{"id":633396,"date":"2026-08-12T15:33:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T15:33:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/633396\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T15:33:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T15:33:24","slug":"heres-the-average-401k-balance-by-age-in-2026-are-you-ahead-or-behind-your-fellow-americans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/633396\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s the average 401(k) balance by age in 2026 \u2014 are you ahead or behind your fellow Americans?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"An<\/a> Photo by DukiPh \/ Shutterstock <\/p>\n

Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. <\/p>\n

In 2026, the average 401(k) balance is $351,242 (1), according to Empower data. <\/p>\n

Depending on your own balance, this number might either make you feel like an over- or under-achiever. But that might be the wrong lens to apply here. <\/p>\n

Must Read <\/p>\n

How much you have saved for retirement hinges on how much time you’ve had to accumulate savings. It’s probably not fair to compare the 401(k) assets of someone in their 60s, who is just a few years shy of retirement, to someone in their early-20s, who has spent just a handful of years employed. <\/p>\n

With that in mind, comparing retirement assets to those in your age group could be a good way to measure your financial progress. Here’s the latest on retirement balances for 2026, based on Empower’s data. <\/p>\n

Young Americans (20-40) <\/p>\n

Perhaps unsurprisingly, younger Americans in the early innings of their careers have lower 401(k) balances. According to Empower, the average balance for someone in their 20s and 30s is $125,180 and $223,429 respectively. <\/p>\n

However, averages are skewed by the wealthiest in those cohorts, so median would be a fairer measure. The median balance for someone in their 20s is $44,627, while the median for those in their 30s is $81,314. <\/p>\n

Simply put, if your 401(k) balance is above six figures, you’re doing better than half of your peers. If it isn’t, you can catch up by boosting savings and investments. <\/p>\n

Apps like Acorns<\/a> can help you automatically invest spare change from your everyday purchases into a diversified portfolio of ETFs managed by experts at leading investment firms like Vanguard and BlackRock. <\/p>\n

For instance, if you buy a donut for $3.25, Acorns will round up the purchase to $4 and invest the change in a smart investment portfolio. So a $3.25 purchase automatically becomes a 75-cent investment in your future. Sign up today and get a $20 bonus investment<\/a>. <\/p>\n

You can also aim for higher interest income from savings with a SoFi checking and savings account<\/a>. This can help you build your wealth base through a combination of high-interest rates, zero fees and ease of access. <\/p>\n

A SoFi account can provide a base 3.30% APY, but new clients can get a 0.70% boost for up to 6 months for a total APY of 4%. That’s ten times the national deposit savings rate, according to the FDIC’s November report. <\/p>\n

With no account fees and no-fee overdraft coverage, you keep more of your money in your pocket. Plus, SoFi account balances of up to $3 million are insured by the FDIC through program banks. <\/p>\n

To help jumpstart your savings, you can get up to $300<\/a> when you sign up with SoFi and set up a direct deposit. <\/p>\n

Read More: <\/strong>Millionaires under 43 hold only 25% of their wealth in stocks. Here’s where their money is actually going<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n

Middle-aged Americans (40-60) <\/p>\n

Your 40s and 50s are generally your peak career years, according to ADP Research (2). This is when you have enough experience and skill to demand a premium paycheck, but also enough drive and energy to perform well. <\/p>\n

With that in mind, it seems natural that 401(k) balances also rise around this age. For someone in their 40s, the average 401(k) balance is $425,142, while the median balance is $160,899. For people in their 50s, those balances are $642,696 on average and $252,501 median. <\/p>\n

Put simply, you need at least a quarter-of-a-million-dollars to be ahead of the curve at this age. If you’re falling behind, there’s still some time to catch up before you hit retirement age. <\/p>\n

Seniors (60+) <\/p>\n

This is the age when retirement balances are most pertinent. <\/p>\n

Unfortunately, many American seniors are sitting on relatively thin nest eggs. The average 401(k) balance for someone in their 60s is $582,546, while the median balance is $191,372, according to Empower. <\/p>\n

That’s not enough for a comfortable retirement. Applying the rule of 4% to $582,546 delivers just $23,301 in annual cash flow. Seniors with this amount of retirement savings would need to live in a low-cost region or rely heavily on Social Security and other sources of income to make ends meet. This is even more true for those on the lower end of the spectrum. <\/p>\n

If you’re in your 60s and struggling financially, hiring a professional financial planner could be a good move. <\/p>\n

An experienced advisor can help you mitigate taxes, plan your budget and, potentially, expand your nest egg over time. Platforms like Advisor.com<\/a> can help get you connected with a verified expert for free. <\/p>\n

Advisor.com does the heavy lifting for you, vetting advisors based on track record, client ratios and regulatory background. Plus, their network comprises fiduciaries, who are legally required to act in your best interests. <\/p>\n

Just enter a few details about your finances and goals and <\/a>Advisor.com’s AI-powered matching tool will connect you with a qualified expert<\/a> best suited for your needs based on your unique financial goals and preferences. <\/p>\n

Finding the right advisor isn’t always easy \u2014 there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. That’s why <\/a>Advisor.com lets you set up a free initial consultation<\/a>, with no obligation to hire, to see if they’re the right fit for you. <\/p>\n

With an experienced professional by your side, you can even consider if investing in alternative assets like gold can help you shore up your portfolio. A gold IRA is one option for building up your retirement fund with an inflation-hedging asset. <\/p>\n

Opening a gold IRA with the help of Goldco<\/a> allows you to invest in gold and other precious metals in physical forms while also providing the significant tax advantages of an IRA. <\/p>\n

With a minimum purchase of $10,000, Goldco offers free shipping and access to a library of retirement resources. Plus, the company will match up to 10% of qualified purchases in free silver<\/a>. <\/p>\n

If you’re curious whether this is the right investment to diversify your portfolio, you can download your free gold and silver information guide today<\/a>. <\/p>\n

You May Also Like <\/p>\n

Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywise’s best stories and exclusive interviews first \u2014 clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n

Article Sources <\/p>\n

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Empower (1<\/a>); ADP Research (2<\/a>) <\/p>\n

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Photo by DukiPh \/ Shutterstock Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":633397,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[177],"tags":[25042,79,18,69201,19,17,234,235,4036],"class_list":["post-633396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-personal-finance","tag-balance","tag-business","tag-eire","tag-gold-ira","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-personal-finance","tag-personalfinance","tag-retirement-savings"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/117083269011592938","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/633396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=633396"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/633396\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/633397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=633396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=633396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=633396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}