My summary of Michael O. Church’s The 3-ladder system of social class in the U.S. from 2012.

L4 - Secondary Labor

The “working poor” earning $10 - 20 per hour. Few skills and no leverage.

L3 - Primary Labor

The “blue collar” or “working class” earning $20k - $60k per year. Factory work skills. But If the market for their skills collapses, they can fall down into L4.

L2 - High-skill Labor

Plumbers, airline pilots, and electricians, some earning over $100k per year. Usually some barrier to entry in their field (unions or licensing).

L1 - Labor Leadership

Small business owners and landlords, earning solidly upper-middle income.

G4 - Transitional Gentry

Community college students coming from L2. A 4-year degree will push them up into G3.

G3 - Primary Gentry

The “upper-middle class” with 4-year degrees, earning $30k - $200k per year.

G2 - High Gentry

Graduates from elite colleges working as junior executive roles in medium-sized companies, innovative startups, management consultancies, and investment banks. Also college professors, scientists, entrepreneurs and writers. Seek both intellectual and financial reward from their career.

G1 - Cultural Influencers

Recognized as smart, knowledgeable, creative and interesting. TV hosts, bloggers, journalists earning $100k - $1M per year.

E4 - Strivers

Junior investment bankers, law firm associates, and young startup entrepreneurs trying to transition up to E3.

E3 - Elite Servants

The “working rich”, law-firm partners, senior investment bankers, politicians and chief executives earning $200k - $5M per year.

E2 - National Elites

The “upper class” or “old money”. Believe that paid full-time work is dishonorable. They hold board positions and associate their names with institutions without getting too involved.

E1 - Global Elite

The very rich, extremely powerful and trans-national. The corporate billionaires, drug kingpins, third-world despots and real estate magnates. They don’t care about culture or morals, only control on a global scale. Hitler, Stalin, Henry Kissinger, Osama bin Laden.

pie title Class Breakdown
  "U" : 10
  "L4" : 30
  "L3" : 20
  "L2" : 14
  "L1" : 1
  "G4" : 5
  "G3" : 16
  "G2" : 2

Notes

Celebrities - Well-known people can come from any of the 3 ladders.

• Labor celebrities are L1 - Labor Leader
• Gentry celebrities are G1 - Cultural Influencer, but big celebrities tend to come from the other ladders
• Elite celebrities are E3 - Elite Servant, the National and Global elites prefer to work behind the scenes

Presidents

• Barack Obama is G1 - Cultural Influencer
• George Bush is E2 - National Elite
• Bill Clinton is E3 - Elite Servant
• Reagan was L1 - Labor Leader
• Kennedy was E2 - National Elite
• Lyndon Johnson was L1 - Labor Leader