The holidays are approaching and that means older relatives asking you questions.
If you’re not married, you’ll be asked when you’re getting married.
If you’re married without kids, you’ll be asked when you’re having kids.
And if you’re all of that, they’ll certainly ask you about jobs… especially if you’ve changed jobs too frequently.
Many older relatives are well intentioned but they also may be working with old data. People are getting married older than before. They’ve having kids later than before. And switching jobs is common (and has always been common).
Let’s dig into the stats of each.
When Are You Getting Married?
The U.S. Census has been tracking/estimating marriage statistics since 1890.
Decades ago, getting married in your 20s was more common than not. Today? The majority of men get married after 30.
- 2024 Men’s median age at first marriage – 30.2
- 2024 Women’s median age at first marriage – 28.6
In 1950, the ages were much younger:
- 1950 Men’s median age at first marriage – 22.8
- 1950 Women’s median age at first marriage – 20.3
When Are You Having Kids?
The National Vital Statistics System of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a report that details the trends in motherhood. The latest report, dated June 2025, shows us that first time mothers are getting older and older.
In 2023, the median age was 27.9 for first time mothers. The mean was 27.5, both of which are historic highs.
If you dig into the stats, it gets even more interesting because where you live has an impact on median age too. The trend line is clear though – the mean age of mothers is increasing and has been for many years.
How Is Your Job?
Many people believe switching jobs is a bad thing. But the reality is that the average American has nearly a dozen jobs from age 18 to 50.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts out a report about job tenure and for 2025, the median number of years a worker has been with their current employer is less than 4 years. This is partially a function of the economy and unemployment but the tenure number doesn’t change much throughout the years. It’s always been around 4 years.
The reality is that changing jobs is common. You tend to stick with a job longer as you get older but when you’re in your twenties and thirties, the average tenure is usually less than 3 years.
That’s it for the statistics, good luck at those family gatherings!
