“In 2005, the median income for an individual age twenty-five or older in the labor force was $32,000 while the median income per household member was $24,000;”
(Quoted from Wikipedia. This info has been there for quite some time. If it had been erroneous, it probably would’ve been eradicated by now)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usa#Income_and_social_class
A median Swedish wage (including people of all age segments of the workforce) is today around $40 000 (according to different sources of statistics, like SCB and the unions). In this context, it ought to be remembered that “illegal” incomes (people often cheat the tax system) probably is way more common in Sweden than in the US.
In Stockholm, wages are considerably higher than in the rest of the country and in cities like Danish capital Copenhagen and Oslo, the capital of Norway, wages are even higher than in Stockholm. I recently read that local bus drivers in Copenhagen earn around $52 000 a year.
However, taxes are higher in Scandinavia compared to the US, but not as high as some people seem to think. Gas, groceries and clothes are also more expensive, but housing is comparatively cheap and building standards are often very good, especially in Sweden. Child care, education and health care is very affordable.
It’s always difficult to compare standards of living between different countries. One aspect is that currency exchange rate vary a lot over time.
People who claim the Swedish/Scandinavian Model is a “failed” societal concept or claim The American way is a less well functioning economic system often do so out of ideological reasons.
Both systems actually work very well and economic growth is way better in both Scandinavia and The US compared to 6 hour work day countries like France and Germany (I hope Sarkozy and Merkel will bring about great changes in these great nations).
Correction:
I wrote ‘income date’, naturally it’s ‘income data’.
Sorry.