The middle class is a category of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy, though common measures of what constitutes middle class vary significantly between cultures.
The size of the middle class depends on how it is defined, whether by education, wealth, environment of upbringing, social network, manners or values, etc. However, the following factors are often ascribed in modern usage to someone in the middle class: having a college education; holding professional qualifications, including academics, lawyers, engineers, and doctors; a belief in bourgeoisvalues, such as high rates of home ownership and secure jobs; a particular lifestyle; and the identification culturally with mainstream popular culture (particularly in the United States).
Within the United States, the broader middle class is often described as divided into the upper-middle class (also called the "professional class") and the lower-middle class. The upper-middle class consists mostly of white-collar professionals, most of whom are highly educated, salaried professionals whose work is largely self-directed and typically involves conceptualizing, creating, consulting, and supervising. Many have graduate degrees, with educational attainment serving as the main distinguishing feature of this class. Household incomes commonly exceed $100,000. The lower-middle class consists mainly of people in technical and lower-level management positions who work for those in the upper middle class. Though they enjoy a reasonably comfortable standard of living, they are often threatened by taxes and inflation.
Recently, the typical lifestyle of the American middle class has been criticized for its "conspicuous consumption" and materialism, as Americans have the largest homes and most appliances and automobiles in the world. Another challenge to the stability of the middle class within the United States is increasing income inequality, as middle class Americans have seen their incomes increase at a much slower rate than the wealthiest 1% in the country .
Suburban Middle Class Home
An upscale home in suburban California, an example of the "conspicuous consumption" of the American middle class.