<P> Members of the upper class control and own significant portions of corporate America and may exercise indirect power through the investment of capital . The high salaries and the potential for amassing great wealth through stock options have greatly increased the power and visibility of the "corporate elite". There is disagreement over whether the "nouveau riche" should be included as members of the upper class or whether this term should exclusively be used for established families . Many sociologists and commentators make a distinction between the upper class (in the sense of those in the families of inherited wealth) and the corporate elite . By implication, the upper class is held in lower regard (as inheritors of idle wealth) than the self - made millionaires in prestigious occupations . </P> <P> Yet another important feature of the upper class is that of inherited privilege . While most Americans, including those in the upper - middle class need to actively maintain their status, some upper class persons do not need to work in order to maintain their status . Status tends to be passed on from generation to generation without each generation having to re-certify its status . Overall, the upper class is financially the best compensated and one of the most influential socio - economic classes in American society . </P> <P> The high salaries and, especially, the potential wealth through stock options, has supported the term corporate elite or corporate class . Top executives, including Chief Executive Officers, are among the financially best compensated occupations in the United States . The median annual earnings for a CEO in the United States were $140,350 (exceeding the income of more than 90% of United States households). The Wall Street Journal reports the median compensation for CEOs of 350 major corporations was $6,000,000 in 2005 with most of the money coming from stock options . </P> <P> In New York City in 2005, the median income (including bonuses) of a corporate "chief operating officer" (the No. 2 job) was $377,000 . The total compensation for a "top IT officer" in charge of information technology in New York City was $218,000 . Thus even below the CEO level of top corporations, financial compensation will usually be sufficient to propel households with a mere one income earner in the top 1% . In 2005 only 1.5% of American households had incomes above $250,000 with many reaching this level only through having two income earners . </P>

Describe the class structures in the us in the table below