How much should I have saved by 25?
Fidelity's milestone for 25 in dollars, what people under 35 actually have from the Federal Reserve's 2025 survey, and what to do if you are behind.
Checked October 26, 2026
Two numbers answer this question, and they are far apart. One is a guideline: what a plan that starts early would have you hold. The other is what real families hold. Neither is a pass or fail. Both are useful for deciding what to do next.
Fidelity's milestone for 25
Fidelity sets its milestones as a multiple of your salary, counting what is in retirement accounts. Its plan starts saving at 25, so the first milestone comes at 30.
| By age | Times your salary | On $60,000 a year |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1x | $60,000 |
| 40 | 3x | $180,000 |
| 50 | 6x | $360,000 |
| 60 | 8x | $480,000 |
| 67 | 10x | $600,000 |
Work it out for your pay
401(k), 403(b), IRA and the like. Nothing you type here leaves this page.
- By 301x your pay$60,000
Fidelity's milestones (it gives none for 25), assuming you save 15% of pay from 25, match included, and retire at 67. A guideline for a long plan, not a test.
What people under 35 actually have saved
The Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances is the main survey of what U.S. families own. These are its 2025 figures for families whose head (the person the survey picks) is under 35.
| Have one | Median | Mean | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retirement accounts (401(k), IRA and the like) | 48.8% | $21,000 | $48,450 |
| Checking, savings and money market | $5,000 | $20,520 | |
| Net worth (everything owned, less debts) | $32,820 | $135,720 |
The median is the middle family: half have less, half have more. The mean is pulled up by a few very large accounts, which is why it is so much higher. If you want one number to compare yourself with, use the median.
Savings outside retirement: your cushion
Retirement money is meant to stay put. For a lost job or a broken car, Fidelity suggests an emergency fund of 3 to 6 months of essential expenses, starting with $1,000. If your essentials are $3,000 a month, that is $9,000 to $18,000. See how much to keep in one.
If you are behind at 25
- Set the rate, not the balance. Fidelity's plan saves 15% of pay, with any employer match counted in. That is a number you can set this month. The paycheck savings calculator turns it into dollars per paycheck.
- Get the full employer match before anything else goes in, if your employer offers one.
- Use the 2026 limits. Up to $24,500 in a 401(k) and $7,500 in an IRA. At 50 you can add $8,000 more to a 401(k) and $1,100 to an IRA each year.
- Raise it with each raise. Putting part of every raise toward savings moves the rate without cutting what you live on now.
- Saving as a couple? Each of you has your own limits. See retirement savings for married couples by age.
Other ages
See every age at a glance, or go to 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 or 60.
Questions people ask
How much should I have saved by 25?
Fidelity's plan has you start saving at 25, so there is no milestone yet. Its first is 1 times your salary by 30, counting retirement accounts. On $60,000 a year that is $60,000 by 30. It assumes you save 15% of your pay from age 25, employer match included, and retire at 67.
How much does the average 25-year-old have saved?
In the Federal Reserve's 2025 survey, families whose head is under 35 that have a retirement account hold a median of $21,000 in it (the mean is $48,450), and 48.8% of those families have one. Their checking and savings accounts hold a median of $5,000.
Am I behind if I have less than that at 25?
Many people are. Fidelity's milestones are the average path of a long plan, not a test, and the Fed's numbers show most families sit below them. What you can change this month is the rate: Fidelity's plan saves 15% of pay, match included.
How much should I have in savings at 25, not counting retirement?
Fidelity suggests an emergency fund of 3 to 6 months of essential expenses, starting with $1,000. That is separate from retirement accounts. Families under 35 keep a median of $5,000 in checking and savings, in the Fed's 2025 survey.
How much can I put in retirement accounts in 2026?
Up to $24,500 in a 401(k), 403(b) or most 457 plans, and $7,500 in an IRA. At 50 the IRS allows more: $8,000 extra for a 401(k) and $1,100 for an IRA.
Sources
5 sources · read October 26, 2026
Every number on this page comes from fidelity.com, federalreserve.gov and irs.gov. If a source has changed since, the source is right.
- 1Fidelity: How much do I need to retire? (September 25, 2026)fidelity.com
- 2Federal Reserve: 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, historical tables (Table 4, net worth; Table 6, financial assets, by age)federalreserve.gov
- 3Federal Reserve: Survey of Consumer Financesfederalreserve.gov
- 4Fidelity: How much emergency fund do you needfidelity.com
- 5IRS: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500 (IR-2025-111)irs.gov
Wonderful gives general information. It isn't a financial or tax advisor.