The most widely used benchmark, from Fidelity, is simple: you should have 1× your annual salary saved by age 30, 3× by 40, 6× by 50, 8× by 60, and 10× by 67 — counting all retirement and investment accounts together.
For someone earning $80,000, that means roughly $80,000 saved by 30, $240,000 by 40, and $480,000 by 50. Here's the full breakdown, why the targets accelerate, and what to do if you're behind.
Savings targets by age
| Age | Target (× salary) | At $60k salary | At $80k salary | At $100k salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1× | $60,000 | $80,000 | $100,000 |
| 35 | 2× | $120,000 | $160,000 | $200,000 |
| 40 | 3× | $180,000 | $240,000 | $300,000 |
| 45 | 4× | $240,000 | $320,000 | $400,000 |
| 50 | 6× | $360,000 | $480,000 | $600,000 |
| 55 | 7× | $420,000 | $560,000 | $700,000 |
| 60 | 8× | $480,000 | $640,000 | $800,000 |
| 67 | 10× | $600,000 | $800,000 | $1,000,000 |
Based on Fidelity's retirement savings guidelines, which assume retiring at 67 and maintaining your pre-retirement lifestyle.
Two clarifications people often miss:
- "Saved" means invested, not in a savings account. These targets assume market growth doing much of the work — 401(k)s, IRAs, HSAs, and brokerage accounts all count.
- The multiple is of your current salary. Get a big raise and your target jumps too; that's the guideline working as intended, since your lifestyle (and the retirement that must fund it) got more expensive.
Why the targets accelerate
Notice the jump: one salary in your first decade of work, then two more by 40, then three more by 50. That's compounding math, not expectation inflation — money invested at 25 has 40 years to grow, so early savings do disproportionate work. The corollary cuts both ways: being behind at 30 is cheap to fix; being behind at 50 is not.
Behind the curve? In good company — and here's the playbook
Most Americans are behind these benchmarks — the median 401(k) balance is about $44,000, far below where the multiples say a mid-career saver should be. If that's you:
- Get the full employer match first. It's the highest-return money available to you.
- Use catch-up contributions if you're 50+. The IRS allows meaningfully higher 401(k) and IRA limits from age 50.
- Automate an annual 1% increase. Most plans can do this automatically; you won't feel it, and it compounds your savings rate.
- Attack high-interest debt in parallel. A credit card at 24% outruns any market return; clearing it is a guaranteed win.
- Know your real number. Scattered accounts make people underestimate (or overestimate) where they stand — the benchmark only helps if you're comparing it against your true total.
How this fits with other benchmarks
Salary multiples measure retirement readiness. For the broader picture — home equity, debts, everything — the yardstick is net worth; see the average net worth by age and what puts you in the top 10%. The two views together answer both "can I retire?" and "am I building wealth?"
Frequently asked questions
Are Fidelity's multiples too aggressive?
They're calibrated for maintaining your lifestyle from 67 onward. If you expect lower expenses, Social Security covering a bigger share, or working past 67, you can land safely below 10×. Planning to retire early? You'll need more, sooner.
Should I count my home equity?
Not for these targets — you can't spend the house you live in. Home equity belongs in your net worth, not your retirement-savings multiple.
What if my income just increased a lot?
Your multiple drops overnight, and that's fine. Treat the new target as a direction, not a pass/fail grade — and avoid letting lifestyle inflate to the new income while you close the gap.
The hardest part is knowing your true total across every account. NetTrack adds it up automatically and shows whether the number is moving fast enough. Start free.
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