What does top 10% income mean?
Distinguish the p90 entry threshold from the average income of the richest tenth.
By RankMyIncome · Updated 22 October 2026
A boundary, not a group average
The entry to the top 10% is the 90th percentile threshold. It is not the average income of everyone in the top 10%. That group average can be much higher because it includes the very largest incomes. A table headed “top 10% average” cannot be used as an entry threshold without additional distribution information.
A real example
The 2024 South Korea WID series used here places p90 at KRW 89,108,078 and p50 at KRW 33,572,879. These are values from the existing adult national-income distribution. They are not thresholds for Korean employees’ salary alone. Read the Korea data and definition together.
Calculate the gap
Subtract current annual income from the target, then floor the gap at zero. Divide by current income to obtain the required increase. For hypothetical income of 60,000 and a target of 75,000 in the same currency, the gap is 15,000, or 25%. That income increase does not imply a 25-point percentile improvement: the position depends on the distribution’s shape.
Use the same engine
The goal tool inverts the main calculator’s function, including flat segments and numerical precision. Currency values are rounded for reading while calculations retain full precision. The target describes a historical distribution, not a promise of future rank. Calculate an income gap or compare national top-10% thresholds in USD PPP.
Sources and calculation notes
Numerical examples use the public dataset shared by all tools. Definitions: WID methodology and codes dictionary. Calculations: RankMyIncome source code. Hypothetical scenarios illustrate arithmetic, not observed market salaries.