Most call a $20,000 salary extreme underpayment for their job
Core finding
A $20,000 annual salary reads as underpayment to about two-thirds of Americans (65%), including 43% who consider it extremely unfair for their current job, according to an August 2025 Verasight survey.
Fewer than one-in-ten (8%) call it fair pay and a small share (3%) even see it as overpayment, while about a quarter (24%) say they are not employed.
Topline distribution
Most call a $20,000 salary extreme underpayment for their job.
If you were paid each of the following for your current job, would you consider that to be: - $20,000
n = 1,000 · Aug 20–25, 2025 · MoE ±3.1%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | United States adults |
| Field dates | Aug 20–25, 2025 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.1% |
| Module | ASA Omnibus Survey |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/asa-2025
If you were paid each of the following for your current job, would you consider that to be: - $20,000
Cite this question
ASA Omnibus Survey, fielded August 20-25, 2025, N=1,000 United States adults, +/- 3.1%.