How much should I have saved for retirement? [Retirement savings by age]
Updated March 22, 2024 | Published September 25, 2023
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Categories:
- Retirement
- Saving & Budgeting
So, you’ve started saving for your retirement, but you want to know if you have enough retirement savings for your age. How else will you know if you’re on the right track to have enough savings when it actually comes time to retire? Experts have done research to help you gauge whether you’re contributing enough to your retirement accounts each year. And how do you compare to what others your age have saved?
Retirement savings benchmarks by age
Personal investing firm, T. Rowe Price, conducted research (based on how household incomes grow each year and the assumed inflation rate) to come up with these savings benchmarks as of June 1, 2023.
| Age | Savings Benchmarks |
| 30 | .5x of salary |
| 35 | 1x to 1.5x salary |
| 40 | 1.5x to 2.5x salary |
| 45 | 2x to 4x salary |
| 50 | 3x to 6x salary |
| 55 | 4.5x to 8x salary |
| 60 | 5.5x to 11x salary |
| 65 | 7x to 13.5x salary |
Experts say you should aim to put away 10%-15% of your income in a retirement account each year. This means it would take approximately 5 years or less to have .5x your salary in retirement savings. So if you aim to hit that benchmark by 30, somewhere between age 20-25 is a good time to start saving.
Average retirement savings by age group
This is a loaded question, as household incomes will vary and the amount each individual can put away in a retirement account will vary with that. According to a Consumer Finances survey from 2019, these are the averages of retirement savings for different age groups. This includes all types of retirement accounts. Although, it’s important to know that most Americans will fall on the lower end of these averages. So don’t be alarmed if the number is more than you currently have.
| Age | Average retirement savings balance amount |
| Under 35 | $30,170 |
| 35-44 | $131,950 |
| 45-54 | $254,720 |
| 55-64 | $408,420 |
| 65-74 | $426,070 |
Average IRA balances
According to research done by Fidelity Investments in the first quarter of 2023, these were the average balances of IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts).
| Age | Average IRA balance | Median IRA balance |
| 20s | $7,725 | $2,533 |
| 30s | $19,990 | $4,468 |
| 40s | $52,946 | $8,970 |
| 50s | $110,897 | $20,806 |
The average contribution to IRAs in Q1 2023 was $2,700. The IRS allows contributions of up to $7,000 a year for individuals under age 50. And $8,000 a year for those 50 and older making catch-up contributions.*
Retirement Calculators
Our useful retirement calculators can help you answer more questions like How much do I need to fund my retirement? How much will my IRA be worth at retirement? and more.
Want to start growing your retirement savings? Check out our great rates for IRA certificates and visit a branch to open one today.
*These contribution limits are accurate as of 2024. IRA limits.