Middle America’s 5 Most Common Jobs — Only One Hits Six Figures
Written by
Gina Hagler
Edited by
Chris Cluff
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Middle America refers to household incomes ranging from $45,000 to $145,000. According to H&R Block, Middle Americans’ five most common jobs are teacher, manager, truck driver, salesperson and military serviceperson.
Of course, each of these five job titles is broad — the different types within result in different incomes. In other words, it’s important to note that there are many kinds of teachers and managers. Moreover, the majority that report an income within that initial range earn under $80,000, consistent with the median household income of about $70,000. It also indicates the nature of being a Middle American in that most of them are making well under six figures.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
- The average elementary and middle school teacher makes around $67,930 a year. Postsecondary teachers average around $96,000 per year.
- General and operations managers make, on average, $123,000 a year. However, marketing and sales managers make just a small chunk over the upper limit of $145,000, so they wouldn’t be considered middle American based on H&R Block’s metric.
- Truck drivers average at $45,000 to $53,000, depending on whether the truck is light or heavy or a tractor-trailer.
- Sales representatives make between $64,000 and $81,000, depending on their field, like advertising, insurance, or other sales.
- As for the military, the yearly pay varies by rank and years of service/experience. For example, a full-time Army sergeant (E5) with eight years of experience would net just over $46,000 a year, within H&R Block’s threshold for being considered a middle American. A full-time staff sergeant (E6) can make $45,000 with just four years of experience. The minimum pay for a full-time commissioned officer in the Army is just under $46,000 for a second lieutenant (O1) with under two years of experience, meaning you would be considered middle American even at the lowest officer rank.
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