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Vacations to destinations such as Hawaii, shown above, may be seen as a hallmark of the upper-middle class.

The upper middle class is a sociological concept referring to the social group constituted by higher-status members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term lower middle class used for the group at the other end of the middle class scale and regular middle class. There is considerable debate as to how the upper middle class might be defined. According to Max Weber the upper middle class consists of well-educated professionals with graduate degrees and comfortable incomes. Image File history File links Gnome-globe. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x960, 517 KB) Summary I shot the picture myself. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x960, 517 KB) Summary I shot the picture myself. ... In sociology, a group is usually defined as a collection consisting of a number of people who share certain aspects, interact with one another, accept rights and obligations as members of the group and share a common identity. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... For the politician, see Max Weber (politician). ...

The American upper middle class is defined similarly using income, education and occupation as main indicators.^[1] 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^[1] but also a high degree of autonomy in their work, leading to higher job satisfaction.^[2] The main occupational tasks of upper middle class individuals tend to center on conceptualizing, consulting, and instruction.^[3] A monument to the working and supporting classes along Market Street in the heart of San Franciscos Financial District, home to tens-of-thousands of professional and managerial middle class workers each day. ... The percentage of households and individuals in each income bracket. ... For information on household income, see Household income in the United States. ... This graph shows the educational attainment since 1947. ...

Professions

Certain professions can be judged as "upper middle class" though any such measurement remains somewhat subjective because of people's differing perception of class. Most people in the upper-middle class strata are highly educated white collar professionals such as physicians, lawyers, economists, planners, university professors, teachers, architects, psychologists, scientists, engineers, optometrists, dentists, pharmacists, high-level civil servants and the intelligentsia. Other common professions include corporate executive and business owner. Generally, people in these professions have an advanced post-secondary education and a comfortable standard of living.^[1] Physicians are among the most commonly used examples of occupations which are part of the professional class. ... The word physician should not be confused with physicist, which means a scientist in the area of physics. ... For information on the type of fish called Lawyer, see the article on Burbot. ... Economists are scholars conducting research in the field of economics. ... For the community in Florida, see University, Florida. ... A professor is a senior teacher and researcher, usually in a college or university. ... Teachers may refer to: Teachers (UK TV series), a British comedy drama Teachers (US TV series), an American version of the British comedy drama of the same name Teachers (film), a 1984 drama film, starring Nick Nolte and JoBeth Williams See also: Teacher. ... for building and structual design see; Architect Architects are a metal band from Brighton in southern England. ... A psychologist is a researcher and/or a practitioner of psychology. ... For a List of scientists, see: List of anthropologists List of astronomers List of biologists List of chemists List of computer scientists List of economists List of engineers List of geologists List of inventors List of mathematicians List of meteorologists List of physicists Scientist pairs List of scientist pairs See... Engineering is the application of scientific and technical knowledge to solve human problems. ... Optometry - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... X-rays can reveal if a person has cavities Dentistry is the practical application of knowledge of dental science (the science of placement, arrangement, function of teeth) to human beings. ... Pharmacists are health professionals who practice pharmacy. ... A civil servant or public servant is a civilian career public_sector employee working for a government department or agency. ... The notion of an intellectual elite as a distinguished social stratum can be traced far back in history. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Corporate title. ... An entrepreneur (a loanword from French introduced and first defined by the Irish economist Richard Cantillon) is a person who operates a new enterprise or venture and assumes some accountability for the inherent risks. ...

Values

Most people encompassing this station in life have a high regard for higher education, and probably more than any other socio-economic class strive for their children and themselves to obtain graduate or at least four-year undergraduate degrees.

Additionally, they place a high value on foreign travel, the arts, and high culture in general. This value also binds into the emphasis placed on education as foreign travel increases one's understanding of other cultures and helps create a global perspective. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

In the U.S. the upper middle class is rather divided in terms of political ideology. Modern liberalism as well as fiscal conservatism are among the most prominent ideologies. Education commonly increases the chance of a person's subscribing to liberal beliefs,^[4] making liberals the best educated ideological demographic. In terms of income, liberals tend to be tied with pro-business conservatives.^[5] Most mass affluent households and college-educated professionals tend to be either centrist or center-right on fiscal issues but liberal to left-wing on social issues.^[6] In 2005, 72% of full-time faculty members at four-year institutions, the majority of whom are upper middle class,^[1] identified as liberal.^[7] Social liberalism is either a synonym for new liberalism or a label used by progressive liberal parties in order to differentiate themselves from the more conservative liberal parties, especially when there are two or more liberal parties in a country. ... Fiscal conservatism (also known as economic liberalism) is a term used in the United States to refer to economic and political policy that advocates restraint of government taxation, government expenditures and deficits, and government debt. ... Mass affluent is a marketing term used to refer to the growing high end of the mass market. ...

Education plays a major role in determining tastes and ideologies in this class. A graduate degree, and often even more higher education, is a prerequisite to work in one of the traditional "professions" and as a result this segment of the upper middle class is generally more liberal in their political ideologies and more urbane in their tastes. Corporate members of the upper middle class, on the other hand, may have a less advanced higher education (they may have worked their way up to their current social station from an entry-level corporate position). It should be noted, however, that some business persons do have advanced post-secondary education, most notably those with MBAs. Furthermore, in some cases professionals such as chemists or economists may be employed by private businesses and have managerial duties aside from their professional research duties.

The upper middle class is often the group that shapes society and brings social movements to the forefront. Movements such as the Peace Movement, The Anti-Nuclear Movement, Environmentalism, the Anti-Smoking movement, and even in the past with Blue laws and the Temperance movement are all products of the upper middle class. Some claim this is because this is the largest class (and the lowest class) with any true political power for positive change, while others claim some of the more restrictive social movements (such as with smoking and drinking) are based upon "saving people from themselves."^[3] Social movements are broader political associations focussed on specific issues. ... An Australian anti-conscription poster from World War One A peace movement is a social movement that seeks to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war (or all wars), minimize inter-human violence in a particular place or type of situation, often linked to the goal of... The anti-nuclear movement holds that nuclear power is inherently dangerous and thus ought to be replaced with safe and affordable renewable energy. ... The historic Blue Marble photograph, which helped bring environmentalism to the public eye. ... The cigarette is the most common method of smoking tobacco. ... This article is about laws created to enforce moral standards. ... A cartoon from Australia ca. ...

American upper middle class

See American Professional/Managerial middle class for a complete overview of the American middle classes.

Advanced education is one of the most distinguishing features of the upper middle class.

The American upper middle class consists mostly of salaried white collar professionals.

In the United States the term middle class and its subdivisions are an extremely vague concept as neither economists nor sociologists have precisely defined the term.^[8] There are several perceptions of the upper middle class and what the term means. In academic models the term applies to highly educated salaried professionals whose work is largely self-directed. Many have graduate degrees with educational attainment serving as the main distinguishing feature of this class. Household incomes commonly may exceed $100,000, with some smaller one-income earners household having incomes in the high 5-figure range.^[1][9] A monument to the working and supporting classes along Market Street in the heart of San Franciscos Financial District, home to tens-of-thousands of professional and managerial middle class workers each day. ... Image File history File links Campus_Spring. ... Image File history File links Campus_Spring. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1170x666, 865 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Salinas, California Office Upper middle class American middle class Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1170x666, 865 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Salinas, California Office Upper middle class American middle class Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from... A monument to the working and supporting classes along Market Street in the heart of San Franciscos Financial District, home to tens-of-thousands of professional and managerial middle class workers each day. ...

In addition to having autonomy in their work, above-average incomes, and advanced educations, the upper middle class also tends to be influential, setting trends and largely shaping public opinion.^[9][3] Overall, members of this class are also secure from economic down-turns and, unlike their counterparts in the statistical middle class, do not need to fear downsizing, corporate cost-cutting, or outsourcing -- an economic benefit largely attributable to their graduate degrees and comfortable incomes, likely in the top income quintile or top third.^[1] Typical professions for this class include professors, accountants, architects, urban planners, engineers, economists, pharmacists, political scientists, physicians and lawyers.^[3][10] This graph shows the American definition of social class according to the New York Times using the quintiles as measurement for class. ... A degree is any of a wide range of awards made by institutions of higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing a program of study. ... For information on the income of individuals, see Personal income in the United States. ... This graph shows the American definition of social class according to the New York Times using the quintiles as measurement for class. ... For information on the income of individuals, see Personal income in the United States. ... The meaning of the word professor (Latin: [1]) varies. ... Accountant, or Qualified Accountant, or Professional Accountant, is a certified accountancy and financial expert in the jurisdiction of many countries. ... For other uses, see Architect (disambiguation). ... An Urban planner is a professional who works in the field of urban planning. ... Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Alan Greenspan, former chairman, United States Federal Reserve. ... The mortar and pestle is an international symbol of pharmacists and pharmacies. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Political Science is the field concerning the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behaviour. ... For other uses, see Doctor. ... For the fish called lawyer, see Burbot. ...

Income

Further information: Affluence in the United States, Household income in the United States, and Personal income in the United States

While many Americans see income as the prime determinant of class, occupational status, educational attainment, and value systems are equally important. Income is in part determined by the scarcity of certain skill sets.^[1] There are also differences between household and individual income. In 2005, 42% of US households (76% among the top quintile) had two or more income earners; as a result, 18% of households but only 5% of individuals had six figure incomes.^[11] To illustrate, two nurses each making $55,000 per year can out-earn, in a household sense, a single attorney who makes a median of $95,000 annually.^[12][13] The percentage of households and individuals over the age of 25 with incomes exceeding $100,000 in the US.[1][2] Affluence in the United States refers to an individuals or households state of being in an economically favorable position in contrast to a given reference group. ... For information on the income of individuals, see Personal income in the United States. ... For information on household income, see Household income in the United States. ... The percentage of households and individuals in each income bracket. ... This graph shows the educational attainment since 1947. ... For information on the income of individuals, see Personal income in the United States. ... For information on household income, see Household income in the United States. ... This graph shows the American definition of social class according to the New York Times using the quintiles as measurement for class. ... For US-specific income information see Income in the United States Income earner refers to an individual who through work, investments or a combination of both dervies income. ... Luxury vehicles are some of the most common status symbols in western society and are often associated with six figure income households or persons. ...

Sociologists Dennis Gilbert, Willam Thompson and Joseph Hickey estimate the upper middle class to constitute roughly 15% of the population. Using the 15% figure one may conclude that the American upper middle class consists, strictly in an income sense, of professionals with personal incomes in excess of $62,500, who commonly reside in households with six figure incomes.^{[11][14][1][9]} The difference between personal and household income can be explained by considering that 76% of households with incomes exceeding $90,000 (the top 20%) had two or more income earners.^[11] For information on household income, see Household income in the United States. ...

SOURCE: US Census Bureau, 2006^[16][15] For information on the income of individuals, see Personal income in the United States. ... For information on household income, see Household income in the United States. ...

See also

• Middle class
• Social class
• Bourgeois personality

The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. ... An upscale, well-kept California home, exterting an image of success and respectability. ...

US-specific

• Affluence in the United States
• American middle class
• Educational attainment in the United States
• Household income in the United States
• Personal income in the United States
• Social structure of the United States

The percentage of households and individuals over the age of 25 with incomes exceeding $100,000 in the US.[1][2] Affluence in the United States refers to an individuals or households state of being in an economically favorable position in contrast to a given reference group. ... A monument to the working and supporting classes along Market Street in the heart of San Franciscos Financial District, home to tens-of-thousands of professional and managerial middle class workers each day. ... This graph shows the educational attainment since 1947. ... For information on the income of individuals, see Personal income in the United States. ... For information on household income, see Household income in the United States. ... The contemporary United States has no legally-recognized social classes. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Thompson, William; Joseph Hickey (2005). Society in Focus. Boston, MA: Pearson. 0-205-41365-X. 
2. ^ Eichar, Douglas (1989). Occupation and Class Consciousness in America. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. 0-313-26111-3. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Ehrenreich, Barbara (1989). Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 0-06-0973331. 
4. ^ O'Bannon, B. R. (27 August, 2003). In Defense of the 'Liberal' Professor. Indianapolis Star.. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
5. ^ Pew Reasearch Center. (10 May, 2005). Beyond Red vs. Blue.. Retrieved on 2007-07-12.
6. ^ , R. & Saad, L. (9 December, 2004). Marketing to the Mass Affluent. Gallup Management Journal.. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
7. ^ Kurtz, H. (29 March, 2005). College Faculties A Most Liberal Lot, Study Finds. The Washington Post.. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
8. ^ Middle class according to The Drum Major Institute for public policy. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.
9. ^ ^{a b c d} Gilbert, Dennis (1998). The American Class Structure. New York: Wadsworth Publishing. 0-534-50520-1. 
10. ^ Professional Occupations according to the US Department of Labor. Retrieved on 2006-07-26.
11. ^ ^{a b c} US Census Bureau, income quintile and top 5% household income distribution and demographic characteristics, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-12-28.
12. ^ US Department of Labor, median income of registered nurses. Retrieved on 2007-01-02.
13. ^ Bureau of Labor statistics data published by Monster.com, 20 highest paying jobs. Retrieved on 2006-12-27.
14. ^ US Census Bureau, distribution of personal income, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
15. ^ ^{a b} US Census Bureau, overall household income distribution, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-12-28.
16. ^ ^{a b} US Census Bureau, personal income distribution, age 25+, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-12-28.

• Definition of Middle Class stratification
• Relationship between income and education

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