The average worker would need to save for 52 years to claw their way of of the middle class and be classified as wealthy, research reveals | Fortune

A typical U.S. worker would need to save for 52 years to move from the middle class into the wealthy tier, according to new research reported by Fortune. The finding underscores how slowly wage growth and savings accumulate relative to the threshold for wealth, leaving even diligent savers stuck in the middle class for most of their careers. The analysis points to the widening gap between middle-class earnings and the asset levels required to be classified as wealthy. It matters because it suggests that income alone is unlikely to lift workers into the top tier without decades of sustained saving or investment gains. What to watch next is whether savings rates, wage growth or the definition of wealth itself shift enough to shorten that timeline.