Knowing how much to save for retirement can feel like aiming at a moving target. Markets swing between relative lows and record highs, taking your portfolio with them. Most benchmarks for what the average American has saved by 40, 50, or 60 come from surveys, projections, or national datasets that don't always reflect what's actually happening in households like yours.
18 to 29: starting from almost nothing, but starting. The youngest cohort began the period with an average balance of $15K. By March 2026 that figure had reached $25K, a 67% increase and the largest percentage gain of any age bracket in the data.
30s: deliberate accumulation. The average balance among Americans in their 30s rose from roughly $92K to $112K, a 22% gain. This group looks most like the textbook wealth accumulation curve, building wealth consistently as they enter prime earning years.
40s: holding their ground. Those in their 40s, the age group most often described as squeezed by housing prices, college costs, and elder care, ended the period with $212K in average assets, almost double the savings of those in their 30s and up 13% from April 2024.
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50s: the highest balance among working-age savers. Americans in their 50s saw a 13% gain, up from $302K in April 2024 to $341K in March 2026. Their growth rate trailed the younger cohorts, but their absolute balance is the largest of any working-age bucket.
60+ cohort: down by nearly a third. Among Americans 60 and older, the picture is the opposite. Average balances stood at roughly $510K in the spring of 2024 and ended at about $357K in March 2026. That's roughly $153K less in average retirement assets in two years, for the group that has the least time to earn it back. Despite this decline, the 60+ group average still sits modestly above those in their 50s.
The average for this group has also rebounded sharply over the last 12 months, recovering from its 2025 lows. Those in the 60+ category are the most likely to already be retired or to be closest to retiring, which means that their assets are typically weighted towards fixed income sources (that have not benefited from market returns in the way that stock-dominant portfolios for younger cohorts have in the last couple of years).
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Here are the averages in March 2026. Keep in mind that these numbers are based on self-reported data from people who are actively seeking financial advisors, and it’s not segmented by state or household income.
Depending on factors like cost of living, expected expenses in retirement, and many other financial goals, “on track” for retirement can look very different. Benchmarks like the above are good for starting the conversation, not finishing it.
That’s where Advisor.com comes in. Spend a few minutes answering questions about your financial situation and we’ll match you with up to three fiduciary advisors who fit your specific timeline and goals. The matching is free, the advisors are vetted, and the conversation is yours to take wherever it leads.