Single Americans want potential partners earning at least six figures, according to new study. Millennials set the ‘ideal’ bar at $160,000

They say you can’t put a price on love—but in today’s economy, it might be common sense.

Single U.S. adults were asked in a new survey how much they ideally would like potential partners to earn—and were given the caveat that the expectations had to be “realistic.” Respondents who said the income of a would-be partner is important to them on average noted $139,000 per year was an acceptable salary.

According to the study from insurance giant Northwestern Mutual , millennials (ages 30 to 45) had the highest income expectations for a potential attachment, at $160,000.

Meanwhile, Gen Zers (currently between ages 14 and 29)—who are earlier in their careers—said $135,000 was an ideal sum.

The survey spoke to those age 18 and up.

Older generations had slightly lower expectations: Gen X (41 to 64 years old) said $123,000 a year is ideal, while boomers (65 and up) said $125,000 was a healthy salary.

These expectations perhaps reflect the arc of individual earning expectations.

Data from the St.

Louis Fed, analyzed by Investopedia, shows the median annual earnings for those ages 35 to 44 in the U.S. is $72,020.

That is followed by those ages 45 to 54, who earned a median salary of $71,604.

Ages 65 and upwards earned a median in the $60,000s, while ages 25 to 34 had a median income of $59,800.

While the bar of expectations follows the trajectory of earnings for Americans as they age, the gap between “ideal” earnings for partners is significantly ahead of the real world.

Further gaps between expectation and reality appear when broken down by gender: Men ideally would like their partners to earn $101,000 a year, the study finds, while women would like partners to earn $172,000 a year.

One reason for the differing expectations may be the result of the gender pay gap .