Finance expert says $100,000 salary isn't a 'big deal' anymore in 2025 — and people aren’t having it

The rising cost of living is a major cause for concern at a time when a large number of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Amidst these times, a personal finance expert's take on the value of a $100,000 salary in 2025 has sparked a debate on social media. Taking to Threads, Milan Singh (@milansinghhh), from Fresno, California, made the bold claim that the six-figure salary is nothing special and equivalent to a $54,000 salary in 2000. “Stop pretending $100K is a big deal, it's just not anymore,” he wrote, inviting a flood of comments. Newsweek reached out to the expert, who explained why his take was valid.

Singh shared a post on Threads discussing the true value of a six-figure salary in 2025. Singh wrote that the six-figure mark wasn't a big deal anymore. Since Singh did not back up his claim, the post drew strong criticism, with people calling out the expert for looking down on others. "These posts are beyond ridiculous and disrespectful to the reality of the majority of people. All it does is breed feelings of inadequacy, which is not at all helpful," wrote @mommcsanchez in the thread. 

"Last year was the first year I made the elusive 'six figures'. Now that I’m here, it sure is being minimized. You should look up how many people are making much less than $100k. It’s the vast majority. If the $100k club is struggling, guess how it’s going for those living on a fraction of that. There are problems, absolutely. But stop looking down on people when they get their first big win or are still working towards it," shared another user, @nikerret.

While the post drew some backlash, Singh explained his take to Newsweek to clear the air. “$100,000 in 2025 is only worth about $54,000 in 2000 because of inflation,” Singh told the publication. He added that while $100,000 is commonly seen as a generous income, it’s “insufficient to support a family,” and will not cater to a “financially free lifestyle.” He added that the purchasing power of Americans has diminished over the years, and today, money buys much less than it used to. "To compare the value of money across years, you look at something called the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which tracks how much prices have risen. In 2000, the CPI was about 172, and in 2025, it’s around 317. When you adjust $100,000 from 2025 using those numbers, you find that it has the same buying power as roughly $54,000 in 2000. In other words, the dollar has lost almost half its value over the last 25 years," he explained.

While Newsweek noted that the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the median income of Americans is around $62,192 per year, far below the six-figure mark, Singh argued that, depending on the location, even people earning $100,000 may need to be frugal. “$100K varies significantly depending on location, cost of living, taxes, and individual financial obligations (like debt or family size). Many people in this income bracket also have to save and spend mindfully, budget rigorously, and invest their way to financial freedom,” he told the publication. However, Singh expressed that a $100,000 salary is still a great step toward “building financial freedom,” but it shouldn't be an aspirational figure.

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