US Data · 2026
Average 401(k) Balance by Age — and the Median, Which Matters More
What people actually hold in their 401(k) at 25, 35, 45 and 55 — from Vanguard's year-end 2025 data on nearly five million participants.
Published 2026-08-22 · Updated 2026-08-22 · Reading time ~6 min
Average 401(k) balance by age (Vanguard, 31 December 2025): the median rises from $18,732 at 25–34 to $78,730 at 45–54 and $107,269 at 55–64. Across all participants the average is $167,970 but the median is only $44,115 — the average is 3.8 times the median, so the median is the number to compare yourself against. Source: How America Saves 2026 (25th edition), Figure 53.
Short answer
Median 401(k) balances by age: $18,732 at 25–34, $46,919 at 35–44, $78,730 at 45–54, $107,269 at 55–64. Half of participants in each band hold more, half less. The averages are far higher — $167,970 against a $44,115 median overall — because a minority of very large balances pulls the mean up. These are Vanguard plan participants, not all Americans, and a balance counts one plan only. Compare with your net worth by age.
401(k) balance by age — average and median
Vanguard defined-contribution participants, balances as of 31 December 2025. The median is the middle of the distribution; the average is pulled upward by large balances. Read the two together — the gap between them is the story.
| Age | Median | Average | Avg ÷ median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 25 | $2,234 | $7,259 | 3.2× |
| 25–34 | $18,732 | $50,261 | 2.7× |
| 35–44 | $46,919 | $120,742 | 2.6× |
| 45–54 | $78,730 | $214,991 | 2.7× |
| 55–64peak | $107,269 | $305,006 | 2.8× |
| 65+ | $103,202 | $330,186 | 3.2× |
| All participants | $44,115 | $167,970 | 3.8× |
Source: Vanguard, How America Saves 2026 (25th edition), Figure 53 — account balances by participant demographics, 31 December 2025.
Why the average is 3.8× the median
Across all participants the average balance is $167,970 and the median is $44,115. Both numbers are correct and they describe different things. The median is the middle: half of participants hold more than $44,115, half hold less. The average adds every balance together and divides by the number of participants, so a comparatively small group with very large accounts — long tenure, high income, decades of maximum contributions — lifts it far above the middle of the distribution.
This matters because most articles on this topic quote the average as a benchmark. If you are 40 and hold $40,000, an “average of $120,742” suggests you are far behind; the median for your band is $46,919, so you are close to typical. Compare yourself to the median.
What each age band actually looks like
Most people in this band have been contributing for months rather than years, and many were enrolled automatically at a default rate. The median of $2,234 is small because the clock, not the contribution rate, is the binding constraint — this is the one age where that is true.
The first decade of real saving. The average is already 2.7x the median, which is the compounding of early, higher contributions among a minority pulling away from the middle. A balance near $18,700 here is genuinely typical, not behind.
Balances cross into six figures on average, but the typical participant holds under $47,000. This is also the band where job changes have left the most orphaned accounts elsewhere, so a Vanguard-only balance understates true savings more here than at any younger age.
Peak contribution years — earnings are near their highest and catch-up eligibility is close. The average-to-median gap widens to 2.7x: the top of this band is accelerating hard while the middle grows steadily.
The last full decade before most people retire, with catch-up contributions available from 50. The median crosses $100,000 for the first time — a number worth reading against the fact that it must fund decades, not years.
The average keeps climbing while the median edges DOWN from the 55–64 band. That divergence is drawdown: retirees are withdrawing, and those who leave their money in the plan tend to be the ones who have most of it.
What this data does not cover
These are Vanguard defined-contribution participants — more than 1,300 qualified plans and nearly 5 million participants for whom Vanguard provides recordkeeping. That is not a sample of all Americans, and two distinct biases run in opposite directions:
- Everyone without an employer plan is missing, so these figures overstate what Americans in general have saved for retirement.
- A balance counts one plan, not one person. Someone with two old 401(k)s at other recordkeepers and an IRA appears here holding only their Vanguard slice — which understates their real total.
- Vanguard's book skews toward large employers with automatic enrolment and matching, which lifts participation and balances relative to the wider market.
For an all-families view, the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances (2022) found just 54.3% of US families held any retirement account, with a median of $86,900 among those who did and a mean of $334,000. That covers IRAs and plans from past jobs as well as current 401(k)s — a broader definition on a broader population.
Source: Federal Reserve Bulletin, Changes in U.S. Family Finances from 2019 to 2022, table 3.
Time in the plan drives the balance
Median balance by years with the current employer. The jump from $3,327 to $186,335 is partly compounding and partly a measurement effect — long tenure means all of your workplace savings sit in one account.
| Job tenure | Median | Average |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 years | $3,327 | $17,865 |
| 2–3 years | $21,504 | $52,956 |
| 4–6 years | $49,403 | $97,752 |
| 7–9 years | $85,393 | $153,745 |
| 10+ years | $186,335 | $360,255 |
Balances rose sharply over 2025: among participants holding an account at both ends of the year, the median balance increased 27% and 94% saw their balance rise — a mix of market returns and ongoing contributions. Source: How America Saves 2026 (25th edition), Figures 52 and 53.
See where you actually stand
A 401(k) is one account. Net worth is the whole ledger. Free tools, no signup.
- 401(k) calculator — project your balance at retirement from your salary, contribution rate and employer match.
- Average net worth by age in the US — the Fed's median and mean net worth by age band, including the 2019-to-2022 change.
- Net worth percentile calculator — enter your age and net worth to see your exact percentile.
- Average salary by age — BLS median earnings by age band, the income side of the same picture.
- Coast FIRE calculator — the balance at which your savings coast to retirement with no further contributions.
- Roth vs traditional 401(k) — which contribution type leaves you with more after tax.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average 401(k) balance by age?+
From Vanguard's How America Saves 2026 (25th edition) (balances as of 31 December 2025), average and median 401(k) balances by age are: under 25 — $7,259 average, $2,234 median; 25–34 — $50,261 / $18,732; 35–44 — $120,742 / $46,919; 45–54 — $214,991 / $78,730; 55–64 — $305,006 / $107,269; 65+ — $330,186 / $103,202. Across all participants the average is $167,970 and the median is $44,115. Use the median: it is the middle of the distribution and the average is 3.8 times higher because a minority of very large balances pulls it up.
Why is the average 401(k) balance so much higher than the median?+
Because the distribution is heavily right-skewed. Across all Vanguard participants the average balance is $167,970 while the median is $44,115 — the mean is 3.8x the median. A relatively small number of participants with very large balances (long tenure, high income, decades of maximum contributions) drags the arithmetic mean far above what a typical saver holds. The median is the value where half of participants have more and half have less, so it is the right benchmark for "where do I stand". Headlines that quote the average as a benchmark set an expectation almost four times the typical balance.
Is this the average retirement savings of all Americans?+
No, and the difference is large. These are balances of Vanguard defined-contribution participants — more than 1,300 qualified plans and nearly 5 million participants for whom Vanguard provides recordkeeping. Americans with no employer-sponsored plan at all do not appear, which pushes every figure up relative to the general population. At the same time a balance is counted per participant per plan, so someone with two old 401(k)s at other recordkeepers and an IRA shows up here holding only their Vanguard slice, which pushes the medians down relative to a person's true total savings. Those two biases run in opposite directions and do not cancel in any measurable way. For an all-families view, the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances (2022) found 54.3% of US families held any retirement account, with a median of $86,900 among those who did.
How much should I have in my 401(k) at my age?+
The data on this page describes what people do have, not what anyone should have — those are different questions and only the first one has a factual answer. As a reference point, the median Vanguard participant holds $18,732 at 25–34, $46,919 at 35–44, $78,730 at 45–54 and $107,269 at 55–64. What you actually need depends on your target retirement age, your spending, other savings and whether you have a pension or expect Social Security to cover part of your costs. A withdrawal-rate framework is more useful than an age benchmark: multiply the annual spending your portfolio must cover by 25 for a 4% withdrawal rate. This is general information, not personal advice.
Why does the median 401(k) balance fall after age 65?+
It is drawdown, not decline in saving. The average for 65+ ($330,186) is higher than for 55–64 ($305,006), while the median ($103,202) is slightly lower than the 55–64 median ($107,269). Two things are happening at once: retirees are withdrawing from their accounts, and participants who roll their balance out of the plan entirely leave the sample. The people most likely to keep money in an employer plan after 65 are those with the largest balances, which holds the average up while the middle of the distribution slips.
How much does job tenure affect a 401(k) balance?+
More than almost any other single factor in the data. Median balances by years with the current employer run $3,327 at 0–1 years, $21,504 at 2–3, $49,403 at 4–6, $85,393 at 7–9 and $186,335 at 10+ years. Part of that is simply time in the market, and part is a measurement artifact worth understanding: this measures the balance in the CURRENT plan, so a long-tenured employee has all of their workplace savings in one account, while someone who has changed jobs four times may hold the same total spread across accounts that this data never sees.
What is the difference between men's and women's 401(k) balances?+
Men held an average of $194,597 and a median of $52,309; women an average of $146,476 and a median of $42,139. Vanguard reports men's balances running roughly 30% above women's. Gender here is largely a proxy for income and career continuity — women in the sample tend to have lower incomes and more career interruptions. Notably, Vanguard also reports that at each given income level women tended to save at higher rates than men, so the balance gap reflects earnings and time in plan rather than saving behaviour.
Where does this data come from?+
Primary source: Vanguard, How America Saves 2026 (25th edition), Figure 53 ("Account balances by participant demographics"), with balances measured at 31 December 2025. The universe is more than 1,300 qualified plans and nearly 5 million participants for whom Vanguard provides recordkeeping. Vanguard publishes How America Saves annually, generally around June. The Federal Reserve figures used for comparison are from the Board's Survey of Consumer Finances (2022), published in the Bulletin "Changes in U.S. Family Finances from 2019 to 2022". Both sources are public.
