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In Australia at least, a "six figure sum" is synonymous with an amount over $1,000,000.

The last time I checked, 1000000 had seven digits in it.

To quote a recent article in Melbourne's highest circulating newspaper:

Has Channel 9, a publicly listed company, paid at least a six-figure sum, or several million dollars to get is (sic) employees out of Lebanon?

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    I've never heard this (in the US). Incidentally, one million = 10^6, but that yields seven digits, as you say.
    – Jonathan S.
    Commented May 6, 2016 at 14:36
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    They do so because they never joined this site and asked what a six figure sum is. They should.
    – vickyace
    Commented May 6, 2016 at 14:36
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    @vicky this is not a duplicate. I edited the question to reference a recent online article that shows this specific (incorrect) usage. Perhaps it is endemic to Australia.
    – Bohemian
    Commented May 6, 2016 at 14:54
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    Here in the USA references to people earning 6 figures are common, but we never understand that to mean a million or more.
    – frank
    Commented May 6, 2016 at 15:16
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    Why? Because they're wrong, and don't know any better.
    – Wayfaring Stranger
    Commented May 6, 2016 at 15:48

2 Answers 2

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"Six figures" usually refers to amounts over 100,000, not amounts over 1,000,000.

Yesterday's question on what six figures means is related.

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I would say that "Over 6 figures" must mean 7 or more (1,000,000). Referring not so much to 100,001 being "over 6 figures" in value, but the actual number of figures being the subject of the saying.

sorry for broken grammar, I'm seconds from finishing work :P

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