Retirement Savings by Age: Benchmarks and What to Do If You're Behind

Fidelity's widely-cited retirement savings benchmarks give the clearest guidance for whether you're on track — and they're simple enough to track annually without a financial planner.

Fidelity's retirement savings benchmarks

Age	Savings target (× current salary)	Example ($80k salary)
30	1×	$80,000
35	2×	$160,000
40	3×	$240,000
45	4×	$320,000
50	6×	$480,000
55	7×	$560,000
60	8×	$640,000
67	10×	$800,000

The assumptions behind these numbers

• Retirement at age 67 (full Social Security retirement age for most)
• Social Security covers ~40% of pre-retirement income
• Portfolio covers 45% of pre-retirement income
• 4.5% annual savings rate minimum
• About 50% equity allocation by retirement

If you're behind at each stage

Behind at 30: Maximize Roth IRA, get full 401(k) match. Time is your ally — 35 years of compounding forgives a lot.

Behind at 40: Increase 401(k) to maximum ($23,500). Cut lifestyle costs to redirect cash flow. Consider income-increasing moves (negotiate raise, develop high-value skill).

Behind at 50: Catch-up contributions available. $31,000/year in 401(k). Work every year you can — each year worked vs not is worth $40,000–$60,000 in portfolio impact (year of contributions + no withdrawal + continued growth).