Average Net Worth by Age: How You Stack Up at Every Stage

Net worth by age is one of the most-searched personal finance questions on the internet, and one of the most misleading. The "average" net worth in the United States is dramatically inflated by a small number of extremely wealthy households — Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos both bring up the average for the 50-59 age bracket by themselves. The number you actually want to compare against is the median, not the average. This guide gives you both.

If you want to calculate your own number first, use the free net worth calculator — drop in your assets and liabilities, see your total in seconds. Then come back and see where you land.

Average vs Median (And Why You Care)

The Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances reports both the mean (average) and median net worth for households in the United States. The two numbers tell very different stories.

The average is the total wealth divided by the number of households. It is heavily influenced by ultra-wealthy outliers. If 99 people have $50,000 and one person has $50 million, the average is $549,500 — a number that nobody in the room actually has.

The median is the middle number. Half of households are above it, half below. It is a much better representation of the "typical" household at a given age. When you read articles claiming "the average 30-year-old has $76,000 in net worth," what you should really compare against is the median for 30-year-olds, which is closer to $14,000.

Net Worth at Age 25

Average: roughly $9,000 for households where the head is under 25 (not all 25-year-olds, but it is the closest age bracket the Federal Reserve publishes). Median: roughly $0 to $2,000.

Why so low: most 25-year-olds have student loan debt that approximately offsets any savings. The median household at this age literally has zero net worth. Hitting positive net worth before 25 puts you ahead of the typical American.

What to focus on at 25: Get to $0 (paid off enough debt to cancel out any liabilities). Then build a $5,000-$10,000 emergency fund. Then start a Roth IRA and contribute to your employer's 401(k) match.

Net Worth at Age 30

Average for under-35 households: ~$76,000. Median: ~$14,000.

The gap between average and median doubles between ages 25 and 30 because high-earning professionals (engineers, doctors entering residency, lawyers starting at firms) start to pull away from the median. The median household at 30 is still struggling to build a meaningful balance sheet.

What to focus on at 30: Aim for one year's salary in net worth. If you make $60,000, target $60,000 in net worth (assets minus liabilities). Run the free net worth calculator every six months to track progress.

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Net Worth at Age 35

Average: ~$200,000. Median: ~$45,000.

The 35-year-old benchmark is interesting because it is the age where the average pulls away dramatically from the median. People in high-earning fields who started saving aggressively in their 20s are starting to compound. People who did not are now significantly behind.

What to focus on at 35: Target two years of salary in net worth. Build a 6-month emergency fund. Max out your 401(k) match at minimum. If you have not started investing for retirement, start this year.

Net Worth at Age 40

Average for 35-44 households: ~$436,000. Median: ~$135,000.

The 40-year-old number is where most personal finance writers say "you should have three times your salary." For the median household, that benchmark is unrealistic — the median 40-year-old has about $135,000 total, which is roughly 2x the median household income.

If you are at three to five times your salary at 40, you are well above the median and on a great trajectory. If you are at one to two times, you are about average — not great but not behind. If you are below one times your salary, you have catch-up work to do, and the most efficient lever is increasing your savings rate.

What to focus on at 40: Calculate the gap between where you are and where you want to be at retirement. Use the compound interest calculator to see how aggressive you need to be. Adjust your savings rate accordingly.

Net Worth at Age 50

Average for 45-54 households: ~$833,000. Median: ~$247,000.

This is the "catch-up contribution" decade — the IRS allows higher 401(k) and IRA contributions for people 50 and older. People who use this benefit aggressively can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to their retirement accounts in the final 15 years of their career.

What to focus on at 50: Use catch-up contributions. Pay down high-interest debt aggressively. Review your portfolio allocation to make sure you are not too aggressive (the time horizon to retirement is now too short for major losses to recover from).

Net Worth at Age 60

Average for 55-64 households: ~$1,176,000. Median: ~$365,000.

The pre-retirement decade is where the gap between the average and median is widest. The median household at 60 has about $365,000, which (using the 4% rule) supports about $14,600 a year of retirement income — a significant gap from the average household budget. Social Security closes some of that gap but rarely all of it.

What to focus on at 60: Have a clear retirement income plan. Know your Social Security claiming strategy. Make sure your asset allocation has shifted toward bonds and cash (typically 40-60% bonds at this age, depending on risk tolerance).

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the data come from?

The Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) is the most-cited source for U.S. household net worth data. It is published every three years. The numbers in this article are from the most recent SCF, rounded for readability.

Should I include my home equity?

Yes, but track it both ways. "Total net worth" includes home equity. "Liquid net worth" excludes it. For most middle-class households, home equity is the largest single asset — but you cannot easily spend it, so for retirement planning, the liquid number is often more useful.

What if I am behind for my age?

The most powerful lever for catching up is your savings rate, not your investment return. A 5% increase in your savings rate compounds over 10-20 years into massive net worth gains. Track your number monthly with the calculator and treat each increase as a small win.