How to BECOME the Top 1% in 2025

More than half of Americans believe that younger people today will be worse off than their parents. 

Income is the biggest driver of financial success — it’s like the front wheel of a tricycle. You can still move forward if you lose one of the back wheels (saving or investing), but without that front wheel, you’re stuck. There are countless ways to earn income, but two key factors — both entirely within our control — make the biggest impact on how much we bring in.

So what does it take to surpass 99% of people?

Watch the extended version HERE.

Supply and Demand

We all understand the concept of supply and demand, but we tend to ignore it when choosing a career. Let’s break it down. 

Take an NFL player, where the average salary is $2 million a year. Sounds amazing, right? But to even sniff that paycheck, you’ve got to beat the odds. Out of over a million high school athletes, only about 2,000 make it to the NFL. That’s the top 1% of the top 10%. Your chances are one in a thousand.

Now, let’s shift to a more common career: real estate agents. There are over 2 million registered agents, but only about 540,000 are actively working. That means 75% of them find something else because the competition is intense. Even if you’re active, making six figures means you need to be in the top 3%. You’re essentially facing a similar uphill climb as an NFL player, just without the touchdowns.

Compare that to a career like an information security analyst. If you have a bachelor’s degree, this field has a 100% employment rate, and the median salary is $120,000 per year. That’s just for being average — not the top 3%, not the top 25%. And the top 10% in this field make $182,000 annually. It’s a straightforward path with far less competition and more stability.

If college isn’t your thing, consider an apprenticeship-based job like an elevator technician. Median pay? $102,000 a year. Nearly 100% employment rate. And to make $120,000, you only need to be in the top 25%. It’s a much more reliable path to a great income.

The BLS Occupation Finder is your best friend. This tool lets you filter for jobs by education level, salary range, and industry growth. If you want a job with just an associate’s degree, no extra training, and a high growth rate? Plug that in, and boom — options like dental hygienist pop up. The average salary is $87,500 with top earners making $120,000.

For those locked into their current career and unable to pursue a degree or a major change, the approach is different. But the key takeaway here is to focus on jobs where demand is high, competition is low, and the path to a great income doesn’t require beating impossible odds. It’s all about choosing a career where the math works in your favor.

Location

The second factor that can massively influence your salary is where you live — and this is something you have complete control over. 

The U.S. economy is worth $25 trillion, but that wealth isn’t spread evenly across the country, or even within individual states. The same applies to salaries for different professions. A programmer in Wyoming won’t earn nearly as much as one in Silicon Valley, even with the same skills.

Take an information security analyst. In West Virginia, the median income is $87,420. If you’re willing to move a few hours over to Virginia, your median salary jumps to $133,000. And it doesn’t stop there. You can get even more specific by looking at metropolitan versus non-metropolitan areas using tools like BLS.gov.

Once you’ve maxed out your earning potential, it’s time to focus on the other parts of your financial journey — saving and investing. Just like a tricycle needs all its wheels, your income, savings, and investments all work together to drive your wealth forward.

And if you think investing is too scary, check out this video HERE, where I explain how even a monkey can be a successful investor. 

Cheers!