Questions on social classes (lower, middle, and upper) and occupations?

Question

i know that this is in the wrong section, but please help!!!

okay, as research for a book, i need to know the average salary of a shrink (psychologist), fashion editor, small boutique owner, entertainment lawyer, and successful makeup artist...

because i am writing a fiction YA book, and somewhere i need to include the parent's professions. also, what is the minimum household salary for the upper-middle class? the upper class? and would a biotech scientist be considered part of the upper-middle class?

Thank you!

Answer 1

Upper Class

There is considerable debate as to how the upper middle class might be defined. The

upper middle class consists of well-educated professionals with graduate degrees and comfortable incomes. The American upper middle class is defined similarly using income, education and occupation as main indicators. In the United States, the upper middle class is defined as mostly consisting of white-collar professionals who have not only above-average personal incomes and advanced educational degrees but also a high degree of autonomy in their work, leading to higher job satisfaction. The main occupational tasks of upper middle class individuals tend to center on conceptualizing, consulting, and instruction.

Middle Class

Today in the United States there are multiple theories as to what constitutes the middle class. As the vast majority of Americans identify as being middle class, the term has been used to describe people from all walks of life, from janitors to attorneys. As a result the middle class is often sub-divided into two or three groups. While one set of theories claim that the middle class is composed of those in the middle of the social strata, other theories maintain that professionals and managers who have a college degree make up most of the middle class. Sociologists argue that the middle class is divided into two sub-groups. The upper middle class consists of white collar professionals with advanced educations and constitutes roughly 15% of the population. In 2005 the top 15% of income earners (age 25+) had incomes exceeding $62,500. The lower middle class (or middle-middle class for those who divide the middle class into three segments) consists of other mostly white collar employees with less autonomy in their work, lower educational attainment, lower personal income and less prestige than those of the upper middle class.

Lower Class

The concept of a lower class in the United States is used to describe those at or near the lower end of the socio-economic hierarchy. As with all social classes in the United States, the lower class is loosely defined and its boundaries and definitions subject to debate and ambiguous popular opinions. The contemporary division divides the lower class into the working poor and underclass. Service and low-rung manual laborers are commonly identified as being among the working poor. Those who do not participate in the labor force and rely on public assistance as their main source of income are commonly identified as members of the underclass. While many in the lower working class are employed in low-skill service jobs, lackluster participation in the labor force remains the main cause for the economic plight experienced by those in the lower classes. Lacking educational attainment as well as disabilities are among the main causes for the infrequent employment.