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Median Personal Income

Income of the person in the middle, including non-workers.

Median Personal Income
$45,140
Dollars · latest, Jan 2024
vs prior month▲ 6.9%
vs year ago▲ 6.9%
1973-75 Recession · Nov 1973 – Mar 19751980 Recession · Jan 1980 – Jul 19801981-82 Recession · Jul 1981 – Nov 19821990-91 Recession · Jul 1990 – Mar 19912001 Recession · Mar 2001 – Nov 2001Global Financial Crisis · Dec 2007 – Jun 2009COVID-19 Recession · Feb 2020 – Apr 2020$10K$20K$30K$40K19801990200020102020$45,140
Median Personal Income — one value per year; US recessions are shaded on the chart.
YearMedian Personal Income
1974$5,335
1975$5,664
1976$6,002
1977$6,429
1978$6,813
1979$7,254
1980$7,944
1981$8,532
1982$9,143
1983$9,720
1984$10,420
1985$11,010
1986$11,550
1987$12,100
1988$12,940
1989$13,860
1990$14,380
1991$14,690
1992$14,900
1993$15,430
1994$15,940
1995$16,780
1996$17,590
1997$18,760
1998$19,950
1999$20,580
2000$21,520
2001$21,930
2002$22,120
2003$22,670
2004$23,210
2005$24,330
2006$25,800
2007$26,630
2008$26,510
2009$26,130
2010$26,180
2011$26,590
2012$26,990
2013$27,680
2014$28,760
2015$30,240
2016$31,100
2017$31,960
2018$33,710
2019$35,980
2020$35,850
2021$37,520
2022$40,480
2023$42,220
2024$45,140

Hover the line to read any month. Drag across the chart to zoom; double-click to reset.

Source: FRED · MEPAINUSA646N · series · Jan 1974 to Jan 2024 · latest-revised

Refreshed Jul 31, 2026 from FRED.

Income of the person in the middle, including non-workers.

Income of the person in the middle of the US distribution, including people without earnings.

Source: FRED · Jan 2024 · Full lesson → Learn

About the bands. Shaded spans are NBER-dated US recessions, drawn as factual overlays. They mark when the economy contracted, not why. Lining an event up with a move is not evidence it caused the move.