Middle Class
The next step down in the social hierarchy of the U.S. class system is the middle class, which includes about half of the U.S. population. Most advertisements are directed towards this audience, and fictional characters in popular culture - TV shows, movies, and books - are typically middle-class members. The greatest amount of social mobility occurs at this level, whether it's upward, downward, or horizontal.
Like the upper class, the middle class has several layers: upper-middle, average-middle, and lower-middle. Upper-middles are those who earn above-average salaries, and typically live in fairly expensive houses in nice neighborhoods. Almost all of them are college graduates, and many go on to highly prestigious white-collar jobs - doctors, lawyers, businessmen, local politicians, and so on.
The center layer of the middle class is the average-middle, and the family income at this level is roughly the national average. Members typically work at less prestigious white-collar jobs - managers, teachers, office workers, and so on. Most are college graduates.