Made in USA

median usually tries to present the way the "average guy" lives (the one halfway up the ladder). It is totally deceptive to clueless people

Sorry, just looked. 80k is 75 percentile. 132k is 90 percentile.

Agree. That may be true about the median to the 'average guy', but the average can be skewed by large or small incomes. The median is just the halfway point.

@grislybutter it's a good point... workers as owners

In capitalistic corporate America, and indeed any capitalistic or semi-capitalistic country that allows private ownership shares, the workers can be owners... it's called stock.  

Gradually one can "change the family tree" by gradually becoming owner.  One can be part owner of thousands of companies domestic and international, via mutual funds like a total stock market index fund, and can be lender to many companies and governments as well, via bond-market mutual funds.  Capital doesn't have to be large; it can come in the form of small steady persistent streams invested over a long period of time.... instead of sipping on cups of Starbucks, how about dripping that money into ownership of Starbucks instead?

The opportunity for ownership is there... but action to meet the opportunity depends on the individual.  So, I own a bit of Sound United itself, for example, in addition to my Marantz amps.  

good discussion overall and topic with a legitimate question to ponder!  thanks to OP