Is $30,000 a good salary in New Jersey?
Percentile, take-home pay, rent burden, and comparable jobs for New Jersey - the full picture, not just a number.
$30,000 in New Jersey is a below-median household income - the 14th percentile of New Jersey households in the Census ACS 2024 distribution (17th nationally). A single filer keeps about $24,531 after federal, New Jersey state, and FICA taxes - roughly $2,044/mo at a 18% effective rate. Statewide median rent takes 70% of gross - cost-burdened by the HUD 30% standard, and metro areas run higher.
New Jersey household income distribution (ACS 2024)
New Jersey's own published cut-points - where $30,000 sits is highlighted. These are the actual Census quintile thresholds for New Jersey, not the national distribution rescaled.
| Percentile | Band | Household income |
|---|---|---|
| 20th percentile | Bottom 20% | $43,271 |
| 40th percentile | Lower-middle | $81,965 |
| 50th percentile (median) | Median household | $104,294 |
| 60th percentile | Upper-middle | $130,601 |
| 80th percentile | Top 20% starts | $207,697 |
| 95th percentile (top 5%) | Top 5% starts | $250,001 |
$30,000 clears the below the 20th percentile threshold in New Jersey - placing it at the 14th percentile of state households.
Take-home pay on $30,000 in New Jersey
| Gross income | $30,000 |
| Federal income tax | −$1,562 |
| New Jersey state income tax | −$1,613 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$1,860 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | −$435 |
| Take-home (net) | $24,531 |
That's about $2,044/month net, an effective tax rate of 18.2%. New Jersey's average combined sales tax is 6.63%, charged on taxable spending out of that net - a consumption cost on top of the income tax above.
Single filer, 2025 federal brackets + standard deduction. State tax uses New Jersey's top/flat marginal rate, so in progressive-bracket states (e.g. California, New York) the state line is an upper bound and your actual net is likely a little higher. Married-filing-jointly and pre-tax 401(k)/health deductions also change the result. Estimate only - New Jersey take-home detail →
Occupations near $30,000 (single earner)
BLS national median wages within ±15% of $30,000 - gives texture for which careers and seniorities land at this income level.
| Occupation | Stage | National wage |
|---|---|---|
| Customer service rep | entry-level | $30,000 |
| Office clerk | entry-level | $30,000 |
| Cashier | mid-career | $29,720 |
| Firefighter | entry-level | $31,000 |
| Construction laborer | entry-level | $32,000 |
| Retail salesperson | mid-career | $33,990 |
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 $30,000 typically means a customer service rep or comparable role. Above-median earner status in New Jersey.
Two earners at $15,000 each combined = $30,000. Each individual is below median individually, but the household lands at the same percentile as a single $30,000 earner.
Lifestyle context - rent burden in New Jersey
At $30,000 gross, statewide median rent eats 70% of income - HUD-defined cost-burdened. Metro areas (LA, SF, NYC, Boston, Seattle) typically run 30-50% above the statewide median.
Home affordability at $30,000
Using the 28% rule on a 30-year mortgage, $30,000 gross supports a home purchase up to about $80,944. New Jersey median home value is $427,600 - you can afford 19% of the median home, so buying requires lower-priced markets, a larger down payment, or co-buying.
How $30,000 ranks in neighboring states
State-adjusted percentile shows the same income placed in New Jersey's contiguous neighbors. Relevant for relocation, remote-work geography, or border-town decisions.
| State | Median HH | % vs median | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey (current) | $104,294 | -71% | 14th |
| New York | $85,820 | -65% | 19th |
| Pennsylvania | $77,545 | -61% | 19th |
| Delaware | $87,534 | -66% | 15th |
$30,000 ranks similarly in
Other incomes in New Jersey
Common questions
- Is $30,000 a good household income in New Jersey?
- It sits at roughly the 14th percentile of New Jersey households in the state's own Census ACS 2024 income distribution (New Jersey median $104,294). Nationally that's about the 17th percentile. Whether "good" depends on household size, debt, and metro cost of living - state figures smooth over big within-state variation.
- How does $30,000 compare to the New Jersey median?
- It's 71% below the New Jersey median household income of $104,294 (Census ACS 2024, table B19013). Half of New Jersey households earn less than $104,294, 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) Many rescale one national curve by a state median; we instead read the percentile directly from New Jersey's own published ACS 2024 B19080 quintile cut-points, so the state ranking reflects that state's actual income spread. Incomes above the 95th-percentile cut-point show as "top 5%+" because the Census top-codes that threshold.
Full data sources and formulas: /sources.
Estimate only - not financial advice. Percentiles are interpolated from US Census Bureau ACS household income distribution tables and describe where an income falls nationally - they are not a judgment of what you should earn or financial advice. Cost of living varies widely by state and metro.
Reviewed by R. Bennett, Editor · editorial policy