Australian Guide · 2025-26
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 2025-26 financial year.
Published 2026-06-17 · Updated 2026-06-17 · Reading time ~10 min
Short answer
To be on track for ASFA Comfortable (~$595,000 single at age 67 in 2025-26), broad targets are: $55K at 30, $185K at 40, $370K at 50, $540K at 60. Most Australians sit below these because the ATO median balance is roughly half the on-track target at every age — but compounding plus the $30,000 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. ASFA Comfortable on-track is backsolved from a $595,000 target at age 67 assuming continued 12% SG contributions and a 6% real return with no voluntary additions. Figures are rounded for readability.
| Age | ATO median | ASFA on-track |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | $17,000 | $25,000 |
| 30 | $27,000 | $55,000 |
| 35 | $55,000 | $110,000 |
| 40 | $95,000 | $185,000 |
| 45 | $140,000 | $270,000 |
| 50 | $190,000 | $370,000 |
| 55 | $230,000 | $460,000 |
| 60 | $280,000 | $540,000 |
| 67 | $320,000 | $595,000 |
Sources: ATO Taxation Statistics (latest published median by age); ASFA Retirement Standard (March 2025-26 quarter, single Comfortable target $595,000). ASFA on-track column is illustrative — backsolved at 12% SG + 6% real return. Your exact target depends on income, expected retirement lifestyle, home ownership, and Age Pension entitlement.
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 double 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 ($30K) + carry-forward ($150K over 5 years) can close a $200K gap in roughly 6 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 ($360K over 3 years) available if TSB < $1.66M.
Age Pension age. ASFA Comfortable target 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 eligible ordinary time earnings — including bonuses, allowances, and shift loadings. Quarterly contributions are reported on your payslip and visible in myGov. 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 $30K concessional cap and require a Notice of Intent to Claim form lodged with your fund.
Source: ATO — Super Guarantee
2.Salary sacrifice toward the $30,000 concessional cap
If your 12% employer SG totals less than $30,000, 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 ($360K 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%.
Run your own numbers
Free calculators for the 2025-26 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 age 30 in Australia is approximately $25,000–$30,000 (latest published Taxation Statistics). To be on track for ASFA's Comfortable Retirement Standard at age 67 ($595,000 single, in today's dollars), you'd want roughly $50,000–$70,000 at age 30 assuming continued 12% SG contributions plus 6–7% real returns. 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?+
ATO median super balance at age 40: approximately $80,000–$120,000. The 'ASFA Comfortable on-track' target at 40 is approximately $180,000–$220,000 (single). 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 $30K/year cap can close a $100K gap in roughly 5 years.
How much super should I have by age 50?+
ATO median super balance at age 50: approximately $170,000–$220,000. The 'ASFA Comfortable on-track' target at 50 is approximately $320,000–$380,000 (single). 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 $360K), Australians with strong income at 50 can still build a Comfortable retirement.
How much super should I have by age 60?+
ATO median super balance at age 60: approximately $280,000–$340,000. The 'ASFA Comfortable on-track' target at 60 is approximately $500,000–$540,000 (single). 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 (around $470,000 single homeowner for full pension, around $720,000 for part pension in 2025-26) becomes the practical floor — supers below $470K get more Age Pension, so the marginal value of every extra dollar of super is reduced.
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. For 2025-26 (March quarter figures): Comfortable Single = approximately $52,000/year requiring approximately $595,000 in super at age 67; Comfortable Couple = approximately $73,000/year requiring approximately $690,000 combined. Modest Single = approximately $33,000/year requiring approximately $100,000. 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 $30,000 concessional cap; (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.
How is the Super Guarantee changing in 2025-26?+
The Super Guarantee (SG) rate is 12% from 1 July 2025 — its legislated final level, up from 11.5% in 2024-25. Your employer must contribute 12% of your ordinary time earnings (OTE) to your super fund quarterly. There are no further scheduled increases; 12% is the long-term rate set under the Treasury Laws Amendment legislation. 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 2025-26?+
The concessional contributions cap is $30,000 per financial year for 2025-26 (unchanged from 2024-25). 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 in 2025-26: maximum rate is approximately $30,000/year; full pension applies up to approximately $470,000 in assessable assets (excluding the home); part pension up to approximately $720,000. 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.
