See how your retirement savings compare to actual Vanguard participant data
These values are pulled from your retirement plan so this comparison reflects your current plan.
Use retirement account totals from your plan. Add any additional retirement savings below for a fuller comparison.
Status is based on being within 10% of the benchmark.
Vanguard Average: The mean balance across millions of actual participants. This number can be skewed by a few very large accounts.
Vanguard Median: The middle point - half of people have more, half have less. This is often a more realistic comparison point than the average.
Important: These benchmarks reflect employer retirement plan balances, not total net worth. Include IRAs or other retirement accounts using the optional field above.
Real-world retirement account balances from nearly 5 million Vanguard participants:
| Age Range | Average Balance | Median Balance |
|---|---|---|
| Under 25 | $6,899 | $1,948 |
| 25-34 | $37,211 | $14,068 |
| 35-44 | $141,520 | $45,000 |
| 45-54 | $313,220 | $115,000 |
| 55-64 | $537,560 | $185,000 |
| 65+ | $299,442 | $95,425 |
Notice how the average is consistently higher than the median? That's because a small number of people with very large balances pull the average up. The median gives you a better sense of what a "typical" person has saved.
Example: In the 55-64 age group, the average is $537,560, but the median is only $185,000. This means half of people in that age group have less than $185,000 saved.
Financial experts recommend saving at least 15% of your pre-tax income every year for retirement, including any employer match. If you're behind on these benchmarks, consider: