Benchmarks
Retirement savings by age
These figures are SCF retirement-account balances (IRA, Keogh, and employer plans such as 401(k)s combined) among households that hold any such account. Households with a zero balance are not in the median. This is not a 401(k)-only series.
Arc · Published September 18, 2026 · Updated September 18, 2026
Among households with accounts
71th
Median in this band: $58,841. This is not the median of all households, and it is not a 401(k)-only figure.
| Age | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18–34 | $6,836 | $21,542 | $68,460 | $148,413 |
| 35–39 | $12,551 | $45,640 | $154,838 | $362,264 |
| 40–44 | $22,820 | $58,841 | $252,160 | $562,511 |
| 45–54 | $34,230 | $131,214 | $413,040 | $975,154 |
| 55–64 | $55,884 | $211,084 | $718,827 | $1,727,850 |
| 65–74 | $87,421 | $228,111 | $717,686 | $1,768,543 |
| 75+ | $60,473 | $149,470 | $484,113 | $1,154,178 |
The cohort is conditional
The Federal Reserve variable behind this ladder is retirement account balances for households that have them. A median that includes households with no account is lower. Do not cite this table as “the median American’s 401(k).”
Sources
- Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Survey of Consumer Finances, 2022. Dollars adjusted with BLS CPI-U. Federal Reserve SCF 2022 (inflated to July 2026$ via CPI-U)
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Educational estimate only. Not tax, legal, or investment advice, and not a prediction of what your accounts will do. Methodology