Report · Culture

Americans say hard work matters most for getting ahead

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About two-thirds of Americans (65%) count hard work as important for getting ahead in the United States, more than any other factor tested, according to a March 2026 Verasight survey.

Growing up in a wealthy family follows at 46%, ahead of luck (35%), natural talent (32%) and race or ethnicity (25%). Just 4% name none of these.

Topline

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Selected responses

Americans say hard work matters most for getting ahead.

In your opinion, which of the following factors are important for getting ahead in the United States today?

  • Hard work 65.2%
  • Growing up in a wealthy family 46.5%
  • Luck 34.5%
  • Natural talent 31.5%
  • Race or ethnicity 25.2%
  • None of the above 4.4%

2026 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.6%

Module 4: Identity, Politics, & Social Trust

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Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2026-03-06 → 2026-03-16
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.6%
Module
Module 4: Identity, Politics, & Social Trust

Source

Citation

Verasight Client Omnibus Survey #2026-044, fielded March 6-16, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.6%.

https://reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044#q-4-25

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.