How much super should I have at my age?
Last updated: 22 October 2026
There’s no single balance anyone should have at a given age. What people your age have is not the same as what you should have. The ATO’s figures show what Australians actually hold, so you can compare: for example, the median for people aged 40–44 is $100,330. That’s a comparison, not a retirement target. Whether you’re on track depends on your salary, what you add, when you retire and the income you want.
How much super do Australians have by age?
These figures show what Australians have, not what you should have.
This table shows the median super balance for each age range, from the ATO’s Taxation statistics 2023–24. The median is the middle balance: half of the people in an age range hold less, and half hold more.
| Age | Median super balance |
|---|---|
| 18–24 | $6,071 |
| 25–29 | $21,395 |
| 30–34 | $40,426 |
| 35–39 | $69,200 |
| 40–44 | $100,330 |
| 45–49 | $131,705 |
| 50–54 | $161,375 |
| 55–59 | $185,120 |
| 60–64 | $203,326 |
| 65–69 | $218,631 |
| 70–74 | $227,982 |
| 75 and over | $197,878 |
| All ages | $63,339 |
Source: Australian Taxation Office, Taxation statistics 2023–24 (Chart 12 data), 2023–24 financial year, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia licence. Individuals with an account balance or current-year contributions greater than zero.
Medians by sex, averages and the under-18 row
| Age | Median: male | Median: female | Average: all |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | $408 | $238 | $6,890 |
| 18–24 | $6,380 | $5,784 | $9,783 |
| 25–29 | $21,742 | $21,048 | $27,822 |
| 30–34 | $42,962 | $38,070 | $54,009 |
| 35–39 | $78,289 | $61,022 | $91,265 |
| 40–44 | $116,076 | $85,804 | $134,054 |
| 45–49 | $154,751 | $110,864 | $182,866 |
| 50–54 | $192,196 | $134,309 | $238,616 |
| 55–59 | $220,560 | $154,732 | $301,151 |
| 60–64 | $236,126 | $174,655 | $371,379 |
| 65–69 | $230,766 | $207,187 | $437,422 |
| 70–74 | $227,027 | $228,978 | $492,903 |
| 75 and over | $200,477 | $195,201 | $525,439 |
| All ages | $71,914 | $57,688 | $182,781 |
The ATO reports these medians separately for men and women. They are shown as published, and this page doesn’t draw conclusions from the difference. Averages are explained in the next section.
Median vs average super balance
The ATO also reports the average (mean) balance. The two numbers answer different questions. The median is the balance of the person in the middle. The average adds every balance together and divides by the number of people, so very large balances can pull it up.
- Ages 40–44: the median is $100,330 and the average is $134,054.
- Ages 60–64: the median is $203,326 and the average is $371,379, about 1.8 times the median.
- All ages: the median is $63,339 and the average is $182,781, almost three times the median.
That’s why this page leads with the median. Neither number is something to aim for.
Does having the average amount mean I’m on track?
Not necessarily. A median or an average describes what people hold today. It doesn’t say what anyone needs, and it can’t tell you whether your balance will be enough for the retirement you want.
Two people of the same age with the same balance today can end up in very different places, depending on:
- their salary, and the employer contributions that come with it;
- any extra contributions they make;
- the investment return they assume;
- the age they retire;
- whether they are single or part of a couple; and
- the retirement income they want.
A projection uses these together. OnTrack projects your balance from your age, salary, current super, contributions and retirement age, and lets you change the investment return and other assumptions, for one person or a couple.
How much super should I have at 30, 40, 50 or 60?
There’s no balance anyone should have at a particular age. Below is the ATO median for the age range each of these ages falls into. It describes what Australians in that range hold. It is a comparison with other Australians, not a retirement target.
How much super should I have at 30?
The ATO median for Australians aged 30–34 is $40,426. That’s the middle balance among people in that age range, not a recommended balance.
How much super should I have at 40?
The ATO median for Australians aged 40–44 is $100,330, and the average is $134,054. These are what people in that range hold, not balances to aim for.
How much super should I have at 50?
The ATO median for Australians aged 50–54 is $161,375. It shows what the person in the middle of that range holds. Whether you’re on track depends on your own circumstances and assumptions.
How much super should I have at 60?
The ATO median for Australians aged 60–64 is $203,326, and the average is $371,379. Both describe what people in that range hold. Neither is a retirement target.
About these ATO figures
- The figures are for the 2023–24 financial year, from the ATO’s Taxation statistics 2023–24. They don’t show balances today.
- The ATO counts individuals with an account balance or current-year contributions greater than zero. There were 18,493,379 individuals in total. People with no balance and no contributions that year aren’t included.
- The ATO’s notes for this data don’t explain how multiple accounts, inactive accounts or lost super are counted, or the date a balance is measured, so this page doesn’t assume anything about them.
- These are medians and averages of what people hold. They aren’t targets, and they aren’t advice.
How much super do I actually need?
Comparing your balance with people your age and working out what you need for retirement are different questions. This guide answers the first. For the second, see how much super you need to retire, which sets out ASFA’s retirement benchmarks, what they assume, and how your retirement age and being single or a couple change the answer.
Check your own super projection
Instead of judging your balance against one age-based number, enter your age, salary, current super and retirement age into OnTrack’s super projection calculator to see what your own super could grow to, shown in today’s dollars by default. You can add extra contributions, change the investment return, or choose a couple to see how each changes the result.
Check your own projection. OnTrack is free, needs no sign-up, and keeps what you enter in your browser.
Important information
This guide provides general information about super balances and doesn’t take your personal circumstances into account. The ATO figures show what Australians held in 2023–24; they are not recommended balances or retirement targets.
Super rules and circumstances change. Please check the ATO or your super fund for information that applies to you, and consider advice from an Australian financial services licensee before making financial decisions.