What is a five-figure salary?

A five-figure salary has five numeric figures, ranging from $10,000 to $99,999 a year. Most of the world's full-time earners in developed countries are in the five-figure salary range.

Many jobs with similar titles pay varying salaries. Top earners may make six-figure salaries, while others make five-figure salaries. Many home economics instructors, video editors and elevator repair technicians earn five-figure salaries. Some software engineers and high-tech workers also only make five figures, while the top earners in those fields earn six figures or more. With only 20 percent of American households ever earning six-figure incomes, five-figure incomes cover the gamut from poor to upper-middle class.