At this time, many Americans are struggling to file their 2025 tax returns, many are unhappy with “affordability” issues. This is a good time to remember a broader issue “Is America still a land of opportunity?” Let’s look at the case of immigrants, who often come to America with little money and face many more obstacles than most US residents.

The current median family income in America is $80,000. Upper-middle-income is normally defined as $140,000 - $180,000 (the 70^th to 80^th percentile). If we assume that the immigrant household starts with almost no income and allow 15-30 years, these are the key factors that allow them to reach upper-middle-income status.

1. Human Capital at Arrival. This refers to their educational degrees and skills as well as their English proficiency.

2. Geographic location. Are they arriving in high wage or high employment cities such as San Francisco, San Joe, or Seattle? Phoenix is not a high-wage market, but it is rapidly expanding in population and so has substantial employment and business opportunities.

3. Common upward-mobility sectors include:

• Technology (software engineering, data science)
• Healthcare (physicians, pharmacists, nurse practitioners)
• Engineering
• Finance
• Entrepreneurship (small business ownership, franchising, professional services)

4. Savings and Asset Accumulation Behavior.

Upper-middle-class status is not income alone; it involves assets. Key factors are: high savings rates relative to income; early entry into homeownership; participation in IRAs and 401ks; and investment in children’s education. Immigrant households often display higher savings rates than comparable native-born households.

5. Cultural and Behavioral Factors (Correlational, Not Deterministic).

Studies associate mobility with: emphasis on education; delayed consumption; dual-income households; low fertility rate relative to income; and high labor-force participation.

Based on an Artificial Intelligence answer by Chat GPT, here are some immigrant scenarios and their probability of becoming middle-class or upper-middle-class:

Scenario A: Acquires U.S. credential (2–4 year degree or skilled certification)

Middle income: 50–70%
Upper-middle income: 25–40%

Credential acquisition is the single largest probability shift variable.

Scenario B: Enters high-demand professional track (nursing, engineering, software)

Middle income: 70–85%
Upper-middle income: 40–60%

Time to reach upper-middle range: often 5–15 years.

Case study: I have at least two clients who are Filipinos that became either Registered Nurses in the Phoenix area. Starting with absolutely nothing, they each became worth $2-3+ million by substantial savings of wage income and buying two to three houses. One is divorced and the other’s husband worked as a technician and not an engineer. Asian immigrants believe in real estate much more than other Americans. In Asia, there’s a history of wars and government devaluing the currency or financial assets.

Scenario C: Entrepreneurship (small business ownership)

Middle income: Highly variable (30–60%)
Upper-middle income: 15–35%

Many small businesses generate a modest income, but a minority do well and move the household into the upper-middle tier. My neighbor for years owned a successful Chinese restaurant that netted at least $200,000/year. His only child goes to a highly-rated Basis charter high school and does not have to worry about her ASU college tuition for bio-engineering.

Conclusion: America is still perceived to be a great “land of opportunity”. For generations, people have left their native countries to start fresh in America. Most Americans, especially immigrants, do not require a guarantee of success; they just want a fair opportunity!

To RSVP for future seminars or schedule a free consultation, please contact Dr. Harold Wong at (480) 706-0177 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. His website is www.drharoldwong.com.

Dr. Wong earned his PhD in Economics at UC Berkeley in 1974 and passed the National CPA exam in 1979. He has appeared on over 400 TV/Radio programs.