The term “6 figures” is thrown around a lot when it comes to money topics, but how much is 6 figures?
While most of us aspire to make good money, there is just something about being able to declare that one has a 6-figure salary or has 6 figures saved or invested.
Six-figures has a nice ring to it.
So, how much is 6 figures? Below we’ll share what the term figure means, how much 6 figures is, why it’s important, 6 figures in terms of salary and investments, and conclude by discussing other figures in money.
What Is Meant by the Term Figure?
The term “figure” is used in money because one meaning of the term is a number, especially concerning statistics or financial performance.
However, a term you’re likely more familiar with is the synonym “digit,” especially as it relates to numbers.
A two-digit number has two numbers, such as 10 or 51 or 99. In this case, one digit represents the ones place and the other the tens.
A three-digit number has three numbers, like 101 or 999. In addition to the ones and tens places, we also have a hundred places.
Skipping ahead a few digits, a six-digit number has six digits, such as 100,000 or 999,999. These examples have numbers representing the ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousand, and one hundred thousand places. Six digits together.
Thus, the term 6 figure is synonymous with 6 digits and means a 6-digit number.
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How Much is 6 Figures in Money?
If a 6-figure number is a 6-digit number with digits representing the one through one hundred thousand places, then 6 figures in money are at least $100,000.
While many think of 6 figures in money as being $100,000, in reality, there is quite a range of 6 figure numbers.
Thus, 6 figures in money can range anywhere from $100,000 to $999,999. As long as the number has 6 digits in it, it is a 6-figure number.
Why is 6 Figures Important?
Whether you’re at the low or high end of 6 figures in salary, investments, or net worth, it’s clear that 6 figures of any kind is a lot of money and a huge achievement.
But aside from the accolade of saying you have a six-figure salary or investment portfolio, there are some excellent reasons backed by research and math that make 6 figures important.
Here is why getting to 6 figures is held in such high esteem.
A 6-Figure Salary
What is it about a 6-figure salary that seems so magical?
Aside from the achievement found in crossing from 5-figures into 6, some research suggests that it is around this range in salary where the money it takes to make people happy begins to plateau.
A study done at Princeton University in 2010 found that a person’s emotional well-being rose with their income. Around the $75,000 salary mark, a person’s day-to-day experience didn’t improve much more as their income grew.
A more recent study found not only that measures of well-being increased with income but that that correlation did not wane as income continued to increase.
While the second study found that well-being continued to increase with an increase in income, it’s clear that happiness isn’t all about the money for higher-income earners.
This is because those making high 5-figures and crossing into the 6-figure range no longer need to worry about being able to afford their basic cost of living needs for survival. Happiness increasingly comes from relationships, job satisfaction, and enjoying life.
So, why is a 6-figure income such a sought-after mark? Because a 6-figure annual salary buys safety and security. Not only can you easily afford all your basic needs, but you also have a surplus available for vacations, self-care, health, and savings to buffer yourself in case of emergencies.
Now, it’s important to note that a six-figure salary doesn’t necessarily mean that your take-home pay is in the six-figure range, although it could be. When we mention a 6-figure salary, we are talking in terms of gross pay, which means your income before taxes.
In sum, once you get to around the 6-figure, you get enough from your paycheck for everything you need, and your well-being will increasingly shift away from money to other aspects of your life.
6 Figures in Investing
The 6-figure mark is not only sought after in terms of salary but also an investment.
Have you ever heard the phrase the first $100,000 is the hardest? Many make it a major goal to hit their first $100,000 invested, and for a good reason.
Why? Because after you cross the $100k threshold, the magic of compound interest really starts kicking in, and your net worth will grow higher at a faster rate. That is, it will if you continue to invest the same money as before you hit that mark.
Several articles break the math down in detail, but the reason that the $100k mark is so critical is simple: when starting, the amount you save is far more important than your investment returns.
If you were to save $10k a year, it wouldn’t matter whether your investment returns were at 3% or 9%. It will still take you roughly the same amount of time to hit your first $100k.
However, once you’ve hit that mark, it takes you less time to hit the next $100k. At this point, your interest rates matter, as the higher your interest returns, the faster your investments will grow.
As it was with salary, 6 figures in investing is similarly important, and hitting that milestone should be a money goal for everyone.
Who Makes 6 Figures?
We’ve answered the question of how much is 6 figures and why it’s an important milestone in salary and in investing, but what careers earn a six-figure income?
A 6-figure salary is a lot of money no matter what end of the spectrum you fall on, but it is important to note that there is quite a range in salaries that qualify as 6-figure. Furthermore, only around 9% of Americans earn a 6-figure salary, so this income level is still relatively rare.
As you can imagine, engineers, doctors, dentists, lawyers, and jobs in tech (such as software developers) and business are often six-figure earners.
As you can imagine, engineers, doctors, dentists, lawyers, and those in tech (such as software developers) and businesses are typically six-figure earners. Almost all of these careers require at least a bachelor’s degree, and many require an advanced degree or further training.
Aside from the usual suspects, there are some careers with 6-figure salary potential that may surprise you, including:
- Air traffic controller
- Construction manager
- Commercial pilot
- Owner-operator truck driver
- Car dealership general manager
- Real estate broker
- Actuary
Furthermore, not all 6-figure salary careers require a college degree. An increasing number of trade school jobs have 6-figure earning potential without the need to weigh yourself down with expensive student loans.
I’d also add bloggers, YouTubers, and other social media influencers to the list of people that can potentially command a 6-figure salary. However, this represents the top earners and a small number of people in the space. Additionally, business owners and entrepreneurs can often reach 6-figure salary status.
Aside from the careers mentioned above, many people without six-figure jobs are able to reach the six-figure mark by creating multiple income streams, avoiding lifestyle creep by keeping their expenses low, and building passive income.
How Much is 6 Figures in a Month?
You’ve seen that a 6-figure yearly salary ranges from $100,000 all the way up to just under a million at $999,999. Now, what does a 6-figure salary look like monthly?
On the low end of 6 figures, someone with a yearly income of $100k would bring home $8,334 a month before taxes.
In the middle of the 6-figure range, someone with a yearly income of $500k would bring home $41,667 a month before taxes.
On the high end, someone with a yearly income of $999k would bring home a staggering $83,250 a month before taxes. That’s almost as much as the average U.S. yearly household income!
What About 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 Figures?
How much is 6 figures? A 6-figure number is any number with 6 digits, with a range from 100,000 to 999,999.
But, what about 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 figures? Let’s break down what these figure numbers look like in money.
- 5 figures – $10,000 up to $99,999
- 7 figures – $1,000,000 up to $9,999,999
- 8 figures – $10,000,000 up to $99,999,999
- 9 figures – $100,000,000 up to $999,999,999
- 10 figures – $1,000,000,000 up to $9,999,999,999
As you can see, someone with 7 figures would be considered a millionaire, someone with 8 figures would be considered a multi-millionaire, and someone with 10 figures would be considered a billionaire.
However, it’s important to remember that the designation of a millionaire, multi-millionaire, or billionaire is about someone’s net worth, not necessarily their yearly salary.
In the U.S., about 8% of adults are millionaires, and there are 788 billionaires.
However, these numbers only continue to grow, and with discipline, perseverance, and patience, almost anyone can become independently wealthy and reach financial independence.
Actors, CEOs, and professional athletes are examples of careers that typically command a 7-figure salary or even an 8-figure salary.
Those with a 9-figure salary, which would be an annual salary of between $100,000,000 and $999,999,999, are part of a rare group with a net worth in the billions. Some of the individuals belonging to that rare 9-figure salary club include:
- Professional soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo – $125 million between salary and endorsements
- Celebrity and entrepreneur Kylie Jenner – $130 million
- Singer Ed Sheeren – $110 million
Then there are the 10-figure earners who make a billion dollars or more per year. Individuals who fall into this elite club include:
- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg – $12 billion
- Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates – $4 billion
- Google CEO Sundar Pichai – $1 billion
- Tesla CEO Elon Musk – $2.4 billion
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos also belongs to the billionaire club, but it is harder to quantify his income because the majority of it comes from Amazon stock holdings. He earns around $1.6 million a year from his role at Amazon but also 10.3% of Amazon shares for a current net worth of about $140 billion.
How To Reach 6-Figures
Whether you make a 6-figure salary or not, it is possible to build wealth and a net worth in the 6 or 7-figure range given enough time and consistent work.
Here are some tips to build your net worth into the 6-figure range or higher:
- Steadily increase your income
- Keep your consumer debt low
- Avoid lifestyle creep as you bring in more money
- Budget
- Save and invest
- Keep your expenses low
- Choose a low-cost-of-living area
- Create multiple streams of income through side hustles, a business, or passive income from investing
Here are some tips to increase your annual income to the 6-figure range:
- Upskill
- Invest in yourself
- Negotiate your salary
- Hack your 9-5 by picking up extra tasks or projects for additional income and overtime
- Change careers or companies
- Give yourself time
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Moral of the Story
How much is 6 figures?
Simply put, 6 figures is any number that has 6 digits. Regarding money, 6 figures is anything ranging from $100,000 to $999,999. Thus, someone with a 6-figure salary falls somewhere in that range.
In terms of income and investing, 6 figures is an important threshold. Not only does it allow one to easily meet basic needs and have surplus income, but $100k invested is the point where compound interest really begins to work in your favor.
Now that you know how much 6 figures is in money and why it’s such an important mark, will you make it your goal to hit 6 figures?
Tawnya is a 34-year-old Special Education teacher in the sixth year of her career. Along with her partner, Sebastian, she runs the blog Money Saved is Money Earned. Tawnya has worked extremely hard to reach her goals and remain debt-free.
She holds an Honors BS in Psychology from Oregon State University and an MS in Special Education from Portland State University and has had a pretty successful writing career, first as a writing tutor at the Oregon State University Writing Center, and in recent years, as a freelance writer.
Tawnya and Sebastian have a wealth of knowledge and information about personal finance, retirement, student loans, credit cards, and many other financial topics. It is this wealth of tips and tricks that they wish to pass on to others.