Here's the salary you need to be ‘financially secure’ in 2025

How much money you need to never work again

So, how much money would it take to never work again? Our expert gives his opinion on how much money that would be and what to do with it.

What does financial security look like in today's economy? 

A new survey reveals that Americans say they need to make more than six figures per year to be financially secure or comfortable. 

Americans need to make 100K or more per year to feel ‘financially secure’

Researchers at Bankrate surveyed more than 2,200 U.S. adults last month for Bankrate’s Financial Freedom Survey published Monday.

By the numbers:

According to the findings, almost half of Americans (45%) say they need to make a six-figure annual income ($100,000 or more) to be financially secure/comfortable, with more than a quarter (26%) saying they need to make $150,000 or more.

FILE: A coin is dropped into a piggy bank. (Credit: Ron Antonelli/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Another 16% said they need to make $200,000 or more per year to feel financially secure and 8% said they need to make $500,000 or more. Notably, more than half of Americans (56%) said they need more than they are currently earning to live comfortably. 

Further, the majority of Americans (77%) said they do not feel completely financially secure, up from 75% in 2024 and 72% in 2023.

What they're saying:

"Times have shifted," said Bankrate Economic Analyst Sarah Foster. "Getting rich may have once been what many Americans fantasized about, but now, simply living comfortably feels like the new aspiration, as economic challenges make financial stability a rare luxury."

To feel rich, 1 in 4 Americans say they need $1 million per year

Dig deeper:

To feel rich/financially free, more than a quarter of Americans (26%) said they need to make at least $1 million per year, up from 23% in 2024 and 21% in 2023. 

Additionally, more than half (55%) said they need to make $200,000 or more, while 39% said they need to make $500,000 or more per year to feel rich or financially free. 

What they're saying:

"The belief that a bit more money will solve all our problems is often an illusion," Foster continued. "Instead of focusing on hitting a high-income number like $150K or $1 million, define what freedom means to you – whether that’s being debt-free, having flexible work hours, or being able to cover emergencies without stress."

This year, Bankrate also asked adults whether they believe that their version of the ‘American Dream’ is possible in today’s economy. Almost half (45%) said it is unlikely, while 29% said it is likely. 

Older generations were more likely to say that they have given up on their version of the ‘American Dream.’ Specifically, 48% of both baby boomers and Gen Xers and 47% of millennials said it’s unlikely they’ll achieve the American Dream in this economy, compared to 33% of Gen Zers.