-
Investing in 401 (K) is an extremely powerful way to save retirement.
-
While all savings goals are different, it can be useful to see how your account balance is compared to the average.
-
If you are behind, there is one easy way to increase your saving hundreds of thousands of dollars.
-
$ 23 760 Social Security Prize. Most retirees do not notice at all ›
If you have access to 401 (K) and you contribute regularly, you have already surpassed the game when you need to plan your pension. 401 (K) is one of the most powerful retirement tools, which can help you overload your savings.
When planning a pension, everyone’s journey will be different. Your savings goals will depend on many factors, such as living costs in your area, the years you expect to spend on retirement and your lifestyle you want to enjoy. Your savings may look extremely different from your age, and that’s fine.
Nevertheless, it can sometimes be useful to see what the average American has been involved in their pension fund. Here’s what the latest Vanguard data shows, as well as one simple way to increase your savings.
Each year, Vanguard releases its “as a saving America” message, which details the saving habits among the participants of the Vanguard 401 (K). Although these figures only reflect Vanguard accounts, not the common population, they can be useful to create an idea where many Americans save.
The latest report published in 2025. And according to last year’s data, it reveals that the average balance of all Vanguard participants in the 401 (K) balance is $ 148,153. However, the median is only $ 38,176. Because extremely high -earnings can hide the average, the median is often a more accurate image of a typical person.
Still, broken down in the age range, the average and median numbers are fundamentally different from the overall average:
|
Age range |
Average 401 (K) balance |
Average 401 (k) equilibrium |
|---|---|---|
|
Up to 25 years of age |
$ 6,899 |
$ 1,948 |
|
25-34 |
42 640 USD |
$ 16,255 |
|
35-44 |
$ 103,552 |
$ 39 958 |
|
Between 45 and 54 |
$ 188,643 |
$ 67,796 |
|
55-64 |
$ 271,320 |
95 642 USD |
|
65 and older |
$ 299 442 |
95 425 USD |
Data source: Vanguard.
Again, your individual savings goals will depend on your situation. So, if your 401 (K) balance does not match the average Americans, it does not necessarily mean that you are not on the track.
Instead of relying only on the equilibrium with the average, it is wise to talk to a pension planning expert or run your information through a pension calculator to save. These measures can give you an approximate understanding of how much you should seek to save on your unique situation.