Actually I think median means the balance point of 50% By that measure half of Americans now make less than 30K. Per household it is just over 50K, which is really not the same as the better sounder and higher figure.
I was using household income for both periods, which is a lot easier to find.
It is surprisingly difficult to directly compare prices and incomes from one period to another.
US median income for households was $51,939 in 2014. That means half made more and half less.