Some groups of practising Christians are among the wealthiest people in American society, according to new research.

More than a third of Episcopal Church members live in households with incomes of more than $100,000, says Pew Research.  

Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian Church and the United Methodist Church also have high incomes.

But so do people who identify as atheists and agnostics. According to Pew writer David Masci, this may call into question any link between religious belief and wealth. 

By comparison, Jehovah's Witnesses and Buddhists have exceptionally low household incomes. 

Jewish people top the scale of household incomes of religious groups, with more than four in ten households having an annual income above $100,000. Hindus are next, with nearly four in ten people in this income bracket.

Some of the most financially successful religious groups – Episcopalians, Hindus, Jewish people and Presbyterians – are also among the most educated. Nearly half of Hindu adults and almost one-third of Jewish adults hold postgraduate degrees.

Those with the lowest income include two churches with a mainly black membership – the National Baptist Convention and the Church of God in Christ.

Nearly one fifth of Catholics are in the top income bracket. One in five Americans is Catholic.