Why do so many Americans seem to struggle so much despite the very big wages they seem to make?

Hi there,

So this is a bit of a naïve question maybe, but I need to ask :

I live in France, and most people here earn between 1800-3600 euros a month (basically 2000-4000 dollars a month) as a gross income. That's like 80-85% of the population. Earning 15 000 euros a month puts you in the top 1 percent EASILY.

I'm sure that this is going to surprise a lot of people but yes, that's how it is in France : we earn a lot less than you do. 100k+ wages are VERY rare indeed.

Compared to that, Americans seem to earn so much more in general. Just taking a look at what it takes for an individual to reach the top 1 percent threshold in terms of net worth seems to confirm that : https://static.mothership.sg/1/2023/05/twr-top-1.jpeg

So what's going on in America that seems to make life so hard according to this subreddit exactly? I'm not baiting anyone : this is a genuine question.