Is your super on track?

Median (50th percentile) super balances by ATO age band, 2023-24: 20–24: $5,800; 25–29: $22,000; 30–34: $35,000; 35–39: $55,000; 40–44: $78,000; 45–49: $105,000; 50–54: $140,000; 55–59: $185,000; 60–64: $230,000; 65+: $275,000. The median is the middle value — half of Australians in that age band have more, half have less. The median is consistently lower than the average (mean) because a small number of high-balance accounts pull the mean upward. For most people, the median is the better personal benchmark.

Top-10% (90th percentile) super balance thresholds by age band, 2023-24: 25–29: $85,000; 30–34: $130,000; 35–39: $210,000; 40–44: $300,000; 45–49: $420,000; 50–54: $570,000; 55–59: $760,000; 60–64: $940,000; 65+: $1,050,000+. Exceed the figure for your age band and you're in the top 10% of Australians your age for super. The slider widget above places your exact balance on the distribution curve, so you can see your specific percentile (e.g. 68th, 91st) rather than just which decile you sit in.

The average superannuation balance at age 30–34 is $52,800 for men and $40,200 for women (ATO 2023-24 data). The median (50th percentile) is significantly lower at approximately $35,000, because high earners skew the average upward. To be on track for ASFA's comfortable retirement standard ($595,000 at age 67), you should aim for around $85,000 by age 35.

The average super balance at 40–44 is $130,800 for men and $91,600 for women. The median is approximately $78,000. ASFA's on-track benchmark for a comfortable retirement at 67 suggests aiming for around $130,000 by age 40. If you're below this, salary sacrifice — contributing extra from your pre-tax salary — is the fastest catch-up lever.

At age 50–54, the average super balance is $237,800 for men and $162,100 for women, with a median of approximately $140,000. The ASFA on-track benchmark for a comfortable retirement is around $265,000 at age 50. If you're below this at 50, you still have 17 years of compounding and catch-up contributions available — the $30,000 annual concessional cap and additional $330,000 non-concessional bring-forward can accelerate growth significantly.

At age 60–64 — just before the standard preservation age — the average super balance is $394,200 for men and $288,400 for women. The median is approximately $230,000. ASFA estimates a comfortable retirement lifestyle requires $595,000 (single) or $690,000 (couple), so many Australians retire with a gap. The Age Pension supplements super for those below the ASFA threshold.

The superannuation gender gap persists because of career breaks for caregiving (maternity and parental leave), higher rates of part-time work, and historically lower wages in female-dominated industries. Women retire with approximately 23% less super than men on average. Government measures — including super payments on government-funded parental leave from 2025 — aim to narrow this gap, but the structural effect will take decades to fully close.

Salary sacrifice lets you redirect pre-tax income into super, taxed at only 15% instead of your marginal rate. On a $100,000 salary, sacrificing $10,000/year saves around $2,700 in tax (32.5% vs 15%) and adds $10,000 to super pre-tax. Over 20 years at 7% growth, an extra $10,000/year of salary sacrifice adds approximately $460,000 to your super balance — enough to move from below-median to the top quartile.

The ASFA Retirement Standard for 2025-26 sets a comfortable retirement at approximately $52,085/year (single) or $73,337/year (couple). To fund this with a 5% drawdown rate, a single person needs approximately $595,000 in super at age 67, and a couple needs approximately $690,000. These figures update quarterly — check asfa.org.au for the latest.