{"id":6957,"date":"2022-08-19T17:36:42","date_gmt":"2022-08-19T17:36:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=6957"},"modified":"2022-08-19T17:36:42","modified_gmt":"2022-08-19T17:36:42","slug":"6-figures-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/6-figures-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Figures \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Did a girl just tell you she doesn't date anyone that doesn't earn at least <strong><em>'six figures'<\/em><\/strong>? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n<h2>Meaning<\/h2>\n<p>The expression '<em>six figures'<\/em> <u>relates to a person's annual salary<\/u>. If you're earning <em>six figures<\/em>, you have a <u>yearly income of $100,000 or more.<\/u> For decades, making <em>'six figures'<\/em> was the <u>pinnacle of success<\/u>. If you earned <em>six figures<\/em>, you could <u>live any lifestyle you wanted.<\/u><\/p>\n<p>Even with inflation rising and the dollar devaluing against other currencies, earning <em>'six figures'<\/em> remains <u>the benchmark for financial success in the United States<\/u>. In recent years, the term '<em>seven figures'<\/em> seems to replace <em>'six figures'<\/em> as a symbol of economic prosperity.<\/p>\n<h2>Example Usage<\/h2>\n<p>\"I just started as an intern with Goldman Sachs, and I'm already earning six figures. Give me a few years in the job, and I'll be a multimillionaire.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"I make an annual salary approaching six figures. I wouldn't say I'm rich, but I have everything I want and need in life.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"Today, you need an annual salary of at least six figures to live in cities like LA and NYC. In San Francisco, you need $250k a year just to get by comfortably.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"If you earn six figures, that's great, but are you saving any of it for your retirement. You won't believe how many people earning over $100k a year live paycheck to paycheck.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"So, you earn six figures, that's great. Too bad inflation is eating away at that. Seven figures are the new six figures.\"<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-6958\" src=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/6-figures-250x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/6-figures-250x300.jpg 250w, https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/6-figures.jpg 378w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-6959\" src=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/6-figures2-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/6-figures2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/6-figures2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/6-figures2-120x120.jpg 120w, https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/6-figures2.jpg 382w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Origin<\/h2>\n<p>Language experts are at a loss to explain how \u2018six figures\u2019 entered the English lexicon to describe a big salary. However, some language experts believe it originates from Wall Street in the late 1980s. New stockbrokers working in New York City would use the term to describe their annual salary.<\/p>\n<p>Due to the rise in inflation and devaluation of the US Dollar over the last three decades, most people see \u2018seven\u2019 or \u2018eight\u2019 figures as the new reference to \u2018six figures.\u2019 However, six figures remains a popular way of telling someone you\u2019re financially comfortable and don\u2019t have to worry about money.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"6 Figure Income - What Does Six Figure Salary Mean?\" width=\"512\" height=\"288\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/18-z5iRJd1U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Phrases Similar to 6 Figures<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Rich.<\/li>\n<li>Loaded.<\/li>\n<li>Doing well.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Phrases Opposite to 6 Figures<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Salary under $100,000.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>6 figures.<\/li>\n<li>Six figures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Ways People May Say 6 Figures Incorrectly<\/h2>\n<p>Most people will use \u2018six figures\u2019 to describe an annual income of $100,000 or more. Some people may use it to describe a monthly income, but the yearly reference is more common.<\/p>\n<h2>Acceptable Ways to Phrase 6 Figures<\/h2>\n<p>You can use \u2018six figures\u2019 when describing your income or someone else\u2019s. It means you earn an annual salary of over $100,000, which some people may classify as \u2018rich.\u2019 You can use the phrase in social and professional settings. For instance, you could tell your colleague you got a raise at work, and now you\u2019re making six figures.<\/p>\n<p>Or you could use it with friends to describe how you wish you had an annual income exceeding $100,000. The term references making money through legal or illegal methods, but it usually applies to a legal salary paid to an employee. You can use \u2018six figures\u2019 when someone asks you about your annual salary, and you don\u2019t want to give them the exact number.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mb-2\">Did a girl just tell you she doesn't date anyone that doesn't earn at least 'six figures'? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression 'six figures' relates to a person's annual salary. If you're earning six figures, you have a yearly income of $100,000 or more. For decades, making [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6957"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6957"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6957\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8063,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6957\/revisions\/8063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}