If you ever wondered what you’re worth to the digital economy, congratulations, someone finally put a price tag on your existence.
The average U.S. user generates about $1,605 in annual advertising value, with a median closer to $760, according to Proton, a privacy-focused provider of encrypted services like Proton Mail. In other words, a handful of high-value users are doing the heavy lifting while everyone else rounds down.
Over a decade, that average user is worth roughly $16,050. The elite tier, the top 10% of profiles, can approach $180,000 in value. These aren’t people. These are walking programmatic line items.
Meanwhile, somewhere out there, a guy searching for “weather near me” on an Android in Fort Smith, Arkansas, is pulling in a cool $31 a year. Aim high.