Study reveals America’s perfect salary

The average American describes the perfect salary as $74,000, according to new research.

The survey looked at 2,000 adults’ opinions on the workforce, finding the average amount they’d need to make in order to be happy.

While the average response was $74,000 a year, one in five say that making upward of six figures would be necessary to enjoy their lifestyle (19%).

Half of respondents said that the money they currently make is not enough to support their lifestyle. In fact, one in four employed Americans are unhappy with their income (24%).

If they made more money, respondents would prioritize practicality by putting it in their savings or investment accounts (46%) or using it to pay off their bills (42%).

Others would put it toward expenses that add up quickly, like groceries (35%) and travel (23%).

Conducted by Talker Research for SurePayroll By Paychex, the survey found that people are taking actions to achieve their dream earnings: A quarter of Americans have gone job searching within the past three months (26%).

More than a third are still currently job-searching (35%); in their search, 39% of those who have had to navigate the job market in the past year said it’s harder than before.

As a result, 32% of non-business owners said the current state of the economy has made them more interested in starting a side hustle, with more than two-thirds of all respondents looking for ways to make extra money (69%).

Half of those surveyed said that in this economy, starting a small business or side hustle is just as, if not more, viable than seeking a traditional full-time job (52%).  

Thinking about how they’d earn that extra income, 47% think there is an opportunity to be paid for the activities or ideas that they are passionate about.

Six in 10 of those surveyed who aren’t business owners wish they could start a business inspired by their passion (59%), expressing interest in monetizing activities like “quilting,” “doing voice-overs” or “help[ing] people release their emotional baggage.”

Nearly half said that if they were to start a side hustle, they would be equally, if not primarily, driven by making money from the passion they feel for the business (47%).

Fifty-seven percent of those with a passion said they’d love it if getting paid for it was their only source of income.

Of those surveyed, 29% already have a side hustle. And 40% of those respondents said their business is just as, if not more, driven by passion as by money.

Although money talks, those who are looking for a new job expressed that they want more than just a salary change, highlighting the desire for more benefits (28%), better work-life balance (20%) and more flexibility (20%).

A quarter of Americans agree that it’s more beneficial to work for a small business (24%). They believe small businesses are more gratifying to work for (40% vs. 12%), have better relationships with their customers (59% vs. 7%) and with their employees (58% vs. 9%). 

“The data shows that more Americans are hoping to turn their passions into paychecks,” said Glenn Ferretti, director of digital sales at SurePayroll. “Whether it’s a side hustle or a full leap into launching a small business, it’s clear people want more control, more meaning and more freedom in how they work. This highlights the need for affordable solutions that can help Americans turn their small business dreams into reality.”

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 general population Americans; the survey was commissioned by SurePayroll and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between June 9 and June 13, 2025.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:

• Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
• Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:

• Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
• Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
• Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
• Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.