A six-figure salary may look attractive on a dating profile, but it cannot tell you whether someone will make a financially compatible spouse. According to Northwestern Mutual’s 2026 Planning & Progress Study, singles who consider a partner’s income important said their ideal partner would realistically earn an average of $139,000 a year. Women in that group named $172,000, compared with $101,000 for men, while 59% of singles said a potential partner’s income was not important.
Those numbers make headlines, but decades of research suggest financial compatibility involves considerably more than a paycheck. How couples communicate, disclose financial information and handle disagreements can matter long after the excitement of a high salary wears off.
