Actualy 50% make 27k or less a year, it's because America don't keep up to date with inflation or national income, it's freekin obsurd. Because i've witnessed it first hand, i'd tell any American there wages are bad, which they'll counteract with: but on AVERAGE the US wages are good! well... yea on AVERAGE they are, because there's are alot of extremely rich people and companys in the US. The US doesn't focus on well-being, it focus's on paying people as little as possible (1970's wages infact) and if people don't complain why change it? But Americas cheaper to live right? Well no not realy, the stuff manufactured at home by the dirt poor workers might be cheaper, clothes, cars etc. But the stuff that competes globaly, you'll find is around the same price if not more expensive in the US, fuel, food, property etc. Well i'm all for higher education = more pay! The fact you havto pay for nearly all education, is an American thing, the government SHOULD subsidies skills needed. Anyway even after completing higher education your still looking at low wages, you think 40kUSD a year is GOOD money? I'll do the math so you guys can see for yourself. OK so your a 15 year old, you hate school, you quit, you go get a job at Mc'ds or in a Factory, in any country that keeps up with inflation, you'd be earning about $750usd a week for unqaulified work! Youd be spending about $70usd for food per week and spending less than a doller per gallon for fuel. You save up, you can finally afford a realy nice house!! You'll spend less than $300usd per week for your mortgage. Now that's shit but comfortable living, you can easily raise a family on that, and that's how it should be. PAYING money to be upskilled, well I wouldn't do it for anything less than being guaranteed 80k per year USD. But people do... gives them a chance to get outof the shit-hole economy that they live in, it's just the norm for them and there happy about it, why? I genuinely don't know