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How Your 401(k) Savings Compare to Others in Your Income Bracket

Federal Reserve data offers an income-group comparison for combined IRA and defined-contribution balances, but it is not a 401(k)-only benchmark or an individual savings target.
From TheFinanceBase Team3 min to read

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The best available income-group benchmark is not a 401(k)-only figure: in the Federal Reserve’s 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, families aged 35–64 who held an IRA or defined-contribution plan had mean combined balances of $54,700 in the bottom half of the usual-income distribution, $226,700 in the 50th–89.9th percentiles, and $913,300 in the top 10 percent. These are family-level averages among account holders, not targets for an individual. The Federal Reserve’s newer 2025 survey release reports that account-plan balances rose overall but does not provide the same income-bracket breakdown.

What the income-bracket comparison shows

The figures below come from the Federal Reserve’s 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF). They represent mean combined IRA and defined-contribution plan balances for participating families whose reference person was 35–64 years old. Amounts are in 2022 dollars.

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Usual family income group Mean combined balance among participating families How to read the group
0–49.9th percentile $54,700 Bottom half of the usual-income distribution
50–89.9th percentile $226,700 Upper-middle segment
90–100th percentile $913,300 Top decile

The income groups are percentile bands in the survey’s usual family-income distribution, not fixed salary ranges. The figures are means, so very large accounts can pull them upward; they do not tell you what the median household in a group has. They are also conditional on holding an IRA or defined-contribution plan: families with no such account are not included as zero-balance observations. The Federal Reserve’s 2022 SCF report contains the detailed comparison.

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These are not 401(k)-only balances

The SCF combines IRAs with defined-contribution accounts, which can include 401(k), 403(b), thrift, and certain other employer plans, including qualifying accounts from current or former jobs. The category is designed around account-type retirement assets families can hold and potentially withdraw; it does not simply total every pension benefit. As a result, the table is useful for comparing broad retirement-account savings, but it cannot answer precisely how much people in each income group have in a 401(k) alone. The report’s definitions explain the account scope.

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What has changed since the 2022 comparison

The Federal Reserve’s October 9, 2026 summary of the 2025 SCF says retirement-plan participation was around 65 percent and that mean and median balances rose for families with account-type plans between 2022 and 2025. The public summary does not give an updated income-bracket table, so the figures above should not be presented as 2025 balances. The broader upward trend also does not reveal how each income group changed. The 2025 SCF release provides the latest high-level result.

The 2022 report also compares its income groups with 2019. Mean combined balances among participating families aged 35–64 went from $66,600 to $54,700 in the bottom half, from $197,800 to $226,700 in the 50th–89.9th percentiles, and from $803,100 to $913,300 in the top decile. The Federal Reserve notes that the bottom-half decline partly reflects a shift toward younger families among participants; the decline was driven by the bottom quartile, where participation increased as the conditional mean balance fell. These comparisons use 2022 dollars.

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Account ownership and perceived readiness are different measures

A separate Federal Reserve survey gives more recent context about access to tax-preferred retirement accounts, but it reports ownership and self-assessment—not account balances. Among non-retirees in the 2025 household well-being report, ownership rates rose with family income:

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2025 family income Non-retirees with a tax-preferred account Non-retirees who said savings were on track
Under $25,000 15% 7%
$25,000–$49,999 38% 16%
$50,000–$99,999 65% 29%
$100,000 or more 89% 59%

Tax-preferred accounts in this survey include examples such as 401(k)s, IRAs, and Roth IRAs. The “on track” figures reflect respondents’ own views: the survey did not give them a specific savings target or income-based standard. Overall, 35 percent of non-retirees said their retirement savings were on track. Neither ownership nor perceived readiness establishes that a household has enough saved. See the Federal Reserve’s 2025 Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households for the survey context.

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How to use the figures for your own planning

A peer average can provide context, but it is not a personal retirement goal. Before deciding whether you are ahead or behind, make sure you are comparing like with like: the SCF numbers are for families, include multiple account types, cover account holders only, and apply to a specific age range and year. Your own 401(k) balance is an individual account figure unless you deliberately add other household retirement assets.

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  • Compare total retirement resources. Include relevant workplace plans and IRAs rather than comparing one 401(k) with a combined-account benchmark.
  • Consider your age and savings history. The SCF comparison covers family reference people aged 35–64; it does not adjust the table to your exact age or years of contributions.
  • Account for your plan and income needs. Contribution history, employer matching, expected retirement age, and anticipated spending all affect what a suitable balance looks like.
  • Use a personal target, not the group mean. Averages describe a population; they do not say what you will need or whether your current saving rate is sufficient.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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