As of 2024, the average American had a net worth of $620,654, according to a recent global wealth report from UBS. (1) But if that number sounds surprisingly high and disconnected from your lived experience, there’s a reason for that.
Averages are calculated by taking a total amount and dividing it by the number of individuals in a data set. However, this metric is easily skewed by a few individuals who are complete outliers.
For example, if you (with the average American net worth) and Elon Musk get in an elevator together, the average net worth on that elevator – at least, at the time of this writing – is about $224 billion. (2)
Your personal net worth may be nowhere near that, but the fact that there are only two individuals in this scenario means that the figure is skewed upward — and you may know a few people within your friend or family circle who have $620,654 in total wealth, despite what the report says.
With that in mind, UBS also tracked another measure that may be closer to reality for everyday Americans: median wealth.
Unlike averages, median calculations are not marred by a few outliers. Instead of taking the total wealth across a country and dividing it by the total population of the country, median wealth is calculated by arranging all adults in ascending or descending order of net worth and gathering the person exactly in the middle for a fairer representation.
In other words, if you have median wealth, then precisely 50% of the country has less than you and 50% has more than you.
As of 2024, the median net worth in America is just $124,041, according to UBS. That’s an astonishing five times less than the average net worth of $620,654.
In fact, by this measure, America is only the 15th richest country in the world, lagging behind Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Italy. By comparison, the United States is the second richest country based on average wealth.
This large gap between average and median wealth is a reflection of America’s exceptionally high wealth inequality.
At the end of 2024, more than two-thirds (67%) of total household wealth nationwide was held by the top 10% of households, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. (3) Meanwhile, the last 50% of households have only 2.5% of total wealth.
Simply put, you have bragging rights about sharing the same country as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, but their success has not trickled down to you and your family.
However, by using some of the same investment techniques of the super rich, you can accumulate more than most Americans.
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If you’re looking to accumulate more money than the median wealth for every adult in America, you should focus on saving more than the average American and investing in robust assets.
As of August 2025, the personal savings rate was just 4.6%, according to the Federal Reserve. (4) Saving 10% or 15% of your income allows you to outperform many of your peers.
The next step is to invest these extra savings in the same assets that make up most of the wealthiest people’s portfolios. For example, the vast majority of Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth comes from his stake in his company, Meta Platforms. His wealth expands as the company continues to grow.
Similarly, investing in a low-cost index fund gives you exposure not only to Meta but also to 499 other companies that drive much of the nation’s growth and innovation. According to Morningstar, the S&P 500 has given an annual return of 12.35% over the last 10 years. (5)
Investing just $575 a month in this index and assuming a similar growth rate would put you over the $124,041 threshold for median wealth in about 10 1/2 years.
In the longer term, a consistent savings and investment strategy can also allow you to add other assets to your portfolio, such as real estate. Climbing the property ladder can open up more opportunities for wealth building.
According to the Aspen Institute, there is already a significant wealth gap between renters and homeowners. The median renter’s net home value is just $10,400 compared to nearly $400,000 for homeowners. (6)
While solving the nation’s wealth gap is beyond any one person, you can still improve your odds of outperforming your peers and achieving long-term financial stability on a personal level.
We rely only on verified sources and credible reporting from third parties. For details, see our ethics and editorial guidelines.
UBS Global Wealth Management (1); Bloomberg (2); Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (3); Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (4); Morningstar (5); Aspen Institute (6).
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
