US Data · Fed SCF 2025
Average Retirement Savings by Age — Median, Average and Percentiles
How much American families hold in 401(k)s, IRAs and every other retirement account at each age, from the Federal Reserve's newest Survey of Consumer Finances.
Published 2026-11-01 · Updated 2026-11-01 · Reading time ~5 min
Average retirement savings by age (Federal Reserve, SCF 2025): among families with a retirement account, the median balance is $21,000 under 35, $61,200 at 35–44, $133,000 at 45–54, $239,000 at 55–64 and $257,000 at 65–74. The averages are far higher ($670,200 at 55–64) because a minority hold very large balances. 36.9% of families aged 55–64 have no retirement account at all. Figures in 2025 dollars.
Where do your retirement savings rank for your age?
Pick your age and type what you hold in all 401(k)s, IRAs and other retirement accounts.
Example figures. Change them to yours.
Median
$239,000
$51,000 above
75th pct
$704,000
$414,000 below
Median, 75th and 90th percentile among families holding a retirement account; the share-with-less bar counts every family in the age band, including those with no account. Federal Reserve SCF 2025, 2025 dollars.
Retirement savings by age: median, average and percentiles
All retirement accounts, among families that hold one, by age of the family head, 2025 dollars. The 25th, 75th and 90th percentiles are the same savers ranked by balance.
| Age | Have one | Median | Average | 25th pct | 75th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | 48.8% | $21,000 | $48,400 | $5,600 | $54,400 | $147,200 |
| 35–44 | 59.6% | $61,200 | $182,400 | $17,200 | $216,800 | $493,600 |
| 45–54 | 63.0% | $133,000 | $415,800 | $47,600 | $421,400 | $1,059,000 |
| 55–64 | 63.1% | $239,000 | $670,200 | $58,800 | $704,000 | $1,839,000 |
| 65–74 | 49.0% | $257,000 | $767,600 | $95,400 | $849,200 | $1,944,000 |
| 75+ | 44.6% | $257,000 | $798,700 | $67,200 | $986,800 | $2,132,000 |
| All ages | 54.9% | $106,000 | $451,100 | $26,800 | $415,200 | $1,239,000 |
Source: Federal Reserve Board, SCF 2025 historical tables (retirement accounts by age: share holding, median and mean; the Fed notes its means are sensitive to outliers). Percentiles computed from the public SCF 2025 data file.
Counting families with nothing saved
The table above leaves out families with no retirement account. Counting them as zero gives a blunter picture: the median 55–64 family holds $43,900, and the top 10% of 55–64 families start at $1,254,000.
| Age | No account | Median | 75th pct | Top 10% from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | 51.2% | $0 | $19,000 | $73,000 |
| 35–44 | 40.4% | $6,800 | $93,700 | $322,700 |
| 45–54 | 37.0% | $35,800 | $203,600 | $718,800 |
| 55–64 | 36.9% | $43,900 | $403,600 | $1,254,000 |
| 65–74 | 51.0% | $0 | $246,600 | $1,158,000 |
| 75+ | 55.4% | $0 | $180,600 | $1,112,000 |
All families in each age band; no account = $0. Computed from the public SCF 2025 data file.
Retirement savings at 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60
The Fed publishes 10-year bands. Split into 5-year bands, the years before retirement look like this: the median saver goes from $56,000 at 40–44 to $254,000 at 60–64. Each band rests on about 393–448 surveyed families, so neighbouring bands can cross (45–49 sits above 50–54); read the trend, not a single step.
| Age | Have one | Median | Average | 90th pct | $1M+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40–44 | 65.0% | $56,000 | $197,200 | $543,600 | 2.6% |
| 45–49 | 61.1% | $146,600 | $365,500 | $868,800 | 5.1% |
| 50–54 | 65.0% | $118,400 | $464,400 | $1,387,000 | 9.6% |
| 55–59 | 61.4% | $206,000 | $569,900 | $1,520,000 | 10.3% |
| 60–64 | 64.6% | $254,000 | $752,700 | $1,992,000 | 14.2% |
Median, average and 90th percentile among families holding an account; $1M+ = share of all families in the band. Computed from the public SCF 2025 data file.
How many families have $100,000, $500,000 or $1 million saved?
Share of ALL families in each age band holding less than each amount in retirement accounts. At 55–64, 60.5% hold less than $100,000 and 12.4% hold $1 million or more.
| Less than | Under 35 | 35–44 | 45–54 | 55–64 | 65–74 | 75+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | 77% | 58% | 46.8% | 45.2% | 56.5% | 61.3% |
| $50,000 | 86.5% | 66.7% | 53.5% | 51.2% | 59.5% | 64.6% |
| $100,000 | 92.8% | 75.7% | 62.8% | 60.5% | 63.7% | 68.6% |
| $250,000 | 98.6% | 87.4% | 76.9% | 68.8% | 74.8% | 77.1% |
| $500,000 | 99.9% | 94.2% | 85.6% | 78.1% | 82.3% | 83.1% |
| $1,000,000 | 99.9% | 98.3% | 92.7% | 87.6% | 88.5% | 89% |
All families, no account = $0; 2025 dollars. Computed from the public SCF 2025 data file.
Is the typical balance enough to retire on?
Usually not on its own. A family that wants to spend $60,000 a year in retirement needs about $849,000 by 67 after average Social Security, under the 4% rule. The balance that grows to that figure with no further saving is about $521,000 at 50 and $694,000 at 60. Between 85.6% and 92.7% of 45–54 families hold less than the age-50 mark. Work out your own number on how much you need to retire, then project your savings forward with the retirement calculator. If you are 50 or older, catch-up contributions let you add more each year; the Roth catch-up calculator shows what the extra room is worth.
Why these numbers differ from 401(k) averages
Figures you see quoted as "average 401(k) balance by age" usually come from a single recordkeeper and count one plan per worker. The Fed's survey counts every retirement account a family holds (old 401(k)s, IRAs and rollovers, a spouse's plan) and every family, including those with no workplace plan. That is why its median at 45–54 is higher than a single-plan median, and why the share with no account matters. For the single-plan view, see average 401(k) balance by age.
See where you actually stand
Retirement accounts are one part of the picture. Free tools, no signup.
- Average net worth by age — the Fed's SCF 2025 median and mean net worth for every age band.
- How much do I need to retire? — your number at 67 after Social Security, and the on-track mark at 45–60.
- Average savings by age — cash in checking, savings and money market accounts.
- Home equity by age — the other large asset most families retire with.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average retirement savings by age in the US?+
Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances 2025, all retirement accounts (401(k), 403(b), TSP, IRAs and plans from past jobs), among families that hold one (2025 dollars): Under 35 — median $21,000, average $48,400; 35–44 — median $61,200, average $182,400; 45–54 — median $133,000, average $415,800; 55–64 — median $239,000, average $670,200; 65–74 — median $257,000, average $767,600; 75+ — median $257,000, average $798,700. Across all ages the median is $106,000 and the average $451,100.
How much does the average 50-year-old have saved for retirement?+
Families headed by someone aged 45–54 who hold a retirement account have a median of $133,000 and an average of $415,800. 37.0% of families that age have no retirement account at all; counting them as zero, the median 45–54 family holds $35,800. In the narrower 50–54 band the median among savers is $118,400.
What percentile is my retirement savings for my age?+
Among 55–64 families that hold a retirement account, the 25th percentile is $58,800, the median $239,000, the 75th percentile $704,000 and the 90th $1,839,000. Counting every family, including those with nothing saved, the top 10% at 55–64 starts at $1,254,000. Use the check on this page to place your own balance in your age band.
How many Americans have $1 million in retirement savings?+
7% of all US families had $1 million or more in retirement accounts in the 2025 survey. The share rises with age to 12.4% of families aged 55–64 and 14.2% at 60–64.
Why is the average so much higher than the median?+
A minority of families hold very large balances, which pulls the average up. At 55–64 the average ($670,200) is 2.8 times the median ($239,000). The Fed also flags its means as sensitive to outliers. Compare yourself with the median.
Where does this data come from?+
The Federal Reserve Board's Survey of Consumer Finances 2025, released 9 October 2026. Median, average and share holding an account are the Fed's published figures (SCF historical tables, "Retirement accounts" by age). Percentiles, the 5-year bands and the shares above each amount are Richify calculations from the Fed's public SCF 2025 data file, using the Fed's method; the same code reproduces the published share holding an account exactly in every age band.
