Average super balance by age in Australia

Median super balances by ATO age band, 2023-24 financial year: 18–24: $6,071; 25–29: $21,395; 30–34: $40,426; 35–39: $69,200; 40–44: $100,330; 45–49: $131,705; 50–54: $161,375; 55–59: $185,120; 60–64: $203,326; 65–69: $218,631; 70–74: $227,982; 75 or more: $197,878. Across all ages the median is $63,339. The median is the middle value — half of Australians in that age band have more, half have less. It sits far below the average (mean) because a small number of very large balances pull the mean upward: the all-ages average is $182,781, nearly three times the median. For a personal benchmark, use the median. Source: ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24, which counts only individuals with a balance or current-year contributions above zero.

Estimated top-10% (90th percentile) super balances by age band: 25–29: $54,000; 30–34: $107,000; 35–39: $179,500; 40–44: $266,000; 45–49: $372,000; 50–54: $501,500; 55–59: $655,500; 60–64: $830,000; 65–69: $989,000. Exceed the figure for your age band and you are in roughly the top 10% of Australians your age for super. Be aware of what these are: the ATO publishes only the mean and median for each band, not quartiles or deciles, so these thresholds are modelled — fitted to the ATO's published mean and median with a lognormal distribution, the standard shape for wealth. They reproduce the official mean and median exactly, but the spread between them is an estimate rather than a published ATO figure. The slider above places your balance on that fitted curve.

At age 30–34 the average superannuation balance is $58,461 for men and $49,446 for women, or $54,009 overall (ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24). The median is much lower at $40,426, because high balances skew the average upward — the median is the better benchmark for a typical person. ASFA's published on-track target says that to reach a comfortable retirement at 67 you would want about $70,500 by age 30 and $118,000 by 35, so the typical 30-something Australian is running behind the comfortable standard.

ASFA's Super Balance Detective puts the on-track figure at age 40 at $178,000 — that is the balance you would need today to reach ASFA's comfortable standard ($630,000 single) at age 67, on ASFA's assumptions of a roughly $65,000 wage and a 6.7% return. What Australians actually have at 40–44 is well below that: a median of $100,330, and averages of $150,305 for men and $117,067 for women. So a typical 40-year-old sits about $78,000 short of the comfortable track. Salary sacrifice is the fastest catch-up lever, because contributions are taxed at 15% inside super instead of your marginal rate.

ASFA's published on-track target at age 50 is $313,500 for a comfortable retirement at 67. The reality at 50–54 is a median of $161,375, with averages of $271,498 for men and $205,029 for women — so the typical Australian is roughly $152,000 behind the comfortable track at 50. There is still time: 17 years of compounding remain, and the FY2026-27 concessional cap of $32,500 a year, carry-forward unused cap room if your total super balance is under $500,000, and a non-concessional bring-forward of up to $390,000 are all available to close the gap.

At 60–64 — the last band before Age Pension age — the average super balance is $413,700 for men and $327,440 for women, with a median of $203,326 (ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24). ASFA estimates a comfortable retirement needs $630,000 for a single person or $730,000 for a couple, revised up in February 2026, so the typical Australian reaches retirement with a substantial gap and the Age Pension does much of the work. Note that balances keep rising in the ATO data after 65 (the 65–69 average is $437,422) partly because those who retire earliest with smaller balances draw them down and leave the series.

The gap is large and it widens with age. On ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24 the all-ages average balance is $202,644 for men and $164,206 for women — women hold about 19% less — but the gap peaks in mid-career: at 45–49 the median is $154,751 for men and $110,864 for women, a 28% shortfall. The causes are structural: career breaks for caregiving, higher rates of part-time work, and lower pay in female-dominated industries, all of which cut both contributions and the compounding on them. Super on government-funded paid parental leave began in July 2025, which helps at the margin, but closing a gap built over a working life takes decades.

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.

For the March quarter 2026, the ASFA Retirement Standard sets a comfortable retirement at approximately $55,923/year (single) or $78,566/year (couple) for home owners aged 65–84. To fund this, ASFA estimates a single person needs about $630,000 in super at age 67 and a couple about $730,000 — both revised up in February 2026 (from $595,000 and $690,000) as living costs rose faster than the Age Pension. These figures update quarterly — check asfa.org.au for the latest.

A modest retirement — better than the Age Pension alone but with fewer extras — costs about $36,434/year (single) or $52,473/year (couple) on ASFA's March quarter 2026 figures. Because the Age Pension covers most of a modest budget, the super lump sum required is far smaller than for comfortable: roughly $110,000 (single) or $120,000 (couple) at age 67. Both standards assume you own your home outright; renters need more. A comfortable retirement, by contrast, needs about $630,000 (single).

From 1 July 2026 the general concessional (pre-tax) contributions cap is $32,500, up from $30,000, after indexation to average weekly ordinary time earnings. The non-concessional (after-tax) cap is $130,000, up from $120,000, so the three-year bring-forward arrangement allows up to $390,000. Concessional contributions are taxed at 15% inside super rather than your marginal rate, which is why salary sacrifice is the fastest catch-up lever if you're below the median balance for your age. The super guarantee remains at 12%.

Payday super started on 1 July 2026 under the Treasury Laws Amendment (Payday Superannuation) Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 6 November 2025. Employers must now ensure super contributions reach your fund within seven business days of each payday, replacing the old quarterly deadline of 28 days after quarter-end. For your balance this means contributions start compounding months earlier across a working life, and any underpayment becomes visible on your fund statement within weeks rather than at the end of a quarter.