Penn Wharton students scolded for thinking average US worker makes six figures

It looks like some Wharton School students need a lesson on the real world. They go to one of the best business schools in the country, but one professor’s prompt proves some of these aspiring business leaders are already out of touch.

When professor Nina Strohminger asked her students what the average American worker makes in a year, she tweeted that 25% of them thought it was over six figures and one even answered $800,000. The answers baffled even her and the tweet went viral.

I asked Wharton students what they thought the average American worker makes per year and 25% of them thought it was over six figures. One of them thought it was $800k. Really not sure what to make of this (The real number is $45k)

— Nina Strohminger (@NinaStrohminger) January 20, 2022

The actual average sits around $55,629, according to the Social Security Administration.

Data from the New York Times explains where these students are coming from. Looking at University of Pennsylvania as a whole, not just the Wharton School, one in every five students comes from a family in the top 1%. The data also reveals that the median family income at the university is $195,500.

Strohminger, an assistant professor of legal studies and business ethics, pointed out she doesn’t think this is just a Wharton problem, but a sign many don’t really realize how large the gap is between rich and poor.

A lot of people want to conclude that this says something special about Wharton students— I’m not sure it does. People are notoriously bad at making this kind of estimate, thinking the gap between rich and poor is smaller than it is.

— Nina Strohminger (@NinaStrohminger) January 20, 2022

Wharton’s website shows Strohminger’s current course is titled Ethics and Social Responsibility.