are earning 69% of the average annual salary.

Which is $18,260 less per year than the average salary in the US.

At $40,000 a year, you’re most likely below the living wage in your area.

But $40,000 a year makes you a low earner if your job is full-time.

If you’re a part-time 17-year-old high schooler making $40,000 a year, this is really good.

It depends on your experience level, age, and how far out of high school you are.

$40,000 is the minimum wage in some parts of the country.

You should reach out to a recruiter to see about getting a new job.

And talk to them about what skills you can gain to get a higher-paying job offer.

Is $50k A Good Salary?

No, $50,000 is not a good salary.

The average salary in the US is $58,260.

You are earning 86% of the average annual salary.

Which is $8,260 less per year than the average salary in the US.

Is $65k A Good Salary?

Yes, $65,000 is a good salary.

The average salary in the US is $58,260.

You are earning 12% more than the average annual salary.

Which is $6,740 more per year than the average salary in the US.

Is $70k A Good Salary?

Yes, $70,000 is a good salary.

The average salary in the US is $58,260.

You are earning 20.6% more than the average annual salary.

Which is $12,740 more per year than the average salary in the US.

Is $80k A Year Good?

Yes, $80,000 is a good salary.

The average salary in the US is $58,260.

You are earning 37.3% more than the average annual salary.

Which is $21,740 more per year than the average salary in the US.

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