Free · no signup · benchmark + projection
How much should you have in your 401(k) at 25?
Savings targets only mean something as a multiple of your income. Here is the widely used benchmark at 25, what it looks like in dollars, and the calculator to project where your own balance is heading.
Short answer
The common guideline (Fidelity's) says 0.5× your annual salary in retirement savings by age 25 — about $37,500 if you earn $75,000. The next milestone is 1× by 30. Behind or ahead means little without a projection: run your salary, contribution rate and match below to see where your balance lands by 65, and what raising contributions by 1–2% changes.
Projected balance at 65
$1,888,600
- Your contributions
- $362,772
- Employer match
- $136,040
- Investment growth
- $1,364,788
| Age | Projected balance |
|---|---|
| 35 | $85,240 |
| 40 | $177,721 |
| 45 | $316,695 |
| 50 | $522,354 |
| 55 | $823,252 |
| 60 | $1,259,711 |
| 65 | $1,888,600 |
About the numbers
If you're behind the benchmark, the two highest-leverage moves are capturing the full employer match (instant 50–100% return) and raising your contribution rate one point per year — most people never feel a 1% change in take-home. The benchmark assumes retiring at 67; retiring earlier raises every target, and a pension or other savings lowers them.
401(k) target at 25 by salary
| Salary | Target at 25 (0.5× salary) |
|---|---|
| $50,000 | $25,000 |
| $75,000 | $37,500 |
| $100,000 | $50,000 |
| $150,000 | $75,000 |
Fidelity's salary-multiple guideline, assuming retirement at 67. Total retirement savings counts — 401(k), IRA and other accounts together.
How much to have saved by age (salary multiples)
| Age | Savings target | On a $75,000 salary |
|---|---|---|
| By 25 | 0.5× salary | $37,500 |
| By 30 | 1× salary | $75,000 |
| By 35 | 2× salary | $150,000 |
| By 40 | 3× salary | $225,000 |
| By 45 | 4× salary | $300,000 |
| By 50 | 6× salary | $450,000 |
| By 55 | 7× salary | $525,000 |
| By 60 | 8× salary | $600,000 |
Fidelity's published guideline (1× by 30 rising to 10× by 67); the age-25 row interpolates the same line. Targets assume retiring at 67 — retiring earlier needs more.
How long a nest egg lasts by monthly spending
| Nest egg | $2,000/mo | $3,000/mo | $4,000/mo | $6,000/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | 12 yrs | 8 yrs | 6 yrs | 4 yrs |
| $300,000 | 15 yrs | 10 yrs | 7 yrs | 5 yrs |
| $400,000 | 21 yrs | 13 yrs | 10 yrs | 6 yrs |
| $500,000 | 29 yrs | 17 yrs | 12 yrs | 8 yrs |
| $750,000 | 57 yrs | 29 yrs | 20 yrs | 12 yrs |
| $1M | 100+ yrs | 45 yrs | 29 yrs | 17 yrs |
| $1.5M | 100+ yrs | 100+ yrs | 57 yrs | 29 yrs |
| $2M | 100+ yrs | 100+ yrs | 100+ yrs | 45 yrs |
Assumes 5% annual return on the remaining balance and spending that rises 2.5%/year with inflation. Market sequence risk can shorten real outcomes.
How we calculate this
Two simulations, both year by year with the working shown:
- Accumulation. each year the balance grows at your return, then the year's employee contribution (capped at the IRS deferral limit) and employer match (capped at the plan's match limit) are added; salary rises by your growth rate.
- Employer match. match = salary × min(your contribution %, match limit %) × match rate. Contribute below the limit and the forfeited match is shown by comparison.
- Drawdown. in retirement, each year's spending (rising with inflation) is withdrawn and the remainder keeps growing; the year the balance hits zero is how long the money lasts.
Assumptions
- Returns are a steady annual average — real markets vary year to year, and the order of good and bad years (sequence risk) changes drawdown outcomes.
- The IRS employee deferral limit is applied at its 2026 value; catch-up contributions (50+) are not modelled.
- Figures are pre-tax: traditional 401(k) withdrawals are taxed as income in retirement.
- Savings-by-age targets are Fidelity's salary-multiple guideline, not a rule — the right number depends on your retirement age and spending.
Sources
Last reviewed: July 22, 2026
Frequently asked questions
How is a 401(k) balance projected?+
Year by year: your balance grows at the annual return you assume, then that year's contributions land — your percentage of salary (capped at the IRS deferral limit) plus the employer match (capped at your plan's match limit) — and your salary rises by its growth rate for the next year. The power is compounding: money contributed in your 20s and 30s typically ends up mostly growth by retirement, which is why starting early beats contributing more later.
How much should I contribute to my 401(k)?+
The floor is whatever captures your full employer match — anything less forfeits free money with an instant 50–100% return. The widely used overall target is 15% of income toward retirement (your contributions plus the match). If 15% feels impossible, start at the match and raise your rate one percentage point per year — the projection shows how much even a single point changes the final balance.
How does a 401(k) employer match work?+
A formula like "50% of your contributions up to 6% of salary": if you contribute 6%, the employer adds 3% of your salary; contribute 4% and they add only 2%. On a $75,000 salary the difference between capturing a full 3% match and half of it is over $1,000 a year before growth. Watch vesting too — employer money may only fully belong to you after a few years of service.
What return should I assume for a 401(k)?+
Long-run US stock returns have averaged about 10% a year before inflation, but a diversified 401(k) with some bonds is more conservatively planned at 6–8%, and planning in inflation-adjusted terms (roughly 4–5% real) is more honest still. This calculator defaults to 7%; try 5% and 9% to see the range rather than trusting any single line.
How much money do I need to retire?+
Work from spending, not a magic number: the classic 4% rule says a nest egg lasts about 30 years if you withdraw 4% of it in year one and adjust for inflation — so $3,000 a month of portfolio spending needs roughly $900,000, before Social Security. The savings-by-age table gives the milestones along the way (1× salary by 30, 3× by 40, 6× by 50), and the drawdown mode tests any balance directly.
How long will $500,000 last in retirement?+
At $3,000 a month of spending, with a 5% return and 2.5% inflation, about 19 years; at $2,000 a month it stretches past 30. Social Security on top changes the picture substantially — if it covers $2,000 of a $4,000 monthly budget, your portfolio only funds the other half and lasts roughly twice as long. The per-balance pages on this site show the full spending table for common nest eggs.
Does this calculator see my real 401(k) account?+
No. Nothing connects to your plan and nothing you enter leaves your browser — no login, no account linking, no email. Enter your balance and plan details from your latest statement and the projection runs entirely on your device. It is a planning model, not financial advice; your plan's own projections and a fiduciary advisor can account for your full situation.
Also try the 401(k) Calculator.