"Criteria for Success? An Annual Salary of 160 Million Won" US MZ Generation

US Survey... Generation Z Sets High Success Standards and Values Work-Life Balance
"Tends to Attach Clear Price Tags to Their Abilities"

It has been revealed that the salary standard that the American MZ generation considers as "successful" is over $100,000. In particular, Generation Z has higher standards for success than the Millennial generation while also valuing work-life balance (WLB).

The U.S. economic media outlet Business Insider recently cited a survey conducted by the online business software company Skynova, which surveyed 1,004 Americans about their salary expectations. Skynova classified Millennials as those aged 27 to 42 and Generation Z as those aged 21 to 26 for the survey.

According to the survey results, Generation Z workers responded that they would need an average annual salary of $125,000 (approximately 165.1 million KRW) to feel they have "succeeded." Meanwhile, Millennials answered that they would need an average of $121,000 (approximately 159.8 million KRW). Although both hope for a salary above $100,000, Generation Z’s success standard was slightly higher.

Additionally, 53% of Generation Z and 59% of Millennials reported being dissatisfied with their current salaries. The desired salaries of these MZ generation workers ranged between $71,000 (approximately 93.76 million KRW) and $80,000 (approximately 105.64 million KRW).

The media analyzed, "Differences between Generation Z and Millennials regarding salary as a measure of success have emerged," adding, "This is because Generation Z tends to have higher expectations for themselves and clearly assign a price tag to their abilities."

Chelsea Williams, co-founder of the talent development company Reimagine Talent, explained to the media that Generation Z’s high salary expectations are "the result of the combined effects of economic factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation."

Meanwhile, the survey revealed that 88% of Generation Z are not interested in the profession of lawyer, which is noteworthy. This is because the salary of young lawyers in the U.S. approaches nearly $150,000 (approximately 198.1 million KRW), exceeding Generation Z’s "success standard salary." The media interpreted this as "Generation Z prioritizes work-life balance and tends to reject high-pressure industries such as law."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.