What Net Worth Should You Have at Your Age? Am I on Track?
Are you behind, on track, or ahead of where you should be?
What Should Your Net Worth Be at Your Age?
Enter your details to compare your net worth against Fidelity, Stanley-Danko, and Fed SCF peer benchmarks. Project to retirement and see savings scenarios. Results update live.
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Net worth benchmarks are everywhere, but most are either too vague ("save 1x salary by 30, 3x by 40") or use average figures distorted by the ultra-wealthy. What you actually need to know is whether your specific net worth — at your specific age and income — puts you on a trajectory to retire when you want to. The two most commonly cited benchmarks are the Fidelity multipliers (1x salary at 30, 3x at 40, 6x at 50, 8x at 60, 10x at 67) and the Stanley-Danko formula from The Millionaire Next Door (expected net worth = age × 10% of annual income). Both are useful starting points but have significant limitations for people with high debt, high income, or non-traditional career paths. This calculator gives you multiple benchmarks simultaneously, shows your percentile within your age and income cohort based on Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances data, and tells you precisely what savings rate you need to reach each target by your goal date.
- →You want to know if your net worth is where it should be for your age and income
- →You are setting a net worth goal and need a target that is realistic and retirement-oriented
- →You want to see how your wealth compares to your age cohort's median and average
- →You are trying to understand if your current savings rate will get you to a comfortable retirement
- →You want to calculate the savings rate needed to catch up if you started late
- →You are in your 30s or 40s and wondering if you are seriously behind
Marcus is 38 years old, earns $88,000/year, and has a net worth of $142,000 (investments $185,000, minus student loans $43,000). The Fidelity benchmark for age 38 is roughly $220,000 (midpoint between 30 and 40 targets). The Stanley-Danko formula gives $334,400 (38 × 0.1 × $88,000). Marcus is below both common benchmarks but in the 54th percentile for his age group per Fed SCF data. He needs a 17% savings rate to reach the Fidelity 3x target by 40.
- ✕Using mean/average net worth as a benchmark — the mean is distorted by billionaires; median is the relevant comparison
- ✕Including home equity in retirement readiness calculations — investable assets are what fund retirement withdrawals
- ✕Treating net worth benchmarks as fixed targets — they should be personalised to your retirement date, expenses, and Social Security estimate
- ✕Panicking about being below benchmark rather than calculating the required savings rate to catch up — the gap is actionable
- ✕Not separating student loan and auto loan debt from investable net worth in retirement planning — debt reduces net worth but only investable assets fund retirement
What is the average net worth by age in the US?
Per 2022 Fed Survey of Consumer Finances: Under 35: median $39,000, mean $183,500. Ages 35-44: median $135,600, mean $549,600. Ages 45-54: median $247,200, mean $975,800. Ages 55-64: median $364,500, mean $1,566,900. Ages 65-74: median $409,900, mean $1,794,600. Median is far more representative than mean — averages are distorted heavily by billionaires.
Is the Fidelity rule (1x salary at 30) realistic?
The Fidelity guidelines assume you start saving at 25, save 15% of salary consistently, and earn average market returns. Many people start saving later, face student loan debt, or have interruptions. The rule is aspirational for many 30-year-olds — only about 30% of 30-year-olds have net worth equal to their annual salary. The more useful question is what you need to save today to reach retirement readiness by your target retirement age.
Should I include my home equity in net worth calculations?
For retirement readiness, you should track two figures: total net worth (including home equity) and investable net worth (excluding primary residence). Home equity contributes to total wealth but is illiquid. Retirement benchmarks like the Fidelity guidelines are specifically about investable assets, not total net worth. Using total net worth including a valuable home can create a false sense of security about retirement preparedness.
What if I am significantly behind my age-based benchmark?
Catching up is possible but requires deliberate action. The calculator shows the specific savings rate needed to reach your target by a given age. Key catch-up strategies: maximise 401k including catch-up contributions ($7,500 extra allowed at 50+), reduce high-interest debt aggressively, increase income through career moves or side income, and delay retirement target by 2-3 years (which dramatically reduces required savings).
What does the Stanley-Danko wealth formula calculate?
The formula from The Millionaire Next Door (1996): Expected Net Worth = Age × Annual Income × 0.1. Prodigious Accumulators of Wealth (PAW) have twice this amount; Under Accumulators (UAW) have half. It was designed to identify wealth relative to income and age, not as a retirement adequacy measure. It systematically underestimates the needs of high earners and overestimates needs of lower earners at the same age.