How Much Super Should You Have at Your Age?

It's one of the most googled financial questions in Australia — and the answer depends on your age, salary history, and how long you've been working. Here's a practical guide with real benchmarks.

Average Super Balances by Age

According to the latest ATO and APRA data, here's where most Australians sit. Keep in mind that averages are skewed by high balances — the median (middle value) is a more realistic benchmark for most people.

Age 25–29: Average around $30,000, median around $18,000. If you've been working full-time since finishing uni, you should have roughly $25,000–$40,000. Don't stress if you're lower — many people in this bracket have only been in the workforce a few years.

Age 30–34: Average around $65,000, median around $40,000. This is where compound growth starts to matter. If you're earning $85,000 and have been working since 22, you should have roughly $60,000–$90,000.

Age 35–39: Average around $105,000, median around $60,000. Career gaps for parenting, travel, or study commonly show up here. If you're behind, salary sacrifice is your best tool — even $2,000–$5,000 per year makes a big difference over 30 years.

Age 40–44: Average around $140,000, median around $80,000. This is the halfway point to retirement. The good news: you still have 25+ years of compound growth ahead of you.

Age 50–54: Average around $210,000, median around $120,000. If you're behind here, maximising concessional contributions ($30,000/year cap) becomes critical. The carry-forward rule lets you use unused cap from the past 5 years if your balance is under $500,000.

Age 60–64: Average around $310,000, median around $180,000. ASFA's comfortable retirement standard requires around $690,000 for a couple or $595,000 for a single. Many Australians rely on a combination of super and the Age Pension.

Why You Might Be Behind

The most common reasons for a lower-than-expected balance include career gaps (parenting leave, study, travel), low-paying early career jobs, multiple super accounts with fees eating into each one, and insurance premiums inside super you didn't opt out of.

What You Can Do About It

Consolidate your super — if you have multiple accounts, combining them into one stops you paying multiple sets of fees. You can do this through myGov. Salary sacrifice even a small amount — $100/fortnight into super is taxed at 15% instead of your marginal rate, and compounds for decades. Check your fund's investment option — if you're under 50, a growth or high-growth option historically outperforms balanced options over the long term.

Use our Salary Sacrifice Calculator to see the exact tax saving and super boost from contributing extra, or try the Financial Snapshot for your complete financial picture.