Under-35 Retirement Savings Average Hits $50,261, Vanguard Says

The Federal Reserve's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances put total retirement savings (including IRAs and other accounts) for all under-35 households at a mean of $49,130 and a median of $18,880. That survey predates the Vanguard and Fidelity data, but the numbers are broadly consistent.

Northwestern Mutual's 2026 survey found that the average American believes they will need $1.46 million in today's dollars to retire comfortably. That figure is not a target for any specific age group, the insurer said, but a self-reported estimate from respondents of all ages.

The gap between the mean and median in every data set highlights how uneven retirement saving is among younger workers. Half of all under-35 savers have less than $19,000 in total retirement accounts, according to the Fed survey.