$25,000 in California
Household income percentile, occupation comparison, and lifestyle context for California.
Occupations near $25,000 (single earner)
BLS national median wages within ±15% of $25,000 — gives texture for which careers and seniorities land at this income level.
| Occupation | Stage | National wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail salesperson | entry-level | $25,000 |
| Restaurant cook | entry-level | $24,000 |
| Cashier | entry-level | $22,000 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. National medians; metro/state variance can be ±30%. Career stage estimates: entry ≈ 25th pct, senior ≈ 75th pct of the same SOC code.
Single earner vs two-earner household
One earner pulling $25,000 typically means a retail salesperson or comparable role. Above-median earner status in California.
Two earners at $12,500 each combined = $25,000. Each individual is below median individually, but the household lands at the same percentile as a single $25,000 earner.
Lifestyle context — rent burden in California
At $25,000 gross, statewide median rent eats 97% of income — HUD-defined cost-burdened. Metro areas (LA, SF, NYC, Boston, Seattle) typically run 30-50% above the statewide median.
Home affordability at $25,000
Using the 28% rule on a 30-year mortgage, $25,000 gross supports a home purchase up to about $67,453. California median home value is $715,900 — you can afford 9% of the median home, so buying requires lower-priced markets, a larger down payment, or co-buying.
How $25,000 ranks in neighboring states
State-adjusted percentile shows the same income placed in California's contiguous neighbors. Relevant for relocation, remote-work geography, or border-town decisions.
| State | Median HH | % vs median | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| California (current) | $95,521 | -74% | 13th |
| Nevada | $76,364 | -67% | 17th |
| Arizona | $76,872 | -67% | 17th |
| Oregon | $80,426 | -69% | 16th |
$25,000 ranks similarly in
Other incomes in California
Common questions
- Is $25,000 a good household income in California?
- It's at roughly the 13th percentile for California after adjusting for the state's median income ($95,521). Nationally that's about the 16th percentile. Whether "good" depends on household size, debt, and metro cost of living — Census medians smooth over big within-state variation.
- How does $25,000 compare to the California median?
- It's 74% below the California median household income of $95,521 (Census ACS 2023, table B19013). Half of California households earn less than $95,521, half earn more.
- Why does this number differ from other percentile calculators?
- Two sources of variation: (1) some calculators use individual income, not household — household income is typically higher because it combines earners. (2) Some use single-year ACS, others use 5-year averages. We use ACS 2023 1-year B19080 for the national distribution and adjust by state median ratio.
Full data sources and formulas: /sources.