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 After Kennedy Center name change, holiday jazz concert is canceled. Veteran TV actor Pat Finn is dead at 60. Former child performer in the Lion King was fatally stabbed. Sammy Davis Jr.'s ex, Swedish actor May Britt, is dead at 91. Report an error