US | inflation Poll: Even Six-Figure-Earners Are Feeling Strapped Most see the threshold as 'survival mode,' not comfort By John Johnson withNewser.AI Posted Nov 16, 2025 7:41 AM CST Copied (Getty/DragonImages) A new Harris Poll finds that plenty of Americans who earn six figures are feeling stressed financially. Highlights from the poll and USA Today: A third of Americans earning at least $100,000 a year consider themselves financially distressed. Two-thirds of these earners say a six-figure salary is no longer a sign of wealth—the money covers their basic needs but not comfort. "People used to feel when you got to six figures or above that it was a sign of financial stability," says Libby Rodney of the polling organization. "And now we just see that as a sign of surviving, and being in survival mode." Three-quarters of these respondents reported using credit cards in the last three months as a matter of necessity: because they ran out of cash. More than half said they would need to double their income to feel secure. Inflation is the main reason: Prices are up 24% since 2020, and people would have to earn $170,000 today to have the buying power of a $100,000 salary in 2005, according to Comerica Bank. The effect is especially pronounced in large, expensive cities, where basic expenses can outstrip a six-figure income—and where most six-figure-earners live. The new Harris Poll included responses from 2,109 Americans, of whom 728 earned at least $100,000. Read These Next Todd Snider, who helped shape Americana music, dies. One of today's hottest board games was invented by an 8-year-old. A startling development after prisoner is spared from execution. Asked about emigration, younger US women say 'yes, please.' Report an error