A third call a $30,000 salary extreme underpayment for their job

Aug 20–25, 2025 · n = 1,000 · MoE ±3.1%Source report ↗

Core finding

About a third of Americans (35%) call a $30,000 salary extreme underpayment for their current job, according to a Verasight survey conducted Aug. 20-25, 2025.

Nearly a quarter (24%) are not employed and about one-in-ten (11%) consider $30,000 fair pay. A further 10% rate it very unfair underpayment, with the remaining answers spread thinly across other degrees of under- and overpayment.

Topline distribution

A third call a $30,000 salary extreme underpayment for their job.

If you were paid each of the following for your current job, would you consider that to be: - $30,000

Extremely unfair underpayment
34.8%
I am not employed
24.0%
Fair pay
11.0%
Very unfair underpayment
10.4%
Somewhat unfair underpayment
9.5%
Slightly unfair underpayment
6.2%
Slightly unfair overpayment
1.7%
Very unfair overpayment
1.1%
Somewhat unfair overpayment
0.8%
Extremely unfair overpayment
0.5%

n = 1,000 · Aug 20–25, 2025 · MoE ±3.1%

ModeVerasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
PopulationUnited States adults
Field datesAug 20–25, 2025
Base (unweighted)1,000
Margin of error±3.1%
ModuleASA Omnibus Survey
SponsorVerasight
Weight variableweight
Weighting targetsage, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

Sources

  1. 01

    If you were paid each of the following for your current job, would you consider that to be: - $30,000

    reports.verasight.io/r/asa-2025

Cite this question

ASA Omnibus Survey, fielded August 20-25, 2025, N=1,000 United States adults, +/- 3.1%.