Retirement Savings by Age Calculator
Compare your total retirement savings with a salary-based guideline between the published milestones at ages 30–67. Include workplace retirement plans and IRAs; this is a planning reference, not an average account balance or a personalized retirement target.
At age 30, a 1× salary milestone equals $70,000 for a $70,000 salary. At age 40, a 3× milestone equals $210,000. Enter your age, salary and total retirement savings below to compare with the guideline.
The guideline measures all retirement savings (401k + IRAs). Targets between the round ages are interpolated from Fidelity’s factors.
How you compare
Your savings vs. the age-based target (in multiples of salary)
How the age-based guideline works
Financial firms translate “am I saving enough?” into a simple rule of thumb: a target multiple of your salary by each age. Fidelity’s widely cited factors are about 1× your salary saved by 30, 3× by 40, 6× by 50, 8× by 60, and 10× by 67. The idea is to keep your nest egg growing on a path that can replace your income in retirement. This tool takes your age, applies the guideline’s multiple, and multiplies it by your salary to get a target — then compares your balance to it.
How it’s calculated
Target = (age-based multiple) × your annual salary. The multiple comes from Fidelity’s savings factors; for ages between the published milestones we interpolate linearly (for example, age 45 is 4.5×, halfway between age 40’s 3× and age 50’s 6× — an interpolated NumberBench estimate). Your progress is shown as your own salary multiple (balance ÷ salary) against the target.
A planning guideline, not advice — your real target depends on your retirement age, spending, pensions, and Social Security. Verify important decisions with a qualified professional.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I have saved by 30?
By 30, a common guideline (from Fidelity) is to have about 1× your salary saved for retirement — roughly $70,000 on a $70,000 salary. This counts all retirement savings: 401(k), IRAs, and similar accounts. Your target rises with your income and shifts with your planned retirement age.
What if I’m behind at 30?
You have time to catch up. Contribute enough to get your full employer match, work your savings rate toward about 15% of pay (including match), and use an IRA for extra tax-advantaged room. Even a few extra percentage points compound meaningfully over the ~37 years to 67.
Does this include my employer match and other accounts?
Yes. The guideline covers all retirement savings — your 401(k) (including employer match), IRAs, and similar accounts. Count everything earmarked for retirement toward the target.
Is the target just my 401(k), or all savings?
Fidelity’s factors cover all retirement savings — 401(k), IRAs, and similar. If your 401(k) is your only retirement account, use it as the target; otherwise add your other retirement accounts.
What if my salary changes?
The target is a multiple of your current salary, so it moves with your income. Higher earners need a larger nest egg to replace their income, which is why the guideline scales with pay.
What if I’m behind?
Capture your full employer match first, raise your savings rate toward ~15%% of pay, and use an IRA for extra room. Time and compounding do a lot of the work when you start now.
What this guideline assumes
For ages below 30 or above 67, this tool does not invent a salary multiple. The retirement projection lets you explore your current age, contributions and retirement date instead.
Fidelity’s published milestones are 1× salary by 30, 3× by 40, 6× by 50, 8× by 60, and 10× by 67. Its base case assumes saving 15% of income from age 25 including employer contributions, an average stock allocation above 50%, and retirement at 67 while maintaining a similar lifestyle. This tool interpolates between the published milestones; an interpolated result is NumberBench’s estimate, not another published Fidelity milestone.
The guideline covers total retirement savings, not just one 401(k), and does not measure the emergency fund you need. A pension, early retirement, irregular income, taxes, debt, or a different spending goal can change what is appropriate. Compare observed account averages separately, or use the retirement projection to examine contributions and time remaining.