Benchmarks
401(k) balance by age
Arc does not publish a 401(k)-only balance by age. The Federal Reserve bulletin reports retirement accounts that combine IRAs, Keogh accounts, and employer plans. In 2022, 54.3% of families held one, with a conditional median of $86,900 and a conditional mean of $334,000. Those are not 401(k) balances.
Arc · Published September 18, 2026 · Updated September 18, 2026
No 401(k)-only series
The bulletin’s retirement-account figures include IRAs, Keogh accounts, and employer plans such as 401(k), 403(b), and thrift savings accounts. A 401(k)-only median by age is not in that table. These numbers are not relabeled as 401(k) balances.
See retirement accounts by age| Measure | 2022 |
|---|---|
| Families with an account | 54.3% |
| Median balance | $86,900 |
| Mean balance | $334,000 |
| Group | Mean, 2022$ |
|---|---|
| All, age 35–64 with an account | $331,400 |
| Usual income 0–49.9 | $54,700 |
| Usual income 50–89.9 | $226,700 |
| Usual income 90–100 | $913,300 |
What would still be required
A 401(k)-only table would name the plan type, say whether workers with a zero balance are included, and give a year. The bulletin’s definition is wider than that on purpose. Until a primary 401(k)-only series is added, this page shows the combined-account figures and says what they are.
Sources
- Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Survey of Consumer Finances, 2022. Dollars adjusted with BLS CPI-U. Federal Reserve SCF 2022 (inflated to July 2026$ via CPI-U)
- Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. “Changes in U.S. Family Finances from 2019 to 2022.” Federal Reserve Bulletin, October 2023. Table 2 and the saving discussion are in 2022 dollars or percentages, not Arc estimates.
Keep going
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Workplace plans, IRAs, HSAs, and taxable brokerage accounts tax different dollars.
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After the workplace deferral limit, look at an HSA, an IRA, and then a taxable account.
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How much should I have saved by age?
Age targets are multiples of income or survey medians. They are context, not a grade.
Tools
401(k) match calculator
See the employer match and any match left on the table. The 2026 deferral limit is a labeled default.
Tools
Retirement calculator
Project a nest egg from savings, contributions, and a real return, then compare it with spending.
Playbooks
Capture your 401(k) match
How to read a match formula and stop leaving compensation unclaimed.
Benchmarks
Retirement savings by age
SCF retirement-account balances among households that have them, by age.
Educational estimate only. Not tax, legal, or investment advice, and not a prediction of what your accounts will do. Methodology