Retirement Savings Percentile Comparison Calculator by Age - Personal Finance Data (2024)

Compare the amount you have saved or plan to have saved for retirement compared to others from the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances. The retirement savings include IRAs, 401ks, Thrift Savings Accounts, and pensions. Because there are differences with pre-tax and post-tax valuations of retirement accounts and calculating the net present value of a pension or annuity, just use your best guess for how much you would need to save to replace that income.

Retirement Savings Summary Statistics

Household Ranking:

51%

Retirement Percentile Rank : Savings of $5,000 ranks at the 51.04 percentile for ages 18 to 100
Median Retirement Savings : $4,000
Mean Retirement Savings : $181,547
Retirement Savings 25th - 75th Percentile Ranges : $0 to $100,000

Re-calculate percentile for a different Age / Retirement Savings combination.
Continue scrolling to see distribution graphs and additional statistics.

Retirement Savings Percentiles

50th Percentile (Median) : $4,000
75th Percentile: $100,000
95th Percentile: $923,000
99th Percentile: $2,630,000

One thing to note is that most people do not appear to start saving until later in their careers, so there is a large percentage of people who have $0 saved for retirement. If you save anything for retirement in a tax-advantaged account, your household is automatically above the median.

Retirement Savings Percentile Stats

  • To be in the top 1% for this age range, your household would need a retirement savings of $2,630,000. This would include 401ks, IRAs, and the current value of your pensions.
  • To be in the top 5% for this age range, your household would need an retirement savings of $923,000.
  • Your retirement savings of $5,000 for ages 18 to 100 ranks at the 51.04th percentile. Re-enter a different retirement savings to find the percentile for that age / retirement savings combination.

Retirement Savings Composition of Households like you

Comparisons of Net Worth, Assets, and Debt components of similar households versus median households.

  • Households like you ( weighted using 46th to 56th percentiles)
  • Versus Households at the Median (weighted using 45th to 55th percentiles)
Asset CategorySimilar HouseholdsMedian Households
Net Worth:$188,798$178,739
Total Assets:$299,746$285,204
Retirement Savings:$5,287$4,000
IRAs:$1,837$1,388
401k, 403B, Thrift:$3,049$2,337
Future Pensions:$401$275
Current Pensions:$0$0
Other Financial Assets:$46,141$41,286
Main House:$154,986$151,946
Other Assets:$93,332$87,973
Total Debts:$110,947$106,465
Main Mortgage:$73,000$70,467
Other Debts:$37,948$35,999

Comparisons of Income components of similar households versus median households.

Income CategorySimilar HouseholdsMedian Households
Total Income:$71,267$66,485
Wage & Salary Income:$57,616$52,140
Other Income:$13,651$14,345

The asset compositions are calculated using weighted averages of all the households with-in the specific percentiles. For example, only a portion of the households will own homes, but the asset composition value above for Main House will be averaged across all households still.

Demographics of Comparable Head of Households

Highest Education Level

Race

Labor Force Status

Marriage Status

Retirement Savings Percentiles For Ages 18 to 100

For reference, here is how much retirement savings you would have to have to rank at certain percentiles for ages 18 to 100

PercentileRetirement Savings (in Dollars)
90%$463,000
80%$164,000
70%$63,000
60%$21,000
50%$4,000
40%$0
30%$0
20%$0
10%$0

Percentiles show the ranking of a particular debt result. So a 90% (ninetieth percentile) means that out 100 people the household ranked 90th would have a debt of around $463,000.

Common Searches

Retirement Savings Comparison for Ages 60 to 65
Retirement Savings Comparison for Ages 58 to 65
Retirement Savings Comparison for Ages 50 to 55
Retirement Savings Comparison for Ages 50 to 60
Retirement Savings Comparison for Ages 45 to 55
Retirement Savings Rank for $3,000,000
Retirement Savings Rank for $1,000,000
Retirement Savings Rank for $2,000,000
Retirement Savings Rank for $500,000
Retirement Savings Rank for $400,000

Share These Results :

These results are based off of 22975 individual samples where the head of household was age 18 to 100 and are weighted to represent 131306389 American households.

The numbers are based off of the retirement results of the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances by the Federal Reserve. The number of samples per age vary quite a bit, so you might get unusual results for certain ages.

In addition, it appears that the SCF calculated the value of defined benefit pensions as a present value number. There are many other calculators out there that you can use to calculate this number, but if you need a ballpark number just use the 4% Trinity Rate. Imagine that if you were to replace your pension's annual payment, you would need to save a large amount of money to be able to withdraw 4% every year. So basically, take your annual pension benefit and divide it by 4%. For example, if your annual pension benefit is $20,000, calculate 20000/0.04 to get $500,000 as the value of the pension if you were to have to replace it yourself.

Last updated:Saturday, October 28, 2023

  1. also, are the retirement percentage distributions ranked according to networth percent or retirement account percent (these could be different as someone within the 90th percentile of net worth could have a lower retirement account value than someone at the 90th percentile according to retirement account value)

    Reply

    1. They’re ranked only using retirement account values. So the rest of the household’s financials don’t impact the rankings.

      Reply

  2. Can you confirm that you are measuring in terms of households for the financial well being calculator (in addition to retirement and net worth calcs). I am not sure what a consumer unit is that you refer to in the financial well being calculator so checking if we are measuring on a personal or household basis. thanks much

    Reply

    1. Yeah so this is the definition of a consumer unit:

      A consumer unit consists of any of the following:
      (1) All members of a particular household who are related by blood, marriage, adoption, or other legal arrangements;
      (2) a person living alone or sharing a household with others or living as a roomer in a private home or lodging house or in permanent living quarters in a hotel or motel, but who is financially independent; or
      (3) two or more persons living together who use their incomes to make joint expenditure decisions.

      Reply

  3. On net worth I’m only at 91%, but 98% for retirement savings. Now, I understand why – I have a smaller home and not much savings outside of 401k, but, seems to me, that for the age group I’m testing (57 to 58), that pretty much all the savings you have are retirement savings, other than maybe your home equity.

    Reply

    1. You can include a pension into the mix by calculating the net present value of the pension. Google ‘pension net present value’ and there are simple guides on how to do this accurately.

      Reply

  4. Does the SCF include pensions in their net worth/financial asset calculation? I know they include 401ks, and defined contribution plans, but do they include DB plans/pensions? I ask because above you say to calculate value of pensions. Unless they are include only if part of a lump sum rollover/payment? Thanks

    Reply

    1. Short answer: yes.

      Long answer: yes you are supposed to, but most people in the survey likely don’t include the net present value of their pension. The reasons they may not include this info is:
      1) they don’t realize they have a pension (oh, you’d be surprised);
      2) they don’t realize the pension has a current value (not as surprising);
      3) they know the pension has a value, but do not understand what it is (most people).

      Reply

  5. I have a few companies and I am working on a few nobel prizes. If you know of any other ceos working on their own terms start ups ip inside beltway 8 houston please contact me. I have not had a boss since 1998. What is my retirement savings percentile for houston age 47 500,000

    Reply

  6. Doesn’t that depend on how much longer you plan to work and how much you plan to save? Where and how are your investment mix? It’s been my personal experience that putting aside 15 to 20% of your income into your retirement saving is a good plan. Also, don’t follow the general pundits recommendation to increase your investments into bonds as you grow older. Keep track of the financial news on how our economy is doing and don’t worry about the daily fluctuations of the stock market. Our economy has been growing at about 2% per year. That’s healthy by any standard.

    Reply

  7. Is this calculator for household savings or individual savings?

    Reply

    1. Household savings

      Reply

      1. Does this include real estate investments as a retirement savings? I prefer to put most of my retirement savings in real estate.

        Reply

  8. The first several years at the company I worked for we got some profit sharing. It diminished over the years to zero. I wasn’t expecting it so I just put it in my 401k. A rare small bonus, into my 401k. One year we got 75 dollars for Christmas. 2/3s into 401k. Worked there long enough to get 4 then 5 weeks vacation. Didn’t use it all. Into my 401k. Work 30 plus Saturdays a year. Only 5 hours. Home by noon. I can do that. I was only putting 7% in with a 3% company match, the first 17 years. Increased that to 10% plus match the last 17. Retired at 62. I worked 34 years there. 401k was 16 times my final wage the last year I worked. We have been living off of Social security and some of my wife 401k. Haven’t touched my 401k. At age 66 its north of 1 million.

    Reply

  9. Should a best guess of the present value of social security be included, as would a pension, into the retirement savings account value?

    Reply

  10. What are the categories of “Other financial assets”? And other assets. Seems many have way more other financial assets than retirement. And more other assets than their home or retirement. Seems high

    Reply

  11. Would be great if this calculator could accept State as a parameter. Big difference between Alabama and Massachusetts. I’d love to know how I compare with people from Massachusetts.

    Reply

  12. Can you please add individual percentiles for Net Worth and Retirement??

    Reply

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Retirement Savings Percentile Comparison Calculator by Age - Personal Finance Data (2024)

FAQs

How many Americans have $1,000,000 in retirement savings? ›

According to the Federal Reserve's latest Survey of Consumer Finances, only about 10% of American retirees have managed to save $1 million or more.

What is the average retirement savings balance by age? ›

For people aged 35 and under, the median savings were $18,880, while this amount increased to $200,000 for those aged 65 to 74. At current rates, this means that older generations are living on a mere $10,000 per year in retirement based on these savings alone.

What percentage of retirees have $4 million dollars? ›

According to a 2020 working paper from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, the top 1% of retirees—which a retiree with $4 million in assets would fall into—can expect to pay about 22.7% in state and federal taxes.

How many people have $5000000 in savings? ›

Data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, based on the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances, reveals that a mere 0.1% of retirees manage to accumulate over $5 million in their retirement accounts, whereas only 3.2% amass over $1 million.

What percentage of retirees have $2 million? ›

According to EBRI estimates based on the latest Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, 3.2% of retirees have over $1 million in their retirement accounts, while just 0.1% have $5 million or more.

What is considered a wealthy retirement? ›

Super wealthy (99th percentile): $16.7 million. Wealthy (95th percentile): $3.2 million. Well off (90th percentile): $1.9 million. Middle class (50th percentile): $281,000.

What net worth is considered rich? ›

In the United States, the concept of being rich is often a subject of discussion, curiosity and, sometimes, aspiration. Charles Schwab's 2023 Modern Wealth Survey provides insights into this topic, revealing that the average American equates being wealthy with a net worth of approximately $2.2 million.

What is the average nest egg at retirement? ›

The average retirement savings for all families is $333,940, according to the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances. The median retirement savings for all families is $87,000.

How much do most people retire with? ›

Here's how much the average American has in retirement savings by age
Age RangeAverage Retirement Savings
45-54$313,220
55-64$537,560
65-74$609,230
75 or older$462,410
2 more rows
May 5, 2024

What is a good monthly retirement income? ›

Many retirees fall far short of that amount, but their savings may be supplemented with other forms of income. According to data from the BLS, average 2022 incomes after taxes were as follows for older households: 65-74 years: $63,187 per year or $5,266 per month. 75 and older: $47,928 per year or $3,994 per month.

What is the average Social Security check? ›

Social Security offers a monthly benefit check to many kinds of recipients. As of April 2024, the average check is $1,776.73, according to the Social Security Administration – but that amount can differ drastically depending on the type of recipient. In fact, retirees typically make more than the overall average.

How long will 1.1 million last in retirement? ›

Around the U.S., a $1 million nest egg can cover an average of 18.9 years worth of living expenses, GoBankingRates found. But where you retire can have a profound impact on how far your money goes, ranging from as a little as 10 years in Hawaii to more than than 20 years in more than a dozen states.

How long will $4000000 last in retirement? ›

Looking to retire on $4 million? If you leave work at 61, the average retirement age as of the latest Gallup data, you'll have more than enough to see you through to a life expectancy of 90 or even 100. Across 29 years, $4 million could equate to a generous $11,494 a month.

How many Americans have a net worth over $1000000? ›

There are over 24.4 million people in the United States with wealth greater than $1 million, according to the Global Wealth Report by Credit Suisse. Possessing a net worth—the value of all of your holdings minus your liabilities—of $1 million will not automatically place you in the gilded top 1%.

How far will $1,000,000 last in retirement? ›

Around the U.S., a $1 million nest egg can cover an average of 18.9 years worth of living expenses, GoBankingRates found. But where you retire can have a profound impact on how far your money goes, ranging from as a little as 10 years in Hawaii to more than than 20 years in more than a dozen states.

Do we really need 1 million in retirement savings? ›

In the federal survey, the typical senior who reported a satisfactory retirement had $50,000 to $100,000 in savings. “It's impossible to find any evidence that seniors need even a fraction of $1.46 million in savings to be financially secure,” Biggs wrote.

At what age can you retire with $1 million dollars? ›

Based on this, if you retire at age 65 and live until you turn 84, $1 million will probably be enough retirement savings for you. However, it's important to remember there is no one-size-fits-all amount.

How many Americans have less than 10000 saved for retirement? ›

More Than Half of Americans Have Less Than $10,000 Saved

According to the survey, 53% have less than $10,000 saved. Not far behind them is the 15% of Americans who have between $10,001 and $50,000 saved. Going up a little more, just 6% have between $100,001 and $200,000 saved.

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