Your balance vs. your age group
Enter your current balance and age above to see how you compare.
401(k) / Retirement balances by age — 2025 (Vanguard / Empower)
| Age group |
Avg balance |
Median balance |
Fidelity target |
| 20s | $91,133 | $34,225 | 1× salary |
| 30s | $132,010 | $48,900 | 2× salary |
| 40s | $272,588 | $100,065 | 3× salary |
| 50s | $592,285 | $252,850 | 6× salary |
| 60s | $573,624 | $210,724 | 8× salary |
| 65+ | $299,442 | $87,725 | 10× salary |
Sources: Empower (2025), Vanguard How America Saves (2025), Fidelity Q4 2025. Averages include Empower dashboard users who tend to be more financially engaged than the general population.
Avg employee contribution rate
7.7%
of salary — Vanguard 2025
Avg employer match
4.6%
median is 4% — Vanguard 2025
Experts recommend saving
10–15%
of income incl. employer match
Americans with no retirement savings
54%
of households — Fed SCF 2023
Average total consumer debt by generation — 2025 (Experian)
| Generation |
Avg total debt |
Avg credit card |
Avg student loan |
Avg mortgage |
| Gen Z (18–27) | $34,000 | $3,493 | $22,948 | — |
| Millennials (28–43) | $132,280 | $6,521 | $33,926 | $312,014 |
| Gen X (44–59) | $157,556 | $9,600 | $44,240 | $283,677 |
| Boomers (60–78) | $93,000 | $6,642 | $43,000 | $190,000 |
Source: Experian Consumer Debt Study, June 2025. Self.inc / NY Fed analysis 2025.
Quick tips
✓Always contribute at least enough to get your full employer match — it's an immediate 100% return on that money.
✓The 2025 Retirement contribution limit is $23,500 ($31,000 if you're 50+, up to $34,750 if ages 60–63).
✓Fidelity's rule of thumb: have 1× your salary saved by 30, 3× by 40, 6× by 50, 8× by 60, 10× by 67.
!Averages are skewed high by large accounts — median balances are roughly 1/3 of the average and give a more realistic picture.
!A 1% increase in your contribution rate on a $75k salary saves an extra ~$34,000 over 20 years at 7% growth.
Read the full Retirement guide →