Australian Guide · 2026-27
How Much Super Should I Have? —
Australia Targets by Age
ATO median balance vs ASFA Comfortable on-track target at every age, with gap analysis and the catch-up strategies that actually move the curve. For the 2026-27 financial year, which began 1 July 2026.
Published 2026-06-17 · Updated 2026-09-01 · Reading time ~10 min
Short answer
To be on track for ASFA Comfortable ($630,000 single at age 67, revised February 2026), ASFA's own published targets are: $70,500 at 30, $178,000 at 40, $313,500 at 50 and $496,500 at 60. Most Australians sit below these, and the gap widens with age rather than staying constant: the ATO median is about 78% of the on-track figure at 25, roughly half through your thirties and forties, and about 41% by 60 — so the shortfall opens up later, not early. Compounding plus the $32,500 concessional contributions cap means the gap is closeable, especially in your 30s and 40s. Use Richify's super calculator to plug in your numbers and project your trajectory, or Super Snapshot for a Score relative to your age cohort.
Median balance vs ASFA Comfortable on-track
Two reference points side by side. ATO median is the mid-point of actual Australians in each age bracket — half are above, half are below, from ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24. ASFA Comfortable on-track is ASFA's own published figure for that age — the balance you would need today to reach the revised $630,000 target at 67, on ASFA's assumptions of a roughly $65,000 wage and a 6.7% nominal return. Neither column is an estimate of ours.
| Age | ATO median | ASFA on-track |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | $21,395 | $27,500 |
| 30 | $40,426 | $70,500 |
| 35 | $69,200 | $118,000 |
| 40 | $100,330 | $178,000 |
| 45 | $131,705 | $239,000 |
| 50 | $161,375 | $313,500 |
| 55 | $185,120 | $399,000 |
| 60 | $203,326 | $496,500 |
| 65 | $218,631 | $604,500 |
Sources: ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24, Snapshot table 5 (median balance by age band); ASFA Retirement Standard (annual budgets March quarter 2026; lump-sum targets revised February 2026, single Comfortable $630,000) and the ASFA Super Balance Detective, every age re-read from ASFA's own lookup on 2026-09-01. Neither column is modelled by us. Your exact target depends on income, expected retirement lifestyle, home ownership, and Age Pension entitlement.
How much super should I have at my exact age? — every age from 22 to 66
ASFA publishes an on-track target for every single year of age, not just the round decades — but its Super Balance Detective returns them one age at a time. The full series is below, next to the ATO median for the age band you fall in and the gap between the two. Find your age; the gap column is what you would need to add today to be on the Comfortable track. Figures re-read from ASFA on 2026-09-01.
| Age | ASFA on-track | ATO median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | $5,800 | $6,071 | +$271 |
| 23 | $11,500 | $6,071 | -$5,429 |
| 24 | $19,500 | $6,071 | -$13,429 |
| 25 | $27,500 | $21,395 | -$6,105 |
| 26 | $36,000 | $21,395 | -$14,605 |
| 27 | $44,000 | $21,395 | -$22,605 |
| 28 | $53,000 | $21,395 | -$31,605 |
| 29 | $62,500 | $21,395 | -$41,105 |
| 30 | $70,500 | $40,426 | -$30,074 |
| 31 | $78,500 | $40,426 | -$38,074 |
| 32 | $88,000 | $40,426 | -$47,574 |
| 33 | $98,500 | $40,426 | -$58,074 |
| 34 | $107,500 | $40,426 | -$67,074 |
| 35 | $118,000 | $69,200 | -$48,800 |
| 36 | $129,500 | $69,200 | -$60,300 |
| 37 | $141,000 | $69,200 | -$71,800 |
| 38 | $152,500 | $69,200 | -$83,300 |
| 39 | $165,000 | $69,200 | -$95,800 |
| 40 | $178,000 | $100,330 | -$77,670 |
| 41 | $189,500 | $100,330 | -$89,170 |
| 42 | $201,000 | $100,330 | -$100,670 |
| 43 | $213,000 | $100,330 | -$112,670 |
| 44 | $225,500 | $100,330 | -$125,170 |
| 45 | $239,000 | $131,705 | -$107,295 |
| 46 | $253,000 | $131,705 | -$121,295 |
| 47 | $267,000 | $131,705 | -$135,295 |
| 48 | $281,500 | $131,705 | -$149,795 |
| 49 | $297,500 | $131,705 | -$165,795 |
| 50 | $313,500 | $161,375 | -$152,125 |
| 51 | $329,500 | $161,375 | -$168,125 |
| 52 | $347,500 | $161,375 | -$186,125 |
| 53 | $364,000 | $161,375 | -$202,625 |
| 54 | $382,000 | $161,375 | -$220,625 |
| 55 | $399,000 | $185,120 | -$213,880 |
| 56 | $416,000 | $185,120 | -$230,880 |
| 57 | $439,500 | $185,120 | -$254,380 |
| 58 | $456,500 | $185,120 | -$271,380 |
| 59 | $479,500 | $185,120 | -$294,380 |
| 60 | $496,500 | $203,326 | -$293,174 |
| 61 | $519,000 | $203,326 | -$315,674 |
| 62 | $539,000 | $203,326 | -$335,674 |
| 63 | $562,000 | $203,326 | -$358,674 |
| 64 | $581,000 | $203,326 | -$377,674 |
| 65 | $604,500 | $218,631 | -$385,869 |
| 66 | $618,500 | $218,631 | -$399,869 |
ASFA on-track: the balance ASFA says you need today to reach $630,000 at 67. ASFA's own assumptions: pre-tax wage just under $65,000 a year, Super Guarantee rising to 12% in 2025-26, 15% contributions tax, 6.7% nominal return before fees and tax, 0.7% investment fees, 4.5% tax rate, $100 administration and $100 insurance a year. ASFA publishes ages 22-66 and calls the figures illustrative. ATO median: the mid-point of the ATO age band containing that age (Taxation Statistics 2023-24, Snapshot table 5), so it steps rather than rises smoothly — the ATO does not publish single-year medians. The gap is the difference between the two, not a projection of your own balance.
Two things stand out reading down the column. The target more than doubles between 30 and 40 ($70,500 to $178,000) and again between 40 and 50 ($178,000 to $313,500), because compounding is doing most of the work, not contributions. And the yearly step keeps growing — about $8,000 between 30 and 31, but roughly $22,500 between 60 and 61. Falling one year behind at 30 costs far less than falling one year behind at 60, which is the practical argument for fixing a shortfall early.
What the curve looks like at each age
Just out of uni. Compounding has 42 years to run — the gap is small in dollars but large in percentage terms.
Career has begun. The on-track target is roughly 1.7x the median — the gap most easily closed by salary sacrifice in this decade.
Compounding starts to bite. A $50,000 gap at 35 doubles to $200K by 67 at 6% real return — same dollar gap, very different impact.
The mid-career gap widens. Carry-forward concessional cap (if Total Super Balance < $500K) becomes the catch-up lever.
Pre-empty-nest. Many Australians can lift voluntary contributions here as mortgage shrinks and kids leave home.
Catch-up decade. Max concessional ($32.5K for FY2026-27) + carry-forward (~$160K over 5 years) can close a $150K gap in roughly 5 years if cash flow allows.
Preservation age is in sight (60). Transition-to-Retirement income streams become available at 60 — but financial decisions made now lock in 12 years of compounding.
Preservation age reached. Super earnings can be tax-sheltered via TTR while you keep working. Bring-forward non-concessional cap ($390K over 3 years for FY2026-27) available if TSB < $2.1M.
ASFA publishes on-track targets to 66 only. The Comfortable target at 67 assumes home ownership + part Age Pension. Renters need significantly more.
If you're behind — six catch-up strategies
Ranked from most accessible to most situational. Most Australians can use at least the first two regardless of age.
1.Maximise the 12% Super Guarantee
Confirm your employer is paying the full 12% on all your qualifying earnings — which since 1 July 2026 includes commissions, most bonuses, regular allowances and shift loadings on ordinary hours, not just base pay. Contributions now land each payday rather than quarterly, and are reported on your payslip and visible in myGov within about 7 business days, so a shortfall is visible immediately instead of months later. If you're a contractor or self-employed, you may need to make your own personal deductible contributions to get the same outcome — these are deductible up to the $32,500 concessional cap (FY2026-27) and require a Notice of Intent to Claim form lodged with your fund.
Source: ATO — Super Guarantee
2.Salary sacrifice toward the $32,500 concessional cap
If your 12% employer SG totals less than $32,500 (the 2026-27 concessional cap), you can salary sacrifice the difference. At a 32.5% marginal rate, every $1,000 of salary sacrificed becomes $850 in super (taxed at 15% instead of 32.5%) — a $175 tax saving per $1,000. The dollar saving is even larger at 37% and 45% marginal rates. Run the numbers on the salary sacrifice calculator for your bracket and combined SG + sacrifice load.
Source: ATO — Concessional contributions cap
3.Use carry-forward concessional cap (if TSB < $500K)
If your Total Super Balance was below $500,000 on the prior 30 June, you can use unused concessional cap room from the past 5 years. This is the most under-used lever for Australians in their 30s and 40s who weren't salary sacrificing earlier — you can backdate-claim up to $150,000 of additional deductible contributions in a single year. Particularly powerful after a bonus, capital gain, or change of employment.
Source: ATO — Carry-forward concessional contributions
4.Non-concessional bring-forward ($390K over 3 years)
From after-tax money — typically used post-50 when mortgage is paid off or after a windfall (inheritance, business sale, downsizing). Bring-forward lets you use 3 years of cap ($120K × 3) in a single year. Cuts the time to ASFA Comfortable target dramatically if used in your 50s.
Source: ATO — Non-concessional contributions
5.Downsizer contributions ($300K each, age 55+)
If you're 55 or older and sell your main residence, you can each contribute up to $300,000 (couples: $600,000 combined) into super from the proceeds. It does NOT count toward the non-concessional cap, and does NOT require a Total Super Balance under $1.66M. One of the largest single-decision super top-ups available in the system.
Source: ATO — Downsizer contributions
6.Consolidate lost super
An estimated $16+ billion in lost super sits across multiple funds for Australians who've changed jobs without consolidating. Each fund charges fees that erode the balance. Log in to myGov → ATO → Manage my super → Find my super to see all accounts in your name, then consolidate into your preferred fund. Takes about 15 minutes and can recover thousands in lifetime fee savings.
Source: ATO — Find your super
ATO median vs ASFA target — why the gap?
The ATO median is what most Australians actually have — a snapshot of the existing workforce, which includes long career breaks, periods of casual work, broken super histories, and people who entered the workforce before SG was at 12%.
The ASFA on-track figure is what you'd need at each age to reach the Comfortable target at 67 — assuming uninterrupted 12% SG, no breaks, and a 6% real return. It's the prescriptive target. The two columns will continue to converge over time as the full-SG generation (entering work after 2025-26 at 12%) reaches each age band — today's gap reflects historic SG rates as low as 9%.
How much super does the average Australian actually retire with?
Far less than the target. The median super balance at ages 60–64 — the band immediately before most people stop working — is $203,326, against an ASFA Comfortable target of $630,000 for a single homeowner. Averages look better ($413,700 for men and $327,440 for women at 60–64) but that is the mean being dragged upward by a small number of very large balances; the median is the better description of a typical Australian.
That gap sounds alarming and is routinely reported as a crisis, but it overstates the problem for two reasons. First, the ASFA Comfortable target already assumes you receive at least a part Age Pension — it is not a figure you fund alone. Second, the Comfortable standard is genuinely comfortable: private health cover, a reasonable car, regular dining out and an annual domestic trip. ASFA's Modest standard needs only about $110,000 for a single homeowner, because the Age Pension covers most of a modest budget. Most Australians retire somewhere between the two.
The genuinely useful comparison is not median-versus-target but your balance against the on-track figure for your age in the table above — and the two columns are converging, because everyone now entering the workforce gets 12% SG for a full career, while today's 60-year-olds spent much of theirs on 9%.
Work out how much super you should have — calculator
Free calculators for the 2026-27 Australian rules — no signup, no email.
- Super calculator — project your balance at retirement at SG 12% with optional salary sacrifice.
- Super Snapshot — Super Score relative to ASFA Comfortable benchmarks for your age.
- Average super by age data — the full ATO median table with percentile breakdowns.
- Salary sacrifice calculator — see how much tax you save and how much extra super accrues per year.
- Drawdown calculator — once at preservation age, project how long your balance lasts.
- Complete Australian superannuation guide — caps, finding lost super, the ASFA standard, and more.
- EOFY checklist 2025-26 — last-minute super contributions before 30 June.
Frequently asked questions
How much super should I have by age 30 in Australia?+
The ATO median super balance at ages 30-34 is $40,426 (Taxation Statistics 2023-24). ASFA publishes the on-track figure directly: to reach its Comfortable Retirement Standard at 67 ($630,000 single, revised upward in February 2026 from $595,000) you would want $70,500 at age 30. The gap between the median and 'on-track for ASFA Comfortable' is large at 30 — most Australians do catch up later through career-earnings growth, but starting voluntary contributions in your 30s materially shifts the curve.
How much super should I have by age 40?+
The ATO median super balance at ages 40-44 is $100,330 (Taxation Statistics 2023-24). ASFA's published on-track target at 40 is $178,000 for a single person — so the typical Australian is about $78,000 behind the Comfortable track. Age 40 is the inflection point — the gap between median and target widens fastest here because compounding starts to matter and people who haven't been salary-sacrificing or making voluntary contributions begin to fall meaningfully behind. The good news: 40 is still 25+ years from preservation age, so concessional contributions at the $32,500/year cap can close a $78K gap in roughly 4 years.
How much super should I have by age 50?+
The ATO median super balance at ages 50-54 is $161,375 (Taxation Statistics 2023-24). ASFA's published on-track target at 50 is $313,500 for a single person — a gap of about $152,000. At 50, the carry-forward concessional cap becomes available if your Total Super Balance is below $500,000 — this lets you use up to 5 years of unused concessional cap room (up to $150K of extra deductible contributions) to catch up. Combined with downsizer contributions (post-55) and non-concessional bring-forward (up to $390K for FY2026-27), Australians with strong income at 50 can still build a Comfortable retirement.
How much super should I have by age 60?+
The ATO median super balance at ages 60-64 is $203,326 (Taxation Statistics 2023-24). ASFA's published on-track target at 60 is $496,500 for a single person, on the revised February 2026 standard. At 60 you've also reached preservation age — you can begin a Transition to Retirement (TTR) income stream while still working, which tax-shelters super earnings while you continue concessional contributions. The Age Pension assets test threshold ($333,000 single homeowner for the full pension, cutting out at $733,500 for the part pension, on the 1 July 2026 thresholds) becomes the practical floor — balances below $333,000 attract the full Age Pension, so the marginal value of every extra dollar of super is reduced.
How much super should I have at 25, 35 or 45?+
ASFA publishes a target for every year of age, not just the decades. At 25 the on-track figure is $27,500, at 35 it is $118,000 and at 45 it is $239,000 — against ATO median balances of $21,395 (25-29), $69,200 (35-39) and $131,705 (45-49). The in-between ages are published too: $53,000 at 28, $88,000 at 32, $141,000 at 37, $225,500 at 44, $281,500 at 48. The full table for ages 22 to 66 is on this page. Note the yearly step grows with age — about $8,000 between 30 and 31, but about $22,500 between 60 and 61 — so a shortfall is far cheaper to fix early.
What is the ASFA Super Balance Detective?+
It is ASFA's own lookup tool: you enter your age and it returns the super balance you should have today to reach the ASFA Comfortable Standard of $630,000 by age 67. It answers one age at a time. ASFA's assumptions are a pre-tax wage of just under $65,000 a year, the Super Guarantee rising to 12% in 2025-26, 15% contributions tax, a 6.7% nominal return before fees and tax, 0.7% investment fees, a 4.5% tax rate, and $100 each of administration fees and insurance premiums a year. ASFA publishes figures for ages 22 to 66 and describes them as illustrative — they are not advice, and they assume an uninterrupted career on roughly average earnings, so career breaks, part-time years or a much higher or lower income all move your own number.
What is the ASFA Comfortable Retirement Standard?+
ASFA (the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia) publishes the Retirement Standard each quarter, defining 'Comfortable' and 'Modest' annual retirement budgets. On the March quarter 2026 figures: Comfortable Single = $55,923/year requiring about $630,000 in super at age 67; Comfortable Couple = $78,566/year requiring about $730,000 combined. Modest Single = $36,434/year requiring only about $110,000, because the Age Pension covers most of a modest budget. Note the annual budgets are indexed quarterly but the lump sums are not — ASFA revised those in February 2026, up from $595,000 / $690,000. The Comfortable Standard assumes you own your home and qualify for a part Age Pension — renters need significantly more.
What if my super balance is below the average for my age?+
First, check whether you're comparing to the ATO median (mid-point) or the mean (average — heavily skewed by high balances). The median is the better benchmark for 'most Australians your age'. If you're behind: (1) maximise the 12% Super Guarantee by ensuring all employer contributions are being received; (2) consider salary sacrificing toward the $32,500 concessional cap (FY2026-27); (3) if your Total Super Balance is below $500,000, look up unused concessional carry-forward room from prior years — you can backdate-claim up to 5 years; (4) consolidate any lost super at ato.gov.au/individuals/super. Even small additional contributions in your 30s and 40s compound significantly by 67.
What is the Super Guarantee rate in 2026-27?+
The Super Guarantee (SG) rate is 12% in 2026-27, unchanged. It reached 12% on 1 July 2025 — its legislated final level, up from 11.5% in 2024-25. Two things did change on 1 July 2026 under payday super. Your employer must now contribute on each payday rather than quarterly, with the money reaching your fund within 7 business days. And the earnings base widened: SG is now 12% of your qualifying earnings (QE), which replaced ordinary time earnings (OTE) and folds in commissions, most bonuses relating to ordinary hours and salary-sacrificed amounts, while still excluding overtime. There are no further scheduled rate increases; 12% is the long-term rate. Note that some salary packages are structured as 'inclusive of super' (Cost-to-Company / CTC) — in those cases, the increase to 12% reduces your take-home rather than increasing total package.
What is the concessional contributions cap for 2026-27?+
The concessional contributions cap is $32,500 per financial year for 2026-27, up from $30,000 in 2025-26 — it is indexed to wages growth and rises in $2,500 steps. The non-concessional cap rose in step to $130,000, with a three-year bring-forward maximum of $390,000. This includes employer SG + salary sacrifice + personal deductible contributions. If you exceed the cap, excess concessional contributions are taxed at your marginal rate (less a 15% offset for the contributions tax already paid). If your Total Super Balance was below $500,000 on the prior 30 June, you can also use 'carry-forward' unused cap room from the past 5 years — useful for high-income earners who want to make a one-off catch-up contribution.
Does the Age Pension reduce how much super I need?+
Yes — for most Australians, the Age Pension supplements super in retirement and reduces the lump sum needed for a given lifestyle. The Age Pension is income- and assets-tested. For a single homeowner: the maximum rate is $1,200.90 a fortnight (about $31,223/year) for 20 March – 19 September 2026; the full pension applies up to $333,000 in assessable assets (excluding the home) and the part pension cuts out at $733,500, on the 1 July 2026 thresholds. This means even a $300,000 super balance combined with full Age Pension can fund a near-Comfortable lifestyle — but it leaves no buffer for one-off costs, aged care, or a partner's needs.
