Final answer:
Income in a market economy like the United States is derived from the ownership of resources or assets. The most common form of income is wages, salaries, commissions, and tips, which are earned through labor. Additionally, income can be generated from the ownership of real estate or financial assets that yield interest or dividends.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a market economy like the United States, income comes from ownership of the means of production: resources or assets. More precisely, one's income is a function of two things: the quantity of each resource one owns, and the value society places on those resources. For the majority of us, the most important resource we own is our labor. Thus, most of our income is wages, salaries, commissions, tips and other types of labor income.
At the same time, some people own real estate, which they can either use themselves or rent out to other users. Some people have financial assets like bank accounts, stocks and bonds, for which they earn interest, dividends or some other form of income.