How Much Should You Have in Your 401(k) by Age?

“Am I on track?” is one of the most common money questions. Salary multiples give a quick answer: compare your retirement savings to your yearly pay.

Explain it like I’m 5

Imagine you’re filling a big bucket for when you stop working. Instead of counting dollars, count it in “years of pay”: if you earn $50,000 a year and have $50,000 in the bucket, you have 1× your salary.

The rule says your bucket should hold about 1 year of pay at 30, 3 at 40, 6 at 50, 8 at 60 and 10 by 67. It fills slowly at first, then faster and faster, because the money in the bucket grows on its own.

Want a personal answer instead of a rule of thumb? Try the Coast FIRE calculator to see when your savings could carry you to retirement on their own.

The benchmark by age

Fidelity’s widely quoted guideline (all retirement savings, compared with your current salary):

Age	Saved for retirement	If you earn $60,000	If you earn $100,000
30	1× salary	$60,000	$100,000
40	3× salary	$180,000	$300,000
50	6× salary	$360,000	$600,000
60	8× salary	$480,000	$800,000
67	10× salary	$600,000	$1,000,000

It assumes you save about 15% of your pay a year (including any employer match) from age 25, and retire at 67.

What steady saving actually builds

A projection for someone starting at 25 on a $50,000 salary that grows 3% a year, saving 15% of pay each year, with a 6% average yearly return:

Age	Balance	Salary then	Multiple
30	~$44,700	~$58,000	0.8×
35	~$111,700	~$67,200	1.7×
40	~$209,600	~$77,900	2.7×
50	~$549,500	~$104,700	5.2×
60	~$1,218,100	~$140,700	8.7×
67	~$2,024,100	~$173,000	11.7×

Look at the pattern: slow early, then fast. More than half the final balance comes from growth in the last 15 years — which is why starting early matters so much. (Figures are in future dollars, before taxes and fees.)

Why your number may be different

• Retiring early needs much more than 10× — see the 4% rule.
• A pension or rental income means you need less.
• High earners usually need a larger multiple, because Social Security replaces a smaller share of their pay.
• Lower spending in retirement (a paid-off house, for example) lowers the target.

How to catch up

1. Get the full employer match — it’s the fastest boost available.
2. Raise your savings by 1% a year, ideally timed with raises so your take-home pay never drops.
3. Use catch-up contributions from age 50 — in 2026 an extra $8,000 in a 401(k) ($11,250 at ages 60–63) and $1,100 in an IRA.
4. Cut investment fees. Low-cost index funds keep more of your growth.
5. Work a little longer, or part-time — each year adds savings and gives the money more time to grow.
6. Delay Social Security if you can; benefits grow for each year you wait past full retirement age, up to 70.

Benchmarks are a compass, not a grade. The most important thing is that your savings rate is moving in the right direction.