A $120,000 salary sounds like a financial safety net. Then the mortgage payment clears, the daycare bill arrives, the car loan comes due, and the credit card statement delivers its monthly surprise. Suddenly, a respectable income doesn’t look quite so impressive.
Six-figure earners can live paycheck to paycheck without buying yachts or ordering champagne with lunch. Sometimes, they simply build a life that requires nearly every dollar they earn. Research from PYMNTS Intelligence has found that paycheck-to-paycheck living extends into households earning at least $100,000 annually. The label also covers different situations, from people struggling to pay basic bills to those who meet their obligations but have little money left afterward.
