re: At which salary level is an individual “doing well”?

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IMO about $200k. This basically allows you to have all of the "normal" american items:

1.) $400k house

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With interest rates what they are, a $600k house is affordable on a 200k salary.

As for question of OP, it is all relative. We do well for
ourselves and live like we could live on one salary (we both work).

In New Orleans I would put it at over $150,000 for a single, and over $275,000 for a couple with 2 kids.

I make around 80k now running my own business but I am also completely tied to the everyday in and outs so I am always working. My house is nearly paid off but don't have much for retirement.

I recently decided that when i finish my current run of contracts, another couple months, I am going to close the doors and go work for a large company with good retirement and some other benefits. They offered me 100k plus annual raises and bonuses and I won't have my hand in the dirt day in and day out. I have spent the last year and a half putting close to 35% of my salary into debt and retirement. My wife makes roughly 50k and has some debt.

Overall, I think we make plenty of money for us, especially once the house is paid off this year.

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, I am going to close the doors and go work for a large company with good retirement and some other benefits.

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I did this and the stress went away over night. I had a construction company for 13 years. I worked everyday . Paid off everything I owned but didn't have a retirement account. Now I work 14 days a month I have a pension 401k and 6 weeks vacation. Life is too short to work all the time.

Last year I got irritated about my job on Feb 28. On Feb 29, I went in to the office, packed my shite and peaced out.

I will never work another day of my life doing something I don't want to do. At 46 that is an awesome feeling.

I've always seen, in most places, under 30k tough, 30-50k okay, 50-75k getting there, 75k plus doing well.

In small town La, you can make 100k and live like a king baw. Like you said its all subjective, and how many kids you have is a major factor.

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50% over median income where you reside

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That dog don’t hunt.

The median household in Lafayette is 50k, 75k still isn’t shite around here.

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I've always seen, in most places, under 30k tough, 30-50k okay, 50-75k getting there, 75k plus doing well.

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"Well" is relative.
When i was 18+, under 30k was great.
At 25+ and married, 50-75 was very, very good.
But with a kid and stay at home wife a few years later, it was tight.

It all boils down to wants/needs.
Do you need a phone or want a new iphone/watch/airpod?
Do you need a car or want a new car/truck?
Do you need a home or want a subdivision?
Does furniture cost $500 or cost $4k?
Do we cook? Buy pizza? Eat fast food? Or eat out?
Are we drinking milk, water and coffee at home? Or beer/wine/soft drinks?

The great thing about me being poor and frugal when i was young is that i appreciate small levels of want and can live extremely below our means.

We can live on half of our current income. Retirement and investments would take a huge hit. But my mortgage payment is the payment my wife and i could afford waiting tables. My 2007 honda accord is about to hit 200k miles. My wifes 2014 town and country is approaching 115k. In the near future, our $200k household income may feel tight as we get 4 kids into college. But that seems to be the natural progression (or maybe not because im cheap as shite).

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In New Orleans I would put it at over $150,000 for a single, and over $275,000 for a couple with 2 kids.

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Thats a comfortable living in new orleans but you can get by for much less and still send you kids to a private school...whether you're single or married..even with 2 kids. I know people that do it.....granted you would be shocked how many people in this city 1. live way beyond their means and 2. are grown adults and their parents/grandparents pay their bills and kids tutions....as well as the amount of well off couples that receive financial aid to send their kids to private schools.