Is $30,000 a Good Salary? - Zippia (2024)

No, $30,000 is not a good salary in the United States, generally speaking. When mulling through job listings or receiving an offer, many people wonder if they’re being offered a good salary. After all, you want to be sure that your hard work is being rewarded with an adequate wage.

So, is $30,000 a year a good salary?

The answer to that question varies depending on who you are exactly. If you’re a full-time student in Idaho who works in a cafe to get by, $30,000 per year is a fantastic sum. If you’re a single parent of three children living in California, $30,000 is nowhere near enough to get by.

Below you’ll find some common lifestyles and if $30,000 is a good enough salary to support them.

Is $30,000 a Good Salary for a Single Person?

No, $30,000 is not a great salary for a single person, but it can be livable depending on the person’s location and expenses.

The average personal income in the United States is $63,214 per year, which is more than double the $30k mark. This initially makes you think that someone earning $30,000 is on a tight budget.

However, this is definitely a feasible amount in lots of states. The average cost of living before rent for a single person in Iowa is a little under $12,000 per year. Here, $30,000 a year would probably be enough to survive on for a single person.

On the flip side, a single person making $30,000 a year would probably have a tough time living in New York, where the average cost of living is nearly $20,000 before rent.

The answer to whether $30,000 is a good salary for a single person really depends on their specific living situation.

Is $30,000 a Good Salary for a Recent Graduate?

Yes, $30,000 is a good salary for recent graduates in most professional industries. However, this can differ depending on the graduate’s field.

For example, an entry-level journalist can expect to make $35,000 per year on average. Being offered a salary of $30,000 wouldn’t be grossly out of the question, but it is a little bit lower than one would expect with this degree.

Alternatively, the typical entry-level software developer is expected to make $73,000 per year. If a recent graduate with this focus was offered $30,000 annually, it would be considered a very bad salary.

It all depends on what’s typical for the industry and the cost of living in the state.

Is $30,000 a Good Salary for a Family?

No, $30,000 is not a good salary for a family with the cost of living in the United States.

The poverty line for a family with four members is $26,200. That’s only a mere $4,000 away from a $30K salary. When an unexpected expense arises, that four thousand can dissipate very quickly.

Slipping below that poverty line can happen quickly after that. Today, 11.4% of Americans live below the poverty line, which translates to 37.2 million people.

The reality is that no matter where you live in the U.S., supporting an entire family and raising children with $30,000 per year is difficult. But, don’t confuse difficulty for impossibility. Many families make it work on this salary and still create a beautiful life for their kids.

What Factors Determine Whether a Salary is Good or Not

1. Location/Cost of Living. A person’s location is one of the biggest factors that decide if their salary is good. Every state, country, and town all have their own distinct costs of living. In some areas, residents can easily survive from $2,000 a month ($24,000 per year) and build up savings.

   Only a few minutes down the road, a neighboring town might have an average cost of living of over $3,500 per month ($42,000 annually).

   Even two people with the same job title might be making different salaries depending on where they live. A social worker in Texas makes an average of $58,414, while a social worker in Illinois brings in $55,200 on average.

   When you’re trying to figure out whether a salary is good or not, your location is definitely the first aspect to consider.

2. Career Stage. Your experience level is another factor that plays a huge role in determining how good your salary is. An individual with two decades of experience working in a management role is going to earn more than an entry-level employee.

   See Also

   More Americans say they are living paycheck to paycheck this year than in 2023—here's whyThe salary a single person needs to live comfortably in 25 major U.S. citiesWhat Income Is Considered Poverty Level in 2024?The salary a single person needs to live comfortably in every U.S. state

   An entry-level barber is expected to have a yearly salary of $22,000. Further down the line, barbers with some experience earn a median salary of $37,000. Therefore, $25,000 would be a poor salary for an experienced barber but a great salary for someone who’s new to the field.

   In other words, a salary that might be excellent for one employee would be blasphemy for another.

3. Education Level. An employee or job applicant’s education level can also greatly impact whether or not their salary is good. Typically, a person who has completed more school will earn a higher salary than someone with fewer degrees.

   People who have less than a high school diploma earn $500 a week on average ($26,000 yearly). Alternatively, employees that hold a master’s degree bring in a median income of $1,400 a week ($72,800 per year).

   However, education level doesn’t always have to impact a person’s income. There are people who only have a high school diploma but make over six figures a year. Likewise, there are people who have a doctorate degree and still make under $50K.

4. Personal Lifestyle. When you’re wondering if your salary is up to par, something to consider is your personal lifestyle. Everyone has their own unique list of expenses and habits.

   If you’re the type of person who orders food delivery at least three times a week and goes out partying every weekend, your salary should be broad enough to accommodate these activities.

   If you’ve been budgeting since your very first babysitting job and know that you rarely splurge, you probably have some wiggle room in what an acceptable salary would be.

5. Family Status. Your family situation is a big part of whether you’re making a good salary or not. When you’re just a single person supporting only yourself, you can get by with a lot less money than a bigger family. People with children must consider their kids as a huge expense that needs to be accounted for when determining their ideal salary.

Budgeting Tips for People Making $30,000 a Year

For Recent Graduates

1. Create a plan for paying off your student loans. Even though most students have a grace period after graduating to start paying off their loans, you shouldn’t wait until the last minute. Student loans have notoriously high-interest rates, and you can save yourself a lot of money by creating a plan to pay it off early.

   By being prepared ahead of time, it can help your budget down the line.

2. Allow yourself to have some fun. It can be a touch overwhelming to enter the professional world as a recent graduate and suddenly have all this budgeting to do.

   Many recent graduates think that the fun times of their lives are over and they need to only spend practically from now on. However, you should still spare some of your budget for having fun. Go out to a concert once every other month or take yourself out to dinner with friends.

   The whole point of having a budget is being able to afford enjoying yourself on occasion.

For Individuals

1. Avoid debt whenever possible. Debt can seem like a light burden to carry, but it’s very easy to get overwhelmed with it. Of course, some debts are necessary, like taking out student or car loans. However, you should avoid getting into debt for frivolous purchases.

2. Use the 50, 20, 30 rule. The 50, 20, 30 rule is a good budgeting and money management system to use for individuals. Here’s how it works.

   First, figure out what your monthly income is after taxes. Then, take half of that number. This 50% will be used for everything you need – your expenses.

   Next, separate 30% of your income and use that for anything you want to do. Going out to eat, vacations, or new clothes. Finally, the remaining 20% should be used for paying off debts or put into a savings account.

   For instance, let’s say that you make $3,000 per month after taxes. $1,500 of that should be spent on things like rent and bills. After that, $900 can be used for fun activities and $600 for savings or debt.

   This is a simple way to keep a handle on your finances no matter how much money you make.

For Couples

1. Figure out your net income together. Once you’re in a stable relationship with another person, you need to figure out your budget as a couple. The starting point on that journey is by determining your net income together. It’s very simple; all you have to do is add both of your incomes together.

   For example, if you earn $43,000 per year and your partner makes $60,000 annually, your net income together would be $103,000.

   See Also

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   Knowing your net income as a couple helps you figure out what types of things you can afford.

2. Talk about shared financial goals. As a member of a partnership, your financial goals are merged with another person. In order to move towards both of your financial goals effectively, you need to thoroughly discuss them with your significant other.

   Figure out where you both want to be financially and when you ideally want to get there. For you, it might seem obvious that you want to make six figures by the time you’re 35.

   However, it might be a totally different story for your partner. They might feel comfortable making $55K a year for the rest of their career, but they really want to have a beefed-up retirement plan.

   The only way to understand each other is by communicating.

For Parents

1. Use reliable budgeting software. It’s probably a good idea for any adult with a budget to use budgeting software, but it’s an especially crucial tip for parents.

   People with children have a million things on their minds to worry about. Between all these worries, you can forget about your budget. Before you know it, you’re coming up short at the end of the month.

   Some examples of reliable budgeting software include:

   • You Need a Budget (YNAB)

   • PocketGuard

   • EveryDollar

   • FreshBooks

   Budgeting software lays everything out for you clearly. It sounds like a minor thing, but it can make a big difference in the success of your budgeting.

2. Leave a cushion for emergencies. This is another tip that’s useful for just about anyone but a literal necessity for people with children. Make sure that you have an adequate cushion for emergencies or any other less serious expenses that may arise.

   Once you have a child, you’ve doubled the chance that you’ll need to make use of your savings account in one way or another. Having a comfortable financial cushion can really put your mind at ease.

Advice for Saving Money on a $30,000 Salary

1. Get a high-yield savings account. A high-yield savings account pays out a higher yield on money than typical savings or checking account would.

   Setting up a high-yield savings account can help people at any salary build up more wealth. Even if you’re working with a salary of $30,000 or less.

   There are really not many cons to opening up high-yield savings account because it keeps your money in a safe location and helps you turn it into more without doing anything. It’s a good way to build passive income.

2. Remember that anything counts. When you’re trying to save money as an employee that’s making a salary of $30,000 a year, it’s important to remember that every contribution counts. Skipping a trip to McDonald’s and putting that money in a savings account or jar adds up after a while.

   Put it like this: if you could manage to save $3 dollars a day, then you’d have $21 in your savings account by the end of the week. If you can keep up this savings trend for the whole month, you’ll accumulate $90. By the end of the year, you’ll have saved over a thousand dollars.

   It’s hard to just put a grand in a savings account, but it’s a little more manageable to break it into smaller payments.

3. Save for things you want. After a few years in the professional world, many people stop doing all the things they enjoy because they’re working on saving their money for more practical things. However, it’s equally as essential to save up for the things that you want.

   It’s way easier to save money if you’re heading towards something you desire. Sure, it may be indulgent to buy a Louis Vuitton handbag, but who cares? Work towards it with your savings. If it’s been your lifelong dream to get on a plane and wander around Italy, create a plan of action for making it happen.

   Saving for the things that you want in addition to all the necessities makes life a lot more fun.